UA Version of Primal Savagery

[Chrizzt]

Hey everyone!

My DM and me are trying to make some small alterations to the half elf as well as doing a homebrew feat to help emulate a vampire (though the really powerful stuff will simply come from being a shadow sorcerer and subtle spellcasting abilities like gaseous form, dominate person or calling hounds).

Anyway, I have stumbled upon an UA Version of a druid cantrip, and perhaps my DM would allow me to include it into a half feat.

The cantrip in question is Primal Savagery, https://www.jsigvard.com/dnd/spell.php?s=Primal%20Savagery%20(UA)&src=ua

The official version in XGTE is basically the same, only with acid instead of slashing/piercing.

It does a d10 on slashing or piercing in melee range, and scales just like other cantrips do. And it is somatic only.

Is the UA Version in any way overpowered compared to the acid using version? Are there any unbalancing pit traps that I am not aware of?

Thank you for yout input!

[stoutstien]

Hey everyone!

My DM and me are trying to make some small alterations to the half elf as well as doing a homebrew feat to help emulate a vampire (though the really powerful stuff will simply come from being a shadow sorcerer and subtle spellcasting abilities like gaseous form, dominate person or calling hounds).

Anyway, I have stumbled upon an UA Version of a druid cantrip, and perhaps my DM would allow me to include it into a half feat.

The cantrip in question is Primal Savagery, https://www.jsigvard.com/dnd/spell.php?s=Primal%20Savagery%20(UA)&src=ua

The official version in XGTE is basically the same, only with acid instead of slashing/piercing.

It does a d10 on slashing or piercing in melee range, and scales just like other cantrips do. And it is somatic only.

Is the UA Version in any way overpowered compared to the acid using version? Are there any unbalancing pit traps that I am not aware of?

Thank you for yout input!

Acid is actually better due to practically nothing is resistance or immune to it. I think most DM would be fine with the UA version for flavor.

[JackPhoenix]

Acid is actually better due to practically nothing is resistance or immune to it. I think most DM would be fine with the UA version for flavor.

Actually, magical piercing or slashing damage is better. Most creatures are resistant or immune to non-magical P/B/S damage, but Primal Savagery is a spell, so that doesn't matter. There's 18 creatures resistant and 15 immune to acid, but only 6 resistant and 2 immune to slashing, and 10 resistant and none immune to piercing in the MM.

[Chrizzt]

What about the factor that (apart from choosing the damage type and being somatic only) it has no secondary effect like shocking grasp?

Is d10 too high for this? Or is the damage type altogether rightfully corrected to acid in order to even things out?

[JackPhoenix]

It's fine. Good damage type (worse than force and radiant, better than anything else), but melee only. S-only is nice bonus, but nothing gamebreaking. About comparable to Fire Bolt.

[Bjarkmundur]

Shameless off-topic plug. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?581641-Vampire-Race-according-to-the-Monster-Manual)

[Chrizzt]

@JackPhoenix and Stoutstien: Thank you all for your estimations concerning the balancing.

@Bjarkmundur: Thanks! I actually already had stumbled upon your efforts :) As I like the shadow sorcerer anyway, however, I was going into another direction.

[stoutstien]

Actually, magical piercing or slashing damage is better. Most creatures are resistant or immune to non-magical P/B/S damage, but Primal Savagery is a spell, so that doesn't matter. There's 18 creatures resistant and 15 immune to acid, but only 6 resistant and 2 immune to slashing, and 10 resistant and none immune to piercing in the MM.

I guess I was factoring in rage for some reason. I have a soft spot for acid in general so I'm glad they made it acid in the end.

[JackPhoenix]

I guess I was factoring in rage for some reason. I have a soft spot for acid in general so I'm glad they made it acid in the end.

Yeah, rage works, but then, how often do you fight against barbarian PCs? And how many of those have bear totem anyway?

[stoutstien]

Yeah, rage works, but then, how often do you fight against barbarian PCs? And how many of those have bear totem anyway?

I use the rage mechanic a lot on NPCs that I want to feel tougher without just jacking HP up. I only use the base lv 1 rage so they do a tad more damage but the adv on str saves and checks helps with shoves/grapples.

A ogre with the ablity to rage once is just more fun to run and more satisfying to fight. Does bump the CR up a tad but it's easy to factor rage vs adding a few skill Prof, extra Hp, extra damage, and so on.