D&D 5E What to do about Hypnotic Pattern?

[Azuresun]

Then as the DM you should absolutely do something about the spell, whether its having a talk with your players or adjusting the spell.

The DM's fun is the most important...because your also doing a lot of work. Players don't have to do much for their fun, so if its diminished slightly they will still find plenty of ways to enjoy things. But if a DM is not enjoying the game....that quickly leads to burnout....and then the game ends. I have both seen it and dealt with it personally several times over my 20 years of gaming/Dming.

So don't feel bad about making adjustments to ensure your own enjoyment.

Indeed. I don't particularly view "working around" OP spells as some test of my manhood, when I could be spending that time and effort on better things. A quick and dirty fix is simply having the save repeat--like it does for nearly every other disabling spell in the entire game, including those of much higher level.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Indeed. I don't particularly view "working around" OP spells as some test of my manhood, when I could be spending that time and effort on better things. A quick and dirty fix is simply having the save repeat--like it does for nearly every other disabling spell in the entire game, including those of much higher level.

It is perfectly fine to adjust spells a bit if they do not fit your game. And I guess at very high levels it is still a very good spell. Giving it a save every round seems to nerf it too hard, because there are other easy ways to end the spell. Even if an enemy counters the spell by just throwing a fireball at everyone in the area including allies and enemies alike.

The best of both worlds might be giving a saving throw each round for enemies of CR greater than the level of the spell slot used to cast this spell.
That might actually be an option for polymorph too.

 

[jayoungr]

I get the feeling some people think I want to shut the spell down completely and make sure it never works. That's not the case.

Have you asked them if they would have more fun if the combats were more varied?

What does your group want?

You may have missed the point where this isn't one group or one campaign. It's more about what this one player (who is in multiple campaigns that I run, with different other players in each one) wants. And I believe this one player is okay with choosing when to use the spell and when not to use it, as I have not seen any disappointment or resistance when it's not the best option. I'm just asking for tactical advice on how to provide that choice.

 

[Weiley31]

You introduce a unique enemy or Spellscale mercenaries with a NPC only feat that allows said enemies to reflect the Hypnotic Gaze back at the Gazer/party. Said enemies have Auto-Advantage on rolls to reflect it back.

Make sure it's not a one off encounter. You want this to mean business when this happens.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Here is a suggestion for an altered version:

Hypnotic Pattern
3rd level illusion

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: S M (A glowing stick of incense or a crystal vial filled with phosphorescent material)
• Duration: Up to 1 minute
• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You create a twisting pattern of colours that weaves through the air inside a 30-foot cube within range. The pattern persists for the duration of the spell. Each creature in the area who sees the pattern (including those who enter the area during the duration of the spell) must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes charmed for the duration. While charmed by this spell, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.
At the end of its turns, an affected target can make a Wisdom saving throw. If it succeeds, this effect ends for that target.The spell also ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake the creature out of its stupor. Once the creature succeeds in a saving throw against the spell or the effect ends for it, the creature cannot be affected by this spell for the rest of the encounter.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Here is an idea - drop this magic item into the path of your players.

Instrument of the Bards: Fey Cursed Lyre Wondrous Item, Rare, (Requires attunement by a bard)
A bard once used this lyre to charm a fey, asking them to imbue their instrument with powerful magic. This is the result.
You can use an action to play this instrument and cast one of it's spells. Once the instrument has been used to cast a spell, it cannot be used to cast that spell again until the next dawn. the spells use your spellcasting ability and spell save DC. It's spells are: Catapult, Chaos Bolt, Hex, Black Tentacles, Danse Macabre.
Curse. Once attuned to this lyre you cannot cast any spells without using it as your spellcasting focus. Whenever you cast a spell that has a charm effect using this item as your focus, roll on the Wild Magic Surge table (PHB p104). Casting Remove Curse allows the instrument to be unattuned but the curse can never be permanently removed without destroying the lyre.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Here is an idea - drop this magic item into the path of your players.

Instrument of the Bards: Fey Cursed Lyre Wondrous Item, Rare, (Requires attunement by a bard)
A bard once used this lyre to charm a fey, asking them to imbue their instrument with powerful magic. This is the result.
You can use an action to play this instrument and cast one of it's spells. Once the instrument has been used to cast a spell, it cannot be used to cast that spell again until the next dawn. the spells use your spellcasting ability and spell save DC. It's spells are: Catapult, Chaos Bolt, Hex, Black Tentacles, Danse Macabre.
Curse. Once attuned to this lyre you cannot cast any spells without using it as your spellcasting focus. Whenever you cast a spell that has a charm effect using this item as your focus, roll on the Wild Magic Surge table (PHB p104). Casting Remove Curse allows the instrument to be unattuned but the curse can never be permanently removed without destroying the lyre.

Sounds like a passive aggressive in game solution for a situation that calls for an out of game solution.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sounds like a passive aggressive in game solution for a situation that calls for an out of game solution.

The OP has already ruled out an out-of-game solution.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The OP has already ruled out an out-of-game solution.

Well, that's a mistake.

 

[jayoungr]

The OP has already ruled out an out-of-game solution.

Well, that's a mistake.

Let me repeat what I said above: I'm just asking for tactical advice here. I don't want to shut the spell down completely.

Interestingly, last night the group fought some undead that are immune to charm. The bard's player tried hypnotic pattern and found out it didn't work (and was fine with that beyond saying "I wish I'd known that ahead of time"). A couple of the other players told me afterward that they were glad because apparently they don't like having to tiptoe around not hitting the hypnotized monsters. But that's only a couple of players across multiple campaigns.

On the downside, I inadvertently gave them a soft "doom clock," and now they don't want to do any exploration or side quests or anything that's not directly laser-focused on achieving that one singular goal.