I have a strategy that is guaranteed to kill anything wearing heavy metal armor
first start as a variant human and take the mobile feat now you have 40 feet of movement then take 3 levels into bard for heat metal and 2 levels into rogue for bonus action dash.
now whenever your dm throws a creature with metal armor you can just cast heat metal on them bonus action dash and run 80 feet away and just move normally using your bonus action to dash whenever they get to close
(bonus tip) you can take 3 levels into rogue to pick thief subclass and dash and activate heat metal
you can just put the rest of your levels into bard to cast heat metal at higher levels.
Seems like a lot of work for a build unless you are in a campaign where most adversaries are armored. My stars druid carried the spell around a while without facing armored adversaries and then dropped it. Probably could have used it last week vs dwarves but I did fine with Summon Draconic Spirit and guiding bolt.
This is a highly specific build, and falls apart if they have a Longbow/Heavy Crossbow. You could also just be a Druid, cast it, and then turn into a Giant Badger and burrow underground, becoming untargetable.
I feel like you don't need to put nearly that much effort into cooking an armored opponent with Heat Metal. The spell already has a range of 60 feet, so it's really easy to stay out of melee range. Get yourself a riding horse and you're golden.
It's a great tactic, right up to the time when the GM uses it on a character.
I had a player use the spell several times, usually followed by running right out of the room and hiding somewhere for the next 10 turns. So I figured turnabout was fair play - an NPC cast the spell on one of the PCs and then ran out of the room.
Wow! You'd think I had peed in their drinks! I have never heard so much whining and seen so much dramatic throwing down of pencils and dice. "FINE! I guess my character is just dead then! I'll go make a new one shall I? Or do you want to kill that one now while we are at it?!"
All this while there were three (3!) characters with access to dispel magic (including the one whose armour was burning them)!
As a result of this, and many similar experiences, I am now upfront with players. I tell them that there are a lot of things they can do that are good strategies in the game world, but that decrease fun at the game table. For example, forcecage ('hey, player, you are no longer allowed to play the game for the rest of the evening'). If the players use these things, so will I. The choice is theirs.
Heat metal is definitely in the category of "bad idea for a spell", and surprisingly for a broken spell... it's not actually just 'faithful recreation of a spell that was broken in previous editions', it does much higher damage than in previous editions (in AD&D and 3.x, over its 7 round duration, it did 0, 1d4, 2d4, 2d4, 2d4, 1d4, 0) and also has a control effect (in AD&D you had to save vs crippling injury after round 5 if you hadn't cooled yourself off by then but it otherwise did not impair the victim, in 3.x it didn't do anything other than damage).
The thing about that tactic is that it only works if you're fighting one enemy that's wearing metal armor. And the damage output is not really sufficient to kill most higher level opponents.
It honestly is considerably more reliable against the party.
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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.
The enemy group could have a caster, the target could be a caster, the armor might be easy to remove, the caster might be unable to use bonus actions, or really want to use them for something else (for instance, for keeping out of range, so this strategy is self-defeating). Healing offsets the damage, of course.
Overall, I think I'll rate this at 3/10, I'd rather pick Faerie Fire I think =)
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
This build is very specific and will only really work if you don't have any other allies whom the enemy could target. If you did this and abandoned your allies, they would be worse off.
The problem with this is that taking off armor takes several rounds (10 for light and medium, 50 for heavy) by which point the spell would be over. You are much better served trying to break the concentration, get someone to cast Dispel Magic, or drink a potion of fire resistance.
I have a strategy that is guaranteed to kill anything wearing heavy metal armor
first start as a variant human and take the mobile feat now you have 40 feet of movement then take 3 levels into bard for heat metal and 2 levels into rogue for bonus action dash.
now whenever your dm throws a creature with metal armor you can just cast heat metal on them bonus action dash and run 80 feet away and just move normally using your bonus action to dash whenever they get to close
(bonus tip) you can take 3 levels into rogue to pick thief subclass and dash and activate heat metal
you can just put the rest of your levels into bard to cast heat metal at higher levels.
If AC is your problem, I’d suggest using more save or suck spells (assuming that’s why you’re picking a ‘heat metal’ build) but bard/rogue isn’t really the most optimal for combat. It can be good of course, but there’s a lot better ways to deal with opponents like that. If you’re looking into multi-classing, wizard X/fighter 2 is always a solid pick, while for a more martial speed build, fighter X/gloomstalker ranger 3/assassin rogue 3 with a crossbow deals great damage and gets great range.
The biggest problem here is that you stopped taking caster levels. Because you're 6th level and can only cast this 2nd level spell at 2nd level. That's only 1 minute at 2d8 fire damage.
And completely ignores the fact they can act to mitigate this. Either by attacking you, or by healing themselves, as this damage trickles in over time.
But, if you had continues to level up as the caster you could upcast it. So it'd deal more damage per round.
Because enemy HP scales up pretty quick. 2d8 per round isn't going to kill most CR appropriate threats in a quick way... if it even does kill them at all. If it doesn't now you just have a super pissed off NPC who has good reason to get revenge.
Really though, while it has its uses, it is often better to do something more impactful during combat than to set one dude up with a damage over time effect and then running away. That's got to be one of the least effective ways to support your party during a fight that I can think of while still technically contributing.
That is just cruel.... 4x Heat Metal every turn at the cost of absolutely no action so long as you keep concentration up....wow.....and they can also continue to just spew fire while burning them with HM...
Suddenly, this looks like a much better use of HM that actually will just melt someone in heavy armor.
Put enemies in 60ft wide, 30ft deep pit trap that is an actual iron smelting pot, apply generously significant heat as too complete cook time in one minute.
I have a strategy that is guaranteed to kill anything wearing heavy metal armor
first start as a variant human and take the mobile feat now you have 40 feet of movement then take 3 levels into bard for heat metal and 2 levels into rogue for bonus action dash.
now whenever your dm throws a creature with metal armor you can just cast heat metal on them bonus action dash and run 80 feet away and just move normally using your bonus action to dash whenever they get to close
(bonus tip) you can take 3 levels into rogue to pick thief subclass and dash and activate heat metal
you can just put the rest of your levels into bard to cast heat metal at higher levels.
Seems like a lot of work for a build unless you are in a campaign where most adversaries are armored. My stars druid carried the spell around a while without facing armored adversaries and then dropped it. Probably could have used it last week vs dwarves but I did fine with Summon Draconic Spirit and guiding bolt.
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This is a highly specific build, and falls apart if they have a Longbow/Heavy Crossbow. You could also just be a Druid, cast it, and then turn into a Giant Badger and burrow underground, becoming untargetable.
I feel like you don't need to put nearly that much effort into cooking an armored opponent with Heat Metal. The spell already has a range of 60 feet, so it's really easy to stay out of melee range. Get yourself a riding horse and you're golden.
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Yeah I agree although it is golden if you are in a campaign with mainly armored enemys
It's a great tactic, right up to the time when the GM uses it on a character.
I had a player use the spell several times, usually followed by running right out of the room and hiding somewhere for the next 10 turns. So I figured turnabout was fair play - an NPC cast the spell on one of the PCs and then ran out of the room.
Wow! You'd think I had peed in their drinks! I have never heard so much whining and seen so much dramatic throwing down of pencils and dice. "FINE! I guess my character is just dead then! I'll go make a new one shall I? Or do you want to kill that one now while we are at it?!"
All this while there were three (3!) characters with access to dispel magic (including the one whose armour was burning them)!
As a result of this, and many similar experiences, I am now upfront with players. I tell them that there are a lot of things they can do that are good strategies in the game world, but that decrease fun at the game table. For example, forcecage ('hey, player, you are no longer allowed to play the game for the rest of the evening'). If the players use these things, so will I. The choice is theirs.
Heat metal is definitely in the category of "bad idea for a spell", and surprisingly for a broken spell... it's not actually just 'faithful recreation of a spell that was broken in previous editions', it does much higher damage than in previous editions (in AD&D and 3.x, over its 7 round duration, it did 0, 1d4, 2d4, 2d4, 2d4, 1d4, 0) and also has a control effect (in AD&D you had to save vs crippling injury after round 5 if you hadn't cooled yourself off by then but it otherwise did not impair the victim, in 3.x it didn't do anything other than damage).
The thing about that tactic is that it only works if you're fighting one enemy that's wearing metal armor. And the damage output is not really sufficient to kill most higher level opponents.
It honestly is considerably more reliable against the party.
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.
I think this tactic is great if and only if:
The enemy group could have a caster, the target could be a caster, the armor might be easy to remove, the caster might be unable to use bonus actions, or really want to use them for something else (for instance, for keeping out of range, so this strategy is self-defeating). Healing offsets the damage, of course.
Overall, I think I'll rate this at 3/10, I'd rather pick Faerie Fire I think =)
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
This build is very specific and will only really work if you don't have any other allies whom the enemy could target. If you did this and abandoned your allies, they would be worse off.
The melee sorlock is superior. Argue with me.
Take off the armor?
The problem with this is that taking off armor takes several rounds (10 for light and medium, 50 for heavy) by which point the spell would be over. You are much better served trying to break the concentration, get someone to cast Dispel Magic, or drink a potion of fire resistance.
If AC is your problem, I’d suggest using more save or suck spells (assuming that’s why you’re picking a ‘heat metal’ build) but bard/rogue isn’t really the most optimal for combat. It can be good of course, but there’s a lot better ways to deal with opponents like that. If you’re looking into multi-classing, wizard X/fighter 2 is always a solid pick, while for a more martial speed build, fighter X/gloomstalker ranger 3/assassin rogue 3 with a crossbow deals great damage and gets great range.
Wouldn't moving 60 feet away break the spell?
While there are spells that have a range limit after casting, they say so explicitly, and heat metal has no such restriction.
The biggest problem here is that you stopped taking caster levels. Because you're 6th level and can only cast this 2nd level spell at 2nd level. That's only 1 minute at 2d8 fire damage.
And completely ignores the fact they can act to mitigate this. Either by attacking you, or by healing themselves, as this damage trickles in over time.
But, if you had continues to level up as the caster you could upcast it. So it'd deal more damage per round.
Because enemy HP scales up pretty quick. 2d8 per round isn't going to kill most CR appropriate threats in a quick way... if it even does kill them at all. If it doesn't now you just have a super pissed off NPC who has good reason to get revenge.
Really though, while it has its uses, it is often better to do something more impactful during combat than to set one dude up with a damage over time effect and then running away. That's got to be one of the least effective ways to support your party during a fight that I can think of while still technically contributing.
I got quotes!
The classic way of doing this is to cast conjure minor elementals to summon 4x magma mephit each of which can cast heat metal.
That is just cruel.... 4x Heat Metal every turn at the cost of absolutely no action so long as you keep concentration up....wow.....and they can also continue to just spew fire while burning them with HM...
Suddenly, this looks like a much better use of HM that actually will just melt someone in heavy armor.
Put enemies in 60ft wide, 30ft deep pit trap that is an actual iron smelting pot, apply generously significant heat as too complete cook time in one minute.
It has applications, and creative uses.
Byte my shiny metal ass
Nice, i would use this!