Burning hands vs chromatic orb

[Klorox]

Hey all.

I'm playing a fire draconic bloodline sorcerer. I've just hit level 2.

My only damaging spell is fire bolt, and I'm considering picking up one of these two now that I've leveled up.

Which is better?

My other level 1 spells are shield and sleep. My cantrips are fire bolt, mage hand, minor illusion and prestidigitation.

I am the only arcane spellcaster in my party.

Thank you!

[Kane0]

Probably burning hands. You already have Firebolt for single target damage and your spell choice is limited, best get the area-effect spell so you can cover as many situations as you can.

Edit: Also saves you 100gp and eventually your firebolt will be as good as chromatic orb anyways. The only thing you need to look out for it fire resistant enemies, maybe pick up a ranged weapon for emergencies. Slings are cheap and light.

[Arkhios]

Chromatic Orb pros:
3d8 (avg. 13.5) damage.
Scales up to 11d8 (avg. 49.5) damage.
Variable damage type.
Long range.

Chromatic Orb cons:
Only one target.
Ranged attack (imposes disadvantage on your attack if you are in melee range with an enemy).
Costly focus. (A Diamond worth (at least) 50gp).

Burning Hands pros:
3d6 (avg. 10.5) damage.
Scales up to 11d6 (avg. 38.5) damage.
Multiple targets: (15 ft. Cone); can potentially hit up to 7 targets at once for equal damage).
Can be cast without problem while standing next to an enemy.
No costly materials/foci.

Burning Hands cons:
Only Fire damage.
Slightly lower damage per target (comparing to Chromatic Orb).
...can't think of more cons...

Overall I'd say Burning Hands is still slightly better choice. Plus it matches your draconic type.

Eventually you could/should take Elemental Adept feat and just spam fire spells all day.

As a bonus, you could pretty easily refluff the Burning Hands as a "breath weapon".

[Tanarii]

Burning Hands cons:
Only Fire damage.
Slightly lower damage per target (comparing to Chromatic Orb).
...can't think of more cons...
You forgot very short range.

[djreynolds]

Both are great spells and the other gentlemen have made a great argument for burning hands.... its mini AoE at times and a "all of you get out of my face... ^%&*&%%$"

And of course for the future burning hands is better for draconic sorcerer

But you can add your 6th level ability to chromatic orb if you are using fiery orb?... but then again you have firebolt which is free

In defense of chromatic orb

If you're DM is handwaving the cost of chromatic orb, which perfectly fine, its not a bad option. And you only need the diamond I think, AFB.

Because you are a sorcerer you can twin this spell when needed and thunder damage is nice, as most creatures are not resistant. And well you have firebolt already. Now if you need acid, cold, poison, electric, thunder, or fire... you have this

But as Kane0 suggested, a good old sling or crossbow could be helpful, and of course elemental adept is a wanted feat, perhaps as soon as 4th level because of the extreme of a draconic sorcerer

I'd say burning hands.

That said, you have firebolt.

There is thuderwave, charm person, and color spray (blinds). I have found charm person is always good, in and out of combat

[Vingelot]

Chromatic Orb pros:
Burning Hands cons:
Only Fire damage.
Slightly lower damage per target (comparing to Chromatic Orb).
...can't think of more cons...

I once had a DM rule that I burned the remains of all enemies caught in the blast to a cinder, so that might be a danger, too :smallbiggrin:

I'd definitely go with Burning Hands anyways.



There is thuderwave, charm person, and color spray (blinds). I have found charm person is always good, in and out of combat

I'd avoid color spray, because it's hp-based. Those spells tend not to age well, although it's not as bad with color spray as it is with sleep. It basically lets you only weaken those monsters you have no need to weaken. Thunderwave is useful because it can give you some space and deals decent damage, but it's LOUD.

[djreynolds]

I like charm, it has its uses. And thunderwave is real nice.

He already has damage, I might just grab something else

[Vingelot]

He already has damage, I might just grab something else

Personally, I'd also take Charm Person, Disguise Self, or Mage Armor. But he asked for damage spells so...

[Kane0]

Dragon sorc, no need for mage armor
One single target and one aoe source of damage is good, especially if one is a cantrip. I usually take one or at most two damage spells of each level and split the rest between other combat spells like fog cloud and noncombat stuff like charm person.

[Vingelot]

Dragon sorc, no need for mage armor

You're right, of course... I forgot about that.


One single target and one aoe source of damage is good, especially if one is a cantrip. I usually take one or at most two damage spells of each level and split the rest between other combat spells like fog cloud and noncombat stuff like charm person.

True. I like my casters to focus on battlefield control etc. during combat, and leave damage-dealing to the dudes with the swords.

[djreynolds]

True. I like my casters to focus on battlefield control etc. during combat, and leave damage-dealing to the dudes with the swords.

Very true, this guy can quicken and twin stuff at any moment. And the dudes with the swords can rock and roll.

But some good utility spells, buffs and debuffs is what is needed. Sleep fulfills some stuff, shield is good, I like thunderwave or charm person.

Disguise self is a great idea also. He has damage, its just from 1st to 4th you rely heavily on the dudes with the swords. But as soon as 5th comes around twinned firebolts for 2d10 each becomes a bit more powerful for 1 spell point.

[JellyPooga]

As has been mentioned, the real boon of Ch.Orb is its versatility; it will stand you in good stead for a decent(ish) single target spell for your whole career, no matter who you face or where your adventures take you. Burning Hands, on the other, uh, hand, is swiftly outclassed by Fireball and other AoE's.

You already have Sleep for AoE and while you can always opt to switch out Burning Hands for better AoE damage spells at higher levels (as they come available), taking Ch.Orb now saves all that mucking around and allows you to focus on switching out other spells instead (like Sleep, which swiftly loses efficiency even as soon as level 3).

[Theodoxus]

Just curious how often do you use Shield, Klorox? Sorc's tend to sit in the back, if you haven't used Shield yet, I'd recommend swapping it out - grab both BH and CO and be happy :smallwink:

[Unoriginal]

A lot of enemies are immune or resistant to fire, and short range can easily be a problem for casters, depending on the opponent.

[ImproperJustice]

I've noticed a trend, at least in our games, where boss type enemies usually have two big ugly lieutenants. Hitting them with a twinned Chromatic Orb is always nice from a safe distance.

[xroads]

Burning Hands cons:
Only Fire damage.
Slightly lower damage per target (comparing to Chromatic Orb).
...can't think of more cons...


Another con is that it is an AoE, so you'll often have problems using it without roasting some allies.

Having said that, I'd still choose burning hands over chromatic orb.

[Klorox]

Thanks all.

I'll be starting a different thread about choosing what spell. I suppose I don't need a damaging one. I'm new to this sorcerer thing. :smallbiggrin:

[Citan]

Hey all.

I'm playing a fire draconic bloodline sorcerer. I've just hit level 2.

My only damaging spell is fire bolt, and I'm considering picking up one of these two now that I've leveled up.

Which is better?

My other level 1 spells are shield and sleep. My cantrips are fire bolt, mage hand, minor illusion and prestidigitation.

I am the only arcane spellcaster in my party.

Thank you!


Thanks all.

I'll be starting a different thread about choosing what spell. I suppose I don't need a damaging one. I'm new to this sorcerer thing. :smallbiggrin:
Well, you need a few in fact, as the only arcane caster. So I'm not sure of why you would start another thread. XD

Honestly I'd just pick Burning Hands, although I love Chromatic Orb, because you are the only guy (from what I know) that can get AOE damage in your party.

Chromatic Orb is just a tad better way to replace your Firebolt when dealing with fire-resistant enemies, which should not be a common occurence at all at your level.

Whereas, while indeed situations in which an AOE is both useful and "allies-friendly" is not very common either, it has chances to happen quite a few times. And you would probably regret then not having such a tool at your disposal.

You are right in saying that damage isn't usually the shtick of casters. But AOE is one of their niche.
Now, considering that 3rd level should arrive fast enough, and that level brings Shatter to you (better range, less resisted damage, can be used for utility), honestly...
- If you can grab that 50gp diamond right now, pick Chromatic Orb.
- If you cannot but feel AOE could have been/will certainly be useful in some encounters, pick Burning Hands now, and swap it for Shatter later.
- If your gut feeling is that your party deals fine with groups whatever you do, just pick whatever 1st level spell you'd like to have fun with, damage or non damage.

As I said just above, next level should come in only 2-3 sessions (well, hard to give an estimation, so different from one game to another), and you don't even have +CHA to damage or Metamagic yet, so it's not like this choice would really be a big deal. ;)

[Kane0]

You're the only caster, so you 'need' to cover a lot of ground.
- Everybody can do single target damage, so you don't need to focus on it. It eats up your spell slots quickly too.
- You are the only one capable of AoE spell damage, so you'll want to take at least a little
- You are the only one capable of getting control and utility spells, so your limited spell selection is going to be even more stretched.

But you have some advantages:
- You can swap out a spell each time you level up, so you can take stuff to try and get rid of them if it's no good
- You can use font of magic and metamagic to make your spells work harder for you instead of needing more of them.
- As the only caster you are pretty much guaranteed to end up with any magic loot like scrolls and wands. These can patch the holes in your spell selection.

But really don't stress it, just take whatever looks more appealing and swap it out later if you end up not liking it as much as you hoped. Burning hands or Thunderwave are both excellent options, trade it out later when it gets a little lacklustre. Same for sleep and whatever else really.

[Tanarii]

As has been mentioned, the real boon of Ch.Orb is its versatility; it will stand you in good stead for a decent(ish) single target spell for your whole career, no matter who you face or where your adventures take you.
Agree with this. Sorcerers need to keep in mind that upcast-able spells that scale well and serve their function are powerful options. Combined with being a dragon sorcerer, Chromatic Orb is a great option for a long time. Especially since it combines well with Twin Spell, or if needed or Distant Spell.

OTOH Firebolt serves much the same function with the advantage of not using spell slots, but the disadvantage of much lower damage. So you're duplicating purpose (single-target, long-range) to a degree if you have both. It's a question of if you think you'll need the extra single-target long-range burst damage occasionally.

[Matrix_Walker]

Versatility is nice, but the 50 GP price tag kills it for me. Opposed to that a little cone that works with your draconic affinity?

No contest in my spellbook, Burning Hands for the win.

[Tanarii]

Versatility is nice, but the 50 GP price tag kills it for me. Opposed to that a little cone that works with your draconic affinity?Its a one time cost. It does tend to put it out of reach until 2nd-3rd level in games I run though.

[Nifft]

Hmm.

Looking at Chromatic Orb:

On the one hand: yeah, 50 gp seems absurd compared to the spell's benefit.

On the other hand: this is 5e, what else are you going to do with money?

[Citan]

Agree with this. Sorcerers need to keep in mind that upcast-able spells that scale well and serve their function are powerful options. Combined with being a dragon sorcerer, Chromatic Orb is a great option for a long time. Especially since it combines well with Twin Spell, or if needed or Distant Spell.

OTOH Firebolt serves much the same function with the advantage of not using spell slots, but the disadvantage of much lower damage. So you're duplicating purpose (single-target, long-range) to a degree if you have both. It's a question of if you think you'll need the extra single-target long-range burst damage occasionally.


Hmm.

Looking at Chromatic Orb:

On the one hand: yeah, 50 gp seems absurd compared to the spell's benefit.

On the other hand: this is 5e, what else are you going to do with money?
Well... Buying Potions of Healing (which are stupidly high price but that's another problem)?

Dudes, the OP is level 2. Don't tell him "take Chromatic Orb now because it's useful the whole career". The versatility you are all talking about should come in handy only past level 5-6 where elemental-resistant enemies go from "don't exist" to "uncommon".
He will have ample time to get it when it really becomes useful.

Meanwhile, right now, gold is still a very scarce resource, hp is very low and healing limited. Either spare your money for some (magical?) equipment or get some emergency potions, both option seem a much smarter choice imo...

[Arkhios]

Hmm.

Looking at Chromatic Orb:

On the one hand: yeah, 50 gp seems absurd compared to the spell's benefit.

On the other hand: this is 5e, what else are you going to do with money?

The 50gp diamond isn't consumed by the spell (in other words, it's not 50 gp per chromatic orb), so in the long run, it's not that absurd tbh.

It's kinda like the Greatsword/Maul/what-have-you of a Sorcerer. One-time investment to deal relatively consistent damage.

[Unoriginal]

50 gp is the price of one potion of healing, I think a lvl 2 character wouldn't have too much troubles paying that for a permanent spell focus.

[tieren]

Curious how others feel about magic missile in this discussion?

My sorcerer just hit level 2 and I'm torn between chromatic orb and magic missile.

I'm a bit anxious about the possibility of spending a fairly precious spell slot on orb and missing, burning the resource. Is the extra damage worth it?

[Citan]

Curious how others feel about magic missile in this discussion?

My sorcerer just hit level 2 and I'm torn between chromatic orb and magic missile.

I'm a bit anxious about the possibility of spending a fairly precious spell slot on orb and missing, burning the resource. Is the extra damage worth it?
Well, you make a pretty good point. Magic Missile is in my personal top 3 of spells to have until level 4 or so, because, well, having a 99% chance of finishing off one enemy would prove extremely valuable in a majority of those first encounters you experience as a new character. The extremely low damage makes it quickly lackluster though once you start facing >CR 1 enemies. Especially since there are also many spells that feature a "half-damage on successful save" (like Shatter for low-level AOE that would deal nearly the same damage on average and save, plus can hit several enemies).

Still, the combination of range + no material components + rarely resisted damage + predictible amount makes it a pretty good tool for coordinated assaults with friends or for "fixing" unpleasant surprises. ;)

Like, your GWM Fighter friend rushed towards that pesky controllish Druid, thinking he would definitely finish him off that turn but fumbled badly on his decisive last attack, resulting in Druid still having a handful of HP. Now he's badly exposed to some Entangle or Heat Metal. Fortunately your turn comes just before, and you manage to hit a respectable 8 points, putting the Druid down. Barb grins in gratitude. :)

As for between Magic Missile and Chromatic Orb? Well, I guess it depends if you'd feel usually lucky (for me, Magic Missile hands down :D).

[Arkhios]

My better half made a sorcerer solely for the purpose of being able to cast as many magic missiles as possible!

With Magic Initiate (Sorcerer): magic missile etc. And Font of Magic, she surely can send impressive amount of magic missiles a day :D

[Chugger]

Are we quite sure you need to buy the gem to cast chrom orb?

The gem is _not_ consumed.

In the phb ch 10 it says you can use a component pouch or an arcane focus in most cases - in other words they're mostly the same.

It also says that if the spell calls for a component that is consumed then you must use the component, but again the spell chro orb does _not_ consume the gem.

One could now try arguing specific rule over general rule, but that seems pretty arbitrary to me. I suppose if that were to win it would come from the argument "look, the chro orb spell requirement to buy the gem is specific to that spell and therefore more specific than the general ch 10 ruling for all spells. So char must buy the gem."

But the phb doesn't say that the character must buy the gem. It says in the chro orb section that the material component is a gem worth 50 gp. So one could very strongly argue that the phb says that if a caster is going the component pouch way this gem probably doesn't come with a component pouch - and a caster either needs to buy the gem or buy an arcane focus. It's not a specific ruling saying an arcane focus doesn't work here you have to buy the gem. Instead it's just telling someone how to make it work using components - and of course the more sensible route is to use an arcane focus.

Unless Sage Advice or some official source has ruled otherwise, I'd say this is very much unclear.

[Chugger]

Burning hands is short range, aoe and always does damage unless the target resists fire or the like. If you're fighting something in plate armor you may want to BH it if your roll to hit with Chro Orb stinks - at least if the target makes its ST it will take half damage.

Chr O when it hits does more damage to a single target and gives you the flexibility to hit things with a specific damage type. Lets say a fire-oriented creature comes at you. Chro O might be your only cold based attack - and if it is cold vuln - you're doing 6d8 to it! That's nice.

They're both good. Hard to say if one is better.

[Random Sanity]

Are we quite sure you need to buy the gem to cast chrom orb?

The gem is _not_ consumed.

In the phb ch 10 it says you can use a component pouch or an arcane focus in most cases - in other words they're mostly the same.

It also says that if the spell calls for a component that is consumed then you must use the component, but again the spell chro orb does _not_ consume the gem.

One could now try arguing specific rule over general rule, but that seems pretty arbitrary to me. I suppose if that were to win it would come from the argument "look, the chro orb spell requirement to buy the gem is specific to that spell and therefore more specific than the general ch 10 ruling for all spells. So char must buy the gem."

But the phb doesn't say that the character must buy the gem. It says in the chro orb section that the material component is a gem worth 50 gp. So one could very strongly argue that the phb says that if a caster is going the component pouch way this gem probably doesn't come with a component pouch - and a caster either needs to buy the gem or buy an arcane focus. It's not a specific ruling saying an arcane focus doesn't work here you have to buy the gem. Instead it's just telling someone how to make it work using components - and of course the more sensible route is to use an arcane focus.

Unless Sage Advice or some official source has ruled otherwise, I'd say this is very much unclear.

Seems pretty clear to me. The wording of both the component pouch and the arcane focus states they bypass the need for material components that cost less than 1 gp. They specifically exclude anything with a gold cost.

[Tanarii]

Are we quite sure you need to buy the gem to cast chrom orb?

The gem is _not_ consumed.Consumed has nothing to do with it. If it costs gold, per the PHB, you cannot use a component pouch or focus in its place.


Unless Sage Advice or some official source has ruled otherwise, I'd say this is very much unclear.
PHB page 203, Material (M), 1st paragraph, last sentence.

[Chugger]

Seems pretty clear to me. The wording of both the component pouch and the arcane focus states they bypass the need for material components that cost less than 1 gp. They specifically exclude anything with a gold cost.

Ah, I musta been reading too fast...except I don't see that. On more carefully reading the ch 10 part, it says if a cost is specifically indicated for a component then we must have that component - so it seems either way I'm wrong. You do need to buy the gem. Why do they make you freakin dig to understand the rules? Jerks. I just want a quick and easy to grasp ruling. Not to have to put on my "lawyer hat" and actually work to understand the book. Someone needs to make this clear to the people who write these rules. This is a game; not torts class.

[Chugger]

Consumed has nothing to do with it. If it costs gold, per the PHB, you cannot use a component pouch or focus in its place.


PHB page 203, Material (M), 1st paragraph, last sentence.

I see it now. Was scanning it earlier and - again - while I like 5e I hate that so much of it is buried in legaleze. And you are forced to go dig a general rule somewhere - you can't just reference a ruling you need from, say, the spell. Because page count - because saving paper to save trees? Because stereo instructions effect (stereo instructions were written by the people who designed them and therefore couldn't tell that their instructions were hard to use or even gibberish - this was before non-English-speakers began writing them).

Another feature of the phb. You look up x in the index. They refer you to a different area in the index. But they could have just put the freakin page number there, too, and not made you go find another tiny print part of the index and used less ink. I don't get this mentality. It's archaic.

[Tanarii]

If you say so. I've played and run every edition of D&D, and 5e feels like the least legalese and buried rules of any to me. OTOH spell components and their ramifications are one of the more complicated (and most commonly ignored) rules.

But yeah, the PHB index sucks.

[Chugger]

If you say so. I've played and run every edition of D&D, and 5e feels like the least legalese and buried rules of any to me. OTOH spell components and their ramifications are one of the more complicated (and most commonly ignored) rules.

But yeah, the PHB index sucks.

Oh they've all sucked in one way or another, except maybe the pamphlets back in the 1970s which were just guidelines and were very simple. Or rather they were worth playing but had areas that made you wonder or were very inconsistent or w/e.

I skipped from AD&D all the way up to 5e. I took a look at 2, 3.5 and 4 when they came out, face-palmed, and said, "no I'm not playing this." Someone showed me a youtube show (high rollers) which was funny but had a competent DM, and at first I said "nah, this ain't ad&d and it seems complex" ... but then it grew on me. I like 5e. I don't like that the phb reads like stereo instructions. That's an old-guy joke. So many of my cultural references are no longer relevant - oh well.

[Tanarii]

I skipped from AD&D all the way up to 5e.In that case, I don't see how you can possibly find 5e anything other than clear, concise, well organized and ...


I like 5e. I don't like that the phb reads like stereo instructions. That's an old-guy joke.... Okay so your problem is that it's clear, concise, well organized and well laid out. In comparison to a random chaotic rambling. And (comparatively) lacking gygaxian prose to confuse what the hell a rule actually means. :smallbiggrin:

Love me some AD&D 1e. But OMG was 2e a massive improvement in cleaning up its mess. As was 3e, although I can now see how people felt it made things to mechanistic, which 4e did even more. 5e has all the clean lines of 3e, with the more natural feel of old-school 'plain English' to stop it from feeling like a CRPG instruction manual. But thank god they didn't go back to 1e's gygaxian prose and love of complex sub-systems. :smallamused:

[Nifft]

I like 5e. I don't like that the phb reads like stereo instructions. That's an old-guy joke. So many of my cultural references are no longer relevant - oh well.

You should have tuned in for 4e, the 4e PHB actually did read like a VCR instruction manual. (That's an older-guy joke. Stereos still exist.)

5e is clean and doesn't stretch your vocabulary like 1e did, but it's not nearly as dry as some previous editions.

That's why you're going to get some funny looks when you say this.

[FabulousFizban]

if you are the only arcane caster consider taking battlefield control spells like silent image or grease. You should be diversifying your target saves as well. Ideally have a spell that targets each save.

Examples:

Str:entangle
Dex:faerie fire, grease, burning hands
Con:heat metal, poison spray, blindness/deafness
Int:silent image
Wis:vicious mockery, hideous laughter, charm person, bestow curse, command
Cha:bane, calm emotions

these are all pretty good spells by the way (except poison spray). Throw a concentration spell like faerie fire or bane, then spam your instantaneous stuff like firebolt.

also, lose prestidigitation for light. light is more versatile than you think.

[samcifer]

Curious how others feel about magic missile in this discussion?

My sorcerer just hit level 2 and I'm torn between chromatic orb and magic missile.

I'm a bit anxious about the possibility of spending a fairly precious spell slot on orb and missing, burning the resource. Is the extra damage worth it?

I went Magic Missile and False Life for my lv. 1 spells for my lv. 1 sorc. Yes, I loose on damage, but it's a guaranteed minimum of 6 damage that can't be avoided unless they have the Shield spell, can hit up to 3 targets for a minimum of 2 dmg each and you can spread them out or focus on a single target. As someone who tends to roll bad fairly often due to horrible luck on die-rolls, this is an easy way to make sure I hit. False Life was a class tax for me after a scenario where I nearly died 2 times from avoidable damage, so extra hp is always a good thing.

[samcifer]

My dm said he is waiving the component requirements for spells in our games, which makes the cost mute. If you want to hit multiple targets from a few steps away, then go BH. If you can get the gem or get the gem requirement waived to altered and want big single-target damage of any type you want, then go CO. When I hit level 2 on my character, I'll multi-class into Bard for healing spells, sleep and another utility spell and retrain False Life into BH for thematic reasons.

[Tanarii]

these are all pretty good spells by the way (except poison spray).Poison Spray is a great spell. For an EK that's undercut the save with an attack. :smallamused:

For other classes it does have some advantages. It's very high damage. And it can be used from the second rank without issue (cover from ally doesn't apply), as well as against adjacent targets. It's not as bad as forum group-think might have you believe.

Of course, it's basically useless if you're just hanging out 60ft (or whatever) away from the enemy and trading shots. Or fighting lots of Undead or Fiends. :smallwink:

[Chronos]

Color Spray's main problem (even at the levels where it's not obsolete yet) is that it has such a short duration. Well, that, and blinding isn't as complete a lockdown as Sleep, either: Even a blinded enemy can do something unpleasant if they get lucky.

Poison spray does a little more damage than other cantrips, but it's also a very short range and a commonly-resisted (or immune) damage type. It also can't be used outside of combat, as opposed to Firebolt (lighting up something flammable from a hundred feet away is often handy). I'd probably get at most two damaging cantrips (to cover for resistances/immunities), and use the rest of my cantrips for utility.

[Talamare]

@Lv6
Firebolt is a cantrip that deals 2d10+3~4 (14~15)

Chromatic Orb needs a Lv1 slot to deal 3d8 (13.5)

Just take Elemental Adept at a feat.


Also Magic Missile is amazing!
3d4+3 = 10.5 Auto-Hit Damage that can potentially be split

For example, if we assume both Firebolt or Orb has a 70% accuracy
Orb = 9.45
Firebolt = 10.15
Missile = 10.5

[Tanarii]

@Lv6
Firebolt is a cantrip that deals 2d10+3~4 (14~15)

Chromatic Orb needs a Lv1 slot to deal 3d8 (13.5)3d8+3~4 (16.5~17.5 DPSp)
And can be upcast to 5d8+3~4 (25.5~26.5 DPSp) if single target burst is needed.
And cast as non-fire if a fire resistant enemy is encountered, albeit with a 3~4 drop in DPSp

[Nifft]

IMHO the main value of Chromatic Orb is that you prep one spell which can target several damage types to exploit vulnerability.

If your target isn't vulnerable, then it's just a downgrade -- you should probably use a different spell or cantrip instead.

If your target is vulnerable to an applicable damage type, then Chromatic Orb's flexibility will pay off.

[samcifer]

IMHO the main value of Chromatic Orb is that you prep one spell which can target several damage types to exploit vulnerability.

If your target isn't vulnerable, then it's just a downgrade -- you should probably use a different spell or cantrip instead.

If your target is vulnerable to an applicable damage type, then Chromatic Orb's flexibility will pay off.

True. the versatility is what makes it so good. Just wish it could hit more than a single target.

[Aaron Underhand]

@Lv6
...
Also Magic Missile is amazing!
3d4+3 = 10.5 Auto-Hit Damage that can potentially be split

For example, if we assume both Firebolt or Orb has a 70% accuracy
Orb = 9.45
Firebolt = 10.15
Missile = 10.5
Seconded,

Force is the least resisted damage type

Also each missile does little enough damage that you can divert one to "wake up" or give another saving throw to someone in your own party who under a spell or condition. That's been useful more times than I ever expected since I've been playing 5th Ed

[Nifft]

Also Magic Missile is amazing!
3d4+3 = 10.5 Auto-Hit Damage that can potentially be split

For example, if we assume both Firebolt or Orb has a 70% accuracy
Orb = 9.45
Firebolt = 10.15
Missile = 10.5

Orb = 18.90 if your target has vulnerability to any of the available damage types.

Granted, that's not many creatures -- 9 fire-vulnerable in the MM, 4 cold-vulnerable, and 1 thunder-vulnerable. Nothing in the MM is vulnerable to acid, nor lightning, nor poison. So it might not come up in your games.

I suspect that when Chromatic Orb was designed, there were supposed to be more Vulnerable critters for various types of damage.

[samcifer]

Orb = 18.90 if your target has vulnerability to any of the available damage types.

Granted, that's not many creatures -- 9 fire-vulnerable in the MM, 4 cold-vulnerable, and 1 thunder-vulnerable. Nothing in the MM is vulnerable to acid, nor lightning, nor poison. So it might not come up in your games.

I suspect that when Chromatic Orb was designed, there were supposed to be more Vulnerable critters for various types of damage.

Perhaps once more core material comes out, like a monster manual 2, there might end up being more creatures with vulnerabilities or some other material might introduce a way to give vulnerabilities to creatures.

[Tanarii]

I suspect that when Chromatic Orb was designed, there were supposed to be more Vulnerable critters for various types of damage.Well, it's also useful for being available to all types of Dragon Sorcs to use to get their bonus damage added on to a single-target long-range spell. That's not as useful to Fire / Firebolt / Scorching Ray Dragon Sorcs, but plenty useful for other elemental types.

And of course, it side steps 1/2 damage from Resistance. Of course, so does Magic Missile.

[chuckko]

Because you are a sorcerer you can twin this spell when needed and thunder damage is nice, as most creatures are not resistant. And well you have firebolt already. Now if you need acid, cold, poison, electric, thunder, or fire... you have this


Good point on the choice of damage type.

I usually take Burning Hands when low level as an AOE and then switch it out to chromatic Orb once I get better AOE spells. I throw a lot of fire damage spells and keep Chromatic Orb just in case if I am fighting something that is fire resistant or immune.