D&D 5E On Orcish Grandmothers (=poor spells)

[Paraxis]

Most charm spells are basically save ends, you get to make a save at the end of each of your turns to recover from the effect.

 

[doctorhook]

Most charm spells are basically save ends, you get to make a save at the end of each of your turns to recover from the effect.

Yep, and in cases where spells follow the same rules-template, why not just use clear, shared language? Not including some of 4E's helpful terminology is a minor step backwards in 5E.

 

[Pickles JG]

That just reflects the strategic division between offense and defense. That said, you're right that defense alone is usually a poor choice. Perhaps Blade Ward should return some the damage to the attacker?

It does when my Warlock uses it while he has armour of agathys running. It ain't great - very situational - but works well enough in this situation. Dodging would often be a better use of your action but my guy want to get hit.

 

[Gadget]

I would nominate Barkskin for being poorly worded, if not poor in effect (depending on which of the many interpretations put forth here you go with )

 

[KarinsDad]

True Strike. With it's "next turn" and concentration, it doesn't even work well as a bonus action before casting.

True Strike also has wording that seems to imply that it cannot be used with another vs. AC concentration spell (like Witch Bolt). Once the caster starts casting the second spell, the advantage from True Strike no longer applies.

 

[PnPgamer]

Sounds like color spray would be awesome as a save ends spell, if such a thing still existed.

Save ends isn't worth the extra rolling, but good gravy do I ever wish I could automate this game.

Uhhh... They do exist? Check out hold person or blindness/deafness.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

How is vampiric touch considered weak? It's a wizard spell that heals! Not just gaining some thp, but honest to goodness self-healing.

It does when my Warlock uses it while he has armour of agathys running. It ain't great - very situational - but works well enough in this situation. Dodging would often be a better use of your action but my guy want to get hit.

Good find!

 

[miniaturehoarder]

Dodging would often be a better use of your action but my guy want to get hit.

Dodge can be shut off by grapple. Once enemy density gets high, one just grabs you and shuts off your dodge.

 

[Lanefan]

Sounds like color spray would be awesome as a save ends spell, if such a thing still existed.

Save ends isn't worth the extra rolling, but good gravy do I ever wish I could automate this game.

Maybe just give Colour Spray a longer locked-in duration - say, 1 round/caster level, max. 5 rounds - to make it more useful.

Another way to set about fixing spells is to look at how prior editions handled them - Ray of Enfeeblement, for example, has been around since about the end of the last ice age and this is the first time I've ever heard anyone complain about it; so what did 5e do to it to weaken it that can maybe be partly or fully undone?

Lan-"and, let's face it, not all spells are always going to be as useful as all other spells"-efan

 

[miniaturehoarder]

Oh and blade ward is pretty horrid. If you use it you get half the damage, but you haven't progressed in your own goal, which is kill the enemy.

Yeah, it's situational, but if an enemy group all of a sudden decide to Kill the Mage and they know to grapple you if you try dodging, it can be worth a shot, especially if keeping the foe's attention makes things easier on the rest of the party.