Do AT get sneak attack on booming blade or GFB? If so i'd say melee spell attack instead of weapon attack to prevent that. Make it a bonusaction and it would be useful. Still outcompeeded by other bonus mactions from Class features and so on but atleast not useless.
Do AT get sneak attack on booming blade or GFB? If so i'd say melee spell attack instead of weapon attack to prevent that. Make it a bonusaction and it would be useful. Still outcompeeded by other bonus mactions from Class features and so on but atleast not useless.
BB and GFB can trigger sneak attack, yes. I'm not sure what the rest of your comment is refering to.
Useing a bonus action to get advantage would be among the better options. The arcane trickster actually basically gets this ability at level 13.
As it is, true strike isn't meant to be your go to cantrip, it's more what you use in the special instance where you need the next attack to land so much that you don't mind burning an extra turn to line it up.
As it is, true strike isn't meant to be your go to cantrip, it's more what you use in the special instance where you need the next attack to land so much that you don't mind burning an extra turn to line it up.
Except that, if you need to land the 'next attack' at some point during the next *two* rounds, you're better off attacking twice. After all, if you attack twice, you have the chance to *hit* twice. If you attack once with advantage, you only have the chance to hit once.
Sure, there's edge cases where it can be useful, but they're *edge* edge cases, so it isn't worth burning your limited cantrip slots.
Well, melee spell attacks don't get sneak attack as far as I know because you don't use a finesse or ranged weapon for the attack. So TS could be changed to a bonus action melee spell attack without concentration and basically just be an attack at advantage. The damage type would be probably magical slashing damage, force would be fitting but a bit strong (well depending on the damage dice).
There is no way for True Strike to be a bonus action, still grant advantage, and still be a cantrip. No hedge-around makes that combination viable without being broken. Compare the Samurai's Fighting Spirit feature, which allows the Samurai to grant itself advantage on a bonus action. That feature can be used three times per rest. There is a limit. That limit is important.
If you want a bonus action, same-turn True Strike that grants advantage, it needs to be a leveled spell. There needs to be a limit on its use. And at that point you can compare it to spells which do the same thing, which may or may not be called Zephyr Strike, and ask yourself if what you're doing is "making True Strike better" or just "giving Zephyr Strike to my Trickster for free".
If you want a bonus action, same-turn True Strike that remains a cantrip, it cannot grant advantage. It honestly shouldn't be any more powerful than Bless adding a d4 to your attack, and even that feels like a goddamned lot for a bonus action cantrip. Bonus actions are generally supposed to be secondary things you can do on your turn in addition to your primary combat action, not things you take that directly improve your primary combat action. The handful of exceptions to that rule are almost always specific class features, and they tend to have limited usage.
If you want a True Strike that remains a cantrip and which grants advantage, it cannot be a bonus action. At which point the idea of eliminating its concentration requirement is probably your best bet for a minor tweak. That way it doesn't interfere with other ongoing concentration effects, and spellcasters can use it to try and hedge their bet on an important spell attack roll they're burning a spell slot on. (Leveled) Spell attacks are intrinsically more valuable than regular weapon attacks because they consume a resource other than your action in combat - they also chew up a spell slot.
Betting the farm on your upcast Disintegrate spell is important enough that it may well be worth burning a turn on True Strike first just to try and ensure it lands. Or the crit-fishing palladalladingdong looking to activate their Elven Accuracy may decide to use True Strike to try and dig for that big juicy crit triple Smite they live to deliver. In neither case is True Strike an amazing choice of a valuable cantrip pick, but at least it's not quite so much actively a trap, either.
Yeah, Concentration 1 round is the only thing that bugs me a little about True Strike, otherwise its perfectly viable as written. You're already giving up a round of action, having to give up whatever spell you're already concentrating on too, and risk the chance that being attacked over the next round will break concentration on True Strike... that's too many downsides for a cantrip that doesn't really have more than niche applications. At least if you could concentrate for more than 1 round it would be useful to set up an ambush, but 6 seconds is a little tight to set that up.
If you have the war caster feat, you are able to cast a spell as an opportunity attack. True Strike might come in handy in this case. But it's circumstantial.
Also, 30 feet is a ridiculously short range. Range should be sight or at least 300 feet. Then at least, it could have some utility for making long range shots.
If you have the war caster feat, you are able to cast a spell as an opportunity attack. True Strike might come in handy in this case. But it's circumstantial.
That might actually be the best use for the spell I have ever heard. Very circumstantial, but if you have extra cantrip slots and are taking warcaster, this may actually be useful.
As it is, true strike isn't meant to be your go to cantrip, it's more what you use in the special instance where you need the next attack to land so much that you don't mind burning an extra turn to line it up.
Except that, if you need to land the 'next attack' at some point during the next *two* rounds, you're better off attacking twice. After all, if you attack twice, you have the chance to *hit* twice. If you attack once with advantage, you only have the chance to hit once.
Sure, there's edge cases where it can be useful, but they're *edge* edge cases, so it isn't worth burning your limited cantrip slots.
As far as I can see, the edge case is when you only have one piece of ammo or one charge.
You are Bard the Bowyer, trying to kill Smaug, and you only have one black arrow.
I feel like the bard scene was more like the class variant feature from the unearthed arcana.
Cunning Action: Aim 2nd-level rogue feature (enhances Cunning Action) You gain an additional way to use your Cunning Action: carefully aiming your next attack. As a bonus action, you give yourself advantage on your next attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven’t moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.
Make it a spell attack action that provides you with a bonus to your attack roll equal to your proficiency modifier (or half, depending on balance). I've never seen us use it at my table and we have about 4 casters in the party.
I'm sure this has been beaten to death, but I would only consider two changes to True Strike: Removing the concentration requirement; and altering the advantage from only affecting your first attack roll against that target on your next turn, to the next attack roll you make against them before the end of your next turn.
Part one has been discussed repeatedly, but if you are wasting a turn to line up a shot by looking into the future, you've already seen the opening (Divination spell) and if you choose not to take it, that's on you. Permitting someone to potentially "distract" you from something you've already seen happen seems a bit underwhelming, and I don't think this breaks the power of the cantrip, even when combined with high-level attack spells which would still have a chance to miss. Besides, someone could have just given you the help action to grant the same effect (requiring a second person to take the action but without requiring concentration) so this does not break the action economy of the game.
Part two permits you to use this spell with a bonus action attack, such as that granted by Spiritual Weapon or Storm Sphere, or to Quicken it for use with another spell on the same round if you are a Sorcerer. As a Sorcerer could already quicken this spell to get off another one in the same round, or any character with Warcaster could potentially gain a similar benefit as a reaction in place of an AoOp, this still does not break action economy, but does grant a little more versatility to the use of this spell. Ultimately, the options, while having the same effects, make this spell feel more powerful without actually giving it any more power.
they were probably going for an aiming mechanic, to take some extra time for an improved shot. but as this is magic, it probably should be a little smoother in mechanics.
True Strike should have tripled the damage dice of an attack roll. It would make your attack stronger than if you hadn't cast it but spells that rely on attack rolls are limited and they're usually already underpowered.
Honestly True Strike would have been better as a Bonus Action, and I am not entirely sure it would be broken, either.
No way. That's just permanent advantage on your fire bolt/ray of frost/whatever. Which is basically the same as giving a fighter advantage on all of their attacks every turn.
Dropping the concentration requirement would've been good enough.
Permanent advantage on a firebolt/ray of frost is not a big deal between levels 1-4, and it is veeeeery far away from "giving a fighter advantage on all of their attack" in general. It would still on work for 1 attack roll, would not interact with extra attack. If you are refering to scaled firebolt doing 2d10 with an advantage on the attack roll, that is still not the same, because the fighter applies the ability modifier to the damage. Twice. 2d10 ~11 average, or 2x(1d8+3) ~ 15, ignoring hitchance in both cases. Thirdly, the time where the scaled cantrips are a casters go-to, is very limited. Level 5, level 6, and maybe level 7, if I am generous. By level 7 you would have enough slots to cast a levelled spell pretty much every time. Fourthly, the amount of levelled spells this could interact with is very minimal. (It would need some setup like dodge action + true strike 1st turn, levelled spell 2nd turn) Not only would it need to be an attack roll based spell (which there are already few of), but it would need to make only 1 attack roll. Scorching ray is out, maybe a VERY upcast inflict wounds/guiding bolt or something.
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Why only melee?
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!
This is just a cantrip that makes AT (or multiclassed) rogues have permanent magic sneak attack damage.
Do AT get sneak attack on booming blade or GFB? If so i'd say melee spell attack instead of weapon attack to prevent that. Make it a bonusaction and it would be useful. Still outcompeeded by other bonus mactions from Class features and so on but atleast not useless.
BB and GFB can trigger sneak attack, yes. I'm not sure what the rest of your comment is refering to.
Useing a bonus action to get advantage would be among the better options. The arcane trickster actually basically gets this ability at level 13.
As it is, true strike isn't meant to be your go to cantrip, it's more what you use in the special instance where you need the next attack to land so much that you don't mind burning an extra turn to line it up.
Except that, if you need to land the 'next attack' at some point during the next *two* rounds, you're better off attacking twice. After all, if you attack twice, you have the chance to *hit* twice. If you attack once with advantage, you only have the chance to hit once.
Sure, there's edge cases where it can be useful, but they're *edge* edge cases, so it isn't worth burning your limited cantrip slots.
Well, melee spell attacks don't get sneak attack as far as I know because you don't use a finesse or ranged weapon for the attack. So TS could be changed to a bonus action melee spell attack without concentration and basically just be an attack at advantage. The damage type would be probably magical slashing damage, force would be fitting but a bit strong (well depending on the damage dice).
There is no way for True Strike to be a bonus action, still grant advantage, and still be a cantrip. No hedge-around makes that combination viable without being broken. Compare the Samurai's Fighting Spirit feature, which allows the Samurai to grant itself advantage on a bonus action. That feature can be used three times per rest. There is a limit. That limit is important.
If you want a bonus action, same-turn True Strike that grants advantage, it needs to be a leveled spell. There needs to be a limit on its use. And at that point you can compare it to spells which do the same thing, which may or may not be called Zephyr Strike, and ask yourself if what you're doing is "making True Strike better" or just "giving Zephyr Strike to my Trickster for free".
If you want a bonus action, same-turn True Strike that remains a cantrip, it cannot grant advantage. It honestly shouldn't be any more powerful than Bless adding a d4 to your attack, and even that feels like a goddamned lot for a bonus action cantrip. Bonus actions are generally supposed to be secondary things you can do on your turn in addition to your primary combat action, not things you take that directly improve your primary combat action. The handful of exceptions to that rule are almost always specific class features, and they tend to have limited usage.
If you want a True Strike that remains a cantrip and which grants advantage, it cannot be a bonus action. At which point the idea of eliminating its concentration requirement is probably your best bet for a minor tweak. That way it doesn't interfere with other ongoing concentration effects, and spellcasters can use it to try and hedge their bet on an important spell attack roll they're burning a spell slot on. (Leveled) Spell attacks are intrinsically more valuable than regular weapon attacks because they consume a resource other than your action in combat - they also chew up a spell slot.
Betting the farm on your upcast Disintegrate spell is important enough that it may well be worth burning a turn on True Strike first just to try and ensure it lands. Or the crit-fishing palladalladingdong looking to activate their Elven Accuracy may decide to use True Strike to try and dig for that big juicy crit triple Smite they live to deliver. In neither case is True Strike an amazing choice of a valuable cantrip pick, but at least it's not quite so much actively a trap, either.
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Yeah, Concentration 1 round is the only thing that bugs me a little about True Strike, otherwise its perfectly viable as written. You're already giving up a round of action, having to give up whatever spell you're already concentrating on too, and risk the chance that being attacked over the next round will break concentration on True Strike... that's too many downsides for a cantrip that doesn't really have more than niche applications. At least if you could concentrate for more than 1 round it would be useful to set up an ambush, but 6 seconds is a little tight to set that up.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
If you have the war caster feat, you are able to cast a spell as an opportunity attack. True Strike might come in handy in this case. But it's circumstantial.
Also, 30 feet is a ridiculously short range. Range should be sight or at least 300 feet. Then at least, it could have some utility for making long range shots.
That might actually be the best use for the spell I have ever heard. Very circumstantial, but if you have extra cantrip slots and are taking warcaster, this may actually be useful.
or sorcerer/rogue with quicken and warcaster...
As far as I can see, the edge case is when you only have one piece of ammo or one charge.
You are Bard the Bowyer, trying to kill Smaug, and you only have one black arrow.
I feel like the bard scene was more like the class variant feature from the unearthed arcana.
Cunning Action: Aim
2nd-level rogue feature (enhances Cunning Action)
You gain an additional way to use your Cunning Action: carefully aiming your next attack. As a bonus action, you give yourself advantage on your next attack roll on the current turn. You can use this bonus action only if you haven’t moved during this turn, and after you use the bonus action, your speed is 0 until the end of the current turn.
Make it a spell attack action that provides you with a bonus to your attack roll equal to your proficiency modifier (or half, depending on balance). I've never seen us use it at my table and we have about 4 casters in the party.
I'm sure this has been beaten to death, but I would only consider two changes to True Strike: Removing the concentration requirement; and altering the advantage from only affecting your first attack roll against that target on your next turn, to the next attack roll you make against them before the end of your next turn.
Part one has been discussed repeatedly, but if you are wasting a turn to line up a shot by looking into the future, you've already seen the opening (Divination spell) and if you choose not to take it, that's on you. Permitting someone to potentially "distract" you from something you've already seen happen seems a bit underwhelming, and I don't think this breaks the power of the cantrip, even when combined with high-level attack spells which would still have a chance to miss. Besides, someone could have just given you the help action to grant the same effect (requiring a second person to take the action but without requiring concentration) so this does not break the action economy of the game.
Part two permits you to use this spell with a bonus action attack, such as that granted by Spiritual Weapon or Storm Sphere, or to Quicken it for use with another spell on the same round if you are a Sorcerer. As a Sorcerer could already quicken this spell to get off another one in the same round, or any character with Warcaster could potentially gain a similar benefit as a reaction in place of an AoOp, this still does not break action economy, but does grant a little more versatility to the use of this spell. Ultimately, the options, while having the same effects, make this spell feel more powerful without actually giving it any more power.
they were probably going for an aiming mechanic, to take some extra time for an improved shot.
but as this is magic, it probably should be a little smoother in mechanics.
True Strike should have tripled the damage dice of an attack roll. It would make your attack stronger than if you hadn't cast it but spells that rely on attack rolls are limited and they're usually already underpowered.
Permanent advantage on a firebolt/ray of frost is not a big deal between levels 1-4, and it is veeeeery far away from "giving a fighter advantage on all of their attack" in general.
It would still on work for 1 attack roll, would not interact with extra attack.
If you are refering to scaled firebolt doing 2d10 with an advantage on the attack roll, that is still not the same, because the fighter applies the ability modifier to the damage. Twice. 2d10 ~11 average, or 2x(1d8+3) ~ 15, ignoring hitchance in both cases.
Thirdly, the time where the scaled cantrips are a casters go-to, is very limited. Level 5, level 6, and maybe level 7, if I am generous. By level 7 you would have enough slots to cast a levelled spell pretty much every time.
Fourthly, the amount of levelled spells this could interact with is very minimal. (It would need some setup like dodge action + true strike 1st turn, levelled spell 2nd turn)
Not only would it need to be an attack roll based spell (which there are already few of), but it would need to make only 1 attack roll. Scorching ray is out, maybe a VERY upcast inflict wounds/guiding bolt or something.