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Message: <blockquote data-quote="doctorhook" data-source="post: 6450580" data-attributes="member: 58401">Yeah, it definitely has a different power curve than a utility feature like mage hand legerdemain. I want to be able to include this ability in my game; thematically, the idea of sneak attacking with magic is pretty cool, but only really suits the arcane trickster (it would be an offense to ATs to give such an ability to any other existing class or subclass). The only catch is balancing it so that it doesn't end up absolutely superior to all other options.I think @771M correctly points out that it's problematic that such an attack (with a cantrip--spells aren't common enough to matter for this character, I think) scales due to sneak attack and cantrip base damage, but I agree that flatly ignoring cantrip scaling isn't appropriate either. This is part of the reason I was thinking about a range limitation, although the vast majority of combat happens within 30 feet anyway, so choosing an appropriate range would be tricky too. This hypothetical feature has to be balanced to function appropriately with fire bolt (the mostly likely cantrip to get used with it) as well as potential future cantrips of similar power-level.This whole business is leading me to consider another new alternative feature: "mage knife", the ability to simply allow magical melee sneak attacks within 30 feet, as though by a different type of superior mage hand, albeit without your weapon leaving your actual hand. This option is thematically appropriate and bypasses the "double-scaling" problem with cantrips; the downside is that it still wouldn't be combat-competitive with assassinate, and is only marginally (if at all) superior to just using a ranged weapon. Actually, now I'm sorta wondering why ATs can't just do this, period....And there my thoughts go, down that rabbit hole of trying to fix an entire system that isn't broken. Balanced in principle, but it's a slippery slope once we start cherry-picking class features. Next thing I know, a player could be asking for a rogue with Circle of the Moon wildshaping lol.</blockquote>

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