Just hit level 15 on my Land Druid and have the opportunity to get Moon Sickle or some other magic item. Would this be a good option or would something else be a better option? I don’t really need it as a weapon but the bonus to hit with spell attacks and the boost to spell save DC seems pretty darn good since I’m primarily casting spells.
I had considered Dragon Scale Armor but I already have as good an AC with my +1 studded leather and DEX.
Moon sickle is a great item the fact that it can be a weapon is almost irrelvent, whenever I play a caster I look to get a moonsickle or its equivalent.
Dragonscale armor is only useful if it ups your AC or you are fighting quite a few dragons. If you are not fighting dragons a ring/cloak of protection is a decent alternative
Having said that timeless gave a decent list of alternatives.here are a couple of others:
Rod of absorbtion: Limited life but depending on the length of the campaign it could see you to the end (you use if until you have about 15/20 charges left and then unequip it until the final boss fight)
Ioun Stone of Mastery, to be honest this is great on any character.
I am not sure what rarity it will be, after completing an important milestone we are receiving a magic item from a dragon. It was at the end of the session so our DM said let him know what we want next session. I have asked, because the power varies with rarity, what he would allow but I haven’t heard back from him yet. I’m assuming it will be the +2 version.
Those are some good suggestions. Like the idea of the Tome. I already have the Cape of the Mountebank so wasn’t sure I wanted a different robe/cloak.
I like a lot of DMs do not use rarity as a strict divisor of power.
A ring and a cloak of protection do the same thing but are different rarities.
A vicious weapon (rare) isless powerful than a +1 weapon,
A wand of the war mage only gives a bonus to spell attacks but a moon sickle of the same rarity not only does that but also increase your save DC and boosts your healing spells.
I would tend to either give them a choice of things they might like or let them choose freely on the proviso that if they ask for something too powerful I wil ask them to choose again.
Roughly speaking I would put a moon sickle on a par with most items one level rarer.
It's a bit boring, but the caster class items are definitely top priority here. Raising your DC past what was set by the bounded math of 5e is incredibly powerful.
In the rare world the Moon Sickle +2, Amulet of Health, Armor +1, and shield +2 would be fantastic.
My DM really doesn't go by rarity, he basically just said we can pick an item. I just have to wait and find out what he is willing to cough up. I'm assuming Rare +2. Am also considering Staff of the woodlands, if he wants to be stingy and only allow the +1 variant.
It's a bit boring, but the caster class items are definitely top priority here. Raising your DC past what was set by the bounded math of 5e is incredibly powerful.
That was my thought as well when I read the description of the sickle. I looked at the Tome of Understanding that was mentioned above, but not sure what would be the better choice, considering as a Circle of the Land: Mountain druid I am primarily a spellcaster without subclass features outside of that. Having a 22 WIS would give a +1 to Saving Throws, Ability Checks, etc. Would having that +2 or +3 to spell attacks and spell DC be better?
Can Stars Druids even use the Moon Sickle? Their Star Map Feature states:
"While holding this map, you have these benefits:
You know the Guidance cantrip.
You have the Guiding Bolt spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can have prepared."
So, you need to be holding the map to get your spells. Moon Sickle also specifies that you need to be holding it to gain its benefits ("While holding this magic weapon, you gain a bonus to [...]").
Given this, you would need both of your hands occupied by the Star Map and the Moon Sickle, but both Guiding Bolt and Guidance are V S spells, so you need a free hand to cast them. This would require dropping either the Sickle (lose the bonuses), or dropping the Star Map (you lose the spells).
Also, this prevents the use of a shield. Am I crazy or does this just not work?
Can Stars Druids even use the Moon Sickle? Their Star Map Feature states:
"While holding this map, you have these benefits:
You know the Guidance cantrip.
You have the Guiding Bolt spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can have prepared."
So, you need to be holding the map to get your spells. Moon Sickle also specifies that you need to be holding it to gain its benefits ("While holding this magic weapon, you gain a bonus to [...]").
Given this, you would need both of your hands occupied by the Star Map and the Moon Sickle, but both Guiding Bolt and Guidance are V S spells, so you need a free hand to cast them. This would require dropping either the Sickle (lose the bonuses), or dropping the Star Map (you lose the spells).
Also, this prevents the use of a shield. Am I crazy or does this just not work?
Definately one for your DM. It can be interpreted that it doesn't work. but there are other interpretations. Under material components it says
"Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5, “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. "
I would interpret that to mean if you need to have a particular object (star map) in order to cast the spell then it is a material component for the spell and for a stars druid guidance and guiding bolt thus become VSM spells. If you are holding a shield you would not be able ot hold the moon sickle and the star map at the same time so you couldn't get the attack bonus to guiding bolt. RAW it is allow (but check with your DM) to tie the the sickle and the star map to your person so if you are holding the sickle and want to cast guiding bolt you can drop the sickle (free action) pick up the star map (object interaction) and cast thre spell. This would hover mean that if you use your reaction to cast a spell (before you pick up the sickle again) it would not have the moon sickle bonus. Having said that I posted this on another thread and someone else said that you needing a star map to cast a spell does not make it a material component and that effectively a stars druid can not use a shield (or a moon sickle) and cast guidance or guiding bolt.
Many DMs simplify things and make these object interactions less cubersome. My stars druid has a moon sickle and my dm allows me you make somantic movement with a hand holding a spell focus and swap holding one piece of my equipment for another as a free action, this is homebrew but many DMs rule that way.
If you replace the Map, then you lose Guiding Bolt and Guidance
"While holding this map, you have these benefits:
You know the Guidance cantrip.
You have the Guiding Bolt spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can have prepared."
In order to wield the Sickle and the Map, you would need the War Caster feat
If you replace the Map, then you lose Guiding Bolt and Guidance
"While holding this map, you have these benefits:
You know the Guidance cantrip.
You have the Guiding Bolt spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can have prepared."
In order to wield the Sickle and the Map, you would need the War Caster feat
"This silver-bladed sickle glimmers softly with moonlight. While holding this magic weapon, you gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it, and you gain a bonus to spell attack rolls and the saving throw DCs of your druid and ranger spells. The bonus is determined by the weapon's rarity. In addition, you can use the sickle as a spellcasting focus for your druid and ranger spells."
All you need to do is hold the sickle and hold the map...no need for warcaster as you can hold two items easily.
Since you can use the sickle for you spell casting focus I would argue it could replace the map...but I see nothing official on this.
You would need warcaster to cast any spell with Somatic components but no Material if both your hands are full. A spellcasting focus can only be substituted for somatic components if the spell involves a material one.
You can hold two items, definitely. There's one problem with that, though: If both hands are occupied, you cannot cast any spells which do not have a M component. Guiding Bolt and Guidance both only have V and S components, so you couldn't cast them if both hands are occupied. Pretty big deal for a Stars Druid.
You can replace the Map with the Sickle, but then you would lose Guiding Bolt an Guidance. Again, pretty big deal for a Stars Druid.
Because the Moon Sickle is a weapon, War Caster would allow you to perform S components while holding it. The only thing now is that you won't be able to use a shield.
Yeah, and it's actually even more strict than that by RAW. If both your hands are full, one (or both) of your hands must be occupied by either a weapon or a shield.
If for whatever reason your hands are occupied by objects which are not a weapon or a shield, then you cannot benefit from War Caster.
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Just hit level 15 on my Land Druid and have the opportunity to get Moon Sickle or some other magic item. Would this be a good option or would something else be a better option? I don’t really need it as a weapon but the bonus to hit with spell attacks and the boost to spell save DC seems pretty darn good since I’m primarily casting spells.
I had considered Dragon Scale Armor but I already have as good an AC with my +1 studded leather and DEX.
Any other suggestions over Moon Sickle?
It would be helpful if you could list the rarity of the item you get to choose and your style of play.
However here are a list of items that could help.
Moon Sickle +1-+3. Always great to have higher DCs/Spell Attacks/healing bonus/Druid Focus.
Amulet of Health. Lets you move your stats around as you always have 19 CON.
Druid Friendly Shield +1-+3. Better AC is always great.
Druid Friendly Armor. You can even use heavy if you take the feat.
Tome of Understanding. +2 to your WIS is fantastic.
Item that allows flying is great to keep distance as well.
Cloak of Displacement. Great to have enemies have disadvantage to hit you.
Mantle of Spell Resistance. Great to have advantage on spell saving throws.
Moon sickle is a great item the fact that it can be a weapon is almost irrelvent, whenever I play a caster I look to get a moonsickle or its equivalent.
Dragonscale armor is only useful if it ups your AC or you are fighting quite a few dragons. If you are not fighting dragons a ring/cloak of protection is a decent alternative
Having said that timeless gave a decent list of alternatives.here are a couple of others:
Rod of absorbtion: Limited life but depending on the length of the campaign it could see you to the end (you use if until you have about 15/20 charges left and then unequip it until the final boss fight)
Ioun Stone of Mastery, to be honest this is great on any character.
I am not sure what rarity it will be, after completing an important milestone we are receiving a magic item from a dragon. It was at the end of the session so our DM said let him know what we want next session. I have asked, because the power varies with rarity, what he would allow but I haven’t heard back from him yet. I’m assuming it will be the +2 version.
Those are some good suggestions. Like the idea of the Tome. I already have the Cape of the Mountebank so wasn’t sure I wanted a different robe/cloak.
Thanks for the suggestions.
+2 is equivalent to Rare.
The Tome is considered Very Rare.
In the rare world the Moon Sickle +2, Amulet of Health, Armor +1, and shield +2 would be fantastic.
I like a lot of DMs do not use rarity as a strict divisor of power.
I would tend to either give them a choice of things they might like or let them choose freely on the proviso that if they ask for something too powerful I wil ask them to choose again.
Roughly speaking I would put a moon sickle on a par with most items one level rarer.
It's a bit boring, but the caster class items are definitely top priority here. Raising your DC past what was set by the bounded math of 5e is incredibly powerful.
My DM really doesn't go by rarity, he basically just said we can pick an item. I just have to wait and find out what he is willing to cough up. I'm assuming Rare +2. Am also considering Staff of the woodlands, if he wants to be stingy and only allow the +1 variant.
That was my thought as well when I read the description of the sickle. I looked at the Tome of Understanding that was mentioned above, but not sure what would be the better choice, considering as a Circle of the Land: Mountain druid I am primarily a spellcaster without subclass features outside of that. Having a 22 WIS would give a +1 to Saving Throws, Ability Checks, etc. Would having that +2 or +3 to spell attacks and spell DC be better?
Here's a question for you:
Can Stars Druids even use the Moon Sickle? Their Star Map Feature states:
"While holding this map, you have these benefits:
So, you need to be holding the map to get your spells. Moon Sickle also specifies that you need to be holding it to gain its benefits ("While holding this magic weapon, you gain a bonus to [...]").
Given this, you would need both of your hands occupied by the Star Map and the Moon Sickle, but both Guiding Bolt and Guidance are V S spells, so you need a free hand to cast them. This would require dropping either the Sickle (lose the bonuses), or dropping the Star Map (you lose the spells).
Also, this prevents the use of a shield. Am I crazy or does this just not work?
Definately one for your DM. It can be interpreted that it doesn't work. but there are other interpretations. Under material components it says
I would interpret that to mean if you need to have a particular object (star map) in order to cast the spell then it is a material component for the spell and for a stars druid guidance and guiding bolt thus become VSM spells. If you are holding a shield you would not be able ot hold the moon sickle and the star map at the same time so you couldn't get the attack bonus to guiding bolt. RAW it is allow (but check with your DM) to tie the the sickle and the star map to your person so if you are holding the sickle and want to cast guiding bolt you can drop the sickle (free action) pick up the star map (object interaction) and cast thre spell. This would hover mean that if you use your reaction to cast a spell (before you pick up the sickle again) it would not have the moon sickle bonus. Having said that I posted this on another thread and someone else said that you needing a star map to cast a spell does not make it a material component and that effectively a stars druid can not use a shield (or a moon sickle) and cast guidance or guiding bolt.
Many DMs simplify things and make these object interactions less cubersome. My stars druid has a moon sickle and my dm allows me you make somantic movement with a hand holding a spell focus and swap holding one piece of my equipment for another as a free action, this is homebrew but many DMs rule that way.
I'm that same person, and I remember your replies. You make a good point, though I do hope others weigh in
Any thoughts on the above discussion about Stars Druid and Moon Sickle?
It is a go to item no matter what Druid you take...hard to beat the benefits.
Though, RAW, if you're a Stars Druid holding your Moon Sickle, you can't cast Guiding Bolt.
By RAW, it's hard for a Stars Druid to even gain the benefits of a Moon Sickle.
Not sure why you could not hold a map and a Moon Sickle?
Otherwise the Moon Sickle says it can be used as your Druid focus....so it would seem it could replace your map?
If you replace the Map, then you lose Guiding Bolt and Guidance
"While holding this map, you have these benefits:
In order to wield the Sickle and the Map, you would need the War Caster feat
"This silver-bladed sickle glimmers softly with moonlight. While holding this magic weapon, you gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it, and you gain a bonus to spell attack rolls and the saving throw DCs of your druid and ranger spells. The bonus is determined by the weapon's rarity. In addition, you can use the sickle as a spellcasting focus for your druid and ranger spells."
All you need to do is hold the sickle and hold the map...no need for warcaster as you can hold two items easily.
Since you can use the sickle for you spell casting focus I would argue it could replace the map...but I see nothing official on this.
You would need warcaster to cast any spell with Somatic components but no Material if both your hands are full. A spellcasting focus can only be substituted for somatic components if the spell involves a material one.
You can hold two items, definitely. There's one problem with that, though: If both hands are occupied, you cannot cast any spells which do not have a M component. Guiding Bolt and Guidance both only have V and S components, so you couldn't cast them if both hands are occupied. Pretty big deal for a Stars Druid.
You can replace the Map with the Sickle, but then you would lose Guiding Bolt an Guidance. Again, pretty big deal for a Stars Druid.
Because the Moon Sickle is a weapon, War Caster would allow you to perform S components while holding it. The only thing now is that you won't be able to use a shield.
Yeah, and it's actually even more strict than that by RAW. If both your hands are full, one (or both) of your hands must be occupied by either a weapon or a shield.
If for whatever reason your hands are occupied by objects which are not a weapon or a shield, then you cannot benefit from War Caster.