Cantrips with Ranged Attack (Booming Blade like spells with ranged weapons)

[nickl_2000]

So, we have booming blade and Green Flame Blade but we have no ranged attack cantrips. So, I made a few of them for fun. Do you think they would work? Are they overpowered? Is this just a horrible idea in general?


Maddening Missile - Available to Warlock and Bard
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round
Range: Self
Components: V M (A ranged missile weapon)

As part of the spell casting make a ranged weapon attack against your opponent. You imbue your projectile with eldritch whispers, when it strikes an opponent the whispers turn into screams in their head. During the creatures next turn, it will need to spend a bonus action to remove the weapon from their body ending the physic screams. If they do not, they take 1d8 physic damage.

At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d8 physic damage to the target, and the extra damage increases to 2d8. Both damages increase by 1d8 at 11th and 17th level.



Shadow Shot - Available to Wizard and Sorcerer
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round
Range: Self
Components: V M (A ranged missile weapon)
As part of the spell casting make a ranged weapon attack against your opponent. A black and white shadow trail appears behind the missile as it flies towards the target. On strike the shadow melts into a pool beneath their feet. During their next round of combat, if they do not move the shadow under their feet causes 1d6 necrotic damage.

At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target, and the extra damage increases to 2d6. Both damages increase by 1d6 at 11th and 17th level.



Radiant Bolt - Available to Druid and Cleric
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round
Range: Self
Components: V M (A ranged missile weapon)
As part of the spell casting make a ranged weapon attack against your opponent, a radiant light bursts from the missile. When it hits the target the holy energy bursts lighting up the a 5 foot radius bright light, and 5 feet dim light outside of that, until the start of your next turn.

At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d8 radiant damage to the target, and the area is 10 feet bright light 10 feet dim. Damages increase by 1d8 and the light radius increases by 5 feet at 11th and 17th level.

[Ixidor92]

So my first thought when looking at these cantrips is that they don't look very appealing. The best one by far is radiant bolt, which for the most part seems fine.

The problem with the other two are the conditions for the opponent to not take any extra damage. Since there are no saving throws of any kind, the action should require some difficulty or compromise on the target to perform. But that is not the case.

Maddening missile is only useful in very specific situations or against very specific characters. Only requiring a bonus action to remove the arrow and as a result not take any extra damage from the attack only really hurts characters that rely on their bonus action regularly. In most scenarios this cantrip will be pretty worthless, and I would not take it over other cantrips that just require a saving throw or attack roll.

Shadow shot is in a similar bolt. Requiring the target to not move in order to avoid the damage doesn't seem particularly helpful. Since this is done using a ranged weapon, I would assume you would want to prevent an enemy's approach, rather than encourage it. And if you're firing into melee, it isn't difficult for the target to simply move within the threatened area and avoid the extra damage.

For shadow shot, I would actually reverse the triggering effect. Have the opponent take extra damage if they DO move instead of if they don't. Since as a ranged attacker you want to stop your enemy's advance, this gives them a choice to make. Do I take extra damage but allow myself to close the distance, or do I stay put? I would also put in text that the target is aware of the consequences of moving, just for clarity's sake.

Maddening missile is a little trickier. My first thought would be to require an action rather than a bonus action, but that could let someone effectively lock an enemy down completely without using a spell slot. My suggestion would be to make this similar to radiant bolt. Have the cantrip give some kind of effect, rather than extra damage, that can be avoided by pulling the arrow out as a bonus action. It could be something like disadvantage on their next attack roll, or disadvantage on their next save, or maybe vulnerability to a damage type. And then at higher levels have the attack deal additional psychic damage in addition to that effect.

[nickl_2000]

Thanks for the thoughts. My point on these cantrips is to give more options like booming blade and green flame blade.

I didn't want shadow strike to be the same as booming blade as that seems almost to powerful, and having a burst of darkness seems to powerful.

Oddly enough I thought maddening would be the most overpowered. Against any spell caster it could be amazing....

[Amnoriath]

So, we have booming blade and Green Flame Blade but we have no ranged attack cantrips. So, I made a few of them for fun. Do you think they would work? Are they overpowered? Is this just a horrible idea in general?


Maddening Missile - Available to Warlock and Bard
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round
Range: Self
Components: V M (A ranged missile weapon)

As part of the spell casting make a ranged weapon attack against your opponent. You imbue your projectile with eldritch whispers, when it strikes an opponent the whispers turn into screams in their head. During the creatures next turn, it will need to spend a bonus action to remove the weapon from their body ending the physic screams. If they do not, they take 1d8 physic damage.

At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d8 physic damage to the target, and the extra damage increases to 2d8. Both damages increase by 1d8 at 11th and 17th level.



Shadow Shot - Available to Wizard and Sorcerer
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round
Range: Self
Components: V M (A ranged missile weapon)
As part of the spell casting make a ranged weapon attack against your opponent. A black and white shadow trail appears behind the missile as it flies towards the target. On strike the shadow melts into a pool beneath their feet. During their next round of combat, if they do not move the shadow under their feet causes 1d6 necrotic damage.

At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target, and the extra damage increases to 2d6. Both damages increase by 1d6 at 11th and 17th level.



Radiant Bolt - Available to Druid and Cleric
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round
Range: Self
Components: V M (A ranged missile weapon)
As part of the spell casting make a ranged weapon attack against your opponent, a radiant light bursts from the missile. When it hits the target the holy energy bursts lighting up the a 5 foot radius bright light, and 5 feet dim light outside of that, until the start of your next turn.

At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d8 radiant damage to the target, and the area is 10 feet bright light 10 feet dim. Damages increase by 1d8 and the light radius increases by 5 feet at 11th and 17th level.

1. Maddening missile has a bit of a conundrum in its impact. Bonus actions either can be quite useful or quite worthless depending on the enemy. If they are worthless enemies avoid a far amount of damage for nothing. Most dependable bonus actions either involve an attack, a non-offensive action, or light control. In those instance it could be useful limiting options. It could though hold back some pretty good buff or imbue attack spells. In comparison to Booming Blade that damage will almost always trigger unless they are really weak or near death simple because it isn't that much damage so moving to strike is almost always worth it. This though could really preoccupy an enemy whether it is worth it(mostly character level based enemies). Ultimately it is a very interesting choice that won't be a go to but still could be very useful because those who would use it will have a couple of other options, I like it. :smallsmile:
2. Shadow shot conversely almost will never see usage unless someone has them not moving to begin with. Even if they aren't the damage is small. This needs to be changed.
3. Radiant Bolt is decent, mostly you are doing this in the beginning to make them more noticeable but with that being said tagging on a disadvantage on hide checks would enforce the idea and is specific enough it wouldn't unbalance anything.

[nickl_2000]

1. Maddening missile has a bit of a conundrum in its impact. Bonus actions either can be quite useful or quite worthless depending on the enemy. If they are worthless enemies avoid a far amount of damage for nothing. Most dependable bonus actions either involve an attack, a non-offensive action, or light control. In those instance it could be useful limiting options. It could though hold back some pretty good buff or imbue attack spells. In comparison to Booming Blade that damage will almost always trigger unless they are really weak or near death simple because it isn't that much damage so moving to strike is almost always worth it. This though could really preoccupy an enemy whether it is worth it(mostly character level based enemies). Ultimately it is a very interesting choice that won't be a go to but still could be very useful because those who would use it will have a couple of other options, I like it. :smallsmile:
2. Shadow shot conversely almost will never see usage unless someone has them not moving to begin with. Even if they aren't the damage is small. This needs to be changed.
3. Radiant Bolt is decent, mostly you are doing this in the beginning to make them more noticeable but with that being said tagging on a disadvantage on hide checks would enforce the idea and is specific enough it wouldn't unbalance anything.

Thanks. What if maddening strike required a reaction instead of a bonus action? Do you think that would be more universally useful but still balanced?

My thought with shadow strike is that you a either forcing them to take damage or more to invoke an AoO, and some battlefield control that could help out your allies. If I made it 1d8 damage instead do you think it would work better?

[Amnoriath]

Thanks. What if maddening strike required a reaction instead of a bonus action? Do you think that would be more universally useful but still balanced?

My thought with shadow strike is that you a either forcing them to take damage or more to invoke an AoO, and some battlefield control that could help out your allies. If I made it 1d8 damage instead do you think it would work better?
1. I do think it is more universal as anyone with a melee weapon can make an opportunity attack.
2. It doesn't work better because even if you would do it for your melee tank the enemy can merely take one step to the side without provoking an opportunity attack.