Phhase
2023-02-08, 01:26 AM
Sword Burst isn't very good. For those who don't know, this is what it does:
Sword Burst
Conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (5-foot radius)
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous
You create a momentary circle of spectral blades that sweep around you. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 force damage.
This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
In the interest of fairness, this does give us a scant few pros.
Good damage type.
Castable while your hands are full.
Can potentially hit up to 17 creatures, assuming you're hemispherically surrounded and on a frictionless plane.
Not a great deal. What are the cons?
Mediocre at best damage die.
Requires a save, which is usually less powerful than an attack roll.
Targets a poor save, especially at the levels for which it's useful.
No riders or partial effects.
Requires the caster to be in melee range of at least one, if not more enemies.
Requires the caster to not do something better with their turn.
I think there's a really cool niche here for that storm of blades iaijutsu style attack that's just not being served. What if, instead, Sword Burst was like this?
Sword Burst
Transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (5-foot radius)
Components: S, M(A weapon of a type that normally deals slashing damage)
Duration: Instantaneous
You make a lightning-quick series of cuts with the brandished weapon. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suffer the effects of an attack with the weapon used as a material component. Treat the weapon's primary damage die as 1d6 for this attack. The hand that wields the weapon used as a material component can also provide the somatic component.
This spell's primary damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
This makes the following changes:
Damage type has been demoted, but now scales with your equipment. This means that once you start getting magic weapons, the cantrip remains relevant in edge cases where you're in multi-man-melee.
The ability modifier you use to attack is now added to the damage, but dice size is demoted (in most cases). This makes the damage more competitive, but keeps it from going nutty by dint of requiring one to be MAD if they want to optimize both damage and the save.
The cantrip now allows one to add effects like bonus elemental damage from a magical weapon, or poison on attacks.
"A weapon type that normally deals slashing damage." allows one to use a weapon that would normally be a slashing weapon (like a sun blade) to be used.
What do you think? This design still requires one to be in melee combat with more than one enemy in order to be worth it, and isn't actually an attack (so no maneuvers or other effects not native to the weapon) so I (think?) multiattacking might still be better in some situations at higher levels. Perhaps this would be useful for a gish of some sort?
Sword Burst
Conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (5-foot radius)
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous
You create a momentary circle of spectral blades that sweep around you. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 force damage.
This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
In the interest of fairness, this does give us a scant few pros.
Good damage type.
Castable while your hands are full.
Can potentially hit up to 17 creatures, assuming you're hemispherically surrounded and on a frictionless plane.
Not a great deal. What are the cons?
Mediocre at best damage die.
Requires a save, which is usually less powerful than an attack roll.
Targets a poor save, especially at the levels for which it's useful.
No riders or partial effects.
Requires the caster to be in melee range of at least one, if not more enemies.
Requires the caster to not do something better with their turn.
I think there's a really cool niche here for that storm of blades iaijutsu style attack that's just not being served. What if, instead, Sword Burst was like this?
Sword Burst
Transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (5-foot radius)
Components: S, M(A weapon of a type that normally deals slashing damage)
Duration: Instantaneous
You make a lightning-quick series of cuts with the brandished weapon. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suffer the effects of an attack with the weapon used as a material component. Treat the weapon's primary damage die as 1d6 for this attack. The hand that wields the weapon used as a material component can also provide the somatic component.
This spell's primary damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
This makes the following changes:
Damage type has been demoted, but now scales with your equipment. This means that once you start getting magic weapons, the cantrip remains relevant in edge cases where you're in multi-man-melee.
The ability modifier you use to attack is now added to the damage, but dice size is demoted (in most cases). This makes the damage more competitive, but keeps it from going nutty by dint of requiring one to be MAD if they want to optimize both damage and the save.
The cantrip now allows one to add effects like bonus elemental damage from a magical weapon, or poison on attacks.
"A weapon type that normally deals slashing damage." allows one to use a weapon that would normally be a slashing weapon (like a sun blade) to be used.
What do you think? This design still requires one to be in melee combat with more than one enemy in order to be worth it, and isn't actually an attack (so no maneuvers or other effects not native to the weapon) so I (think?) multiattacking might still be better in some situations at higher levels. Perhaps this would be useful for a gish of some sort?