Thoughts on a Shillelagh Magic Item for a Cleric

[Stalker0]

I have a cleric in the group who is a very wisdom and intelligence focused character. He is interested in getting a magic item that would let him cast Shillelagh, aka uses his wisdom for his attack and damage. This to me would replace a +1 weapon.

What are people's thoughts on the balance of that? Do you think its a reasonable magic item, or too powerful in a cleric's hands?

 

[Oofta]

In general, clerics do just fine without a melee weapon. If they really need it there's already a feat they can take which will give them shillelagh.

I don't see it breaking the game, but magic initiate already has it covered,

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I put a Wand of Flame Blade in my game (does what it says on the tin).

 

[jgsugden]

They get to make melee attacks with a d8 magical (but not +1) weapon using their main attribute for the attacks. I'd likely make it an attuned item, but have no concerns about it. However, I'd likely also give it the ability to do something else fun so that it isn't just a 'beat stick'...

 

[iserith]

It'll be fine. Name it the staff of the scholar or something like that and give it some Special Features (DMG 141-143) to underscore its uniqueness.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Past level 5, an attack cantrip would generally deal more damage than a mace whack which doesn't scale. I would much rather a +1 implement personally.

If you're worried about low level balance, you could limit the bonus from Wisdom to his proficiency modifier. So at level 5 with a 20 wisdom he'd still only get a +3 to hit/damage w the mace.

 

[Mad_Jack]

Remember, unless the guy is totally melee-focused or the party doesn't have much of a front line, it's not likely to come into play more than once or twice in each combat since clerics generally have much better things to do on each turn than thump somebody for average longsword damage.

Like Oofta said, there's already a way to do it RAW, but if the guy doesn't want to waste a feat to get Shillelagh and two other spells, I don't see it as being much of an issue...

Just to make it interesting I'd go with the full flavor of the spell and make the item an actual walking stick that can transform into a quarterstaff on command as an item interaction.

 

[Zardnaar]

Feats are a rare resources and getting shillelagh is a major benefit of nature clerics.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I wouldn't have a problem in general with a magic item that allowed the casting of shillelagh.

I might have an issue with a player designing a character with the expectation that a certain magic item would be available.

It would probably have to be worked strongly into their backstory, perhaps with the "Inheritor" background from SCAG.

Otherwise, make it a limited number of uses per day.

 

[DEFCON 1]

It's absolutely fine.

If the cleric had been Wisdom and Strength based, they'd be using their mace and getting a high attack and damage bonus due to STR. So switching it over to a Wisdom and Intelligence based character results in no practical difference numbers-wise.

If you really are worried about it in the long run though... your other option would be to make it an INT-based weapon for attack and damage. That way this character still use their primary attribute (WIS) for spellcasting, and their secondary attribute (normally STR, in this case now INT) as their weapon-attack attribute.