So, as has been discussed to death, True Strike is a bad cantrip. Its especially bad for characters with 2+ attacks per turn, but even for characters with only 1 attack its lackluster. You are effectively getting to make 1 attack rolling 2d20s instead of just making 2 attacks rolling 1d20 each.
That being said, in this latter case of a character making only 1 attack per round, would it be worthwhile to cast this cantrip if you also had the Elven Accuracy feat? Elven Accuracy states: Whenever you have advantage on an attack roll using Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, you can reroll one of the dice once
This reads to me as giving a creature with advantage on an attack the ability to (effectively) roll 3d20s and take the highest number. So, in this case, a character using True Strike would be trading the ability to make 2 attacks rolling 1d20 each for making 1 attack rolling 3d20s, which makes it much more likely that they will hit with their one attack than the other two separately.
Of course, there are plenty of ways to obtain advantage in 5e, but if you find yourself in a corner where those other options arent available, would this be a more favorable tradeoff?
I am not sure to be honest, but it does feel more enticing at first glance.
It is certainly better than without elven accuracy but still not as good as getting 2 attacks with the chance that both will hit. The only real time I can see True Strike being useful is when you cannot get in range to make your attack on this turn. But even then you may have something better to do with your action... such as taking an attack cantrip that has range.
… when you cannot get in range to make your attack on this turn.
If you can't get in range to attack then you probably can't get in range to cast true strike.
About the only time I can imagine it being useful is if you are Bard the archer and you only have one black arrow to slay Smaug. Even then, it is still a sucky spell, since you have to get within 30ft of the dragon on one turn, cast the spell, keep concentration up until your next turn, and hope by then that the dragon is still within sight and range.
If you are 60 feet away and can move 30 or 35 feet then you could cast true strike while not being able to get within range to attack. I'm not saying you should, but you could.
It is certainly better than without elven accuracy but still not as good as getting 2 attacks with the chance that both will hit. The only real time I can see True Strike being useful is when you cannot get in range to make your attack on this turn. But even then you may have something better to do with your action... such as taking an attack cantrip that has range.
That's actually not always true. If the target's AC is high enough (say, for example, you need to roll a 16 to hit), getting three dice on one attack will actually give you higher expected damage than making two attacks.
Every time this question comes up, the answer is no. For the two reasons Xalthu posted plus a third that is hard to quantify but definitely a thing: damage now is better than damage later. The attack you do instead of TS could be the difference between the enemy getting another turn or not.
The only way I can see True Strike being useful is when you’re ambushing your opponents. In that situation you can keep casting it every round until the ambush happens, in which case you’ll get advantage on your first attack.
I don’t see that as being useful enough to take True Strike instead of any other cantrip though.
The only way I can see True Strike being useful is when you’re ambushing your opponents. In that situation you can keep casting it every round until the ambush happens, in which case you’ll get advantage on your first attack.
I don’t see that as being useful enough to take True Strike instead of any other cantrip though.
Since the target has to be 30 feet away from you, you really don’t get much use out of repeat castings. Unless you’re just waiting and staring at the target for a while for some reason.
The only time true strike is valuable as a spell is when you have an extremely limited resource that must hit at all costs and you have time to burn ensuring this happens.
Such as: Landing a hit with Iron Bands of Bilarro. Or an Arrow of Slaying. Or etc.
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I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The only way I can see True Strike being useful is when you’re ambushing your opponents. In that situation you can keep casting it every round until the ambush happens, in which case you’ll get advantage on your first attack.
I don’t see that as being useful enough to take True Strike instead of any other cantrip though.
Since the target has to be 30 feet away from you, you really don’t get much use out of repeat castings. Unless you’re just waiting and staring at the target for a while for some reason.
That is exactly the scenario I’m envisioning. You’re correct, it’s very uncommon.
The only way I can see True Strike being useful is when you’re ambushing your opponents. In that situation you can keep casting it every round until the ambush happens, in which case you’ll get advantage on your first attack.
I don’t see that as being useful enough to take True Strike instead of any other cantrip though.
Since the target has to be 30 feet away from you, you really don’t get much use out of repeat castings. Unless you’re just waiting and staring at the target for a while for some reason.
That is exactly the scenario I’m envisioning. You’re correct, it’s very uncommon.
You'd be better off attacking from a hiding place since it'd give you advantage anyway and also not give away your position beforehand from that repeated somatic component giving away both your location and intention.
They have to be within 30ft of you and if you're repeatedly casting a hostile spell, doing repeated arcane sign language and pointing directly at the guy you're targeting over and over you're... not being subtle.
I can't imagine this would ever work or be useful.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
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So, as has been discussed to death, True Strike is a bad cantrip. Its especially bad for characters with 2+ attacks per turn, but even for characters with only 1 attack its lackluster. You are effectively getting to make 1 attack rolling 2d20s instead of just making 2 attacks rolling 1d20 each.
That being said, in this latter case of a character making only 1 attack per round, would it be worthwhile to cast this cantrip if you also had the Elven Accuracy feat? Elven Accuracy states: Whenever you have advantage on an attack roll using Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, you can reroll one of the dice once
This reads to me as giving a creature with advantage on an attack the ability to (effectively) roll 3d20s and take the highest number. So, in this case, a character using True Strike would be trading the ability to make 2 attacks rolling 1d20 each for making 1 attack rolling 3d20s, which makes it much more likely that they will hit with their one attack than the other two separately.
Of course, there are plenty of ways to obtain advantage in 5e, but if you find yourself in a corner where those other options arent available, would this be a more favorable tradeoff?
I am not sure to be honest, but it does feel more enticing at first glance.
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It is certainly better than without elven accuracy but still not as good as getting 2 attacks with the chance that both will hit. The only real time I can see True Strike being useful is when you cannot get in range to make your attack on this turn. But even then you may have something better to do with your action... such as taking an attack cantrip that has range.
It makes it better, but still not very good. It still uses your concentration, meaning you
A: could get hit and lose your concentration, making it a wasted turn.
B: aren’t concentrating on something that’s actually useful.
If you can't get in range to attack then you probably can't get in range to cast true strike.
About the only time I can imagine it being useful is if you are Bard the archer and you only have one black arrow to slay Smaug. Even then, it is still a sucky spell, since you have to get within 30ft of the dragon on one turn, cast the spell, keep concentration up until your next turn, and hope by then that the dragon is still within sight and range.
If you are 60 feet away and can move 30 or 35 feet then you could cast true strike while not being able to get within range to attack. I'm not saying you should, but you could.
That's actually not always true. If the target's AC is high enough (say, for example, you need to roll a 16 to hit), getting three dice on one attack will actually give you higher expected damage than making two attacks.
While I admit these circumstances can come up, it is almost always better to attack twice.
Every time this question comes up, the answer is no. For the two reasons Xalthu posted plus a third that is hard to quantify but definitely a thing: damage now is better than damage later. The attack you do instead of TS could be the difference between the enemy getting another turn or not.
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The only way I can see True Strike being useful is when you’re ambushing your opponents. In that situation you can keep casting it every round until the ambush happens, in which case you’ll get advantage on your first attack.
I don’t see that as being useful enough to take True Strike instead of any other cantrip though.
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Even in an ambush, it's probably wasted. If you have time to prepare, you have time to hide. Unseen Attacker provides Advantage for free.
Since the target has to be 30 feet away from you, you really don’t get much use out of repeat castings. Unless you’re just waiting and staring at the target for a while for some reason.
The only time true strike is valuable as a spell is when you have an extremely limited resource that must hit at all costs and you have time to burn ensuring this happens.
Such as: Landing a hit with Iron Bands of Bilarro. Or an Arrow of Slaying. Or etc.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
That is exactly the scenario I’m envisioning. You’re correct, it’s very uncommon.
Professional computer geek
You'd be better off attacking from a hiding place since it'd give you advantage anyway and also not give away your position beforehand from that repeated somatic component giving away both your location and intention.
They have to be within 30ft of you and if you're repeatedly casting a hostile spell, doing repeated arcane sign language and pointing directly at the guy you're targeting over and over you're... not being subtle.
I can't imagine this would ever work or be useful.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.