To explain, during beta testing, the most common bug report received was that "Chromatic Orb is missing" when it wasn't missing as such - it just wasn't available to beta testers, as it's not part of the Basic Rules or SRD.
Chromatic Orb was the most commonly requested spell/bug report that we received. It became the in-joke amongst the moderators and Badeye would see us constantly talking about Chromatic Orb (and Forest Gnomes), so it ended up in the news post. :)
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
This seems to be correct behavior. 2014 Magic initiate doesn't say it adds it to your known spells.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
What you describe is the correct, Rules as Written, behaviour.
I think you need to read the Magic Initiate feat again.
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Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Yeah, if you were able to select the Sorcerer list then you're working of the 2014 feat, which only gives one free cast per day with the level 1 spell learned. The 2024 version adds the spell to your list you can cast with spell slots, but doesn't let you pick from the Sorcerer spell list. This isn't much of an inconvenience since you also get to pick your casting stat for the spell regardless of what list you pull from (Cleric, Druid, or Wizard) and the only spells excluded are signature spells of the more niche casters.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
What you describe is the correct, Rules as Written, behaviour.
I think you need to read the Magic Initiate feat again.
I did, and I saw that I can only cast the spell at 1st level once per long rest.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
This seems to be correct behavior. 2014 Magic initiate doesn't say it adds it to your known spells.
Well, it does, but only at 1st level. I had forgotten it can't be cast above that, and even then only once per long rest.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
This seems to be correct behavior. 2014 Magic initiate doesn't say it adds it to your known spells.
Well, it does, but only at 1st level. I had forgotten it can't be cast above that, and even then only once per long rest.
Not entirely correct. 2014 Magic Initiate spells count as spells for the class you selected with the feat. If you have levels in that class and the Spellcasting feature, you can use your slots to cast the spell because they can be used to cast your spells of that class. This is clarified in the Sage Advice Compendium.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
This seems to be correct behavior. 2014 Magic initiate doesn't say it adds it to your known spells.
Well, it does, but only at 1st level. I had forgotten it can't be cast above that, and even then only once per long rest.
Not entirely correct. 2014 Magic Initiate spells count as spells for the class you selected with the feat. If you have levels in that class and the Spellcasting feature, you can use your slots to cast the spell because they can be used to cast your spells of that class. This is clarified in the Sage Advice Compendium.
Not doubting it's in the compendium, but it makes absolutely no sense in the context of other rulings. In every other situation where you have spells available to cast with a class's slots, you can cast them with any class's spell slots. "You can the MI spell with slots" and "you can't cast the MI spell with slots" are both potentially valid rulings. (My read is the latter.) But "you can cast them only if you have the corresponding class's spell slots" is a nonsense ruling.
Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
This seems to be correct behavior. 2014 Magic initiate doesn't say it adds it to your known spells.
Well, it does, but only at 1st level. I had forgotten it can't be cast above that, and even then only once per long rest.
Not entirely correct. 2014 Magic Initiate spells count as spells for the class you selected with the feat. If you have levels in that class and the Spellcasting feature, you can use your slots to cast the spell because they can be used to cast your spells of that class. This is clarified in the Sage Advice Compendium.
Not doubting it's in the compendium, but it makes absolutely no sense in the context of other rulings. In every other situation where you have spells available to cast with a class's slots, you can cast them with any class's spell slots. "You can the MI spell with slots" and "you can't cast the MI spell with slots" are both potentially valid rulings. (My read is the latter.) But "you can cast them only if you have the corresponding class's spell slots" is a nonsense ruling.
It all comes down to the Spellcasting feature of classes allowing you to cast spells of that class you know. MI counts them as spells of that class you know.
Not entirely correct. 2014 Magic Initiate spells count as spells for the class you selected with the feat. If you have levels in that class and the Spellcasting feature, you can use your slots to cast the spell because they can be used to cast your spells of that class. This is clarified in the Sage Advice Compendium.
Not doubting it's in the compendium, but it makes absolutely no sense in the context of other rulings. In every other situation where you have spells available to cast with a class's slots, you can cast them with any class's spell slots. "You can the MI spell with slots" and "you can't cast the MI spell with slots" are both potentially valid rulings. (My read is the latter.) But "you can cast them only if you have the corresponding class's spell slots" is a nonsense ruling.
It all comes down to the Spellcasting feature of classes allowing you to cast spells of that class you know. MI counts them as spells of that class you know.
That's inconsistent with every other ruling like it, and there is nothing in the text of the feat to make it work that way.
The ruling is wrong.
I'm aware it's presumably from the head designer, and it made it into the compendium of official rulings.
It's still wrong.
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If this has already been answered, I apologize, just point me in the right direction.
Now that the site is live, what is the Chromatic Orb and where did it go?
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The elusive Chromatic Orb seems to just be a spell from the PHB.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/news-announcements/5335-release-date-august-15th-pricing-details-announced
Ahhh,
Thanks for the incite. Much appreciated.
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D&D Beyond FoundersTo explain, during beta testing, the most common bug report received was that "Chromatic Orb is missing" when it wasn't missing as such - it just wasn't available to beta testers, as it's not part of the Basic Rules or SRD.
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Ahh yep, that makes sense to me now. On Roll20, I have to manually type in the details for Hex every new warlock I make because of that same reason
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ModeratorChromatic Orb was the most commonly requested spell/bug report that we received. It became the in-joke amongst the moderators and Badeye would see us constantly talking about Chromatic Orb (and Forest Gnomes), so it ended up in the news post. :)
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Unfortunately, years later this is still an issue. I am a bard with Magic Initiate (Sorcerer) and have chosen Chromatic Orb as one of my spells. However, it only shows up in my Level 1 spells and doesn't show the option of casting it at a higher level. Not only that, when I cast it, it doesn't fill in one of my Level 1 spell slots, so it makes it look like a cantrip. I've tried changing the spell to something else and adding it back, and I've even logged out of my account and back in. Nothing seems to help. What can I do?
NOTE: I have purchased the PHB long ago in D&D Beyond, so that shouldn't be an issue.
This seems to be correct behavior. 2014 Magic initiate doesn't say it adds it to your known spells.
What you describe is the correct, Rules as Written, behaviour.
I think you need to read the Magic Initiate feat again.
This is the test account of Cyb3rM1nd. Posting through this because my main account is locked out of forums due to a glitch.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Yeah, if you were able to select the Sorcerer list then you're working of the 2014 feat, which only gives one free cast per day with the level 1 spell learned. The 2024 version adds the spell to your list you can cast with spell slots, but doesn't let you pick from the Sorcerer spell list. This isn't much of an inconvenience since you also get to pick your casting stat for the spell regardless of what list you pull from (Cleric, Druid, or Wizard) and the only spells excluded are signature spells of the more niche casters.
I did, and I saw that I can only cast the spell at 1st level once per long rest.
Well, it does, but only at 1st level. I had forgotten it can't be cast above that, and even then only once per long rest.
Not entirely correct. 2014 Magic Initiate spells count as spells for the class you selected with the feat. If you have levels in that class and the Spellcasting feature, you can use your slots to cast the spell because they can be used to cast your spells of that class. This is clarified in the Sage Advice Compendium.
Not doubting it's in the compendium, but it makes absolutely no sense in the context of other rulings. In every other situation where you have spells available to cast with a class's slots, you can cast them with any class's spell slots. "You can the MI spell with slots" and "you can't cast the MI spell with slots" are both potentially valid rulings. (My read is the latter.) But "you can cast them only if you have the corresponding class's spell slots" is a nonsense ruling.
It all comes down to the Spellcasting feature of classes allowing you to cast spells of that class you know. MI counts them as spells of that class you know.
That's inconsistent with every other ruling like it, and there is nothing in the text of the feat to make it work that way.
The ruling is wrong.
I'm aware it's presumably from the head designer, and it made it into the compendium of official rulings.
It's still wrong.