D&D 5E (2024) Variant True Strike

[Xeviat]

Hi everybody! We all celebrated when True Strike was changed. Now, after playing with it in a game (as a bard) and also playing with it in BG3 (arcane trickster, eldritch knight, sorcerer, and warlock), I find myself running into a conundrum:

I like the new True Strike as it's own spell, but it doesn't feel like striking true, it just feels like a magic radiant attack.

I started thinking about how it could be rewritten to feel like striking true, like it is truly boosting your accuracy. Here's my stab at it:

True Strike

Divination Cantrip (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: Action
Range: Self
Components: S, M (a weapon or spellcasting focus)
Duration: 1 round.

You focus on your future attack, gaining magical insight. You gain advantage on the next attack roll you make before the end of your next turn. If you make a weapon attack, the attack may use your spellcasting ability for the attack and damage rolls instead of using Strength or Dexterity. If the attack hits, it deals an additional +1d8 force damage.

Cantrip Upgrade: The extra damage the attack deals increases when you reach levels 5 (2d8), 11 (3d8), and 17 (4d8).

Giving up an attack to make 1 attack at advantage is usually weaker than just attacking twice: 2 chances to deal 1 damage each, or 2 chances to deal 1 damage. By adding a damage bonus on the subsequent attack, 2 1d8 attacks or 1 2d8 attack with advantage is more balanced.

For the math, here's a few examples (65% hit chance):

2x(1d8+3) vs Advantage 1x(1d8+3+1d8):

• 2 attacks: 10.2
• 1 attack with true strike: 11.4: little ahead

4x(1d8+7) vs Advantage 1x(1d8+7+2d8) and 1x(1d8+5): Extra attack with duelist and a longsword, level 8ish (20 stat)

• 4 attacks: 30.8
• 1 attack with true strike, +extra attack: 27: falls a little behind

2x(1d10) vs Advantage 1x(1d10+1d8): wizard using fire bolt

• 2 fire bolts: 7.7
• 1 firebolt + TS: 9.75

Looks like modifiers to damage benefit making multiple attacks. The fact that a wizard could use True Strike the round before something like Chromatic Orb is a big benefit, but it comes with the inherent disadvantage of delaying damage to the next round. What does Chromatic Orb end up looking like?

• Fire bolt + Chromatic Orb: 13.3
• True Strike + Chromatic Orb: 17.6
• True Strike (no damage bonus) + Chromatic Orb: 13.2

Looks like if you use it to set up a spell, old true strike was balanced, my new version gives a boost. The higher chance of criticals, and criticals only doubling damage dice, is contributing.

What do you think? Would you want to use this version of True Strike?

 

[DEFCON 1]

For me the issue was never about the '2 instead of 1' issue... it was always the problem of the duration of the spell. Having to give up a round's Action to cast the spell just hoping that the next round I'd still want to and would be able to make an attack roll of some type (rather than the fight having changed and suddenly now there's a different spell or action to take that was more important, thus losing the spell and wasting the previous round's action.)

So my solution was to just increase the duration of the spell to 1 hour, plus let the caster choose on which single attack roll during that hour they could trigger it. It still would be a single attack roll that gains advantage after which the spell is gone... but at least the caster could cast True Strike on themselves outside of combat and then keep the spell in reserve to go off when they felt they needed it.

 

[Chaltab]

Honestly if I were going to redo it, I'd make it a Bonus Action touch range spell, concentration for 1 round and it adds 1d4 to your attack, stacking with Bless etc. Basically an arcane response to that divine spell.

 

[Silam]

Honestly if I were going to redo it, I'd make it a Bonus Action touch range spell, concentration for 1 round and it adds 1d4 to your attack, stacking with Bless etc. Basically an arcane response to that divine spell.

Rogue 3’s Steady Aim grants advantage as a BA at will, so you could have that as a Cantrip also (no other bonus, to damage or otherwise)… although Steady Aim freezes movement, but you could do the exact same restriction on True Strike and it would ring true to the theme of the spell…

Overall, I agree with the OP: the new True Strike is nice, but feels like a different spell.

 

[aco175]

I was wondering if making it a bonus action to cast would offset granting advantage to an attack. I'm guessing the restricting of 1 spell per turn would not make it a problem to just cast it and attack each round.

 

[Silam]

I was wondering if making it a bonus action to cast would offset granting advantage to an attack. I'm guessing the restricting of 1 spell per turn would not make it a problem to just cast it and attack each round.

It’s fine as a cantrip right? Only slotted spells have the once per round limit.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I like bonus action to get advantage, and if you crit on that attack you max one weapon die. Then scale it with increased crit range and extra d4 damage if you crit.

When it punvhes it punches hard but most of the time it is just advantage on a single attack.

Alternatively, make a slotted spell and it adds to attacks for a minute with bonus damage if you hit, like divine favor but a little stronger effect because it is concentration and DF isn't.

 

[TigerDude]

Sounds too much like old True Strike and giving up two attacks vs 1. You lose out on +x weapon damage and on Cleric Empowered strikes, and you have to wait a round to kill.

 

[Seramus]

I saw a funny version once. You spend an action to automatically hit and deal your weapon damage. No modifiers. It could be blocked by the Shield spell.

Magic missile in a sword, basically!

 

[Silam]

I like bonus action to get advantage, and if you crit on that attack you max one weapon die. Then scale it with increased crit range and extra d4 damage if you crit.

When it punvhes it punches hard but most of the time it is just advantage on a single attack.

Alternatively, make a slotted spell and it adds to attacks for a minute with bonus damage if you hit, like divine favor but a little stronger effect because it is concentration and DF isn't.

Another way to design cantrip scaling would be that it affects more than one subsequent attack rolls. A single one initially, then a 2nd attack at 5th, then 3rd, then 4th. Maybe with a time limit of the end of your next round (or even the start of your next round) no matter the scaling. The idea basically is that your 1 bonus action carries a little further, though in practice most builds would not be able to take full advantage of it. But EKs and BS could benefit, and some spells like Scorching Ray or Steel Wind Strike could stretch into the scaling also. I am wary of making it too good compared to Steady Aim, however.