Herobizkit
Adventurer
I dunno, my 1e Wizard was all about the three darts (1-3 damage) a round...
D&D 5E Why do wizards STILL have to use daggers, etc.?
IgnatiusJ.Reilly
Explorer
I'd suggest using Shocking Grasp or one of the cantrips that call for saving throws, as opposed to attack rolls, if you're worried about attacking at disadvantage with a cantrip in melee range. You'll probably find that cantrips suck a bit before level 5, if you have enough dexterity to attack with a crossbow or longbow effectively. Then again, many of the cantrips have secondary effects that are useful, even though their minimum damage might not beat the bow at levels one through four.
Fralex
Explorer
Does that end up being a problem, for those who've used those spells? I've always wondered.
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
I think the idea with those two spells is that they create weapons, and weapon attacks scale with level (for any non-caster class). A druid would need to multiclass to get the most out of those themselves, but they're good for fighter-buffin' if a rust monster eats their favorite axe or whatever.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
Flame Blade creates a weapon which deals damage that scales with level, but I haven't seen anyone saying that it's too strong for a multi-class (e.g. Druid / Fighter or whatever).
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
It requires your action to make a single attack with it, so it doesn't benefit from multi-attack scaling.
Another way to put it: a scaling cantrip is how cantrips stay competitive with Extra Attack; if it doesn't scale, it likely can benefit from Extra Attack.
Shilelagh isn't even actually useful for buffing a fighter ("you can use your..."), but it's nice for someone with the spell who ALSO has multi-attack for some reason.
Last edited:
Nifft
Penguin Herder
That makes some sense.
Hmm, but now I wonder if that means you can't make Opportunity Attacks or TWF attacks with a Flame Blade?
Shillelagh and magic stone also means that a nature cleric/druid can use their casting stat as their attack stat, which allows single attribute dependence, which is great as a back-up option.
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
I'd rule "no" at my tables. "You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the fiery blade" = "You cannot make a melee spell attack with the fiery blade, except as an action."
Note that it still benefits from Action Surge - a druid with flame blade and Action Surge could do two melee spell attacks with it in a round.
I'd let a druid make a OA or TWF attack with Shillelagh, though.
Somewhere in there is a melee spell druid/fighter build, I bet.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
Hmm. That possibly says two things, though.I'd rule "no" at my tables. "You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the fiery blade" = "You cannot make a melee spell attack with the fiery blade, except as an action."
Note that it still benefits from Action Surge - a druid with flame blade and Action Surge could do two melee spell attacks with it in a round.
I'd let a druid make a OA or TWF attack with Shillelagh, though.
Somewhere in there is a melee spell druid/fighter build, I bet.
- You may only use this special action to make any kind of melee attack;
~or~
- You may use this special action to make a spell melee attack.
So IMHO a valid interpretation might be that you could make non-spell melee attacks normally with the blade, or use the special action to make a spell melee attack.
Opportunity attacks would be non-spell melee attacks, under that interpretation.
