D&D 5E (2024) Should poison spray be a cone?

[Tonguez]

I imagine more this

 

[niklinna]

I guess it should maybe be called poison squirt/spurt than poison spray, mm?

 

[Charlaquin]

The new acid splash does 1d6 damage in a 5' cube. So there's your metric. Reduce poison spray to 1d6 damage in a 15' cone.

A 5’ cube covers 4 squares on a grid. A 15’ cone covers approximately 6 squares on a grid. So that’s potentially stronger, though with poison damage being more frequently resisted than acid that might be a reasonable tradeoff.

 

[mellored]

A 5’ cube covers 4 squares on a grid. A 15’ cone covers approximately 6 squares on a grid. So that’s potentially stronger, though with poison damage being more frequently resisted than acid that might be a reasonable tradeoff.

You're also looking at melee vs 60".

So I would say 15', d8 would be right.
Especially if it's a Con save.

I guess should maybe be called poison squirt/spurt than poison spray, mm?

Poison Puff?

 

[WanderingMystic]

To be honest why would you ever take this spell at this short of a range with a con saving throw and poison damage even if it was a cone effect.
Acid spalsh with its 5ft radius is hitting 4 squars with a dex save and a decent range even if it is only d6. It had a better chance to deal damage, not quite as many max targets but I doubt you would actually get more than one extra at max and it can be used at range and is not just a cone effect.

 

[Yaarel]

Spheres (or squares) are easier to deal with than cones.

I even wish the cones were instead an adjacent sphere.

 

[Yaarel]

A 5’ cube covers 4 squares on a grid. A 15’ cone covers approximately 6 squares on a grid. So that’s potentially stronger, though with poison damage being more frequently resisted than acid that might be a reasonable tradeoff.

A 5-foot cube is one square. A 10-foot cube is four squares.

 

[Hriston]

I just read the playtest version, so now I understand what the OP is talking about. It's okay with a longer range and an attack roll instead of a saving throw, but I don't prefer it, so I chose "other", meaning keep the 2014 version. By using a save, that version allowed it to be used in melee as a "reach" cantrip, possibly as part of a surprise attack. The playtest version is just another ranged cantrip.

Eta: The reason I'm not choosing "yes" is, as I posted up-thread, with only a 10' range, I don't think an AoE is needed or helpful for adjudication. However, it could be thought of as a 7.5' cone, but if more than one creature is within the AoE, I'd say the caster has to choose one as the target.

 

[Charlaquin]

A 5-foot cube is one square. A 10-foot cube is four squares.

Nope, on a grid AoEs always originate from corners.

 

[Yaarel]

Nope, on a grid AoEs always originate from corners.

In the Players Handbook (here from DnDBeyond Area of Effect): "The cube's size is expressed as the length of each side."

Thus, a 5-foot cube is 5 feet high, 5 feet long, and 5 feet wide. In other words, 1 square.