D&D 5E (2024) Why is Ritual Caster gated?

[bedir than]

I think I'm leaning towards

No ASI
No ability to cast the spell as a non-ritual except by using a spell slot/points/pact magic slot

 

[Kobold Stew]

No ability to cast the spell as a non-ritual except by using a spell slot/points/pact magic slot

What abuse to you think this prevents? Why are you reluctant to leave it in?

 

[bedir than]

What abuse to you think this prevents? Why are you reluctant to leave it in?

Mostly doing that part because it doesn't seem to fit the story I'm trying to empower

 

[Clint_L]

The 2024 Ritual Caster feat is gated to level 4 and requires spell casting or pact magic to take it.

How would an origin feat version of this need to be adjusted? I think there's space for a similar feat to tell the story of the not-quite caster who always has to have all of the accoutrements and time in order to get the spell to work just right.

Gating behind a minimum score seems to be obvious. What other limitations are needed?

Yeah, that's a fun character concept. I might say a minimum of 10 in the relevant ability score for the rituals chosen, because of the idea that this character is not really gifted at casting. And limiting them to just being able to cast as a ritual. Other than that, I don't see much need for gating.

I'm picturing someone with a big bag of supplies and a painstakingly annotated notebook with a bunch of stick figure drawings and stuff crossed out from failed attempts. I kinda wanna steal your idea.

 

[Ashrym]

True strike isn't good.

I think that depends on the lens through which we're looking. In most cases, yeah no so good. But if I'm looking at bards 2024 has increased their damage cantrip options significantly.

Vicious Mockery does d6's now and causes one attack at disadvantage. It's better but still poor damage and disadvantage on an attack has diminishing returns as he options to create it increase.

Starry Wisp does d8's for more damage and the target briefly emits dim light. More damage and situationally useful against invisible opponents.

Truestrike makes a weapon attack that uses the bard's casting stat for attacking and damage. That's already a bonus over a lot of bards' weapon attacks. If I'm looking at tier 1 then my options would be 1d6, 1d8, 1d8 or less using STR or DEX, or 1d8 using CHA with Truestrike. It's looking better as a basic. I'm used to bards have poor dpr so having better poor dpr still has it's appeal.

At 5th level the options aren't better. A 2d6 Vicious Mockery vs a 2d8 Starry Wisp vs 1d8+1d6+4 CHA Truestrike. It's the best damage option because it adds a stat damage bonus that bards don't normally get and improves with the weapon used. On top of that, it doesn't need to be a melee weapon. Truestrike with a light crossbow gives better range than other bard damage cantrips.

Magical Secrets refers to prepared spells (iirc, maybe someone can confirm the wording) so adding cantrips outside of the bard list became less accessible. Losing weapon proficiencies also negatively impacted bard damage options.

I would consider Truestrike on bard builds now as one of their better damage choices if they don't have extra attack as a feature.

True strike is worse than multi-attack.

That's kind of the general rule with cantrips. ;-)

A valor bard or eldritch knight replacing an attack with Truestrike sounds worthwhile at higher levels. I'm not convince +1d6 damage is worth +2 hit and damage and would think 11th level and higher would be where we might see it. But I would expect eldritch knights to go with Green-Flame Blade or Booming Blade if those are options at the table.

Valor might focus on CHA before DEX and use Truestrike though.

 

[Horwath]

I really think they should have just removed the ASIs from all Feats that had them, erased the background feat/general feat distinction, and said whenever you take a Feat at 4th level or higher, you also get +1 to an ability score of your choice. I’m very likely to house rule exactly that, though probably not in my first campaign with the new rules, as I generally prefer to give things a fair shake as written before messing with them.

extra option-option:

you can not take the +1 ASI and take 2 feats together without any ASI's

 

[kigmatzomat]

Tremendously silly to gate Ritual Caster behind being a caster. I've never seen a caster take it - in either 4E or 5E (even though some 5E casters don't have it), but I have seen several

Two of casters have it our 5e campaign (sort of). My bard took the Ritual Wizard Caster feat and the Warlock took Pact of the Tome, which includes a greater version of ritual caster feat for all classes.

It drastically ups the number of spells available to a "learned spell" class that can't swap out spells at will.

The 2024 version is useful but very underwhelming without that stat buff.

 

[Ashrym]

It drastically ups the number of spells available to a "learned spell" class that can't swap out spells at will.

It does.

It also helps clerics and druids prepare even more spells. Adding rituals without needing to prepare them adds to the overall repertoire and also having an ability score boost with it is worth the level gated feat.