Can I get you all to evaluate a tactic? I know this isn’t necessarily _ideal_, I just don’t want it to be suicidal.
The campaign is using 2014 edition. I am bringing in a forest gnome illusionist. This character will have Far Step, Booming Blade, and Major Image. My character will have a Dagger of Warning.and a Cloak of Displacement.
The tactic is as follows.
round 1
Enemies approach. I cast Major Image as a 6th level spell, but I just let it sit passive.
round 2
I move into melee with an enemy and attack with my dagger + Booming Blade. On my bonus action, I cast Far Step and teleport somewhere ideally hidden and within 25 feet.
round 2
I move against the same enemy any attack again with my dagger + Booming Blade. Using Far Step, I teleport somewhere new and ideally hidden and within 25 feet.
round 3
Okay, maybe I’m starting to intuit that the enemy is holding his action and planning to attack me when I run in to him. Do, this round, I use Malleable Illusion and send my Major Image in. It looks like me. If he hits, then he realizes it is an illusion.
round 4
Okay, now the enemy doesn’t know whether to waste an attack on what might be another illusion. But, if I attack him again, he could either take more big damage from Booming Blade or take less damage by not moving again.
In round 3, malleable illusion used your action, but then you also need your action to move it with major image. Also, once the enemy knows it’s an illusion, they know. Once they attack it they will realize it’s an illusion they’re dealing with.
I’d also think, in game, this is a lot of work to mess with one target. Won’t the rest of the party end up killing the enemy before you can pull off the trick? And if it’s the kind of enemy that’s going to survive that long, why waste a round just to make him confused about if he should use his reaction. I realize you recognize this isn’t ideal, so I guess that solves the problems in the second paragraph.
So it really comes down to needing 2 actions in round 3, and then the guy knowing it’s an illusion from then on.
In round 3, malleable illusion used your action, but then you also need your action to move it with major image. Also, once the enemy knows it’s an illusion, they know. Once they attack it they will realize it’s an illusion they’re dealing with.
I’d also think, in game, this is a lot of work to mess with one target. Won’t the rest of the party end up killing the enemy before you can pull off the trick? And if it’s the kind of enemy that’s going to survive that long, why waste a round just to make him confused about if he should use his reaction. I realize you recognize this isn’t ideal, so I guess that solves the problems in the second paragraph.
So it really comes down to needing 2 actions in round 3, and then the guy knowing it’s an illusion from then on.
Thanks for the response. It’s helpful. I need to go back to the drawing board and see if I can figure out a way to refine this a bit more.
it appears to rely on booming blade, a cantrip to do what it does. The problem is, cantrips are supposed to be there when you have nothing better to do, so by building a wizard around it you're giving up a lot of what makes a wizard great.
A high elf rogue with the mobile feat really does what you're apparently trying to do a bit better: proc booming blade's movement penalty.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
it appears to rely on booming blade, a cantrip to do what it does. The problem is, cantrips are supposed to be there when you have nothing better to do, so by building a wizard around it you're giving up a lot of what makes a wizard great.
A high elf rogue with the mobile feat really does what you're apparently trying to do a bit better: proc booming blade's movement penalty.
This. Combat in DnD doesn't last all that many rounds, and you're spending like four rounds doing nothing but a cantrip and dagger attack, meanwhile you have a huge stack of spells just doing nothing. That's not really contributing very much to the fight. If you're going to build around a gimmick - which you probably should not do - but if you're really going to build around a gimmick, at least make it a really good one.
it appears to rely on booming blade, a cantrip to do what it does. The problem is, cantrips are supposed to be there when you have nothing better to do, so by building a wizard around it you're giving up a lot of what makes a wizard great.
A high elf rogue with the mobile feat really does what you're apparently trying to do a bit better: proc booming blade's movement penalty.
This. Combat in DnD doesn't last all that many rounds, and you're spending like four rounds doing nothing but a cantrip and dagger attack, meanwhile you have a huge stack of spells just doing nothing. That's not really contributing very much to the fight. If you're going to build around a gimmick - which you probably should not do - but if you're really going to build around a gimmick, at least make it a really good one.
While I’ve taken feedback to heart and am working on a redraft, one point that I do disagree with involves conservation of spells.
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Can I get you all to evaluate a tactic? I know this isn’t necessarily _ideal_, I just don’t want it to be suicidal.
The campaign is using 2014 edition. I am bringing in a forest gnome illusionist. This character will have Far Step, Booming Blade, and Major Image. My character will have a Dagger of Warning.and a Cloak of Displacement.
The tactic is as follows.
round 1
Enemies approach. I cast Major Image as a 6th level spell, but I just let it sit passive.
round 2
I move into melee with an enemy and attack with my dagger + Booming Blade. On my bonus action, I cast Far Step and teleport somewhere ideally hidden and within 25 feet.
round 2
I move against the same enemy any attack again with my dagger + Booming Blade. Using Far Step, I teleport somewhere new and ideally hidden and within 25 feet.
round 3
Okay, maybe I’m starting to intuit that the enemy is holding his action and planning to attack me when I run in to him. Do, this round, I use Malleable Illusion and send my Major Image in. It looks like me. If he hits, then he realizes it is an illusion.
round 4
Okay, now the enemy doesn’t know whether to waste an attack on what might be another illusion. But, if I attack him again, he could either take more big damage from Booming Blade or take less damage by not moving again.
In round 3, malleable illusion used your action, but then you also need your action to move it with major image. Also, once the enemy knows it’s an illusion, they know. Once they attack it they will realize it’s an illusion they’re dealing with.
I’d also think, in game, this is a lot of work to mess with one target. Won’t the rest of the party end up killing the enemy before you can pull off the trick? And if it’s the kind of enemy that’s going to survive that long, why waste a round just to make him confused about if he should use his reaction.
I realize you recognize this isn’t ideal, so I guess that solves the problems in the second paragraph.
So it really comes down to needing 2 actions in round 3, and then the guy knowing it’s an illusion from then on.
Thanks for the response. It’s helpful. I need to go back to the drawing board and see if I can figure out a way to refine this a bit more.
it appears to rely on booming blade, a cantrip to do what it does. The problem is, cantrips are supposed to be there when you have nothing better to do, so by building a wizard around it you're giving up a lot of what makes a wizard great.
A high elf rogue with the mobile feat really does what you're apparently trying to do a bit better: proc booming blade's movement penalty.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
This. Combat in DnD doesn't last all that many rounds, and you're spending like four rounds doing nothing but a cantrip and dagger attack, meanwhile you have a huge stack of spells just doing nothing. That's not really contributing very much to the fight. If you're going to build around a gimmick - which you probably should not do - but if you're really going to build around a gimmick, at least make it a really good one.
While I’ve taken feedback to heart and am working on a redraft, one point that I do disagree with involves conservation of spells.