Long story short, my group just hit level 8 at the end of our last session and my regular DM wants to take a little break and since I am the groups part-time DM, I get to run the next session. While this session is mostly shopping and social interactions, I am planning on having the group stumble onto a mugging as a potential plot hook. So if they decide to intervene combat will most likely happen.
One member of the party is a Arcana Domain Cleric. He took Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade as his Wizard cantrips. Now the question is how do I apply the bonus damage from potent spellcasting? More specifically for Green-Flame Blade do I apply it to both targets if he manages to hit 2 enemies with it. And for Booming Blade do I apply the bonus damage to the initial hit and the move or just the initial hit?
There's always the chance the group will just ignore the mugging but I want to get my ducks in order if combat does happen.
RAW, the potent spellcasting applies to each damage from the cantrop so it affects both hits from green flame blade and it affects both the initial attack and the move rider damage of booming blade. However, as DM, if you don't like that you can discuss with the player. On the other hand, it isn't too powerful or otherwise much of an issue since it amounts to something like 4 or 5 extra damage so I'd suggest letting the player have their fun.
P.S. This is most often combined with something like shillelagh picked up through magic initiate druid so that the caster can add their casting bonus twice when making the attack with booming blade. However, the action economy, especially if the cleric is using spiritual weapon or spirit guardians will further limit the effectiveness.
P.S. This is most often combined with something like shillelagh picked up through magic initiate druid so that the caster can add their casting bonus twice when making the attack with booming blade. However, the action economy, especially if the cleric is using spiritual weapon or spirit guardians will further limit the effectiveness.
Hmm that is super questionable my dude.
Potent Spellcasting
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.
What does it mean to damage "with" a cantrip, vs. doing damage "with" a weapon? I'm not going to dive all the way down the rabbit hole of trying to find every example of "with X" language, but it would seem common sense to me that damage you deal from a weapon's damage die is done "with" the weapon, while damage you deal from a spell you cast is damage done "with" the spell.
Casting Shillelagh doesn't deal any damage, or allow you to make any Shillelagh attacks on future rounds. It's an enhancement of a weapon's damage die (from d4 or d6 up to d8), but doesn't change the fact that it's that weapon doing the damage on attacks. I don't thing Shillelagh is much different from Magic Weapon in that respect, whacking someone with a Magic Weapon-enhanced club would not be doing damage "with Magic Weapon", it would be doing damage "with a club."
I'm open to some tighter language on how to draw this line... but I just don't see Potent Spellcasting modifying Shillelagh. I do see it modifying Booming Blade however (both halves), since you're casting that spell to do damage, not merely to enhance your weapon, and the spell inflicts damage other than your weapon damage.
Long story short, my group just hit level 8 at the end of our last session and my regular DM wants to take a little break and since I am the groups part-time DM, I get to run the next session. While this session is mostly shopping and social interactions, I am planning on having the group stumble onto a mugging as a potential plot hook. So if they decide to intervene combat will most likely happen.
One member of the party is a Arcana Domain Cleric. He took Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade as his Wizard cantrips. Now the question is how do I apply the bonus damage from potent spellcasting? More specifically for Green-Flame Blade do I apply it to both targets if he manages to hit 2 enemies with it. And for Booming Blade do I apply the bonus damage to the initial hit and the move or just the initial hit?
There's always the chance the group will just ignore the mugging but I want to get my ducks in order if combat does happen.
I guess add it to both damage rolls.
RAW, the potent spellcasting applies to each damage from the cantrop so it affects both hits from green flame blade and it affects both the initial attack and the move rider damage of booming blade. However, as DM, if you don't like that you can discuss with the player. On the other hand, it isn't too powerful or otherwise much of an issue since it amounts to something like 4 or 5 extra damage so I'd suggest letting the player have their fun.
P.S. This is most often combined with something like shillelagh picked up through magic initiate druid so that the caster can add their casting bonus twice when making the attack with booming blade. However, the action economy, especially if the cleric is using spiritual weapon or spirit guardians will further limit the effectiveness.
Hmm that is super questionable my dude.
What does it mean to damage "with" a cantrip, vs. doing damage "with" a weapon? I'm not going to dive all the way down the rabbit hole of trying to find every example of "with X" language, but it would seem common sense to me that damage you deal from a weapon's damage die is done "with" the weapon, while damage you deal from a spell you cast is damage done "with" the spell.
Casting Shillelagh doesn't deal any damage, or allow you to make any Shillelagh attacks on future rounds. It's an enhancement of a weapon's damage die (from d4 or d6 up to d8), but doesn't change the fact that it's that weapon doing the damage on attacks. I don't thing Shillelagh is much different from Magic Weapon in that respect, whacking someone with a Magic Weapon-enhanced club would not be doing damage "with Magic Weapon", it would be doing damage "with a club."
I'm open to some tighter language on how to draw this line... but I just don't see Potent Spellcasting modifying Shillelagh. I do see it modifying Booming Blade however (both halves), since you're casting that spell to do damage, not merely to enhance your weapon, and the spell inflicts damage other than your weapon damage.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.