D&D 5E Sanctuary useless?

[Scorpio616]

This sounds fine and dandy but why do I get the feeling that targeting or shooting another target is just almost as good of a result?

Because some PCs can be VERY tough and foes have to focus fire to bring them down. Having even a few attacks retargeted makes the difference between a dead PC and two or three injured PCs that can be healed up with a Channel Divinity, mass healing word or a Prayer of healing / HD after the fight. And since a healer is a priority target vs intelligent foes, the spell is very useful against foes that see the cleric healing someone back to their feet.

 

[mellored]

I'm not seeing this one. If Sentinel comes into play, Sanctuary has already been lost--there's an anti-synergy there. No action loss by the enemy, he just attacks the Sentinel exactly the way he would have if there had been no Sanctuary--unless you're thinking that the enemy wouldn't know Sanctuary had been cast?

You put sanctuary on a rogue with sentient. They then don't (or can't) attack the rogue, and thus must move or attack someone else.
Rogue then get's a free backstab. Which will then break sanctuary, but not before.

6d6+dex damage is worth a bonus action + level 1 spell slot.


Though personally i like spiritual guardian + sanctuary better. Or call lighting for a storm cleric, since you can keep blasting and be safe from concentration saves.

 

[fba827]

I tend to find sanctuary better for npc targets....

.... An escort mission trying to get an important ambassador from point a to b but he has no combat skills

.... A fight in the middle of town where there are innocent bystanders just caught in the middle of the rampaging Godzilla


.... To cast on the person about to be stabbed/killed in a ritual as a delaying tactic when you burst in the door and need to take out the ritualist before he can complete the ritual that involves killing the sacrifice.


For a PC,

... The PC who is too injured to do much else and is otherwise out of ammo to shoot at a ranged attacker who is continuing to shoot at the party

... The PC who is trying to open the lock/undo a trap/get the artifact while the other pcs are trying to simply buy time and hold back the attackers when getting the objective for that one PC is more important than hurrying to kill overwhelming odds that are on their heels

Sure those are all situational, but my point being that I find sanctuary useful more so for casting on npcs, and rarely on pcs when the objective is less about killing and more about needing the time and opportunity to get from a to b.

 

[jrowland]

I think the manuever Goad + Sanctuary is a good combo on a "boss" or tough foe

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

You put sanctuary on a rogue with sentient. They then don't (or can't) attack the rogue, and thus must move or attack someone else.
Rogue then get's a free backstab. Which will then break sanctuary, but not before.

6d6+dex damage is worth a bonus action + level 1 spell slot.

Though personally i like spiritual guardian + sanctuary better. Or call lighting for a storm cleric, since you can keep blasting and be safe from concentration saves.

Right, there's some offensive potential, but where is the defensive benefit? The statement that puzzled me was "Or put [Sanctuary] on someone with sentinel against a melee guy, and it's very likely the enemy can waste his actions." Did you mean "it's very likely the sentinel will get an opportunity attack?" (It works almost exactly the same without Sentinel BTW--I don't see what value Sentinel is bringing to the table either. Any old Rogue with Sanctuary would do.)

It looks to me like after you make your sneak attack, the enemy will then attack you right back. Where's the action-wasting occurring?

 

[77IM]

In our very first session of 5e, I saw sanctuary put to very good use when it was cast on a hostage held at swordpoint.

 

[ad_hoc]

In our very first session of 5e, I saw sanctuary put to very good use when it was cast on a hostage held at swordpoint.

You're supposed to shoot the hostage.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

You're supposed to shoot the hostage.

Well yes, if you're playing a villain that would be exactly the thing to do. LOL

 

[mellored]

It looks to me like after you make your sneak attack, the enemy will then attack you right back. Where's the action-wasting occurring?

it gives the enemy a choic, take an OA, waste an action to disengage, or possibly waste an action attacking the protected target.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

it gives the enemy a choic, take an OA, waste an action to disengage, or possibly waste an action attacking the protected target.

The exact same is true without Sentinel.

Basically, Sanctuary and Sentinel are an anti-synergy. They're both useful independently, but they don't stack with each other.