Players want to avoid the disadvantage they'd usually get from shooting a ranged attack while engaged in melee with an enemy. Maybe add their weapon attack bonus to their spell attacks. There's a reason this isn't a default thing you can do.
But you could do it, sure. You can do just about anything with this game. I would make it a feat, because it seems fun to mess around with using different spells with different weapons.
Spellblade Technique: When you cast a spell that requires a single attack roll, you can attack with a weapon you're holding instead of making that attack roll. If you hit, the target takes damage from your weapon as normal, and is affected as if the spell had hit them. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses of it when you finish a long rest.
This basically adds extra damage and lets you cast in melee, but it doesn't play nice with Extra Attack. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to make a version that does.
Something else you could do is require they find(/get) a Ruby of the War Mage and attach it to the weapon (attuning it) with that weapon only they could then cast nonAoE spells thru the weapon as part of a single attack - but doing so forgoes any extra attacks they would otherwise receive. This is also homebrew as the item doesn’t specify this.but having it function thru an attuned (li item number) item shouldn’t be too OP
I’m unclear on the question. For example for “eldritch slash” are they hoping to do it in melee and it would apply weapon damage and EB damage? Because that would be a no. Way too strong in a number of ways. Or do they mean, they want to flavor their eldritch blast as shooting out of their sword? And then it would keep all the other characteristics of the spell such as range, damage, target, etc. Effectively, turn their sword into a spell focus. That’s less bad. The problem there is more they could have a weapon and shield and still cast, skirting around the rules for needing a hand free for a somatic component. Really, if they’re looking for a way to use spells to boost melee damage, they should look at paladins.
Or use the War Caster feat (Players Handbook). The feat already lets you cast (perform somatic components) with weapons in hands. So the player can now do what they want mechanically, its just a question of how they describe it. (Remember your spell component pouch and that (SRD) the hand for material components "can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components".)
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[5e] Player wants to cast a spell but wants to channel it through their weapon/equipment. How would this work/be feasible?
Ex: Player wants to cast Eldritch blast through a sword and call it eldritch slash.
Ex: Player wants to use scorching ray through a water-enchanted mace.
I understand it would be a homebrew ruling with many things to consider:
Flavor change and/or a function change, while incorporating that the weapon as a spellcasting focus.
How could this be implemented into the site, would it be a custom feat? Spell? Weapon?
Any suggestions on a cool name to reference this would be great, (or if there is a trope; Spellsword, battlemage)
Thanks for your time.
It's up to the DM how much homebrew it want to allow in the campaign.
Personally, if it's just for flavor, i'd have no problem as long as all the spell components rules are still met.
But if the player character wanted to use spells through a weapon or object that isn't a spellcasting focus for its class, i'd depend what it is.
I am not sure how you could implement it in D&D Beyond but other users i'm sure have found a workaround.
Players want to avoid the disadvantage they'd usually get from shooting a ranged attack while engaged in melee with an enemy. Maybe add their weapon attack bonus to their spell attacks. There's a reason this isn't a default thing you can do.
But you could do it, sure. You can do just about anything with this game. I would make it a feat, because it seems fun to mess around with using different spells with different weapons.
Spellblade Technique: When you cast a spell that requires a single attack roll, you can attack with a weapon you're holding instead of making that attack roll. If you hit, the target takes damage from your weapon as normal, and is affected as if the spell had hit them. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses of it when you finish a long rest.
This basically adds extra damage and lets you cast in melee, but it doesn't play nice with Extra Attack. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to make a version that does.
Something else you could do is require they find(/get) a Ruby of the War Mage and attach it to the weapon (attuning it) with that weapon only they could then cast nonAoE spells thru the weapon as part of a single attack - but doing so forgoes any extra attacks they would otherwise receive. This is also homebrew as the item doesn’t specify this.but having it function thru an attuned (li item number) item shouldn’t be too OP
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
I’m unclear on the question.
For example for “eldritch slash” are they hoping to do it in melee and it would apply weapon damage and EB damage? Because that would be a no. Way too strong in a number of ways.
Or do they mean, they want to flavor their eldritch blast as shooting out of their sword? And then it would keep all the other characteristics of the spell such as range, damage, target, etc. Effectively, turn their sword into a spell focus. That’s less bad. The problem there is more they could have a weapon and shield and still cast, skirting around the rules for needing a hand free for a somatic component.
Really, if they’re looking for a way to use spells to boost melee damage, they should look at paladins.
Or use the War Caster feat (Players Handbook). The feat already lets you cast (perform somatic components) with weapons in hands. So the player can now do what they want mechanically, its just a question of how they describe it. (Remember your spell component pouch and that (SRD) the hand for material components "can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components".)