Booming Blade being reprinted and nerfed in Tasha's [New Preview Release]

[bendking]

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store...p?id=WOTC5ETCE

In image 3/6 we can see that Booming Blade's range is changed to Self (5-foot radius).
This makes it impossible to use with Warcaster and Twinned Spell. I suspect it also means it can't trigger Sneak Attack.

Personally, I think this is a horrible change to an otherwise amazing cantrip. I'm going to pretend it never happened and keep using the SCAG version.
There's also a bunch of new information in the images, such as some of the Alternate Class Features being printed, but I found this one to be the most worrying.

[Zhorn]

Can only hope it's just an error on Fantasy Ground's side and not in the official print

[CMCC]

Spell sniper is out too, right?

[diplomancer]

Looks like they fixed some of the Ranger's multiclass dip issues by assigning Canny to 1st Level (and I suppose Tireless to 10th, but we can't see it in the screenshot)

They also took out a lot of the best spells they'd added to the Bard's spell list (tiny servant, Tenser's transformation, Maze, among others)

[AttilatheYeon]

Can only hope it's just an error on Fantasy Ground's side and not in the official print

I mean DnD Beyond makes mistakes all the time.

I'm hoping it's now a melee spell attack instead of weapon attack.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I mean DnD Beyond makes mistakes all the time.

I'm hoping it's now a melee spell attack instead of weapon attack.

Seems more like they’re putting the spell in line with branding smite and similar spells.

[MaxWilson]

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store...p?id=WOTC5ETCE

In image 3/6 we can see that Booming Blade's range is changed to Self (5-foot radius).
This makes it impossible to use with Warcaster and Twinned Spell. I suspect it also means it can't trigger Sneak Attack.

Personally, I think this is a horrible change to an otherwise amazing cantrip. I'm going to pretend it never happened and keep using the SCAG version.
There's also a bunch of new information in the images, such as some of the Alternate Class Features being printed, but I found this one to be the most worrying.

I'm sad that they didn't give it a less ridiculous name. "Booming", really?

[Mr Adventurer]

I'm hoping it's now a melee spell attack instead of weapon attack.

That would be a massive oof for Tricksters and EKs.

[diplomancer]

Seems more like they’re putting the spell in line with branding smite and similar spells.

Hey, that means your Steed can twin it!

[Waazraath]

Mhhh. Will have to wait to see the full final version, but if they really are going to errata stuff I can image some other stuff that could use tuning (both up and down) before Booming Blade...

[sithlordnergal]

I'm hoping they don't change Booming Blade up, its pretty perfect as it is. Its a great spell that helps out arcane tricksters and such.

[ProsecutorGodot]

I'm hoping they don't change Booming Blade up, its pretty perfect as it is. Its a great spell that helps out arcane tricksters and such.

It looks like it has similar wording to Steel Wind Strike now, changing "flourish" to "brandish" so I fully expect to see it become a melee spell attack.

Not thrilled about it, I know the spell is a bit unpopular for it's raw strength but I thought it was a positive inclusion despite that.

[HappyDaze]

I am willing to consider this newer version. The current version sits banned and unloved on my shelf within the crapsack that is SCAG.

[ThorOdinson]

Anybody who tells you Booming Blade wasn't OP . . .

[bendking]

Anybody who tells you Booming Blade wasn't OP . . .

It was mostly a buff for classes that needed the buff. Rogue is already one of the worst classes in the game, taking Booming Blade away from him like that is straight-up brutal.
It's not like it was OP on full-casters, which are the strongest classes in the game, so it didn't power creep the game in any way. It mostly propped-up the less powerful classes.

If anything, it made not taking Booming Blade on Rogue a sub-optimal choice, but I didn't mind it that much since Rogue is a low-tier class.
Of course, I would have preferred seeing the Rogue buffed instead of this band-aid solution, but removing the band-aid and not giving a replacement is a bad call.

[AttilatheYeon]

Seems more like they’re putting the spell in line with branding smite and similar spells.

That may be interesting. Bonus action to activate, weapon attack to trigger it.

[Amnestic]

Without reading the full text of the Booming Blade reprint I think it'd still work with Warcaster. The clipped off text mentions "within 5 feet of you. On a hit" before cutting off again. I anticipate that means that it works basically the same as it does now - pick a guy in melee and smack them.

"The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature." is Warcaster's text. Even if it's got a range of Self (5' Radius), the target of the spell is one creature, satisfying Warcaster's requirements. Maybe.

[Waazraath]

It was mostly a buff for classes that needed the buff. Rogue is already one of the worst classes in the game, taking Booming Blade away from him like that is straight-up brutal.
It's not like it was OP on full-casters, which are the strongest classes in the game, so it didn't power creep the game in any way. It mostly propped-up the less powerful classes.

If anything, it made not taking Booming Blade on Rogue a sub-optimal choice, but I didn't mind it that much since Rogue is a low-tier class.
Of course, I would have preferred seeing the Rogue buffed instead of this band-aid solution, but removing the band-aid and not giving a replacement is a bad call.

To be fair, GFB / BB together with sorcerer / quickened spell provided cha based gish builds an extra (extra powerful) attack as a bonus action, and you could make pretty damn hard hitting builds with those.

[Hael]

To be fair, GFB / BB together with sorcerer / quickened spell provided cha based gish builds an extra (extra powerful) attack as a bonus action, and you could make pretty damn hard hitting builds with those.

You could, and in practice it wasn’t that bad bc of how many resources it cost. But they’re definitely targeting tankmage builds. Apparently the shield feat was not included as well, which tells me they’re worried about the interaction with their new racial/lineage system.

[bendking]

To be fair, GFB / BB together with sorcerer / quickened spell provided cha based gish builds an extra (extra powerful) attack as a bonus action, and you could make pretty damn hard hitting builds with those.

Meh, I wouldn't really quicken a Booming Blade all that often,. That's a pretty steep cost to pay for just one attack. And Quickening a leveled spell and then Twinning Booming Blade is even more expensive.
Especially considering you can just take Paladin 6 and have an Extra Attack for free and arguably a better multiclass overall.

[AttilatheYeon]

Without reading the full text of the Booming Blade reprint I think it'd still work with Warcaster. The clipped off text mentions "within 5 feet of you. On a hit" before cutting off again. I anticipate that means that it works basically the same as it does now - pick a guy in melee and smack them.

"The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature." is Warcaster's text. Even if it's got a range of Self (5' Radius), the target of the spell is one creature, satisfying Warcaster's requirements. Maybe.

Range self (5ft) means the spell doesn't only target one creature. Which is the condition of the spell attack instead of OA.

[Waazraath]

Meh, I wouldn't really quicken a Booming Blade all that often,. That's a pretty steep cost to pay for just one attack. And Quickening a leveled spell and then Twinning Booming Blade is even more expensive.
Especially considering you can just take Paladin 6 and have an Extra Attack for free and arguably a better multiclass overall.

Or pally 6 with sorcerer (and maybe some hexblade) and have use a quickened action BB for 2 sor points to make 3 attacks, potentially combining it with GWM or Shadow Blade, or divine smites, or eldritch smites, or some of those together for really hard nova's.

[stoutstien]

Changing target to self wouldn't hurt most characters who want to use BB but it will tamp down on some of the edge cases where it did get silly.

Personally I think the only thing it needs is a save on the secondary effect and cleaner language on what movement triggers it.

[Amnestic]

Range self (5ft) means the spell doesn't only target one creature. Which is the condition of the spell attack instead of OA.

The range just tells you the range of the spell. The text tells you what it targets. We can't see the full text, but what we can see indicates - to me, at least - that the target mechanics are unchanged. That being: Attack a creature (becoming the target of the spell) so long as they are within the range specified. Primal Savagery, for instance, has a range of self. But the target of the spell takes 1d10 damage. Clearly, the caster is not the target of it, otherwise it would literally just hurt themselves. Booming Blade may work the same way.

I could be wrong, of course, but I think speaking as if its definitively removed BB from Warcaster is a mistake.

[Zhorn]

The range just tells you the range of the spell. The text tells you what it targets.

You are right in that we cannot see the full text of the spell, but I'm pretty sure the range of self does eliminate War Caster's compatibility

Warcaster
...
When a hostile creature’s movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature...

I imagine there are going to be some complicated debates on forums over the intended recipients of the spells damage vs the technically worded recipient of the spell effect, but range of 'self' sounds more like an indication of the spell is empowering the attacker, and in turn the attack they make carries the magical oomph (or BOOM if you will). Similar to mentioned earlier with the Smite spells, where the buff is placed on the caster that adds more power to their next attack.
Time will tell, but if word comes of this change being real, it'll just make more tables house ruling Booming Blade compared to now, be it those keeping the old SCAG version, making a new one, or keeping it on the ban list as a few others have already mentioned.

[Hael]

There were a few exploity tricks people did in AL play, involving spellsniper/war caster and reach weapons. I’m pretty sure that was another thing they were targeting with this errata

[cutlery]

Well, this sucks for every EK everywhere, damnit; especially those that took war caster rather than sentinel for exactly this use case.

[bendking]

Or pally 6 with sorcerer (and maybe some hexblade) and have use a quickened action BB for 2 sor points to make 3 attacks, potentially combining it with GWM or Shadow Blade, or divine smites, or eldritch smites, or some of those together for really hard nova's.

Again, 2 Sorcery Points for a single extra attack is almost never worth it in my eyes. As you said, it's a nova option, but nothing more. It's doesn't really tip the balance.

The range just tells you the range of the spell. The text tells you what it targets. We can't see the full text, but what we can see indicates - to me, at least - that the target mechanics are unchanged. That being: Attack a creature (becoming the target of the spell) so long as they are within the range specified. Primal Savagery, for instance, has a range of self. But the target of the spell takes 1d10 damage. Clearly, the caster is not the target of it, otherwise it would literally just hurt themselves. Booming Blade may work the same way.

I could be wrong, of course, but I think speaking as if its definitively removed BB from Warcaster is a mistake.

I hope you're right. If nothing else we are going to need some Sage Advice on this.

[stoutstien]

Game mechanics aside I will say the spell targeting the weapon(self) makes more sense.
It's almost like BB should be two different options. One that channels magic through the user's weapon and another one that creates a weapon for the instance of the attack. Like a single attack instantaneous flame/ shadow blade.

[KorvinStarmast]

Rogue is already one of the worst classes in the game

Nope.

taking Booming Blade away from him like that is straight-up brutal.

Nope.
If you read SCAG, it's a Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer spell. OK, yeah, an Arcane trickster can take it. Our Arcane Trickster gnome doesn't have it and doesn't miss it.

It's not like it was OP on full-casters, which are the strongest classes in the game, so it didn't power creep the game in any way.

On that we agree.

If anything, it made not taking Booming Blade on Rogue a sub-optimal choice, but I didn't mind it that much since Rogue is a low-tier class.

*Facepalm*
The rogue is a well designed class for adventuring, and does well in all three tiers of play.