ButzSanchez
2020-05-08, 03:56 AM
So our DM is particular about handing out magical items. To be clear, I like her approach. Most of the time we only find such things in the possession of shopkeepers you wouldn't want to cross/probably can't or shouldn't steal from. She makes the clearly amazing stuff really expensive so that the only way we could acquire it is by pooling our money, but makes it unlikely we'd ever do that since there are usually multiple cheaper items that will get our attention and everyone wants something new for themselves. While she was resistant to us having this kind of access to magical equipment, it's become a running joke at our table that we'll get more excited to go shopping than we get to tackle the next dungeon, and she creates really diverse and interesting shops now. She's also fond of building custom items to prevent us from getting our hands on the kind of equipment in the DM's guide that is truly balance breaking, while still making these items interesting.
For instance, the fancy stones we can put in any weapon to make it a +2 weapon, but only when used on fiends. A significant power up with a limitation. Personally, I think this is the most powerful thing she's handed us so far, and it was one of the early magic items we found, so it makes sense she's scaled it back since then. Or the sheath of holding, which can hold up to four swords, and when you reach to draw your weapon it's always whichever one you're thinking of that is stored in it. But it's only for swords. Neat, but not going to break the game.
Anywho, one of the things we happened across was the flame shield, an object of her creation which my Sorcadin picked up. With a bonus action, speaking the command word causes it to erupt in flames. While active, at the beginning of the wielder's turn both the wielder and any creature 5ft in front of them roll a DC 10 dex save. The wielder takes 1d6 fire damage, and anything in front of them takes 2d6 fire damage, both halved on a successful save (don't know how the person holding it can successfully avoid that, but whatever, I'm not pointing that out). Naturally, this is a pretty significant drawback on paper, but I realized something about it she may not have. It's free damage with no action cost besides the initial bonus action. Sure, free damage of the most resisted type in the game, and it's easy as pie to halve it for almost everything in the monster manual, but still, free damage.
Also got me thinking; I'm a sorcerer right? You know what would pair nicely with this? Absorb Elements. I hurt myself, spend my reaction and a spell slot, automatically halve the damage and maybe quarter it if I make the save, then my next attack gets a power up.
Now, given the amount of resources I have to spend to pull this strange combination off, I think to myself that this may not be the kind of combo I want to use often. If I use my reaction, can't use the shield spell I have to protect myself until my next turn. I'm hurting myself and leaving myself more vulnerable for increased damage. And since I took protection style for my fighting style, I also won't be able to keep my allies safe. I decide that maybe I'll keep it in my back pocket, but shouldn't pull it out unless things look dire.
Well, in a recent game a particular shop was selling an "Imitation Flametongue". Some student of enchantment tried to make a Flametongue and was only somewhat successful. It has 4 charges and a recharging function, a lot like the rarer magic staves in the DM's guide. Using a bonus action activates it, and you deal an extra 1d6 fire damage on your next hit with it. However, activating it immediately deals 1 fire damage to the wielder. I asked the DM if I could have it's activation word be the same as the shield's so I could turn them both on at once. She says yes.
Now I'm thinking this just adds to what I was planning before. So I play it out in my head. I activate the two with a bonus action. Immediately take 1 fire damage, but don't activate absorb elements yet, since it's just 1 damage and halving it does nothing. Since I have spells to cast and have been acting as the party buffer, I don't use my action to make a melee attack (warcaster still lets me cast with the sword and shield out). On my next turn, assuming I have my reaction still, I automatically take the damage from the shield and use absorb elements to reduce it and power up my attack.
With one turn, I can deal 2d6 with the shield, then 2d8 with a longsword booming blade (currently level 9) with the chance for an additional 2d8, another 1d6 with the sword and another 1d6 with absorb elements. Altogether that's at least 4d6+2d8, with a chance for more. If I stack one of the smite spells on top of that, it's at least another d6, more if I choose one of the ones that scales with spell level.
Now this brings up a few questions; first, this would involve me using my reaction once my turn has started. Can I cast absorb elements, a leveled spell, as a reaction on my turn and still cast a different leveled spell that turn, followed with a cantrip? For instance, if I cast absorb elements with my reaction to halve that fire damage, can I then use my bonus action to cast any of the smite spells, then follow up with a booming blade for my action? Does this violate the casting rules? I'm not certain since it only mentions it in the section for bonus action spells.
Secondly, is this even a wise choice if I can do it? I'm spending my reaction, a spell slot, taking damage and hoping I can do something else on my set up turn to do this. Many of the smite spells already accomplish a similar effect for just one spell slot and a bonus action. Heck, searing smite literally does the same thing, and just like absorb elements, the damage scales with the slot. But on that note, if my DM rules that I can use my reaction and a bonus action on my turn for leveled spells, I could theoretically scale both spells up for more damage. Still, it's a ton of prep.
For instance, the fancy stones we can put in any weapon to make it a +2 weapon, but only when used on fiends. A significant power up with a limitation. Personally, I think this is the most powerful thing she's handed us so far, and it was one of the early magic items we found, so it makes sense she's scaled it back since then. Or the sheath of holding, which can hold up to four swords, and when you reach to draw your weapon it's always whichever one you're thinking of that is stored in it. But it's only for swords. Neat, but not going to break the game.
Anywho, one of the things we happened across was the flame shield, an object of her creation which my Sorcadin picked up. With a bonus action, speaking the command word causes it to erupt in flames. While active, at the beginning of the wielder's turn both the wielder and any creature 5ft in front of them roll a DC 10 dex save. The wielder takes 1d6 fire damage, and anything in front of them takes 2d6 fire damage, both halved on a successful save (don't know how the person holding it can successfully avoid that, but whatever, I'm not pointing that out). Naturally, this is a pretty significant drawback on paper, but I realized something about it she may not have. It's free damage with no action cost besides the initial bonus action. Sure, free damage of the most resisted type in the game, and it's easy as pie to halve it for almost everything in the monster manual, but still, free damage.
Also got me thinking; I'm a sorcerer right? You know what would pair nicely with this? Absorb Elements. I hurt myself, spend my reaction and a spell slot, automatically halve the damage and maybe quarter it if I make the save, then my next attack gets a power up.
Now, given the amount of resources I have to spend to pull this strange combination off, I think to myself that this may not be the kind of combo I want to use often. If I use my reaction, can't use the shield spell I have to protect myself until my next turn. I'm hurting myself and leaving myself more vulnerable for increased damage. And since I took protection style for my fighting style, I also won't be able to keep my allies safe. I decide that maybe I'll keep it in my back pocket, but shouldn't pull it out unless things look dire.
Well, in a recent game a particular shop was selling an "Imitation Flametongue". Some student of enchantment tried to make a Flametongue and was only somewhat successful. It has 4 charges and a recharging function, a lot like the rarer magic staves in the DM's guide. Using a bonus action activates it, and you deal an extra 1d6 fire damage on your next hit with it. However, activating it immediately deals 1 fire damage to the wielder. I asked the DM if I could have it's activation word be the same as the shield's so I could turn them both on at once. She says yes.
Now I'm thinking this just adds to what I was planning before. So I play it out in my head. I activate the two with a bonus action. Immediately take 1 fire damage, but don't activate absorb elements yet, since it's just 1 damage and halving it does nothing. Since I have spells to cast and have been acting as the party buffer, I don't use my action to make a melee attack (warcaster still lets me cast with the sword and shield out). On my next turn, assuming I have my reaction still, I automatically take the damage from the shield and use absorb elements to reduce it and power up my attack.
With one turn, I can deal 2d6 with the shield, then 2d8 with a longsword booming blade (currently level 9) with the chance for an additional 2d8, another 1d6 with the sword and another 1d6 with absorb elements. Altogether that's at least 4d6+2d8, with a chance for more. If I stack one of the smite spells on top of that, it's at least another d6, more if I choose one of the ones that scales with spell level.
Now this brings up a few questions; first, this would involve me using my reaction once my turn has started. Can I cast absorb elements, a leveled spell, as a reaction on my turn and still cast a different leveled spell that turn, followed with a cantrip? For instance, if I cast absorb elements with my reaction to halve that fire damage, can I then use my bonus action to cast any of the smite spells, then follow up with a booming blade for my action? Does this violate the casting rules? I'm not certain since it only mentions it in the section for bonus action spells.
Secondly, is this even a wise choice if I can do it? I'm spending my reaction, a spell slot, taking damage and hoping I can do something else on my set up turn to do this. Many of the smite spells already accomplish a similar effect for just one spell slot and a bonus action. Heck, searing smite literally does the same thing, and just like absorb elements, the damage scales with the slot. But on that note, if my DM rules that I can use my reaction and a bonus action on my turn for leveled spells, I could theoretically scale both spells up for more damage. Still, it's a ton of prep.