True Strike - How a DM's homebrew helped build a Magic Missile Master

[Rhocian Xothara]

So my 'Curse of Strahd' DM has a homebrew fix for one of the worst cantrips in D&D 5e: True Strike.

It is *another* spell of the same name, designed specifically for Wizards & Sorcerers. Warlocks and Bards have to use the original variant... for some reason. *shrug*

True Strike
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action OR 1 action (depending on target)
Range: Self or 30ft
Components: S
Duration: 1 round
Classes: Wizards & Sorcerers
Your (or a friendly creature's) next attack action receives the following benefits:

It suffers no penalties for attacking an unseen foe
Weapon and spell attacks bypass resistances to non-magical bludgeoning; piercing and slashing damage
You can add 1D4 to either the attack roll OR the damage roll (but not both)
This bonus increases to 2d4 at 5th level; 3D4 at 11th level and 4D4 at 17th level


Casting this spell on a friend that you can see within range requires both verbal and somatic components, as well as a full action. Casting this on yourself only requires somatic components and a bonus action.

Now, my character is a Sorlock. My first reaction was to use this with 'Hex' and 'Witch Bolt', but then I realised that whilst it's good with Witch Bolt, it's downright amazing with Magic Missile.

Turn One:
Bonus Action: Cast 'Hex' on the target. They will now take 1D6 necrotic per attack that hits.
Action: Eldritch Blast (scoring 1D10+3 Force Damage + 1D6 Necrotic damage on a hit, thanks to Agonising Blast)
Turn Two:
Bonus Action: True Strike (applying the bonus to the damage, since there's no attack roll)
Action: Magic Missile (3D4+3 Force + 3D4 TS Damage + 3D6 Necrotic).

Or, putting it this way: as a 4th level sorlock and with a first-turn setup, I can now blow through my 1st-level spell slots to hit for 6D4+3 + 3D6 damage.

Even better: Next level I'll be CL5, so the True Strike dice goes up to 2D4. That'll be 9D4+3 +3D6 damage.

Another option is Scorching Ray (which I'll get at CL6) and - assuming each ray hits - that'll be 6D6 Fire + 6D4 TS damage + 3D6 Necrotic damage.

It seems rather OP (because, y'know... it is. A 17th-level Sorlock will be dealing an average of 136pts of damage with a 9th-level Magic Missile), but my DM's game is equally difficult and very 'grimdark'. Last night we watched our Tabaxi Rogue get ripped in half by two heads of a False Hydra who dealt an average of 22pts of damage per head. For the record, we're 4th level, failed every single Saving Throw, and couldn't roll above single digits to *literally* save our lives, hence why I resorted to Magic Missile instead of Witch Bolt.

So I think this homebrew was a way to try and balance the books somewhat. But we'll see - i'll enjoy using it for as long as he lets me! :smallbiggrin:

[ixrisor]

True strike applies only to the “attack” action, casting magic missile is a “cast a spell” action. This doesn’t work unfortunately.

[Rhocian Xothara]

True strike applies only to the “attack” action, casting magic missile is a “cast a spell” action. This doesn’t work unfortunately.

True. It's a homebrew spell and the DM intended for it to work with spell attacks (he was the one who gave me the idea for using it with Magic Missile!), so it's a case of re-wording the homebrewed spell more than anything else.

Considering the context of everything laid out above I'm guessing you just read the title and hit "reply to thread"?

[Lalliman]

Magic Missile isn't a spell attack either. I'd be pretty worried about the DM adding homebrew when he apparently lacks a basic understanding of the mechanics.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Pay attention, unless changed by the DM you can't cast a centrip with BA and a spell with an Action.
The rule says that if you cast a spell with a BA(and a centrip is a spell) you can only cast a centrip with an action.
Not a leveled spell.

[AttilatheYeon]

Hex doesn't work with magic missile. Magic missile doesn't require an attack roll, hex adds damage to attack rolls. Hexblades curse does work with MM. If you can respec your lock to hexblade, you'll be golden.

[JackPhoenix]

True. It's a homebrew spell and the DM intended for it to work with spell attacks (he was the one who gave me the idea for using it with Magic Missile!), so it's a case of re-wording the homebrewed spell more than anything else.

Considering the context of everything laid out above I'm guessing you just read the title and hit "reply to thread"?

The context is "Look at this homebrew, I'm using it wrong and it's great!" There's nothing suggesting the GM intends it to be used with Magic Missile or any other spell in the OP.

[rlc]

Also, too strong for a cantrip

[DwarfFighter]

So my 'Curse of Strahd' DM has a homebrew fix for one of the worst cantrips in D&D 5e: True Strike.

It is *another* spell of the same name, designed specifically for Wizards & Sorcerers. Warlocks and Bards have to use the original variant... for some reason. *shrug*

True Strike
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action OR 1 action (depending on target)
Range: Self or 30ft
Components: S
Duration: 1 round
Classes: Wizards & Sorcerers
[I]Your (or a friendly creature's) next attack action receives the following benefits:

It suffers no penalties for attacking an unseen foe
Weapon and spell attacks bypass resistances to non-magical bludgeoning; piercing and slashing damage
You can add 1D4 to either the attack roll OR the damage roll (but not both)
This bonus increases to 2d4 at 5th level; 3D4 at 11th level and 4D4 at 17th level




Is this still a cantrip, or is it as OP says: Literally a "spell of the same name"? If so, what level is this?

I have several issues with this as an inappropriately powered cantrip.

There is no rationale for how it works. The original says "Your magic grants you a brief insight into the target's defenses." Here, apparently, the selected target of the spell is not an enemy that is "marked", but instead another character (presumably an ally!) that gains some level of precognition.

The affected character gains benefits against any target, to be determined at the time they attack and not at the time of the casting. This carte blanche is quite a step up from the original cantrip.

Casting time varies according to target? Is it a bonus action to target yourself or an ally?

You can ignore penalties for targeting an unseen creature. There is a paradox here: If you are guessing the location of the target, shouldn't your momentary precognition make you wise to whether or not the guess is correct? Supposedly it's a matter of selecting the right way to execute your attack to bypass the target's defenses, but if there is no target you should be able to foresee that the guess is wrong, which in turn means you can eliminate all locations where there is no target, which is the same as saying you can detect the location of unseen targets.

Ignoring damage resistance for non-magical physical effects. This I find jarring: It seems obvious to me that a Ghost has damage resistances due to its substance being... insubstantial. The idea that you can bypass that by hitting it in the "right spot" seems weird to me. Then again I don't question how it can be susceptible to Finesse weapons or critical hits, so that's me holding a double standard, I will admit.

The brief statement that the benefits apply to the "next attack action" is a bit of a trip-up for those that want to apply this anything other than weapon attacks: casting spells are not attack actions in 5e. Then again, the "ignore resistances" clause seem to suggest that this can benefit spell attacks too.

It is not a concentration spell, which is pretty high-powered considering the smorgasbord of benefits.

All in all this doesn't look like a fix to the True Strike cantrip, but a whole different magic.

Note: After reading how hyped OP is about this thing I almost feel bad for nit-picking. The game is about having fun, after all!

[sophontteks]

Woof. A horribly OP homebrew cantrip on top of the DM allowing spells to work on the attack action and allowing leveled spells to be cast after a cantrip.

Not sure what kind of responses you are looking for. You seem to be enjoying it. It feels like cheating to me. But it's your game so have fun.

[Evaar]

True. It's a homebrew spell and the DM intended for it to work with spell attacks

Then it shouldn't say:

[I]Your (or a friendly creature's) next attack action receives the following benefits:

[brainface]

It should probably only add 1d4 to one magic missile (or one attack in the case of extra attack, etc.)

The bonus action spell restriction is an issue, of course, but i'd still be casting it left and right to add d4 to cantrip spells, because why not?


Magic Missile isn't a spell attack either. I'd be pretty worried about the DM adding homebrew when he apparently lacks a basic understanding of the mechanics.
This feels a little harsh, to be honest. I think most of us started making house rules since we started playing rpgs, possibly at the age of 12, back when I'm not sure the designers understood the mechanics. It's fine!

[sophontteks]

This feels a little harsh, to be honest. I think most of us started making house rules since we started playing rpgs, possibly at the age of 12, back when I'm not sure the designers understood the mechanics. It's fine!
I think it's a fair comment as a strictly personal opinion. No need to be harsh for sure. But, there are players who'd look at these rulings and lose some confidence in how everything else would pan out.

I'd be weary too, especially at level 5. Even if the DM continued to allow it, you'd also want to make sure the other players are having fun too.

[HPisBS]

Then it shouldn't say:
"Your (or a friendly creature's) next attack action receives the following benefits:"

Yep. It should say the "next attack roll."

But even then, it'd still be improper to apply to Magic Missile because that spell doesn't include any attack rolls; the damage just happens automatically.


This is your and your DM's game, obviously, but this version is so good that everyone who can have it should have it and use it nearly every turn because why not? Free bonuses are free bonuses. That makes it imbalanced and deserving of scaling back, imo.

I see two good options:
1)
True Strike
Divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action or 1 action
Range: Self or 30 feet
Components: S or V,S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
Your magic guides the target's next attack, helping their weapon or spell to strike true. The target's next attack roll is made with advantage, provided this spell hasn't already ended.
You may use somatic components to cast this spell with a range of Self as a bonus action, or verbal and somatic components to cast this spell with a range of 30 ft as an action. Casting this cantrip as a bonus action does not prevent you from casting a spell of 1st level or higher with your action in the same turn.

or 2)
Use that ^ text, but drop the concentration and change the last line to a reminder that you can't use an action to cast a leveled spell in the same turn that you cast any spell with a bonus action.


Either of those should provide a buff that's significant but not excessive. And the way your DM has it now is excessive. A Paladin or other martial could dip Sorc (or just Magic Initiate) and then ultimately get +10 on an attack / damage roll every turn at lvl 17, while giving up nothing at all.

Instead, it'd be better to let it provide a nice buff like advantage, but still require some kind of tradeoff.

(Honestly though, either of those may still be a tad much for a cantrip. Especially at lvl 1.)