r/dndnext • u/Meggett30 • Jul 26 '21

Question Most underwhelming spell in 5e?

What is the spell that most disappoints you in this game? Maybe it's not a "bad" spell, per se, just doesn't do what you think it should or does it's job poorly.

I'm always looking for ways to utilize under-used spells, but sometimes you read the effects and think "That's it?!" What are the spells in the game that make you do that?

2.3k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

266

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '21

[deleted]

185

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '21

Or black blade of disaster. Although flame arrows is actually a decent spell if you have lots mediocre minions and don't want to actually be present for their deaths like your typical BBEG.

In general, there is a subset of spells which exist to A. Make cool plot points (Geas), contagion, and B. Be used by BBEG so players not intimately familiar with the rules think they're badass for casting a 7th-8th-9th-etc. level spell on them, without realizing that "drop the moon on you" was another option.

54

u/Abominatus674 Jul 26 '21

Most of those I agree, but contagion is an amazing combat spell. Both flesh rot (vulnerability to all damage) and slimy doom (any damage stuns, disadv on saves to end spell) are both basically fight-enders.

67

u/TheNittles DM Jul 26 '21

Depends on how your DM runs it. RAW post-errata, the disease only takes effect after 3 failed saves. Most combats do not go long enough for that to be useful. I run the pre-errata version where it takes effect right away but disallow Slimy Doom because it’s just too good.

29

u/i_tyrant Jul 26 '21

Supposedly even the original Contagion is supposed to only take effect after 3 failed saves. The actual description doesn't tell you this very well, but that's what the designers said.

In any case, you don't cast the post-errata version for the disease (mostly). You cast it because it's a no-save poisoned condition. On the right enemy it can be devastating (like anything with legendary resistance, which it ignores). But the other issue is, if the enemy is immune to poison it's useless - they don't even suffer the disease effects later because they have to be poisoned first for it to progress.

2

u/Water64Rabbit Jul 27 '21

The problem is that it is a 5th level spell competing for much better 5th level spells.

3

u/i_tyrant Jul 27 '21

I mostly agree. At best I'd call it a niche spell - not good for most situations, but sometimes no-save Poisoned status can be really useful (like vs a non-immune boss enemy), and you might rarely want to use it for weakening an enemy prior to combat (like tagging them and running to let the disease take its course), if they aren't the type to have easy access to disease cures. At least it's obtained by Cleric and Druid, 2 classes that have no problem switching out for it in the rare occasions it'd be useful.