At first blush I thought it was really strong, but it being melee only and working on only one attack does mitigate that.
The ability to negate a crit is really nice though, and is functionality that even Shield doesn't confer.
Depending on your point of view, I wouldn't say it negates a crit, but instead significantly lowers the chance of a crit. You mention a couple of aspects that limit its effectiveness (only vs. melee and only vs. one attack), but it also must be used when the attack is announced. Sure you could say that when the dice are rolled and one of them turns out to be a 20, then you negated a crit, but I don't think that is how many folks look at it (whereas Silvery Barbs or one or two of the Rune Knight's features can genuinely be invoked after you know the hit was a crit).
I think that this will be a useful cantrip in particular for those spellcasters who are able to get a good AC, and it will certainly be useful in situations where a Rogue might be denied Sneak Attack damage (either by imposing disadvantage or denying advantage when none of the other conditions to proc Sneak Attack are present).
I think the only class that can grab this that will usually grab is going to be the warlock. Maybe eldritch knight fighter. But just looking at it, it isnt a must take.
It's not bad IMO. Casters tend to be ranged and squishy, and a cantrip against melee is more of an emergency survival measure for when you screwed up enough to let the enemy get in melee range in the first place. It's pretty balanced by the fact that you have to decide to use it before you see the roll, so it's more of "I really don't want to get that hit" rather than "I cancel that hit". Out of classes that have access to it, only valor bards and bladelocks are likely to use it often. Besides, you give up a cantrip that could've been useful utility for emergency survival.
This will definitely be going on my Fey-Bladelock, it's a not bad use of a reaction that a Warlock can't really use (with exception of Hellish Rebuke, but a Pact Slot is pricey) effectively until higher levels. Can likely be lost at later levels, but it's nice to see a defensive option worth considering.
You lose the attack of opp, but if you're a bladelock the monsters prolly aren't running past you anyway.
somehow i'm much more accepting of the new Blade Ward for warlock instead of UA5 Shield spam. it just feels like more of a trick or hack, more plausible than using some bookish thing that could be bought across the counter in the daylight. that's probably being unfair to shield, but i'll know more if i manage to get tired of blade warding.
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The ability to negate a crit is really nice though, and is functionality that even Shield doesn't confer.
It doesn't negate a crit -- you have to use it before the crit was rolled.
That's not how I read it. How do you know they're targeting you before they roll? Something they should probably clarify.
I believe that disadvantage has to be factored in before a roll. The other abilities that are invoked after the roll (Lucky, Silvery Barbs, Runic Shield) all refer to a reroll, not disadvantage.
somehow i'm much more accepting of the new Blade Ward for warlock instead of UA5 Shield spam. it just feels like more of a trick or hack, more plausible than using some bookish thing that could be bought across the counter in the daylight. that's probably being unfair to shield, but i'll know more if i manage to get tired of blade warding.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean about Shield feeling more.. bookish? but I do feel a lot more comfortable balance-wise with the Warlock having this version of Blade Ward while still not having Shield, which they shouldn't have access too, even if their numbers of spell slots remain pretty low.
The ability to negate a crit is really nice though, and is functionality that even Shield doesn't confer.
It doesn't negate a crit -- you have to use it before the crit was rolled.
That's not how I read it. How do you know they're targeting you before they roll? Something they should probably clarify.
If I tell a player a creature is attacking you and I roll then they cut in before I ask them does X number hit to say they cast blade ward that’s fine. I roll another die. If they wait to see if it hits then tries to use blade ward I’m going to them too late you got hit. There is definitely a reasonable amount of time to use blade ward before the hit is declared. So it doesn’t negate crits and casters have better defensive spells that use reactions.
BLADE WARD Abjuration Cantrip (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to a visible creature targeting you with a melee attack Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous
You trace a sigil of warding, imposing Disadvantage on the creature’s attack roll against you.
Silvery Barbs and Shield are problematic lvl 1 spells and now we get this as cantrip. It's super potent and I can't see a reason why anyone who learns it wouldn't pick it. For many classes and situations there is almost no cost attached since you can use it reactively. In most turns you will not have anything competing with your reaction as caster anyway.
In the video it was also mentioned that the range increases with your level, but that's missing in the actual PDF, maybe since Silvery Barbs at that point would just be "1 advantage attack" for a level 1 slot.
What are your thoughts?
since you have to use it before a single melee attack, its not that crazy. You don't get infinite cantrips, nor reactions, and as far as reactions go, its not that potent.
Pretty sure they dropped the changes to crits, yeah.
in which playtest is this said?
Playtest 2. They specifically stated that the Rules Glossary of each playtest is independent of the previous and that you use the updated rules glossary and not the rule glossary section of previous play tests.. Since that rule did not exist past the first playtest it has not existed since the first playtest.
BLADE WARD Abjuration Cantrip (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to a visible creature targeting you with a melee attack Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous
You trace a sigil of warding, imposing Disadvantage on the creature’s attack roll against you.
Silvery Barbs and Shield are problematic lvl 1 spells and now we get this as cantrip. It's super potent and I can't see a reason why anyone who learns it wouldn't pick it. For many classes and situations there is almost no cost attached since you can use it reactively. In most turns you will not have anything competing with your reaction as caster anyway.
In the video it was also mentioned that the range increases with your level, but that's missing in the actual PDF, maybe since Silvery Barbs at that point would just be "1 advantage attack" for a level 1 slot.
What are your thoughts?
since you have to use it before a single melee attack, its not that crazy. You don't get infinite cantrips, nor reactions, and as far as reactions go, its not that potent.
BLADE WARD Abjuration Cantrip (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to a visible creature targeting you with a melee attack Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous
You trace a sigil of warding, imposing Disadvantage on the creature’s attack roll against you.
Silvery Barbs and Shield are problematic lvl 1 spells and now we get this as cantrip. It's super potent and I can't see a reason why anyone who learns it wouldn't pick it. For many classes and situations there is almost no cost attached since you can use it reactively. In most turns you will not have anything competing with your reaction as caster anyway.
In the video it was also mentioned that the range increases with your level, but that's missing in the actual PDF, maybe since Silvery Barbs at that point would just be "1 advantage attack" for a level 1 slot.
What are your thoughts?
since you have to use it before a single melee attack, its not that crazy. You don't get infinite cantrips, nor reactions, and as far as reactions go, its not that potent.
You do have infinite Cantrips.
They mean infinite cantrip selections.
Just off the top of my head on my Archfey Warlock I would want EB, BW, Friends, Minor Illusion, Mage hand, light, message, prestidigitation. I am not getting that without magic initiate or tome or both. If I take tome i start adding in guidance, resistance, druidcraft, thaumaturge and spare the dying.
You can use the cantrips you have as much as you want, but there is a limit to the cantrips you can grab.
If I am playing a sorc that has shield, absorb elements and counterspell locking myself out of a my reaction for only 1 attack doesn't seem like something I would want to waste my limited number of cantrips known on.
You lose the attack of opp, but if you're a bladelock the monsters prolly aren't running past you anyway.
This is actually kind of an interesting point, but maybe not a correct one. If I'm the DM and the martial uses their reaction to defend themselves against my monster's first attack, I would actually be incentivized to make the monster run by the martial and toward the squishier members for their next attack(s) since the martial can no longer react; assuming the monster has decent intelligence to reasonably consider that tactical opening.
The threat of the opportunity attack has long stagnated combat dynamics. So if a lot of people start picking up this cantrip and using it aggressively (because it's a cantrip), it could actually create more movement in combat instead of just running up to a thing and hitting it until it dies.
BLADE WARD Abjuration Cantrip (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to a visible creature targeting you with a melee attack Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous
You trace a sigil of warding, imposing Disadvantage on the creature’s attack roll against you.
Silvery Barbs and Shield are problematic lvl 1 spells and now we get this as cantrip. It's super potent and I can't see a reason why anyone who learns it wouldn't pick it. For many classes and situations there is almost no cost attached since you can use it reactively. In most turns you will not have anything competing with your reaction as caster anyway.
In the video it was also mentioned that the range increases with your level, but that's missing in the actual PDF, maybe since Silvery Barbs at that point would just be "1 advantage attack" for a level 1 slot.
What are your thoughts?
It is way too strong, in that it is a must-take for Bards and Warlocks and would remain their go-to reaction all the way to level 20. I could also see Druids and Clerics picking it up with Magic Initiate at level 1 as well, and even Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins TBH (at least all of them that don't take Sentinel). It's definitely not as good as Shield (but that needs a massive nerf as well), once 1st level slots aren't in short supply anymore (Tier 2+) but for half-casters and 1/3 casters it is really really good.
Depending on your point of view, I wouldn't say it negates a crit, but instead significantly lowers the chance of a crit. You mention a couple of aspects that limit its effectiveness (only vs. melee and only vs. one attack), but it also must be used when the attack is announced. Sure you could say that when the dice are rolled and one of them turns out to be a 20, then you negated a crit, but I don't think that is how many folks look at it (whereas Silvery Barbs or one or two of the Rune Knight's features can genuinely be invoked after you know the hit was a crit).
I think that this will be a useful cantrip in particular for those spellcasters who are able to get a good AC, and it will certainly be useful in situations where a Rogue might be denied Sneak Attack damage (either by imposing disadvantage or denying advantage when none of the other conditions to proc Sneak Attack are present).
I think the only class that can grab this that will usually grab is going to be the warlock. Maybe eldritch knight fighter. But just looking at it, it isnt a must take.
It doesn't negate a crit -- you have to use it before the crit was rolled.
It's not bad IMO. Casters tend to be ranged and squishy, and a cantrip against melee is more of an emergency survival measure for when you screwed up enough to let the enemy get in melee range in the first place. It's pretty balanced by the fact that you have to decide to use it before you see the roll, so it's more of "I really don't want to get that hit" rather than "I cancel that hit". Out of classes that have access to it, only valor bards and bladelocks are likely to use it often. Besides, you give up a cantrip that could've been useful utility for emergency survival.
But the possibility to deny a possible crit is 95%, so it pretty effectively negates crits (from a single melee attack).
That's not how I read it. How do you know they're targeting you before they roll? Something they should probably clarify.
somehow i'm much more accepting of the new Blade Ward for warlock instead of UA5 Shield spam. it just feels like more of a trick or hack, more plausible than using some bookish thing that could be bought across the counter in the daylight. that's probably being unfair to shield, but i'll know more if i manage to get tired of blade warding.
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
I believe that disadvantage has to be factored in before a roll. The other abilities that are invoked after the roll (Lucky, Silvery Barbs, Runic Shield) all refer to a reroll, not disadvantage.
You know because the DM tells you. It's not retroactive disadvantage, and would be far stronger if it was.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean about Shield feeling more.. bookish? but I do feel a lot more comfortable balance-wise with the Warlock having this version of Blade Ward while still not having Shield, which they shouldn't have access too, even if their numbers of spell slots remain pretty low.
If I tell a player a creature is attacking you and I roll then they cut in before I ask them does X number hit to say they cast blade ward that’s fine. I roll another die. If they wait to see if it hits then tries to use blade ward I’m going to them too late you got hit. There is definitely a reasonable amount of time to use blade ward before the hit is declared. So it doesn’t negate crits and casters have better defensive spells that use reactions.
Possibly the wording should clarify it. But it's clear to me that you have to use this before the die is rolled.
"Casting Time: Reaction, which you take in response to a visible creature targeting you with a melee attack"
Targeting you, that is, when the attack is declared. No dice have been rolled yet at that time.
since you have to use it before a single melee attack, its not that crazy. You don't get infinite cantrips, nor reactions, and as far as reactions go, its not that potent.
Monsters can crit again.
in which playtest is this said?
in which playtest is this said?
Playtest 2. They specifically stated that the Rules Glossary of each playtest is independent of the previous and that you use the updated rules glossary and not the rule glossary section of previous play tests.. Since that rule did not exist past the first playtest it has not existed since the first playtest.
You do have infinite Cantrips.
They mean infinite cantrip selections.
Just off the top of my head on my Archfey Warlock I would want EB, BW, Friends, Minor Illusion, Mage hand, light, message, prestidigitation. I am not getting that without magic initiate or tome or both. If I take tome i start adding in guidance, resistance, druidcraft, thaumaturge and spare the dying.
You can use the cantrips you have as much as you want, but there is a limit to the cantrips you can grab.
If I am playing a sorc that has shield, absorb elements and counterspell locking myself out of a my reaction for only 1 attack doesn't seem like something I would want to waste my limited number of cantrips known on.
This is actually kind of an interesting point, but maybe not a correct one. If I'm the DM and the martial uses their reaction to defend themselves against my monster's first attack, I would actually be incentivized to make the monster run by the martial and toward the squishier members for their next attack(s) since the martial can no longer react; assuming the monster has decent intelligence to reasonably consider that tactical opening.
The threat of the opportunity attack has long stagnated combat dynamics. So if a lot of people start picking up this cantrip and using it aggressively (because it's a cantrip), it could actually create more movement in combat instead of just running up to a thing and hitting it until it dies.
It is way too strong, in that it is a must-take for Bards and Warlocks and would remain their go-to reaction all the way to level 20. I could also see Druids and Clerics picking it up with Magic Initiate at level 1 as well, and even Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins TBH (at least all of them that don't take Sentinel). It's definitely not as good as Shield (but that needs a massive nerf as well), once 1st level slots aren't in short supply anymore (Tier 2+) but for half-casters and 1/3 casters it is really really good.