D&D 5E What's the worst spell?

[MiraMels]

Well that's a weakness in most save or suck spells, and Hypnotic Pattern is no exception. What you described is more like Hold Person though. I am of the opinion that most spells do not need the 'save every round' weakness, the concentration requirement is enough. Plus, Hypnotic Pattern have the extra weakness of 'ends when take damage' or 'can be shaken out of it'.

No no, you misunderstand. My issue with Hypnotic Pattern is that it doesn't have a 'save every round' clause. I like spells that have saves at the end of every round.

I don't see the problem with Eldritch Blast. You come to D&D and have a different idea of how things should be, but they are not. So what? You can always ask the DM for a homebrew change, but it would be nerfing the spell. Obviously, firing more bolts is meant to make it unique, otherwise its just Firebolt with force damage. Plus, no other class get easy riders to damage on each bolt as the Warlock.

Like I said, it's a stylistic nit-pick. I'm not sure how I'd rectify it personally, but I wouldn't want to change it in any way that could be construed as a 'nerf'.

Yeeeeah SCAG cantrips seem to get most people screaming OP, but its not. Its meant to be powerful at high levels because using it means sacrificing Extra Attack. I don't see a problem at all.

I don't know if they are 'OP' or not, but they are clunky in mechanical design, and downright silly in diegetic execution to boot. (Seriously, one is a stale Acquisitions Incorporated meme, and the other 'surrounds the target in booming energy')

The problem, as I see it, is that 'balancing' an ability by making it really powerful in one level range, and borderline useless in another level range hasn't been part of the design philosophy of D&D for two whole editions now.

 

[Argyle King]

I feel like hypnotic pattern would be pretty sweet in a lot of non-combat situations or in combat situations where "hack the thing until it dies" is not the victory condition.

I can imagine a scenario in which the party has a time limit to retrieve something, so they'd prefer to not burn time fighting the guardian of whatever the something is. I can also imagine using hypnotic pattern to allow other members of the party to get around a guard or other NPC which is an obstacle, but not one which requires killing.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

as for hypnotic pattern, the spell clearly says that if it takes damage or if someone uses an action to shake it awake. So all it is doing is taking an enemy out of the fry so that you can concentrate on a single character. so it'll be pretty hard to make the creature a useless piñata unless its already pretty weak.

Push it prone, grapple it, throw a net on it, and put manacles on it before you start beating on it. It's basically toast even when it does wake up.

This also works with the Enchanter's Hypnotic Gaze ability.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I don't know if they are 'OP' or not, but they are clunky in mechanical design, and downright silly in diegetic execution to boot. (Seriously, one is a stale Acquisitions Incorporated meme, and the other 'surrounds the target in booming energy')

I know, "booming energy" is the worst. It sounds like a quote from a stock analyst. "Energy is booming and commodities are in a slump." :-/

I rename it False Fetters and describe it as shackles of air which explode when stretched too far.

 

[Yunru]

ok so you are correct that it does say on your next turn so any of those attacks made on this turn aren't affected by it but they don't cancel them out. So the EK's attack or the Sorcer's quicked spell still has the function of not leaving you sucking your thumb because you cast true strike. You cast true strike to gain advantage on your next turn and you can still make an attack on this turn. So casting true strike won't be a wasted action since you are taking an action this round and attack with advantage on the following round.

Except True Strike requires Concentration. Which means if you were to cast it every round as an EK, you'd never benefit from it. Sorcerers also have far better things to metamagic, such as a heightened control spell.

 

[Caliban]

I know, "booming energy" is the worst. It sounds like a quote from a stock analyst. "Energy is booming and commodities are in a slump." :-/

I rename it False Fetters and describe it as shackles of air which explode when stretched too far.

I describe the "booming energy" as a small Thunder Spirit with a strong backhand that sits on your shoulder, waiting for you to move inappropriately. Because the Booming Blade spell is sentient - it can tell when you are moving willingly and when you are moving unwillingly. It only punishes you for moving willingly.

 

[Chikiko Saotome]

Actually, the text of time stop doesn't reference attacks at all, and literally says it "doesn't allow you to affect someone."



Your example of giving someone items would be a borderline case, in that the DM could easily construe it to "affect an object being work or carried by someone."

The spell says nothing of attacking or harming, just affecting in any way. This is part of what severely limits the spell.

no i totally get that. and technically speaking the actions didn't really affect him in any way. So i think giving him a cursed item that immediately caused something to happen to him would be against the point of the point. but anti pick pocketing him to give him something that later when he meets someone gets him in trouble i think is completely fair game. if i put a bag of white powder in your bag that isn't really going to affect you in any way while the spell is in effect. later once the spell is over if you were to talk through some kind of security station and they stop you, well that is something else entirely =)

 

[Chikiko Saotome]

I describe the "booming energy" as a small Thunder Spirit with a strong backhand that sits on your shoulder, waiting for your to move inappropriately. Because the Booming Blade spell is sentient - it can tell when you are moving willingly and when you are moving unwillingly. It only punishes you for moving willingly.

i believe there are other spells in the game that punish you for willful movement. This isn't really much different, it just happens to have a nice attack associated with it.

 

[Chikiko Saotome]

Except True Strike requires Concentration. Which means if you were to cast it every round as an EK, you'd never benefit from it. Sorcerers also have far better things to metamagic, such as a heightened control spell.

I agree it, it would be silly to cast it every round. Realistically you'd cast it perhaps every other round or maybe once a fight to help ensure you land that one really big hit. what gives this spell a bad taste is having to sacrifice doing something now to gain and advantage later. EKs however can mitigate the loss of their standard action by using a bonus action attack.

as for sorcerers, in the over all scheme of things it doesn't really matter if you quicken the cantrip and cast a normal spell or quicken the normal spell and cast a cantrip your still able to fireball, scorching ray, or magic missile something on the same round that you cast true strike and then on the next round you can cast a spell with an attack roll with advantage. that isn't a horrible use of your actions. As for using a heigtened control spell that really is based on the kind of character you play and your current level. at level 3 the top 2 choices for metamagic are often quicken and twin, especially for those that have a more blaster type play style. if you want to play a controller style sorcerer than obviously yes this is all very point less because you probably don't even have any spells that require an attacks as your entire focus is on spells that require saves.

also taking heighten at level 3 is pretty hard core, in my personal opinion, as you only have 3 sp points at that point. granted at level 3 quicken burns up 2/3 of your SP in one sitting, you could then burn spell slots to reg obviously i don't play a control sorcerer and i try to minimize the number of concentration spells that i know. As most control spells are concentration, that wouldn't really be on top actions to take next list. where as quicking an attack this round so that i can get advantage next round is actually somewhat tempting to me. The next time i need to pick a cantrip, i will actually be considering this very carefully, before picking my spells. My style of play could actually benefit quite a bit from this kind of tactic.

 

[Yunru]

Hmm... 2sp to Quicken True Shot for one attack at advantage next round, or 2sp to Heighten Faerie Fire for advantage as long as the spell holds, plus revealing invisible foes?