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Also if you cast it at 7 level then it will always bounce cuz it's impossible not to roll the same number since it's 9d8. (PD: I would say that casting it at 4th level would be the most optimal since it's like 90% chance of bouncing)
@@kynessax5097 only if the rogue uses INT as their primary stat. True Strike says the attack uses your spellcasting ability instead of STR or DEX, but it doesn't say "you can" or "you may", meaning you'd have to you INT for the attack and damage rolls, you can't cast the cantrip and attack with DEX. That being said, an INT-based rogue would be pretty damn interesting
@@LevelUpmmoMakes the new Magic Initiate really interesting. Druid can get you Shillelagh and use *any* mental stat for attacks now as well as a slotless level 1 spell per long rest, so looking at something like Healing Word for a pinch bonus action rez and still have ability to cast from a slot on the turn. And Wizard obviously gets you Shield or Find Familiar (and once a day as a freebie, good for Shield, even better for FF) but also now True Strike with, again, *any* mental stat as your casting stat. Valor Bard honestly looking good for both options: either Charisma for all attack rolls plus Healing Word already taken to open up a different prepared Bard spell, or Shield/FF plus True Strike to get you to Extra Attack and then being a good cantrip option for Valor Extra Attack.
Sleep kind of feels like more of a nerf then a buff. Sure, you can target stronger enemies now, and you kind of disable them for 2 turns, but now they get a save. Before if you cast it on the right targets they would just fall asleep with no save, so it was a sure thing crowd control option for weaker enemies. The other spells sound really good now.
Neat video to give a quick summary on the buffed spells at low level. I do think Ray of Sickness is worth noting since it automatically applies the Poisoned conditoon on hit instead of requiring a Con Save which is a huge buff. I'm assuming you didn't mention them because you plan on doing it in a different video, but the Ranger & Paladin exclusive spells got a ton of buffs as well. Still wish they got new spells, but the enhancements are appreciated.
I would agree, Ray of Sickness is a much better spell now. Hitting a creature with it dealing solid level 1 damage AND make it have disadvantage (via poison) from that point forward is a huge improvement. Thanks for the comment!
witchbolt and chromatic orb are my favorites, can't wait to go through all the spells and test them! also loved bladeward, true strike and magic weapon i also think Poison Spray is a very solid choice for a cantrip now
Witch bolt was definitely improved, but I think it remains to be seen how much of a banger it is. One aspect of the improvement is that is not mentioned is that you don’t have to use your bonus action to do the d12 damage on subsequent rounds. Sure, most of the time you are going to do it, but it no longer ends the spell if you do something else with your bonus action, giving it an increase in flexibility. Of course, changing the secondary damage to require a bonus action rather than a(n magic) action was a huge boost as well.
I think at levels 1-3 it's going to be VERY good. No need to hit again, just say you deal 1d12 + as you said, you can skip it if you really need to use something else.
@@LevelUpmmoEven level 4, it has a fun little interaction with the reworked Spell Sniper feat. Increase the range of all Witchbolt by another 60 ft, thus increasing that tether range the enemy has to run out of to escape, and ignoring cover and casting in melee to make it basically inevitable. Looks like fun on a Blue/Bronze Dragon Sorcerer due to limited lightning damage spell options, while also synergizing well with the new sorcerer "mage rage" giving advantage on your spell attack rolls as well as with Chromatic Orb.
For witch bolt, you missed a bit there... it's not 2d12 per turn at 1st level. It's 2d12 the first turn, with a successful hit, and 1d12 each round thereafter, no attack roll necessary, whether the initial attack hit or not. That's an average of 13 lightning damage initially, with a successful attack, and an average of 6 damage each round thereafter as long as you continue to concentrate. It's also useless against multiple foes, so once the target goes down, the spell is over. Still very good, especially at low levels, but hardly overpowered.
Yeah, I was talking about combining it with another spell (the example was Toll of the Dead) hence the 2d12 every turn. I was saying, you do 2d12 (or not -- you can miss) and then get 1d12 for free every round (BA), and then hit with Toll of the Dead for another 1d12 (wisdom save) and be hitting for 2d12 every turn at level 1 relatively easily.
@@LevelUpmmo Yes, that would do it, for that specific build. I thought you meant just using the one spell you were discussing at the moment. But I suppose the same could be said of any damage dealing cantrip (although none of them do quite as much damage as TTD)
*Most* of these spells are huge glow-ups and get a certified Thumbs Up from me. My only real hesitation here is with Sleep - it seems like it might now be slipping into the same design space as Tasha's Hideous Laughter, which for me raises the question of what makes them distinct? When do you pick one over the other?
It's a bit much to say Witch Bolt is super powerful. It's significantly better, but the only reason it seems insane is because of where it started from. Between the range and other changes, it has just reached the point of being viable to pretty good at lower levels. Which is nice.
This is specifically about lower level (even says so in the title :p), so I think it's super powerful haha. Level 1 dealing 2d12 on repeat is intense (bolt BA + toll the dead as the example).
Question. I haven't seen it in print yet (obviously), but some of the reviewers who have seen Witch Bolt said the bonus action 1d12's aren't attacks (they're automatic) and they don't scale - only the initial damage does. Can you confirm which is true? :)
I'm seeing True Strike as a strong option for a combat character without Extra Attack (which it doesn't stack with). I think the sweet spot is on 1) a Whispers Bard, where the damage stacks with Psychic Blades. Possibly also taking a level of Paladin for a serious Smiter, and 2) on a Warden Druid taking it as a Wisdom Cantrip through Magical Initiate, where it would combine with Shillelagh in melee or with a good bow for missiles.
Unless I have messed up my calculations, it means that at low levels (before the damage cantrips get multiple damage dice), this plus a light crossbow actually gives more damage than most of the direct damage-dealing cantrips. Higher average damage and also higher minimum damage. 1d8 for your light crossbow plus your spellcasting modifier, which is probably at least 3, beats, say, Fire Bolt at a flat 1d10.
@@MikeReevesMcMillan That's exactly my conclusion. Even at mid level 2d10 is not better than d8 + d6 + spellcasting bonus. And at higher levels the Radiant damage could win out over other types.
@@MikeReevesMcMillan There is few ideas I have for True Strike but the two main issues are the required S&M Components requiring something like Pact of the Blade with War Caster to use Heavy Crossbow, Longbow or Greatsword but also that some options are just better. Hex got buffed with more damage when casted at 3rd or 5th level doing 2d6 or 3d6 more damage which directly makes Edlritch Blast that much better! Basically at 5ht level and 9th level when you get 3rd level and 5th level spells your Eldritch Blast damage goes up 😓
Barkskin looks good, and I like it. But the wording suggests that your AC is now a 17 regardless of what else you have going on. So if you receive Barkskin, your AC jumps up to 17, that's fine. Now, what happens if you don a shield? Does your AC go up by 2, or does it remain at 17? I'd like some clarity on this one.
Personally the best thing about the sleep spell for me was the hit points mechanic avoiding saving throws. Especially it now being wisdom (which is usually popular as the second highest stat for creatures, along with dexterity) makes the spell kind of disappointing. Also, this makes it hard to use this spell as a non-lethal option for casters (lowering a person’s hp and then casting sleep). Probably going to just use the old version
They're definitely in the realm of two very different use cases. One lets you put to sleep a large group of low level/low hp creatures. The other has much more potential on anything. Thanks for the comment!
A 1d4, right? It has a space, especially if you can get it off just before combat starts, but it's still not a GREAT sell for min-maxers who number crunch for best results haha. I like it though!
The only think I'm disappointed in is Sleep. I like the strategic opportunities of being able to guarantee to put low level enemies to sleep, or damage a higher level enemy to the point where they can be put to sleep. It was one of the coolest ways to non-lethally defeat enemies as a spellcaster. I've always disliked spells with saving throws in general and I don't think we need more of them.
One lets you put to sleep a large group of low level/low hp creatures. The other has much more potential on anything. Definitely to different use cases I think Thanks for the comment!
Characters were already basically Super Heroes compared to original D&D's. Honestly, tired of action, bonus action, this or that. Let us attack and try to work together to beat the enemy. Hopefully DM's don't play as they really could. People you fight will have those powers too. Most bosses have a room before theirs that you have to defeat people. But I have had most of the DM's treat it like the boss don't hear it. This really works in any room. You cast a loud spell in a cave and most of the people in the cave would hear it. May not know where it comes from. But everyone is now on alert.
No doubt, there are plenty of ways to add that level of "immersion" but oftentimes they can make it even more difficult for DMs to plan something themselves. Definitely two sides to most options.
Sleep+Portent is overpowered. Unless the enemy has a legendary resistance, any encounter can be made trivial with a few good portents and a wizard with the alert feat
@@acephas3 yes, but your comment said the spell benefits spore druid a lot.... which is not correct. The spell benefits having multiple attacks, moon druids can get up to 3 attacks per turn, spore druids only get 1 without multiclassing or using very bad TWF
@@lukorama10 The Spell benefits a Spore Druid, period, and all the more so with Polearm Master, even more so when it is upcast. I retain my 4 temp HP per Druid level, and still have access to ALL of my spells without needing to change shape. With the new rules, I can no longer be knocked out of Symbiotic Entity.
as a 1e and 2e player, I do not understand concentration. I understand how it works, but it's a crap rule. I don't understand why the writers wanted to nerf spell casters' ability to buff their party.
Well, there's plenty of concentration things that last an amount of time, but don't buff the party. I think the idea here is that you can't stack multiple things that last for a period of time that they deemed as being too strong if you could.
@@coldstream11 better to limit the number of buffs or debuff a target can take than to use a sledgehammer like concentration. I used to limit the number of de/buffs by category: body, mind, enchantment, armor, weapon, spirit, etc.
@@whoisjYou're complaining about an oversimplification of a limit to spellcasting, but your solution imo is an overcomplication, adding way too many "variable bonuses" that either make it questionable of what counts as what, what stacks as what, what the bonus should count as (if designing an item or ability or enemy as a DM), that just add to crunch and open the door to confusion at the table and/or munchkining from a certain crowd. If that's your style, that's perfectly fine. Honestly 3rd/3.5e is right up your alley mechanically I think. But I think this gives meaningful choice to spellcasting instead of just spamming/cycling through the same bonuses. As well as the fact that 5e is *much* more forgiving to casters (beyond just the cleric) being able to cast without any issue in armor as long as they are trained/proficient in it (no %failure chance or anything like that) and generally being far more survivable even early on.
@@whoisjWhat you're suggesting is adding a lot of bookkeeping, and it doesn't solve the issue of the combination of powerful continuous spells that aren't just buffs/debuffs. Like spells that cause difficult terrain, do turn by turn damage, or summon creatures for instance. They'd have to severely nerf continuous spells in general if they took away the concentration limitations. I mean, I remember 3/3.5/PF1e. The bookkeeping and balancing around buff stacks and summons was obnoxious. So I'd rather not go back to that.
Hey everyone! First, thanks for watching the video. Second, I'm just getting started with D&D/TTRPG content, so please consider subscribing to get more! If you want to be able to discuss D&D/TTRPGs in real time with folks, my Discord is going to be a great place to do that - discord.gg/8egztgPsVD
New Chromatic Orb is like Chromatic Orb and Chaos Bolt had a glowed up baby hahaha. Such a wild spell now!
100%. It's going to be VERY interesting haha. Thanks for the comment!
Also if you cast it at 7 level then it will always bounce cuz it's impossible not to roll the same number since it's 9d8.
(PD: I would say that casting it at 4th level would be the most optimal since it's like 90% chance of bouncing)
The secondary damage of wich bolt does not scale.
Correct. It stays at 1d12 and does not require another attack. Just a free 1d12 every turn.
Ture Strike on an arcane trickster can be really good. It can allow the player use cunning strikes without giving up damage.
Yeah, going to be some really good combinations! Thanks for the comment.
@@kynessax5097 only if the rogue uses INT as their primary stat.
True Strike says the attack uses your spellcasting ability instead of STR or DEX, but it doesn't say "you can" or "you may", meaning you'd have to you INT for the attack and damage rolls, you can't cast the cantrip and attack with DEX.
That being said, an INT-based rogue would be pretty damn interesting
@@LevelUpmmoMakes the new Magic Initiate really interesting.
Druid can get you Shillelagh and use *any* mental stat for attacks now as well as a slotless level 1 spell per long rest, so looking at something like Healing Word for a pinch bonus action rez and still have ability to cast from a slot on the turn.
And Wizard obviously gets you Shield or Find Familiar (and once a day as a freebie, good for Shield, even better for FF) but also now True Strike with, again, *any* mental stat as your casting stat.
Valor Bard honestly looking good for both options: either Charisma for all attack rolls plus Healing Word already taken to open up a different prepared Bard spell, or Shield/FF plus True Strike to get you to Extra Attack and then being a good cantrip option for Valor Extra Attack.
@@lukorama10 Im pretty sure thats what he was getting at. Would be pretty interesting especially with the magic school restriction gone
Sleep kind of feels like more of a nerf then a buff. Sure, you can target stronger enemies now, and you kind of disable them for 2 turns, but now they get a save. Before if you cast it on the right targets they would just fall asleep with no save, so it was a sure thing crowd control option for weaker enemies.
The other spells sound really good now.
No doubt. There’s definitely an argument, depending on the situation
Neat video to give a quick summary on the buffed spells at low level. I do think Ray of Sickness is worth noting since it automatically applies the Poisoned conditoon on hit instead of requiring a Con Save which is a huge buff.
I'm assuming you didn't mention them because you plan on doing it in a different video, but the Ranger & Paladin exclusive spells got a ton of buffs as well. Still wish they got new spells, but the enhancements are appreciated.
I would agree, Ray of Sickness is a much better spell now. Hitting a creature with it dealing solid level 1 damage AND make it have disadvantage (via poison) from that point forward is a huge improvement.
Thanks for the comment!
This was better than a LOT of similar things ive seen lately
I'm unsure what ya mean? But..thanks I think? haha
witchbolt and chromatic orb are my favorites, can't wait to go through all the spells and test them! also loved bladeward, true strike and magic weapon
i also think Poison Spray is a very solid choice for a cantrip now
Yeah, definitely some big glow-ups! People are going to be using spells they've probably never tried before once it drops. Thanks for the comment!
Witch bolt was definitely improved, but I think it remains to be seen how much of a banger it is. One aspect of the improvement is that is not mentioned is that you don’t have to use your bonus action to do the d12 damage on subsequent rounds. Sure, most of the time you are going to do it, but it no longer ends the spell if you do something else with your bonus action, giving it an increase in flexibility. Of course, changing the secondary damage to require a bonus action rather than a(n magic) action was a huge boost as well.
I think at levels 1-3 it's going to be VERY good. No need to hit again, just say you deal 1d12 + as you said, you can skip it if you really need to use something else.
@@LevelUpmmoEven level 4, it has a fun little interaction with the reworked Spell Sniper feat. Increase the range of all Witchbolt by another 60 ft, thus increasing that tether range the enemy has to run out of to escape, and ignoring cover and casting in melee to make it basically inevitable. Looks like fun on a Blue/Bronze Dragon Sorcerer due to limited lightning damage spell options, while also synergizing well with the new sorcerer "mage rage" giving advantage on your spell attack rolls as well as with Chromatic Orb.
For witch bolt, you missed a bit there... it's not 2d12 per turn at 1st level. It's 2d12 the first turn, with a successful hit, and 1d12 each round thereafter, no attack roll necessary, whether the initial attack hit or not. That's an average of 13 lightning damage initially, with a successful attack, and an average of 6 damage each round thereafter as long as you continue to concentrate. It's also useless against multiple foes, so once the target goes down, the spell is over. Still very good, especially at low levels, but hardly overpowered.
Yeah, I was talking about combining it with another spell (the example was Toll of the Dead) hence the 2d12 every turn. I was saying, you do 2d12 (or not -- you can miss) and then get 1d12 for free every round (BA), and then hit with Toll of the Dead for another 1d12 (wisdom save) and be hitting for 2d12 every turn at level 1 relatively easily.
@@LevelUpmmo Yes, that would do it, for that specific build. I thought you meant just using the one spell you were discussing at the moment. But I suppose the same could be said of any damage dealing cantrip (although none of them do quite as much damage as TTD)
@@davidarmstrong1617 Yeah, low levels, combining it with just about anything puts out fantastic damage given the free 1d12.
*Most* of these spells are huge glow-ups and get a certified Thumbs Up from me. My only real hesitation here is with Sleep - it seems like it might now be slipping into the same design space as Tasha's Hideous Laughter, which for me raises the question of what makes them distinct? When do you pick one over the other?
It's a bit much to say Witch Bolt is super powerful. It's significantly better, but the only reason it seems insane is because of where it started from. Between the range and other changes, it has just reached the point of being viable to pretty good at lower levels. Which is nice.
This is specifically about lower level (even says so in the title :p), so I think it's super powerful haha. Level 1 dealing 2d12 on repeat is intense (bolt BA + toll the dead as the example).
Question. I haven't seen it in print yet (obviously), but some of the reviewers who have seen Witch Bolt said the bonus action 1d12's aren't attacks (they're automatic) and they don't scale - only the initial damage does. Can you confirm which is true? :)
This is also what I've seen in videos / screenshots. It's a free 1d12 so long as you maintain concentration and they stay within 60ft.
I'm seeing True Strike as a strong option for a combat character without Extra Attack (which it doesn't stack with). I think the sweet spot is on 1) a Whispers Bard, where the damage stacks with Psychic Blades. Possibly also taking a level of Paladin for a serious Smiter, and 2) on a Warden Druid taking it as a Wisdom Cantrip through Magical Initiate, where it would combine with Shillelagh in melee or with a good bow for missiles.
Now all you need is someone willing to play whispers bard...
It's definitely going to have some good uses!
Unless I have messed up my calculations, it means that at low levels (before the damage cantrips get multiple damage dice), this plus a light crossbow actually gives more damage than most of the direct damage-dealing cantrips. Higher average damage and also higher minimum damage. 1d8 for your light crossbow plus your spellcasting modifier, which is probably at least 3, beats, say, Fire Bolt at a flat 1d10.
@@MikeReevesMcMillan That's exactly my conclusion. Even at mid level 2d10 is not better than d8 + d6 + spellcasting bonus. And at higher levels the Radiant damage could win out over other types.
@@MikeReevesMcMillan There is few ideas I have for True Strike but the two main issues are the required S&M Components requiring something like Pact of the Blade with War Caster to use Heavy Crossbow, Longbow or Greatsword but also that some options are just better. Hex got buffed with more damage when casted at 3rd or 5th level doing 2d6 or 3d6 more damage which directly makes Edlritch Blast that much better! Basically at 5ht level and 9th level when you get 3rd level and 5th level spells your Eldritch Blast damage goes up 😓
Barkskin looks good, and I like it. But the wording suggests that your AC is now a 17 regardless of what else you have going on. So if you receive Barkskin, your AC jumps up to 17, that's fine. Now, what happens if you don a shield? Does your AC go up by 2, or does it remain at 17? I'd like some clarity on this one.
Personally the best thing about the sleep spell for me was the hit points mechanic avoiding saving throws.
Especially it now being wisdom (which is usually popular as the second highest stat for creatures, along with dexterity) makes the spell kind of disappointing.
Also, this makes it hard to use this spell as a non-lethal option for casters (lowering a person’s hp and then casting sleep).
Probably going to just use the old version
They're definitely in the realm of two very different use cases. One lets you put to sleep a large group of low level/low hp creatures. The other has much more potential on anything. Thanks for the comment!
The new diviner favor is also a great spell, it's way better than hunters mark but it does less damage
A 1d4, right? It has a space, especially if you can get it off just before combat starts, but it's still not a GREAT sell for min-maxers who number crunch for best results haha. I like it though!
The only think I'm disappointed in is Sleep. I like the strategic opportunities of being able to guarantee to put low level enemies to sleep, or damage a higher level enemy to the point where they can be put to sleep. It was one of the coolest ways to non-lethally defeat enemies as a spellcaster. I've always disliked spells with saving throws in general and I don't think we need more of them.
One lets you put to sleep a large group of low level/low hp creatures. The other has much more potential on anything. Definitely to different use cases I think Thanks for the comment!
Enjoyed!
Thanks!
Why Witchbolt when I can Call Lightning?
You're using Call Lightning at low level? haha.
@@LevelUpmmo Rule of cool my man. Rule of cool.
Characters were already basically Super Heroes compared to original D&D's. Honestly, tired of action, bonus action, this or that. Let us attack and try to work together to beat the enemy. Hopefully DM's don't play as they really could. People you fight will have those powers too.
Most bosses have a room before theirs that you have to defeat people. But I have had most of the DM's treat it like the boss don't hear it. This really works in any room. You cast a loud spell in a cave and most of the people in the cave would hear it. May not know where it comes from. But everyone is now on alert.
No doubt, there are plenty of ways to add that level of "immersion" but oftentimes they can make it even more difficult for DMs to plan something themselves. Definitely two sides to most options.
Yeah, no. If you have 3 or more creatures, the odds get really good one of them makes the save, stays awake and raises the alarm.
Definitely a possibility!
Sleep+Portent is overpowered. Unless the enemy has a legendary resistance, any encounter can be made trivial with a few good portents and a wizard with the alert feat
100% definitely some combos that can make it be VERY good against non-BBEGs. Thanks for sharing!
As a Druid, Conjure Elementals makes the Spore Druid the BEST subclass.
Curious about this. Thanks for the comment!
Spore druid doesn't have extra attack.
Conjure minor elemental is a moon druid spell
@@lukorama10 All Druids and Wizards get that spell.
@@acephas3 yes, but your comment said the spell benefits spore druid a lot.... which is not correct.
The spell benefits having multiple attacks, moon druids can get up to 3 attacks per turn, spore druids only get 1 without multiclassing or using very bad TWF
@@lukorama10 The Spell benefits a Spore Druid, period, and all the more so with Polearm Master, even more so when it is upcast.
I retain my 4 temp HP per Druid level, and still have access to ALL of my spells without needing to change shape.
With the new rules, I can no longer be knocked out of Symbiotic Entity.
as a 1e and 2e player, I do not understand concentration. I understand how it works, but it's a crap rule. I don't understand why the writers wanted to nerf spell casters' ability to buff their party.
Well, there's plenty of concentration things that last an amount of time, but don't buff the party. I think the idea here is that you can't stack multiple things that last for a period of time that they deemed as being too strong if you could.
Its a good rule. In 1e casters are extremely weak so their spells are stronger.
@@coldstream11 better to limit the number of buffs or debuff a target can take than to use a sledgehammer like concentration. I used to limit the number of de/buffs by category: body, mind, enchantment, armor, weapon, spirit, etc.
@@whoisjYou're complaining about an oversimplification of a limit to spellcasting, but your solution imo is an overcomplication, adding way too many "variable bonuses" that either make it questionable of what counts as what, what stacks as what, what the bonus should count as (if designing an item or ability or enemy as a DM), that just add to crunch and open the door to confusion at the table and/or munchkining from a certain crowd.
If that's your style, that's perfectly fine. Honestly 3rd/3.5e is right up your alley mechanically I think. But I think this gives meaningful choice to spellcasting instead of just spamming/cycling through the same bonuses. As well as the fact that 5e is *much* more forgiving to casters (beyond just the cleric) being able to cast without any issue in armor as long as they are trained/proficient in it (no %failure chance or anything like that) and generally being far more survivable even early on.
@@whoisjWhat you're suggesting is adding a lot of bookkeeping, and it doesn't solve the issue of the combination of powerful continuous spells that aren't just buffs/debuffs. Like spells that cause difficult terrain, do turn by turn damage, or summon creatures for instance. They'd have to severely nerf continuous spells in general if they took away the concentration limitations.
I mean, I remember 3/3.5/PF1e. The bookkeeping and balancing around buff stacks and summons was obnoxious. So I'd rather not go back to that.