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Message: <blockquote data-quote="abirdcall" data-source="post: 7466329" data-attributes="member: 6748898">Here is an example from an actual game. There have been others, usually people Dodge because they don't have Blade Ward. It doesn't happen often but it doesn't happen rarely either.A Hill Giant charges in and hits the Sorcerer (Blade Ward is quite good on both Sorcerers and Tome Warlocks as they have plenty of Cantrips). Now, the Sorcerer has a few options. She can Disengage, but then the Hill Giant can easily follow. Maybe it lets the Fighter get an OA but that isn't a big deal. Even if she gets away the giant will still be taking his attacks and likely either severely hurting or knocking someone out. She can cast a Cantrip at the giant, but then that won't boost the party's damage much as it is just a Cantrip vs Sneak Attack, 2 attack action etc. She can cast a spell, but she is running low on good spells and doesn't want to run out fighting against just 1 CR 5 creature when more danger may be lurking.She can Dodge, or if she has it, cast Blade Ward. Dodging isn't great because her AC isn't very high and if the giant hits twice she is just as dead. Blade Ward however, barring a critical hit, will all but guarantee she will survive to the next round and she won't have used up any spells.Ultimately she cast a cantrip which didn't impact how many rounds it took to fell the giant. She was clobbered in the next round. The party revived her, one party member got hit fairly hard and they took the giant down as some Orogs led by a Shaman showed up. Weakened by the giant, it was a tough fight. Blade Ward, like other cantrips, is there when the caster wants to conserve spell slots. It isn't amazing. It may even not be useful every session, but many cantrips are like that. I put it in the category of spells like Feather Fall. Not very useful most of the time, but when you want it, you want it. There are a lot of cantrips I would put below Blade Ward.</blockquote>

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