D&D (2024) Should Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade be in the new PHB?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yes, but they didn't do that to surreptitiously remove a sub-class. I don't see that happening.

They're going to remove Xanathar's and Tasha's no matter what, as I've said.

 

[Leatherhead]

The new True Strike is basically a "blade-style" cantrip anyway, and both of these help fill the narrative niche of combining spell and sword into a single attack, which is a strong theme.

But honestly I'm going to say yes so that they have precedent to include the Elemental Evil cantrips (which were reprinted in Tasha's) in the PHB so that they are easily accessible for new players, their characters, and any future revision to races they are going to do. They are just soo good on flavor it's a pity they are locked behind a splatbook.

 

[Kurotowa]

But honestly I'm going to say yes so that they have precedent to include the Elemental Evil cantrips (which were reprinted in Tasha's) in the PHB so that they are easily accessible for new players, their characters, and any future revision to races they are going to do. They are just soo good on flavor it's a pity they are locked behind a splatbook.

Yes but also no. Check the Elementalism cantrip in UA6. It's basically the full set of EE element cantrips, slightly reduced and combined into a single Prestidigitation like package.

I would love for GFB and BB to get into the PHB, updated or not. They enable a great many build types.

 

[Leatherhead]

Yes but also no. Check the Elementalism cantrip in UA6. It's basically the full set of EE element cantrips, slightly reduced and combined into a single Prestidigitation like package.

That's great for someone who is tuned into all the elements, but not so much for someone who is tuned into just one of them.

 

[Mistwell]

It seems like spells that are must have for certain classes or combos I see where people are talking about dealing 100 points of damage at 5th level and such. Not sure if it is broken or just when using certain combos or multiclassing.

They don't deal that much damage it's just cantrip damage. Mostly it's used to keep some classes closer to where they should be, like a rogue.

 

[Horwath]

They're not selling Volo's, Tome of Foes or Lost Mines any more. They can make the same decision with Xanathar's and Tasha's at any time. People who already have access to it will retain it, but over the next decade, the percentage of active users with the content will decline over time.

they will go out of print when new version of "Xanatars/Tashas" goes into print.

 

[Kurotowa]

That's great for someone who is tuned into all the elements, but not so much for someone who is tuned into just one of them.

Single element characters have always been ...tricky. The game tries to throw the idea a little support, like being able to pick a focus element from Draconic Sorcerer or the Elemental Adept feat. But it never works very well, because there just aren't enough spells of any singular element to fill out a caster's arsenal. Also they'll get completely shut down by running into a monster with the right Damage Immunity.

So I'm all for them making it easier to be a "master of the elements", rather than get pigeon holed into the much weaker and more narrow "master of fire" or "master of water".

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

they will go out of print when new version of "Xanatars/Tashas" goes into print.

Goto 9258029

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Single element characters have always been ...tricky. The game tries to throw the idea a little support, like being able to pick a focus element from Draconic Sorcerer or the Elemental Adept feat. But it never works very well, because there just aren't enough spells of any singular element to fill out a caster's arsenal. Also they'll get completely shut down by running into a monster with the right Damage Immunity.

So I'm all for them making it easier to be a "master of the elements", rather than get pigeon holed into the much weaker and more narrow "master of fire" or "master of water".

It can be a bad idea, but it's still deeply appealing to players, whether you want to play Elsa or the Human Torch.

There are certainly less-optimal things the game system enables than single element specialists.

 

[Kurotowa]

It can be a bad idea, but it's still deeply appealing to players, whether you want to play Elsa or the Human Torch.

People trying to port characters with superpowers to D&D, instead of an appropriate superhero game system, is one of my pet peeves. It doesn't work. Stop trying to do it. Or at the very least, put in the work to adapt the character concept to a D&D context. No, you can't be Groot. Or Elsa. Captain America might work in very broad terms, but that shield is a legendary grade item and you don't get to start with it.