How Do You(r) DMs Use Heat Metal?

[SociopathFriend]

Rather simple but how do you- as players or DMs- rule the Heat Metal spell?

How have you seen it used? How have you used it yourself?

Are there any caveats, concessions, or nitpicks you or someone else has employed to push the spell in a given direction?

[OzDragon]

Rather simple but how do you- as players or DMs- rule the Heat Metal spell?

How have you seen it used? How have you used it yourself?

Are there any caveats, concessions, or nitpicks you or someone else has employed to push the spell in a given direction?

I don't understand the first question. We rule it how it's written up in the PHB.

Yes we have used it as players and yes I have used it as a DM.

I don't see the need for caveats or concessions can you please explain?

[Unoriginal]

Rather simple but how do you- as players or DMs- rule the Heat Metal spell?

Heat Metal is a pretty straightforward spell, very useful against many armor users and quite a few weapon users. Outside of Humanoids, Constructs, and sometime Giants it will be less useful though.

A memorable use of it was in a Tomb of Annihilation livestream, against some constructs who were covered in chains.



Are there any caveats, concessions, or nitpicks you or someone else has employed to push the spell in a given direction?

Not sure I understand the question.


I don't understand the first question. We rule it how it's written up in the PHB.

Me neither, to be honest.

[RogueJK]

It's best against metal armor wearers, considering it takes 1-5 minutes to remove armor, so they don't have the option to "drop" the armor to avoid the damage and disadvantage.

Secondarily useful for potentially disarming a big melee weapon wielder, like that enemy Barbarian Chieftan with a Greatsword.

But as noted, it's not as useful if you're not fighting humanoids with metal armor/weapons very often.

[Tanarii]

How have you seen it used? How have you used it yourself?Usually see it used against humanoid leaders. Often that results in them directing their minions to Kill The Witch!

I've usually used it against party tanks. Sometimes that results in them switching targets trying to take down concentration. Depends if its a boss monster caster with chumpy minion physical attackers that arent much of a threat to a heavily armored tank at lower levels, or chump caster minions supporting a dangerous bbeg at higher levels.

[SociopathFriend]

I don't understand the first question. We rule it how it's written up in the PHB.

I mean I have seen ideas for the spell to be tweaked as it's considered too strong/weak.

So I added that in just to be complete about this sort of thing.




I don't see the need for caveats or concessions can you please explain?

I don't see a NEED for them either but I thought it worth asking if anyone has any such things.


I recently encountered someone who automatically makes any enemy afflicted hug someone without hesitation or the disadvantage because he views the spell as unfair. It's not how I would run it but it's what he does as DM. I have never played D&D with this person.


I myself have never gotten to use it as when I told my DM I had it- we proceeded to not run into metal-armored enemies for half a year real-time and every weapon was wood, stone, or bone- and even if it WAS metal it was ruled the hilt being some other material meant the spell failed.

I stopped preparing it and metal-susceptible enemies started showing back up.
This was not recent at all mind you but just my only interaction with the spell in 5e.


So I'm frankly just curious if the spell is commonly thought of as a problem or not and, if so, how it is 'fixed'.

[OzDragon]

I mean I have seen ideas for the spell to be tweaked as it's considered too strong/weak.

So I added that in just to be complete about this sort of thing.




I don't see a NEED for them either but I thought it worth asking if anyone has any such things.


I recently encountered someone who automatically makes any enemy afflicted hug someone without hesitation or the disadvantage because he views the spell as unfair. It's not how I would run it but it's what he does as DM. I have never played D&D with this person.


I myself have never gotten to use it as when I told my DM I had it- we proceeded to not run into metal-armored enemies for half a year real-time and every weapon was wood, stone, or bone- and even if it WAS metal it was ruled the hilt being some other material meant the spell failed.

I stopped preparing it and metal-susceptible enemies started showing back up.
This was not recent at all mind you but just my only interaction with the spell in 5e.


So I'm frankly just curious if the spell is commonly thought of as a problem or not and, if so, how it is 'fixed'.

I would never play DnD with these people as the DM

The spell is fine as written no need for changes.

[elyktsorb]

I've never actually had a DM use this against a player. Though I've also not played a lot of games where any of the players wear metal armor, and where most of them have more than one weapon. So, I guess it's just never been useful to them.

On the other hand, I've used heat metal a lot as a player, and usually when I use it, I use it on armor, and usually the DM's reaction when they ask for a save, and I tell them it's only for when I target a weapon, they seem to pause for a moment, as if wondering if I'm trying to cheat them, but then they usually accept it.

[Segev]

The players in my ToA game have taken to using it on Tomb Guardians.

[Unoriginal]

I recently encountered someone who automatically makes any enemy afflicted hug someone without hesitation or the disadvantage because he views the spell as unfair.

That's... weird, but eh.



I myself have never gotten to use it as when I told my DM I had it- we proceeded to not run into metal-armored enemies for half a year real-time and every weapon was wood, stone, or bone- and even if it WAS metal it was ruled the hilt being some other material meant the spell failed.

I stopped preparing it and metal-susceptible enemies started showing back up.
This was not recent at all mind you but just my only interaction with the spell in 5e.


So I'm frankly just curious if the spell is commonly thought of as a problem or not and, if so, how it is 'fixed'.

That's a DM horror story right here. I second the sentiment, I would never play a RPG with that kind of passive aggressive jerk.

[Theodoric]

Have had some fun experiences with it as a DM. The Troglodyte ruler in Forge of Fury had a key around his neck, for instance; I allowed that to do damage. My players generally aren't that intensely aware of all their abilities, so I like to throw them a bone when they come up with interesting applications beyond simply doing damage (like disarming an enemy by heating up their weapon). In my current campaign the bandit leader-baddie has an iron token through which he uses to access his hag-pact powers, I hope the players are aware enough to use that.

[Telok]

It got whacked. DM cut it to a max of 5 rounds and no disadvantage.

Noob DM, OotA, full caster party where 3 PCs had it. We'd learned that drow were hunting us and were talking about ambushing & backtracking them for speed leveling & loot. DM had a hard time just flipping back and forth with the maps, module stat blocks, & MM stat blocks. Couldn't manage that and custom npcs with non-standard armor.

[Sigreid]

I don't think anyone on either side of the DM screen has used heat metal since we started 5e.

[Azuresun]

So I'm frankly just curious if the spell is commonly thought of as a problem or not and, if so, how it is 'fixed'.

In future, I'd probably houserule that if it targets something that can't be dropped, then it allows a CON save to negate. Being able to slap someone with no-save disadvantage is pretty OP, and it's one more factor that tends to trivialise boss fights, which are already damn hard to run. It's one of those things where yes, I could warp the world, the things PC's encounter and the tactics of enemies around a single level 2 spell, but I regard a precision nerf as less work.

[RifleAvenger]

The only adjustment I'd possibly consider is having the effect end if both the caster and the target are out of the initial 60ft range for longer than 1 round. Or houserule that the bonus action to repeat the damage requires the caster to be within 60ft of the target. It makes the tactic of casting the spell and then running away until the victim dies a bit harder to pull off, without making it impossible.

However, I think such a change would only be necessary at a table where the players will both readily use that sort of tactic AND resent similar things being done to them in return.

[elyktsorb]

Oh I did forget one encounter, where I used Heat Metal on a Frost Giant who happened to be wearing metal armor. The DM rolled a Strength Save for the Frost Giant and allowed it to tear off it's armor, making it completely useless, but letting it get out of the Heat Metal

[Unoriginal]

Oh I did forget one encounter, where I used Heat Metal on a Frost Giant who happened to be wearing metal armor. The DM rolled a Strength Save for the Frost Giant and allowed it to tear off it's armor, making it completely useless, but letting it get out of the Heat Metal

Well losing 5-7 points of AC is still pretty worthwhile overall.

[KorvinStarmast]

Rather simple but how do you- as players or DMs- rule the Heat Metal spell? I use it was written. We had a dwarf fighter cook for a bit before one of the other characters hit the mephis who had cast it on him. Broke the concentration.

[Unoriginal]

I use it was written. We had a dwarf fighter cook for a bit before one of the other characters hit the mephis who had cast it on him. Broke the concentration.

Oh yeah, I forgot Mephits have that spell. Man I love those elemental jerks.

[KorvinStarmast]

Oh yeah, I forgot Mephits have that spell. Man I love those elemental jerks.They can be quite annoying. :smallcool:

[Lord Vukodlak]

For our group the weapon has to be made mostly out of metal and close to where you grip it. A great axe might have a big wooden handle but the amount of metal is going to heat up the wood. But a pole arm is going to have the metal parts further away from where you grip.

If one wanted to spit hairs and say an great axe welder is immune because of the wooded handle then so are most sword users. The grip was usually made of wood, leather possibly ivory for a real high class sword.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ac92d7e3fa5df4a21e32f5478da66014-c

Armor also has padding between you and the metal so donÂ’t let. DM use the excuse you arenÂ’t actually touching the metal so itÂ’s fine.

[SpanielBear]

For our group the weapon has to be made mostly out of metal and close to where you grip it. A great axe might have a big wooden handle but the amount of metal is going to heat up the wood. But a pole arm is going to have the metal parts further away from where you grip.

If one wanted to spit hairs and say an great axe welder is immune because of the wooded handle then so are most sword users. The grip was usually made of wood, leather possibly ivory for a real high class sword.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ac92d7e3fa5df4a21e32f5478da66014-c

Armor also has padding between you and the metal so donÂ’t let. DM use the excuse you arenÂ’t actually touching the metal so itÂ’s fine.

Sorry, I’m confused. I don’t disagree that heat metal should heat a sword or armour in your examples, as the padding is a) relatively thin and b) not heat proof to the standard required. That’s fine.

But why should heat weapon not work on a polearm but does on a great-axe? Unless the polearm is a pike, I believe halberds, spears and glaives etc have hafts of a comparable length to a great-axe.

[Unoriginal]

For our group the weapon has to be made mostly out of metal and close to where you grip it. A great axe might have a big wooden handle but the amount of metal is going to heat up the wood. But a pole arm is going to have the metal parts further away from where you grip.

If one wanted to spit hairs and say an great axe welder is immune because of the wooded handle then so are most sword users. The grip was usually made of wood, leather possibly ivory for a real high class sword.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ac92d7e3fa5df4a21e32f5478da66014-c

Armor also has padding between you and the metal so donÂ’t let. DM use the excuse you arenÂ’t actually touching the metal so itÂ’s fine.

A few centimeters of sword hilt aren't going to protect your hand when the whole metal of the blade heats up.

[Valmark]

But why should heat weapon not work on a polearm but does on a great-axe? Unless the polearm is a pike, I believe halberds, spears and glaives etc have hafts of a comparable length to a great-axe.

Generally spears etc. Have a longer haft then a great-axe and aren't wielded in the same manner (though to be fair great-axe weren't used much in the first place).

[SpanielBear]

Generally spears etc. Have a longer haft then a great-axe and aren't wielded in the same manner (though to be fair great-axe weren't used much in the first place).

Yeah, they were a weapon used very rarely, I’m aware. And I’ll accept that they are used differently from a spear, but halberd and glaive? It’s still a chop/slash no, using the haft for leverage?

[Valmark]

Yeah, they were a weapon used very rarely, I’m aware. And I’ll accept that they are used differently from a spear, but halberd and glaive? It’s still a chop/slash no, using the haft for leverage?

Yes but the lenght is different- according to internet for example an halberd was 5-6 feet long, axes reached 4 feets (I apoligize if that's not actually very different, I use metres. Should be a decent distance thought).

Generally this means one will have a longer reach and the other more force (since you grip it closer to the head). Somebody actually expert of this stuff would be able to say more, I don't usually wield axes and/or spears.

What this means for Heat Metal is that you have lot more ground to cover before the heat gets through the wood on a glaive.

[SpanielBear]

Yes but the lenght is different- according to internet for example an halberd was 5-6 feet long, axes reached 4 feets (I apoligize if that's not actually very different, I use metres. Should be a decent distance thought).

Generally this means one will have a longer reach and the other more force (since you grip it closer to the head). Somebody actually expert of this stuff would be able to say more, I don't usually wield axes and/or spears.

What this means for Heat Metal is that you have lot more ground to cover before the heat gets through the wood on a glaive.

I guess that’s a fair point. Although a mischievous DM might rule that the heat metal causes the head to break off, leaving the wielder with a fancy new quarterstaff.

(I wouldn’t do that to a player’s weapon, but I might throw a player who cast it on a halberd that bone. No damage, as suggested.)