Toll the dead seems like a pretty sweet cantrip to have. Though it sounds very... Unpleasant. What I mean by that is that despite seemingly being pretty good, I don't know how it would fit into a good character kit. Like, a paladin with the blessed fighter fighting style, for example. The Idea of filling the air with the noise of dolorous bells ringing sounds awful, but maybe there is a way to fit it in the gameplay and roleplay? Maybe? I'm probably just overthinking this, but what do you guys think?
The sound is not inherently evil—it is “dolorous”; it is a noise of lamentation. A good character can absolutely feel sorrow over having to kill someone evil, and their magic absolutely could reflect the sorrow they feel. Or the character could be fine with it, but the deity who grants the power could be sad that killing is necessary. Or you could just recognise that the association between bells and death is not inherently evil, but arose from real world traditions of ringing bells to announce the death and dying.
As for it “sounding unpleasant”, it probably sounds less unpleasant than, say, the squishing noise someone's entrails make as the dwarf hits them in the stomach with a warhammer; or the screams of pain and popping of burning fat when someone is hit by a fireball; or any of the other horrific noises that arise out of combat. I would shy away from “can an unpleasant sound be in the kit of a good character” inquiries—that path leads down a road I don’t think anyone wants to really follow.
Absolutely none of the other damage-dealing cantrips are any more pleasant. Nor is being stabbed, bludgeoned, or gutted by a physical weapon. Remember, dark is not evil. Dealing necrotic damage might not be really in-character for a worshiper of a sun god, but it could fit, say, a Vengeance paladin pretty well, don't you think?
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Absolutely none of the other damage-dealing cantrips are any more pleasant. Nor is being stabbed, bludgeoned, or gutted by a physical weapon. Remember, dark is not evil. Dealing necrotic damage might not be really in-character for a worshiper of a sun god, but it could fit, say, a Vengeance paladin pretty well, don't you think?
This. Unless otherwise stated, what makes a spell evil is what you do with it, not its element. Using "Sacred Flame" to zap an orphan isn't a good thing just because it deals radiant; Acid Splash and Thorn Whip probably hurt a lot more than Toll the Dead too.
Agree with above posters that it’s not inherently bad. It fills you with existential dread, you know, Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, which I’m guessing was the inspiration for the spell.
But if it rubs you the wrong way, it’s easy enough to flavor it however you like. Maybe it’s the sound of an angel reading a litany of the target’s misdeeds, to the point that their guilt causes them to wither physically. Or it’s the barest, tiniest whisper of a part of a syllable of the true name of a god, and its holiness is unbearable and causes the target to decay (like Raiders of the Lost Ark). Or it’s just really effing loud, like a jet engine in your ear.
Maybe it’s the sound of an angel reading a litany of the target’s misdeeds, to the point that their guilt causes them to wither physically. Or it’s the barest, tiniest whisper of a part of a syllable of the true name of a god, and its holiness is unbearable and causes the target to decay (like Raiders of the Lost Ark). Or it’s just really effing loud, like a jet engine in your ear.
I really like that first one!
The last one would probably be thunder damage rather than necrotic though
Those are some really cool ideas! Also sorry for the really late reply, I’ve been really busy. Regardless, you guys have given me some ideas on how to incorporate this with my character. I think a blessed warrior fighting style with oath of redemption paladin would be fun with this spell!
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Toll the dead seems like a pretty sweet cantrip to have. Though it sounds very... Unpleasant. What I mean by that is that despite seemingly being pretty good, I don't know how it would fit into a good character kit. Like, a paladin with the blessed fighter fighting style, for example. The Idea of filling the air with the noise of dolorous bells ringing sounds awful, but maybe there is a way to fit it in the gameplay and roleplay? Maybe? I'm probably just overthinking this, but what do you guys think?
I think you may be overthinking it.
The sound is not inherently evil—it is “dolorous”; it is a noise of lamentation. A good character can absolutely feel sorrow over having to kill someone evil, and their magic absolutely could reflect the sorrow they feel. Or the character could be fine with it, but the deity who grants the power could be sad that killing is necessary. Or you could just recognise that the association between bells and death is not inherently evil, but arose from real world traditions of ringing bells to announce the death and dying.
As for it “sounding unpleasant”, it probably sounds less unpleasant than, say, the squishing noise someone's entrails make as the dwarf hits them in the stomach with a warhammer; or the screams of pain and popping of burning fat when someone is hit by a fireball; or any of the other horrific noises that arise out of combat. I would shy away from “can an unpleasant sound be in the kit of a good character” inquiries—that path leads down a road I don’t think anyone wants to really follow.
Absolutely none of the other damage-dealing cantrips are any more pleasant. Nor is being stabbed, bludgeoned, or gutted by a physical weapon. Remember, dark is not evil. Dealing necrotic damage might not be really in-character for a worshiper of a sun god, but it could fit, say, a Vengeance paladin pretty well, don't you think?
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
This. Unless otherwise stated, what makes a spell evil is what you do with it, not its element. Using "Sacred Flame" to zap an orphan isn't a good thing just because it deals radiant; Acid Splash and Thorn Whip probably hurt a lot more than Toll the Dead too.
Agree with above posters that it’s not inherently bad. It fills you with existential dread, you know, Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, which I’m guessing was the inspiration for the spell.
But if it rubs you the wrong way, it’s easy enough to flavor it however you like. Maybe it’s the sound of an angel reading a litany of the target’s misdeeds, to the point that their guilt causes them to wither physically. Or it’s the barest, tiniest whisper of a part of a syllable of the true name of a god, and its holiness is unbearable and causes the target to decay (like Raiders of the Lost Ark). Or it’s just really effing loud, like a jet engine in your ear.
I really like that first one!
The last one would probably be thunder damage rather than necrotic though
Those are some really cool ideas! Also sorry for the really late reply, I’ve been really busy. Regardless, you guys have given me some ideas on how to incorporate this with my character. I think a blessed warrior fighting style with oath of redemption paladin would be fun with this spell!