Make a melee spell attack against one creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 acid damage. After you make the attack, your teeth or fingernails return to normal.
Order of operations is:
Use the Cast a Spell action to cast Primal Savagery
Make a melee spell attack against one creature within 5 feet of you.
If you hit, deal 1d10 acid damage (or more depending on character level)
Whether your attack hits or misses, the spell ends and your teeth or fingernails return to normal.
The target is Self because you are casting the spell on yourself to alter your teeth or fingernails into weapons in order to immediately make an attack. Since the spell directs you to "make an attack..." you must make an attack. Since the spell doesn't state that you can make the attack later on down the road and the duration is Instantaneous, you cannot cast it in advance in order to make an attack in the future.
Compare Primal Savagery (Cantrip) to Searing Smite (1st Level)
Primal Savagery has an Instantaneous duration | Searing Smite is 1min (Concentration)
Primal Savagery has a Target of Self | Searing Smite has a Target of Self
Primal Savagery states "Make an attack against a creature within 5ft" | Searing Smite states "The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration..."
Bottom line: Primal Savagery is cast and you immediately roll a melee spell attack. There is no delaying it. It does not persist.
WELL anyway im going to keep my understanding of it and share it with dm's near me, they like when spells and effects allow loopholes or are too specific.
Not even remotely. Go read the rules again and take a time out. Every single person is telling you that your version is completely wrong.
After you make the attack, your teeth or fingernails return to normal.
MAKES IT SO IF YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO MAKE THE ATTACK AND THE TEETH AND FINGERNAILS AND CORROSIVITY DO NOT RETURN TO NORMAL
THERE IS NO (MUST) I AM A DM
AND EVEN MY DM FRIENDS HAVE RULED THE SAME
we ruled if theres no MUST THEN CAN IS INTENDED UNLESS ITS LITERALLY THE ONLY THING THE SPELL CAN DO LIKE INFLICT WOUNDS
Not gonna argue with you. You've been told by multiple people that you are wrong. It should be enough to make you stop and think, considering everyone is saying you're wrong and nobody is agreeing with you, that perhaps your understanding is inaccurate.
Feel free to play it incorrectly at your table, but you're not gonna convince anyone here because we know better. You're adding unnecessary additional power to a Cantrip-level spell, one that already deals some of the highest damage for a Cantrip, by way of extra versatility.
The duration of Primal Savagery is Instantaneous.
Order of operations is:
The target is Self because you are casting the spell on yourself to alter your teeth or fingernails into weapons in order to immediately make an attack. Since the spell directs you to "make an attack..." you must make an attack. Since the spell doesn't state that you can make the attack later on down the road and the duration is Instantaneous, you cannot cast it in advance in order to make an attack in the future.
Compare Primal Savagery (Cantrip) to Searing Smite (1st Level)
Bottom line: Primal Savagery is cast and you immediately roll a melee spell attack. There is no delaying it. It does not persist.
Not even remotely. Go read the rules again and take a time out. Every single person is telling you that your version is completely wrong.
Not gonna argue with you. You've been told by multiple people that you are wrong. It should be enough to make you stop and think, considering everyone is saying you're wrong and nobody is agreeing with you, that perhaps your understanding is inaccurate.
Feel free to play it incorrectly at your table, but you're not gonna convince anyone here because we know better. You're adding unnecessary additional power to a Cantrip-level spell, one that already deals some of the highest damage for a Cantrip, by way of extra versatility.