booming blade snd green flame blade don’t make sense with a range of “self/5ft radius”, it should be changed to just “touch” & therefore allowing it to be more simple, you imbue the melee weapon in the casting & make a “melee attack” with it, if you imbue a reach weapon, you won’t be locked into not being able to use its reach property, & if you have a bugbear character, you can use its reach, it’s kinda dumb that you can imbue a melee weapon with magic that has a range of self, but can reach far enough out away from your body that the magic somehow stops working while you are still holding the weapon which is held by yourself. Why would the magic only work within 5ft of yourself & not be able to extend to the end of a reach weapon?
For booming blade probably because using it with reach would be too strong. The cantrips would almost be as good as the Sentinel feat - hitting someone 10ft away would disincentivize them from approaching to hit you back.
These are examples, some of many, of the fact that DND is a game first and a magical life simulator second. Even if something SHOULD work a way within the context of the game, if it makes the game less balanced/less fun then it won't be put in.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Why would the magic only work within 5ft of yourself & not be able to extend to the end of a reach weapon?
Because this is a game, and sometimes realism has to take a backseat to game balance - not that "realism" needs to apply to magic anyways.
I get it, you want to booming blade with your halberd bugbear to basically guarantee the extra damage or otherwise completely immobilize the target for a turn. That's just beyond the level of what a cantrip should do.
The original version allowed you to use BB/GFB with the 10ft range melee weapons if you had Spell-Sniper. Throw in War-Caster and Pole-arm Master and you had pretty good control build.
Honestly? I think this is a feature, not a bug. I don't want it to have a different range :).
I believe I agree with this. I believe I read somewhere that Booming Blade mathematically beats out the extra attack feature for 1h fighter at every level if the secondary effect procs and isn't too far behind 2h weapons. Green Flame Blade is consistently behind but if there are multiple targets, it doesn't do so bad. I do not know if it needs to be fixed to also use the reach property.
To be honest, in my game we missed the 5ft restriction on Booming Blade for a long time, I think it was only after frequenting these forums I picked up on it and made a recon to our game. Still I would love to see the look on someones face when a whip weilding bugbear rogue performs a booming blade/sneak attacks from 15ft away.......excuse me while I day dream for a bit......
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booming blade snd green flame blade don’t make sense with a range of “self/5ft radius”, it should be changed to just “touch” & therefore allowing it to be more simple, you imbue the melee weapon in the casting & make a “melee attack” with it, if you imbue a reach weapon, you won’t be locked into not being able to use its reach property, & if you have a bugbear character, you can use its reach, it’s kinda dumb that you can imbue a melee weapon with magic that has a range of self, but can reach far enough out away from your body that the magic somehow stops working while you are still holding the weapon which is held by yourself. Why would the magic only work within 5ft of yourself & not be able to extend to the end of a reach weapon?
For booming blade probably because using it with reach would be too strong. The cantrips would almost be as good as the Sentinel feat - hitting someone 10ft away would disincentivize them from approaching to hit you back.
These are examples, some of many, of the fact that DND is a game first and a magical life simulator second. Even if something SHOULD work a way within the context of the game, if it makes the game less balanced/less fun then it won't be put in.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Honestly? I think this is a feature, not a bug. I don't want it to have a different range :).
Both spells are intentionally made to have a range of five feet, not weapon reach or anything else, nor can they benefit from Spell Sniper.
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.
Because this is a game, and sometimes realism has to take a backseat to game balance - not that "realism" needs to apply to magic anyways.
I get it, you want to booming blade with your halberd bugbear to basically guarantee the extra damage or otherwise completely immobilize the target for a turn. That's just beyond the level of what a cantrip should do.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
The original version allowed you to use BB/GFB with the 10ft range melee weapons if you had Spell-Sniper. Throw in War-Caster and Pole-arm Master and you had pretty good control build.
I believe I agree with this. I believe I read somewhere that Booming Blade mathematically beats out the extra attack feature for 1h fighter at every level if the secondary effect procs and isn't too far behind 2h weapons. Green Flame Blade is consistently behind but if there are multiple targets, it doesn't do so bad. I do not know if it needs to be fixed to also use the reach property.
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To be honest, in my game we missed the 5ft restriction on Booming Blade for a long time, I think it was only after frequenting these forums I picked up on it and made a recon to our game. Still I would love to see the look on someones face when a whip weilding bugbear rogue performs a booming blade/sneak attacks from 15ft away.......excuse me while I day dream for a bit......