I don't think you're grokking what I'm saying.
Let me go through your examples and explain how those are different from your proposed 24-hour no-concentration 1st-level
produce flame bonus action variant...
Cleric - War Domain - War Priest 1st level feature
This lets you make a weapon attack as a bonus action Wisdom modifier #times/long rest. You could
sacred flame (action) and weapon attack (bonus action), for example. This is different from what you suggest in 3 ways:
- Your produce flame could let you use a cantrip (action) + produce flame (bonus action). Letting a PC use two spells on their turn for a 1st level slot (whose effect is ongoing without concentration) is unquestionably OP.
- Your produce flame relies on your primary attribute. A War Domain Cleric is relying either on Strength or Dexterity (secondary attributes).
- Your produce flame is better because there's no limit on #times you can throw the flame as a bonus action. 24 hours is a long long time, easily letting you surpass the War Priest feature.
Not the same.
Fighter - Second Wind 2nd level feature
Second Wind is a an ability wholly unique to the Fighter - no other class gets bonus action healing, so it's a poor example to choose as a comparison because it's apples-to-oranges. If we do compare them, however, we see that Second Wind is limited by requiring a short or long rest. Your
produce flame, however, lasts for 24 hours.
Not the same.
Warlock - 1st level hex spell
There's a difference between "bonus action to cast" and "bonus action to make an attack with an ongoing spell." With
hex, the +1d6 damage is limited by concentration (1 hour). I think it's very telling of how OP your
produce flame variant is, that
hex lasts for 24 hours
if cast with a 5th level spell slot (and even then still requires concentration).
Not the same.
Druid - shillelagh cantrip
Shillelagh is the best comparison of those you gave IMO. It empowers a staff to deal d8 instead of d6, makes it magical, and lets you use your Wisdom instead of Strength. It does NOT let you make a bonus action attack, however. Your
sacred flame lets you make a bonus action attack dealing 1d8 damage.
Not the same.
It's also worth noting that hex is a Warlock-only spell & shillelagh is a Druid-only spell that is hard for other PCs to get without using optional rules like feats/multiclassing. This point is more subjective, but I suspect it has to do with the party roles the designers were trying to steer certain classes toward. YMMV about whether that's important in your games.
Ultimately, everyone has to find the metric for balance that works at their table. A casual group not too concerned with balance could allow your version, likely without it rocking the boat too much. Personally, I would not use it in my games without toning it down.
You Said, "At a minimum, the PHB seems to put off dealing damage as a bonus action till 2nd-level spells with heat metal and spiritual weapon (or, as is the case with majority of spells of this kind, till 3rd or 5th).
I'm not sure about balance reasons for setting it up this way, but I can think of a gameplay reason: Simplicity. Not wanting to overload new players with too much too soon"
1. Put off dealing damage from bonus action until 2nd level spells, -- Not true
--- War Priest , Off hand attack, Hex, Monk Martial Arts, Paladins,
2. Simplicity, Not using Bonus actions at early levels. -- Not true
--- Everything under #1 + All healers (Druid, Cleric, and Bard) all use healing word as a bonus action, Fighter Action surge, shillelagh
Both show by the examples you listed above.
Also,
you don't seem to understand how my spell works. It does not grant you an attack as a bonus action.
You take an
action to cast Produce Flame (turn 1)
You take an
action to cast Improved Produce Flame (turn 2)
You take a
bonus action to split Produce Flame (turn 2)
You take an
action to attack with Second Flame (turn 3)
Each turn after you can use a bonus action to split then attack with second flame using your action, so that you have a continual light source. It is still only a single 1d8 attack.
Optionally, you COULD use a
bonus action on turn 3 to also through the original Flame
ending the spell but that would be dump because you just spent 3 turns and a first level spell slot to get 2 attack where you could have attacked 3 times with the same cantrip and done more damage....
If you were walking around with the flame split in both hands, you could through them both on the same turn for 2d8 (ending the spell) and leaving your self in darkness
--Or with the same first level spell slot you could cast:
Ice Knife 1d10 + 2d6 AoE damage
Thunder Wave 2d8 AoE with knock back
Or a number of arguably more powerful spells.
This setup is not really any more powerful than the 2 can trips 4 classes can do but requires a 1st level spell.
Light/Fire Bolt - Wizard/Sorcerer
Light/Thunderclap - Bard
Light/Sacred Flame - Cleric
