D&D 5E (2024) Thoughts on Spell Fire Flare?

[Zardnaar]

So at first glance spellfire Flare is a level 1 C tier mediocre spell. 2d10 radiant damage. Extra flare per level upcast. Has an inbuilt sharpshooter/wand of the warmage effect.

Its easy to compare to scorching ray. 2d6 per ray, 3 rays at level 2. In brackets I'm adding hex

Lvl 2
SR. 21 (31.5)
SF 22 (29)

Lvl 3 spell slot.

SR 28 (42)
SF 33 (43.5)

Lvl 4

SR 35 (52.5)
SF 44 (58)


Sprelfire flare is actually better from here on out. And radiant damage is a lot better.

Additionally Spellfire Flare is a level 1 spell slot. This means you can pick it up via magic initiate feats.

Hex can also turn into Conjure Minor Elementals later.

Thus makes Spellfire flare potentially interesting for wizards, druids, and bards who steal CME. By itself+hex it seems a nice addition to a Sorcerer or Warlock built around chromatic orb. To maximize damage as a blaster im thinking you need single target, AoE and a few targets type spell known.

Single Target. Spell Fire Flare.
Few Targets. Chromatic Orb.
Many Targets. AoE. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Synaptic Static.

Thoughts? Hex via Lorrwyn Elf or Fey Touched or Warlock.

 

[mellored]

Really need to get advantage for those spells to work.

Which the Sorcerer can easily get.

 

[Zardnaar]

Really need to get advantage for those spells to work.

Which the Sorcerer can easily get.

Yeah. Party composition could help. I'm thinking Sorcerer as well.

 

[ECMO3]

I don't think it generally holds up well compared to Chromatic Orb. It is situationally better but given a choice between the two I would take CO.

 

[Zardnaar]

I don't think it generally holds up well compared to Chromatic Orb. It is situationally better but given a choice between the two I would take CO.

Take both.

 

[Zardnaar]

Did some hypothetical Elf sorcerer packing elven accuracy. Scorching Ray vs Hex.

Metamagic was empower and twin spell. Thinking of real game.

General thoughts lvl 2 spell.

Empower is better on Scorching Ray vs Spellfire Flare. At lvl 2.

Fire Sorcerer adds 4 damage lvl 5.

Upcast lvl 3 the empower probably swings back to Spellfire Flare.

Without crunching it out (I could be wrong) its roughly a draw lvl 3, narrow lead SR if its vs a fire dragon Sorcerer lvl 4.

 

[mellored]

Celestial Warlock for +5 damage.
Especially at higher levels when you can quicken EB on top of it.

Though that still works with Scorching Ray as well.

 

[mellored]

Overall.
Damage is low at level 1 spell, just use a crossbow.
At level 2, Scorching Ray is better.
And higher up, other spells are better.

Unless you can somehow always be behind cover, with advantage, and multiclass a lot to not have high level slots, I don't see much use for it.

Maybe some kind of warlock/sorcerer/rogue?

 

[TheSword]

Worth remembering its also Radiant Damage which means it will work with the Spellfire Adept feat which is nice. Ignoring cover is also circumstantially useful. Its clearly designed to be a levelable radiant spell for that subclass.

I like the fact that there is an alternative to scorching ray. I don't need it to be better. Just hold its own.