D&D 5E Shillelagh. Am I missing something?

[fba827]

Produce Flame allows attack when cast or as an action on a later round.

Are you sure about that? I Recall looking thus up before when picking spells for my Druid and it was an action to cast and an action to attack with, and you can only take one action... And there was a clause in there about 'on a later round you can attack'

Anyway, I'm away from books now so will look it up when I get home.

 

[fba827]

Looking over this thread I think the main advantage for shillelaghs is the fact that it is for melee while other attack cantrip are not. So for circle of land Druids that may not have strong wild shape attacks (esp at early levels when this spell is still on par with the others) but find themselves in melee this would be a good option.

 

[Atlatl Jones]

Looking over this thread I think the main advantage for shillelaghs is the fact that it is for melee while other attack cantrip are not. So for circle of land Druids that may not have strong wild shape attacks (esp at early levels when this spell is still on par with the others) but find themselves in melee this would be a good option.

Thorn whip is a melee attack and poison spray doesn't require an attack roll so both can be used in melee without penalty.

 

[Quartz]

Unfortunately, most of that is minor to the current druid circles.

I disagree. Remember that Shillelagh doesn't require Concentration. A druid can cast the spell at the beginning of a fight and it'll be there when she needs it - when she cannot cast a spell, maybe taking a bonus action, or a reaction, or Silenced etc.

 

[Zaukrie]

If magic was real, not all of it would be optimal. I just take spells for what they are. That said, you could just scale it in your campaign, of the DM will.

 

[thalmin]

Are you sure about that? I Recall looking thus up before when picking spells for my Druid and it was an action to cast and an action to attack with, and you can only take one action... And there was a clause in there about 'on a later round you can attack'

Anyway, I'm away from books now so will look it up when I get home.

From page 269, second paragraph of the Produce Flame spell description (my bold)

You can also attack with the flame. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature...

 

[Minigiant]

I disagree. Remember that Shillelagh doesn't require Concentration. A druid can cast the spell at the beginning of a fight and it'll be there when she needs it - when she cannot cast a spell, maybe taking a bonus action, or a reaction, or Silenced etc.

I didn't say it was useless, just minor.
It's like making magic missile weaker or a meh choice for wizards.

It just feels off.

 

[Cannyjiggit]

Surely the point is that it lets you use your casting stat instead of strength for both to hit and damage rolls (as well as turning the damage from d6 to d8)? Assuming a druid will be looking to advance their wisdom, then in damage terms, d8+5 is roughly equivalent to th 3d6 Thorn Whip can do at 11th level and once cast doesn't need recasting or concentration.

I have a potential character planned (partly stolen from someone on here) of a variant human Tome Warlock using a quarterstaff with polearm master feat, gaining shillelagh using the tome. Ranged attacks will be eldritch blast but anything gets into melee range provokes an opportunity attack with the staff and regular combat rounds have the potential for d8+d4+10 damage (possibly 2d8+10 depending on DMs interpretation of whether feat or spell takes precedence on damage determination but I would rule d4 so expect him to do so also).

Add to that, its a bonus action to cast so when you realise you might have to melee, you can cast it and attack in the same round (although the Warlock character above would lose the second attack for that round in that scenario)

 

[Blue]

Works nice with the Staff and Polearm Mastery. One hand, d8 both sides IIRC.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I may also be missing something, but isn't the Quarterstaff a Versatile weapon? Meaning it is already capable of 1d8 damage when used two-handed (1d6/1d8 as a Versatile weapon)? Should there not be an option to cast Shillelagh and have it do 1d8/1d10 if used two-handed?