I'm curious about the spellDanse Macabre and the bonus granted to the undead creatures that's summoned by it. Specifically the following clause:
> ...it gains a bonus to its attack and damage rolls equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.
Does this attack and damage bonus stackor replace the creature's existing attack and damage bonus? For example, a Zombie has a +3 attack bonus. If the caster has a +5 spellcasting ability modifier, does the bonus equal +8 or is the bonus replaced and becomes +5?
I just don't get the appeal of animate dead type spells. You usually have to be at least 5th level to cast it. By then, most NPC and/or CR5+ monsters can cut through zombies and skeletons like butter. Seems like a waste of a spell slot.
I just don't get the appeal of animate dead type spells. You usually have to be at least 5th level to cast it. By then, most NPC and/or CR5+ monsters can cut through zombies and skeletons like butter. Seems like a waste of a spell slot.
Defensively you can set up a gauntlet of opportunity attacks for melee opponents to wade through, or have them hold grapple and shove actions to immobilize and knock them down. Offensively again multiple grapples and/or shoves can set an opponent up for a world of hurt.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Wizard: Yes. I cast the Wish spell and I wish that everybody loves me!
DM: You transform into an irresistible, magnificent feast. It was so great, all who participated in devouring you tell of the joy they felt with tears in their eyes and all who hear the tale only feel sorrow that they weren't there to eat.
Warlock provides little for danse macabre, but the extra bodies an enemy has to fight through is almost always helpful.
Necromancy Wizards make better users for this, as they not only are more likely to be draggging bodies with them, they also grant bonuses to their undead's HP and damage. The undead can make better use of their Attack actions, and the damage bonuses stack.
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I'm curious about the spell Danse Macabre and the bonus granted to the undead creatures that's summoned by it. Specifically the following clause:
Does this attack and damage bonus stack or replace the creature's existing attack and damage bonus? For example, a Zombie has a +3 attack bonus. If the caster has a +5 spellcasting ability modifier, does the bonus equal +8 or is the bonus replaced and becomes +5?
The bonus granted does not override the standard to hit bonus. So it stacks.
If it replaced the creature's attack/damage roll modifier, it wouldn't be a bonus. A bonus is something extra by definition.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
A bit OT:
I just don't get the appeal of animate dead type spells. You usually have to be at least 5th level to cast it. By then, most NPC and/or CR5+ monsters can cut through zombies and skeletons like butter. Seems like a waste of a spell slot.
Defensively you can set up a gauntlet of opportunity attacks for melee opponents to wade through, or have them hold grapple and shove actions to immobilize and knock them down. Offensively again multiple grapples and/or shoves can set an opponent up for a world of hurt.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Any time a creature is attacking something else, it's not attacking you....
...sans AoE.
DM: Are you sure?
Wizard: Yes. I cast the Wish spell and I wish that everybody loves me!
DM: You transform into an irresistible, magnificent feast. It was so great, all who participated in devouring you tell of the joy they felt with tears in their eyes and all who hear the tale only feel sorrow that they weren't there to eat.
That's true, but it may only buy you a round (since they're so easy to kill). I just think that there are spell choices with greater utility.
I think I remember somewhere that 5E is balanced around 3 rounds of combat. I do know that action economy is very important in 5E.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Warlock provides little for danse macabre, but the extra bodies an enemy has to fight through is almost always helpful.
Necromancy Wizards make better users for this, as they not only are more likely to be draggging bodies with them, they also grant bonuses to their undead's HP and damage. The undead can make better use of their Attack actions, and the damage bonuses stack.