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Silvery Barbs and Fey Touched
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<blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 8489942" data-attributes="member: 58197"><p><em>Silvery barbs</em> doesn't care who casts it. If the fighter takes a critical hit, anyone in the party could cast SB to avert it. They just have to be within 60 feet and able to use a reaction.</p><p></p><p>So the most logical person to take SB is the one who is most likely to be able to cast it and who has the lowest opportunity cost to a) learn and b) use it. Factors that would go into that decision:</p><p></p><p>#1: How much do you have to give up in order to learn and/or prepare SB?</p><p>#2: How often can you cast it per day?</p><p>#3: If it costs you a spell slot, how likely are you to want that slot for something else?</p><p>#4: How often do you want your reaction for something else?</p><p>#5: How often will you be unconscious?</p><p>#6: How often will you be out of range?</p><p></p><p>Points #1, #2, and #4 make it clear that a front-line warrior is the <em>worst</em> person to take SB. It costs them half of a feat, they can only cast it once per day, and they are constantly using their reactions for other things. A half-caster such as a paladin or melee ranger does a little better on #2, but #3 limits the benefit; with so few slots, the half-caster is usually going to ration them pretty tightly. Paladins especially want their spell slots for smiting.</p><p></p><p>Archers do significantly better. But by far the best choice for the party's "silvery barber" is a bard, sorcerer, or wizard*:</p><p></p><p>#1: You give up just a single spell known or prepared.</p><p>#2: You can cast it as many times as you have spell slots to throw at it.</p><p>#3: Once you reach the mid-levels, you can usually spare a 1st-level slot without trouble.</p><p>#4: Casters rarely use reactions compared to melee warriors. Now and then you <em>counterspell</em> an enemy caster, or use <em>shield</em> or War Caster if you find yourself in melee, but most of the time your reaction will go unused.</p><p>#5: Call this one a wash. The caster is less in harm's way than the front-line warrior, but they also tend to have lower hit points and AC.</p><p>#6: This is the one place where a caster is <em>slightly</em> worse than a front-liner; but lots of spells have a range of 60 feet or less, so you're likely to be within that range most of the time.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px">*In fact, wizard is the single best choice for the silvery barber, partly because "spell prepared" is a lower opportunity cost than "spell known," but mainly because the wizard is most likely to have a silvery beard.</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dausuul, post: 8489942, member: 58197"] [I]Silvery barbs[/I] doesn't care who casts it. If the fighter takes a critical hit, anyone in the party could cast SB to avert it. They just have to be within 60 feet and able to use a reaction. So the most logical person to take SB is the one who is most likely to be able to cast it and who has the lowest opportunity cost to a) learn and b) use it. Factors that would go into that decision: #1: How much do you have to give up in order to learn and/or prepare SB? #2: How often can you cast it per day? #3: If it costs you a spell slot, how likely are you to want that slot for something else? #4: How often do you want your reaction for something else? #5: How often will you be unconscious? #6: How often will you be out of range? Points #1, #2, and #4 make it clear that a front-line warrior is the [I]worst[/I] person to take SB. It costs them half of a feat, they can only cast it once per day, and they are constantly using their reactions for other things. A half-caster such as a paladin or melee ranger does a little better on #2, but #3 limits the benefit; with so few slots, the half-caster is usually going to ration them pretty tightly. Paladins especially want their spell slots for smiting. Archers do significantly better. But by far the best choice for the party's "silvery barber" is a bard, sorcerer, or wizard*: #1: You give up just a single spell known or prepared. #2: You can cast it as many times as you have spell slots to throw at it. #3: Once you reach the mid-levels, you can usually spare a 1st-level slot without trouble. #4: Casters rarely use reactions compared to melee warriors. Now and then you [I]counterspell[/I] an enemy caster, or use [I]shield[/I] or War Caster if you find yourself in melee, but most of the time your reaction will go unused. #5: Call this one a wash. The caster is less in harm's way than the front-line warrior, but they also tend to have lower hit points and AC. #6: This is the one place where a caster is [I]slightly[/I] worse than a front-liner; but lots of spells have a range of 60 feet or less, so you're likely to be within that range most of the time. [SIZE=3]*In fact, wizard is the single best choice for the silvery barber, partly because "spell prepared" is a lower opportunity cost than "spell known," but mainly because the wizard is most likely to have a silvery beard.[/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
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