D&D 5E reducing dominance of ranged: cantrips

[Eubani]

Still am not convinced that ranged combat is so dominant and am not convinced that removing/limiting cantrips will fix this issue even if it did exist. I also don't agree that cantrips make magic users less magical and that turning them into part time untrained crossbowmen makes them more magical. What I am convinced of is that some tables do not mesh with multi classing or certain play styles or character creation methods.

 

[Argyle King]

Raw says that the target of some cantrips needs to be a creature.

Does the creature need to be alive?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Raw says that the target of some cantrips needs to be a creature.

Does the creature need to be alive?

I believe that dead (as opposed to undead) bodies are considered objects, not creatures.

 

[Pauln6]

The only thing I've noted in our campaign is that it's too convenient to buy Eldritch Blast with a feat, otherwise melee is king. If DMs are worried that ranged cantrips are too dominant, just halve the spell range and see what that does. I should imagine it will place many casters within easy melee range in many cases so that the tank PCs will need to work harder to keep them safe. It might also be worth adding some fluff to Eldritch blast, since it's a warlock only spell, it makes sense that some of the trappings of the warlock pact should be attached to it.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

The only thing I've noted in our campaign is that it's too convenient to buy Eldritch Blast with a feat, otherwise melee is king. If DMs are worried that ranged cantrips are too dominant, just halve the spell range and see what that does. I should imagine it will place many casters within easy melee range in many cases so that the tank PCs will need to work harder to keep them safe. It might also be worth adding some fluff to Eldritch blast, since it's a warlock only spell, it makes sense that some of the trappings of the warlock pact should be attached to it.

Eldritch blast on its own isn't an issue though. Its only the combination with enough warlock levels to get to add your Cha bonus to each attack that makes it as good as mundane weapons.

 

[Pauln6]

Eldritch blast on its own isn't an issue though. Its only the combination with enough warlock levels to get to add your Cha bonus to each attack that makes it as good as mundane weapons.

Oh I agree. I have not really seen any evidence of ranged cantrip domination in our groups overall. This issue was more that in one group, we had a fey warlock, a custom shadow warlock, and a monk with eldritch blast from the cantrip. It was just very boring so I ditched Eldritch Blast in favour of Fire Bolt just to mix it up.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Raw says that the target of some cantrips needs to be a creature.

Does the creature need to be alive?

Nope. Undead and constructs for example, are creatures, but are not alive.

Once dead (or destroyed), though, a creature may well no longer be considered such, an obvious case where a DM ruling is called for. OTOH, it'd be perfectly reasonable to rule whether a cantrip that normally targeted a 'creature' could target an object in a given instance.