Evocation Wizards, Overchannel, Cantrips and You!

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

RGThigpen

Aug 19, 2014 16:27:15

I did a search on the forum for "overchannel" and nothing came up, so hoping this isn't a re-post of a previous question buuuut....

 

The wording for Overchannel says : 

 

If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 2d12 necrotic damage for each level of the spell, immediately after you cast it. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage per spell level increases by 1d12.

#2

Ahglock

Aug 19, 2014 16:38:21

There is an oops it's not supposed to work in cantrips tweet from mearls. I can't find the thread where it was discussed. Go go phone power. 

#3

reddaemon

Aug 19, 2014 16:39:44

I don't know where this tweet is either, but it was suggested by developers as a houserule to make cantrips do 1d12 damage.

#4

2Chlorobutanal

Aug 19, 2014 16:51:44

There are two general philosophies about this issue:

 

1. Use the OP's interpretation, which is the written rule, and simply note that a wizard who overchannels cantrips all day is essentially locking themselves out of larger overchanneled spells.  (If I overchannel fire bolt 5 times and then try to overchannel a cone of cold, I'm taking 30d12 damage and probably dying).  This essentially gives Evokers a class feature that nearly doubles the damage of their cantrips, and can be manipulated to still allow one or a few higher-level spells being overchanneled before the caster reverts to only overchanneling his or her cantrips.

 

2. Use the lead designer's suggested amended rule, which causes cantrips to deal 1d12 damage when overchanneled - possibly increased based on the number of times Overchannel has been used, or simply a flat 1d12 regardless of the number of previous overchanneled spells.  In either case, using Overchannel on a 1st-level spell or higher would still incur the increased damage to the caster for every cantrip overchanneled that day.

#5

Dastion

Aug 19, 2014 20:59:18

Mike Mearls suggested that they only take the stacking d12 portion of the damage, so a cantrip wouldn't begin to cause damage until the third use of the feature.