hymer
2015-02-05, 05:53 AM
Greetings again, playgrounders!
I'm continuing the task of going through spells for my druid handbook, and now have made my notes on second level spells that I wanted to draw attention to, for one reason or another. I'd love any help you'll be willing to give, in the form of discussion, suggestions, comments, etc.
Level 2
Barkskin: Concentration. This is a general purpose defensive buff for moon druids, although its efficiency is closely based on what type of beast you choose. The worse the AC of the beast, the more appealing this spell becomes. If you have Warcaster and/or Resilient for Constitution, the odds of maintaining concentration when taking damage are pretty good.
You can of course cast this spell on others, but there are few cases where people are enough of a target, and yet don’t have similar or better defensive capabilities already. A vulnerable mount or an unarmoured NPC you must escort could be worthy targets, but generally speaking you could probably protect them better by casting, say, Entangle on the people meaning to attack them, as long as you aren’t surprised.
Beast Sense: Ritual, Concentration. Can probably be combined with Animal Friendship and/or Speak with Animals for some good scouting of an enemy position or the path you’re taking (or the one not taken). Could also be combined with a friendly ranger’s beast, or any trained animal the party has. Rather a niche spell, but not completely ineffective under the right circumstances.
Darkvision: A rare, long-duration, non-Concentration buff. 60’ darkvision for 8 hours. Can be cast on the one person in the party to lack darkvision to up your stealth capabilities, or to keep/get darkvision when you wildshape to something without it.
Enhance Ability: Concentration. A possible non-combat buff to use. Gets advantage on checks made with one ability, so if you are going to speak with the mayor you can get charisma, or if you are calling on a lot of investigation and knowledge checks get int. And so on. Could also be used to buff someone who uses Athletics in their fighting a lot, but that’s a niche use of your Concentration.
Affects more people with higher level spell slots.
Find Traps: The nichy of niche spells. It is quite unspecific, doesn’t help you disarm spells, and is instantaneous, so you can’t get a large area with it. The DM may be generous enough to key you in on damage type, which could help mitigate damage from a trap you’ve sensed, but I fail to see the real use of this spell. Does not replace a patient, competent trap-finder at all. Barely, if at all, complements such a person.
Flame Blade: Concentration. Since it’s cast as a bonus action, this spell need not be completely useless. RAW is that you attack with it once with your action, though some DMs may rule that multiclass druids with more than one attack could combine the two.
The amount of damage you can deal with one spell slot here is pretty good, although the damage type (fire) and means of application (melee spell attack) aren’t the best you could hope for. Compared to a shillelagh cantrip, the basic version of the spell doesn’t measure up too well, dealing an average of 10.5 damage to the shillelagh’s 4.5+wis modifier.
If you find yourself on the front lines in caster form a lot, this spell could have some uses for you, but generally speaking, this spell is more cool than useful.
Flaming Sphere: Concentration. Despite the damage type, flaming sphere can deal pretty good damage over its duration, particularly if you can put it next to people who can’t or won’t move away from it (as it also deals damage when someone ends their turn next to it). This effect can also be used for area denial, although enemies can of course move next to it, deliver their action, and then move away after, and so avoid the extra damage.
The FS is a lot more useful in cramped quarters than in open spaces, where enemies can avoid it by spreading out. It is similarly far better in a long battle than in a short one, as it lets you use your bonus action to deal some damage for the duration.
Gust of Wind: Concentration. Niche, but it is admittedly highly amusing when it works. The idea is to blow someone backwards, and then watch them struggle up through the area of effect on their turn. Then you move and blow them back again with a bonus action.
By RAW it does not affect archery in its area, but your DM may choose to have some effect, which you should try and find out if you intend to use this spell.
If your table plays with full diagonal movement on a grid, this spell is somewhat handicapped by it, unless you can set it in a passage at most 10’ wide.
Heat Metal: Concentration. Situational (because it only targets metal), but highly effective when it does work. Target a powerful enemy’s (metal) body armour, and you will deal persistent damage while hitting them with disadvantage on their attack rolls and ability checks. No save (because they can’t drop their armour; doffing body armour takes at least a minute by RAW, the duration of Heat Metal anyway), and there is very little they can do about it, save break your concentration. This is extremely effective for hit and run attacks, as there is no indication you need to have line of sight or be within range to cause the recurring damage with your bonus action. If your group doesn’t like that, try at least to have them target other enemies first. The one you’ve got HM on will at least have disadvantage on attacks, and slowly be drained of their hp.
You can also target a weapon, but then you or your allies need to be able to snatch that weapon up before that enemy’s turn comes around again (if it gets dropped, no guarantee of that). Otherwise it won’t have as much of an effect as targeting armour, because picking a weapon up is one of the minor things you can do as part of movement or action.
Hold Person: Concentration. Potentially a really effective way to inconvenience your enemy, but also highly unpredictable given the ‘save ends’ condition. This is one spell I’d consider noticeably more effective cast with a higher spell slot, as it spreads the risk. Targeting enemies with good wisdom saves can easily be a complete waste. Mage and Archmage have proficiency in wisdom, and acolytes, priests and druids have decent wisdom scores (all those are NPCs from the MM). So as much as we’d like to lock down spellcasters, this is something of a gamble for that purpose. Goblins, grimlocks and kobolds have penalties to their wisdom save as a rarity among humanoids, but they still may not be worth targeting.
Lesser Restoration: Ends a disease or one of the following conditions: Blinded, deafened, paralyzed, and poisoned. Not an everyday spell, but very useful when you do need it. Try talking with your group about what you expect to face, and see whether it seems worth the prepared spell to have this handy. Three of those effects are sufficiently debilitating that countering them, even for a few rounds’ worth of duration, can be worth it in many cases.
Locate Animals or Plants: Ritual. Can be used to locate the closest of a specific kind of animal or plant within five miles. If you need to see particular animals for wild shape use, this can be a strong tool to point out to your DM. It seems rather unlikely you will be playing out most of your sightseeing hikes, so merely pointing it out may be enough.
Moonbeam: Concentration. Dealing the attractive radiant damage type in an area, the main worry with this spell is to keep or get enemies inside it for as long as possible. Otherwise it doesn’t do quite so impressive damage for a second level spell. If you can control one or more opponents, this spell is very attractive. Casting this spell and then wildshaping into a grappling form (Giant Constrictor Snake or Giant Crocodile have ways to keep people locked down) could be one way for moon druids. The DM may decide that if you’re grappling someone, you’ll be in the AoE too, which makes this a lot less attractive. Purely RAW, though, that isn’t the case.
Pass without Trace: Concentration. Much stronger than in previous editions, this spell now gives a group +10 to Stealth. Let me just say that this is a huge boost to a very useful skill. It can make even the heavily armoured people passable stealthers, and at the same time make the able stealthers so good they may not need to roll at all unless you houserule natural 1 to be automatic failure.
Protection from Poison: 1 hour resistance to and advantage on saves vs. poison, and it eliminates one active poison in the system. Can be really good at times when you deal with a lot of drow, spiders, assassins, etc. But it is, of course, useless when there’s no poison.
Spike Growth: Concentration. Potentially very strong for its level, especially against onrushing hordes of lesser creatures. Deals damage to those passing through the AoE for every five feet of movement, potentially dealing damage eight times before the enemy is through. That’d be 16d4 damage. Only the stupidest of enemies will be cut to shreds en masse in that way, but even just for its BC effect, this is a useful spell.
I'm continuing the task of going through spells for my druid handbook, and now have made my notes on second level spells that I wanted to draw attention to, for one reason or another. I'd love any help you'll be willing to give, in the form of discussion, suggestions, comments, etc.
Level 2
Barkskin: Concentration. This is a general purpose defensive buff for moon druids, although its efficiency is closely based on what type of beast you choose. The worse the AC of the beast, the more appealing this spell becomes. If you have Warcaster and/or Resilient for Constitution, the odds of maintaining concentration when taking damage are pretty good.
You can of course cast this spell on others, but there are few cases where people are enough of a target, and yet don’t have similar or better defensive capabilities already. A vulnerable mount or an unarmoured NPC you must escort could be worthy targets, but generally speaking you could probably protect them better by casting, say, Entangle on the people meaning to attack them, as long as you aren’t surprised.
Beast Sense: Ritual, Concentration. Can probably be combined with Animal Friendship and/or Speak with Animals for some good scouting of an enemy position or the path you’re taking (or the one not taken). Could also be combined with a friendly ranger’s beast, or any trained animal the party has. Rather a niche spell, but not completely ineffective under the right circumstances.
Darkvision: A rare, long-duration, non-Concentration buff. 60’ darkvision for 8 hours. Can be cast on the one person in the party to lack darkvision to up your stealth capabilities, or to keep/get darkvision when you wildshape to something without it.
Enhance Ability: Concentration. A possible non-combat buff to use. Gets advantage on checks made with one ability, so if you are going to speak with the mayor you can get charisma, or if you are calling on a lot of investigation and knowledge checks get int. And so on. Could also be used to buff someone who uses Athletics in their fighting a lot, but that’s a niche use of your Concentration.
Affects more people with higher level spell slots.
Find Traps: The nichy of niche spells. It is quite unspecific, doesn’t help you disarm spells, and is instantaneous, so you can’t get a large area with it. The DM may be generous enough to key you in on damage type, which could help mitigate damage from a trap you’ve sensed, but I fail to see the real use of this spell. Does not replace a patient, competent trap-finder at all. Barely, if at all, complements such a person.
Flame Blade: Concentration. Since it’s cast as a bonus action, this spell need not be completely useless. RAW is that you attack with it once with your action, though some DMs may rule that multiclass druids with more than one attack could combine the two.
The amount of damage you can deal with one spell slot here is pretty good, although the damage type (fire) and means of application (melee spell attack) aren’t the best you could hope for. Compared to a shillelagh cantrip, the basic version of the spell doesn’t measure up too well, dealing an average of 10.5 damage to the shillelagh’s 4.5+wis modifier.
If you find yourself on the front lines in caster form a lot, this spell could have some uses for you, but generally speaking, this spell is more cool than useful.
Flaming Sphere: Concentration. Despite the damage type, flaming sphere can deal pretty good damage over its duration, particularly if you can put it next to people who can’t or won’t move away from it (as it also deals damage when someone ends their turn next to it). This effect can also be used for area denial, although enemies can of course move next to it, deliver their action, and then move away after, and so avoid the extra damage.
The FS is a lot more useful in cramped quarters than in open spaces, where enemies can avoid it by spreading out. It is similarly far better in a long battle than in a short one, as it lets you use your bonus action to deal some damage for the duration.
Gust of Wind: Concentration. Niche, but it is admittedly highly amusing when it works. The idea is to blow someone backwards, and then watch them struggle up through the area of effect on their turn. Then you move and blow them back again with a bonus action.
By RAW it does not affect archery in its area, but your DM may choose to have some effect, which you should try and find out if you intend to use this spell.
If your table plays with full diagonal movement on a grid, this spell is somewhat handicapped by it, unless you can set it in a passage at most 10’ wide.
Heat Metal: Concentration. Situational (because it only targets metal), but highly effective when it does work. Target a powerful enemy’s (metal) body armour, and you will deal persistent damage while hitting them with disadvantage on their attack rolls and ability checks. No save (because they can’t drop their armour; doffing body armour takes at least a minute by RAW, the duration of Heat Metal anyway), and there is very little they can do about it, save break your concentration. This is extremely effective for hit and run attacks, as there is no indication you need to have line of sight or be within range to cause the recurring damage with your bonus action. If your group doesn’t like that, try at least to have them target other enemies first. The one you’ve got HM on will at least have disadvantage on attacks, and slowly be drained of their hp.
You can also target a weapon, but then you or your allies need to be able to snatch that weapon up before that enemy’s turn comes around again (if it gets dropped, no guarantee of that). Otherwise it won’t have as much of an effect as targeting armour, because picking a weapon up is one of the minor things you can do as part of movement or action.
Hold Person: Concentration. Potentially a really effective way to inconvenience your enemy, but also highly unpredictable given the ‘save ends’ condition. This is one spell I’d consider noticeably more effective cast with a higher spell slot, as it spreads the risk. Targeting enemies with good wisdom saves can easily be a complete waste. Mage and Archmage have proficiency in wisdom, and acolytes, priests and druids have decent wisdom scores (all those are NPCs from the MM). So as much as we’d like to lock down spellcasters, this is something of a gamble for that purpose. Goblins, grimlocks and kobolds have penalties to their wisdom save as a rarity among humanoids, but they still may not be worth targeting.
Lesser Restoration: Ends a disease or one of the following conditions: Blinded, deafened, paralyzed, and poisoned. Not an everyday spell, but very useful when you do need it. Try talking with your group about what you expect to face, and see whether it seems worth the prepared spell to have this handy. Three of those effects are sufficiently debilitating that countering them, even for a few rounds’ worth of duration, can be worth it in many cases.
Locate Animals or Plants: Ritual. Can be used to locate the closest of a specific kind of animal or plant within five miles. If you need to see particular animals for wild shape use, this can be a strong tool to point out to your DM. It seems rather unlikely you will be playing out most of your sightseeing hikes, so merely pointing it out may be enough.
Moonbeam: Concentration. Dealing the attractive radiant damage type in an area, the main worry with this spell is to keep or get enemies inside it for as long as possible. Otherwise it doesn’t do quite so impressive damage for a second level spell. If you can control one or more opponents, this spell is very attractive. Casting this spell and then wildshaping into a grappling form (Giant Constrictor Snake or Giant Crocodile have ways to keep people locked down) could be one way for moon druids. The DM may decide that if you’re grappling someone, you’ll be in the AoE too, which makes this a lot less attractive. Purely RAW, though, that isn’t the case.
Pass without Trace: Concentration. Much stronger than in previous editions, this spell now gives a group +10 to Stealth. Let me just say that this is a huge boost to a very useful skill. It can make even the heavily armoured people passable stealthers, and at the same time make the able stealthers so good they may not need to roll at all unless you houserule natural 1 to be automatic failure.
Protection from Poison: 1 hour resistance to and advantage on saves vs. poison, and it eliminates one active poison in the system. Can be really good at times when you deal with a lot of drow, spiders, assassins, etc. But it is, of course, useless when there’s no poison.
Spike Growth: Concentration. Potentially very strong for its level, especially against onrushing hordes of lesser creatures. Deals damage to those passing through the AoE for every five feet of movement, potentially dealing damage eight times before the enemy is through. That’d be 16d4 damage. Only the stupidest of enemies will be cut to shreds en masse in that way, but even just for its BC effect, this is a useful spell.