5e pls peach Divination Cantrip

[BerzerkerUnit]

Divination Cantrip:
Dire Prophecy
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range 30
Target: 1 creature you can see
Duration: 1 Round
You intone a dire proclamation about the target’s immediate fate.
The target makes a Charisma saving throw. On a failure the target takes 1d6 Psychic Damage. The target takes an additional 1d6 psychic damage the first time it takes damage before the end of your next turn. The secondary damage increases by 1d6 at levels 5, 11, and 17.
Targets reduced to 0 hitpoints by the initial damage of this cantrip are incapacitated rather than dead or dying.
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Targets a weak save bc initial damage stays low and secondary damage isn’t guaranteed, but it can be improved with a Crit.

Figure it’s good for Eldritch Knights, Witchtype warlock’s that want to buff an ally.

At low level it allows an ally without a magic weapon to damage a creature that’s immune or resistant to weapon damage. Etc.

Edits: added casting time, increased duration to end of your next turn. I guess that makes it a spam option, but no where in the neighborhood of Eldritch Blast, the only Cantrip worth spamming.

[JNAProductions]

I'm assuming it takes an action to cast. If yes... Looks fine.

[nickl_2000]

incapacitated from the initial damage if they are knocked to 0 hp? Wouldn't they be knocked "unconscious and stable" (per PHB wording) instead?

[Yakk]

A bit strong at level 1, weak by level 17. (If you are doing any kind of focus fire, the 2d6 at level 1 will go off reliably).

Meanwhile, by level 17, it is sub-par damage even if it does go off.

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I'd be tempted to make it more unique. Strip off the initial damage, and maybe grant advantage on the next attack on the target.

Now it becomes an upside down mockery.

[BerzerkerUnit]

A bit strong at level 1, weak by level 17. (If you are doing any kind of focus fire, the 2d6 at level 1 will go off reliably).

Meanwhile, by level 17, it is sub-par damage even if it does go off.

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I'd be tempted to make it more unique. Strip off the initial damage, and maybe grant advantage on the next attack on the target.

Now it becomes an upside down mockery.

I don’t think it’s subpar damage at any point in the character’s career. Like most cantrips, it’s less useful when slots can see you through multiple encounters, but psychic vs a typically weak save and above average damage at the cost of having an ally also deal damage seems good to me. It’s intended as a flavorful option, not something to chase a meta.

[Yakk]

It is 5d6 damage after the second rider kicks off. That is 17.5.

A bit less than sacred flame at 18.

At level 1, it does a bit more than Toll the Dead on a wounded target.

It goes from top-tier damage down to ok damage from level 1 to 20.

If you don't want it really strong damage at level 1, lower it there.

You could make it 1d4/1d4 at level 1, then 1d8/1d8 at level 5, 1d12/1d12 at level 11, then 1d12/2d12 at level 17?

That would make it track 1d8 damage per tier.

5 vs 4.5 at 1
9 vs 9 at 5
13 vs 13.5 at 11
19.5 vs 18 at 17

Or make it 1d4/2d4/3d4/4d4 for both initial and extra damage at 1/5/11/17.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Thank you for the feedback!

Damage is intended to be above average bc of the risk inherent in its design. A target that might be killed by 2d6 may get to take another action before the additional d6 is dealt.

Iirc Mindspike was errata’d to be all d8s (def didn’t like the d8/d6 split) and I wouldn’t want to use a dice split as precedent. I guess bringing it up to d8s wouldn’t be too bad, but as psychic just about nothing resists it, vs say fire, Necrotic, or poison, the Cantrip types that deal the most damage.

[Yakk]

Sure, I'm sayig make it 1d4 on hit, 1d4 on repeat.

Then at level 5, up both to 2d4, and at level 11 both to 3d4 and level 17 both to 4d4.

Or, if you think it deserves even higher damage, make it 1d6 with both being updated.

But I still maintain it being pure damage is a bit boring.