D&D 5E Treantmonk's Guide to Everything Xanathar

[Falling Icicle]

I have enjoyed your guide, as always, Treantmonk.

A few observations:

Cause Fear: I don't think this spell should be red. Frightened is a pretty potent debuff for a 1st level spell. Although Tasha's Hideous Laughter's effects are more debilitating, it doesn't work on creatures with Int of 4 or less and doesn't scale with higher level spell slots. Tasha's also grants a new save (with advantage) every time the target takes damage, in addition to a new save every round.

Enervation: While I totally agree that this is a terrible spell for 5th level, it's worth mentioning that you heal for half of the damage dealt.

Life Transference: One thing that occurred to me is that this spell allows you to heal undead. Most healing spells specifically state that they can't heal undead or constructs. This is a pretty situational benefit and I don't know if it would be enough to improve the spell's rating, but it's worth noting. Most undead minions aren't really worth spending resources to heal, but a powerful minion gained via Command Undead might be worth rescuing with this spell.

 

[rczarnec]

I haven't seen this one mentioned, but while the Kensei's Sharpen the Blade doesn't work with magic weapons that have an attack/damage bonuses, it does work on ones (like the Flame Tongue) that don't.

 

[gyor]

I have enjoyed your guide, as always, Treantmonk.

A few observations:

Cause Fear: I don't think this spell should be red. Frightened is a pretty potent debuff for a 1st level spell. Although Tasha's Hideous Laughter's effects are more debilitating, it doesn't work on creatures with Int of 4 or less and doesn't scale with higher level spell slots. Tasha's also grants a new save (with advantage) every time the target takes damage, in addition to a new save every round.

Enervation: While I totally agree that this is a terrible spell for 5th level, it's worth mentioning that you heal for half of the damage dealt.

Life Transference: One thing that occurred to me is that this spell allows you to heal undead. Most healing spells specifically state that they can't heal undead or constructs. This is a pretty situational benefit and I don't know if it would be enough to improve the spell's rating, but it's worth noting. Most undead minions aren't really worth spending resources to heal, but a powerful minion gained via Command Undead might be worth rescuing with this spell.

A Sorceror could cast a quicken Eneveration to cast the spell as a bonus action and the use its action in the same turn to autodamage the target, for 8d8 damage dealt, 4d8 damage healed to self. Then next turn Quicken Invisiblity via bonus action and use its turn to auto damage/heal self from hiding, without disrupting its invisiblity.

 

[Cyrinishad]

I don't rate the base Scrying spell particularly high in my own guide, though. It can be good, but the fun part of the spell (spy on faraway locations you've never been to before) requires a bit of thought and downtime to it -- that is, spying on a low-level minion, getting a view of their surroundings, and chain-scrying from there. That said, I didn't rate it higher than Green; situationally very useful but too dependent on table-to-table parameters to give it a firm rating.

Using Scrying to look on locations you've already been to before straight-up chews, though. When has that ever been useful in a campaign?

Ah, now I see... My perspective on utility is from behind the DM-Screen, and things that may not seem useful to PCs are actually very useful to NPCs. Scrying to look on locations that you've already seen is tremendously powerful from the BBEG perspective... So, it's been useful to me in every campaign...

 

[Treantmonklvl20]

I have enjoyed your guide, as always, Treantmonk.

Thank you!

Cause Fear: I don't think this spell should be red. Frightened is a pretty potent debuff for a 1st level spell.

Is it?

What other debuffs do Warlocks and Wizards get as 1st level spells. Tasha's of course (Incapacitated and prone), Charm Person (Charmed), Color Spray (Blind), Ray of Sickness (poisoned), Sleep (incapacitated).

Overall, I would put Frightened near the bottom of those for potency. Probably better than Poisoned, though Ray of Sickness is also doing damage.

Although Tasha's Hideous Laughter's effects are more debilitating, it doesn't work on creatures with Int of 4 or less and doesn't scale with higher level spell slots.

This is a very good point. I like spells that have a wider range of use. I had not considered either of those things when I made the comparison

Tasha's also grants a new save (with advantage) every time the target takes damage, in addition to a new save every round.

This point isn't overly persuasive to me, I mean, both spells give a save every round. Assuming you are using this as a "divide and conquer" spell, the Tasha's target isn't taking damage while you are cleaning up their allies.

That said, I'm inclined to agree on your point about use at higher level slots as well as the Int limit on Tasha's. I still prefer Tasha's, but this spell deserves a "circumstantial" rating rather than a red one. Change made.

Enervation: While I totally agree that this is a terrible spell for 5th level, it's worth mentioning that you heal for half of the damage dealt.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that should be mentioned. Thanks.

Life Transference: One thing that occurred to me is that this spell allows you to heal undead. Most healing spells specifically state that they can't heal undead or constructs. This is a pretty situational benefit and I don't know if it would be enough to improve the spell's rating, but it's worth noting. Most undead minions aren't really worth spending resources to heal, but a powerful minion gained via Command Undead might be worth rescuing with this spell.

I have a fair amount of experience with summoned/created/called creatures with my wizards, and one of the primary uses of them is that any attacks and damage to them is damage you and your party don't take. I really can't imagine a case where I would want to reverse that benefit by expending my own HP to provide HP to a created creature. I hadn't noticed that feature though, and it's worth mentioning, but I can't recommend that use under any circumstance I can think of.

 

[mellored]

What other debuffs do Warlocks and Wizards get as 1st level spells. Tasha's of course (Incapacitated and prone), Charm Person (Charmed), Color Spray (Blind), Ray of Sickness (poisoned), Sleep (incapacitated).

Overall, I would put Frightened near the bottom of those for potency. Probably better than Poisoned, though Ray of Sickness is also doing damage.

Frightened means they can't move closer to you. That stops any melee enemy from coming close, protecting you and your party.

Which makes it better then charm, which only stops them from attacking you, but does nothing for your allies.
And probably on par with blind.


IMO:
Incapacitated > fear/blind > posioned > charm.

 

[jaelis]

I have a fair amount of experience with summoned/created/called creatures with my wizards, and one of the primary uses of them is that any attacks and damage to them is damage you and your party don't take. I really can't imagine a case where I would want to reverse that benefit by expending my own HP to provide HP to a created creature. I hadn't noticed that feature though, and it's worth mentioning, but I can't recommend that use under any circumstance I can think of.

You can get quite a lot of OOC healing from Healing Spirit...

 

[Gadget]

With Eneveration, I really have to wonder what they were thinking. The wording is almost a copy of WitchBolt with a change in damage type, range and the minor healing feedback added in. I can't Image they got a lot of positive feedback on Witchbolt's mechanics, so much so that they thought: "Hey, lets take the template of Witchbolt, and use it to make another crappy spell four levels higher!" I mean, they should have a better feel for spell design in 5e by this point.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Excellent rundown. Zealot and Gloom Stalker are my favorites. Now I just have to decide which one to try first or to try an odd multiclass.

 

[Immoralkickass]

A Sorceror could cast a quicken Eneveration to cast the spell as a bonus action and the use its action in the same turn to autodamage the target, for 8d8 damage dealt, 4d8 damage healed to self. Then next turn Quicken Invisiblity via bonus action and use its turn to auto damage/heal self from hiding, without disrupting its invisiblity.

Both the spells require concentration, so that won't work.