Evocer's Potent Cantrip - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Proin Sep 11, 2014 21:52:57	Potent Cantrip is the level 6 ability for Evocer Wizards; it causes all cantrips to do half-damage on a successful save instead of no damage. The problem is there are only two damaging cantrips that even have saving throws associated with them, and one of them is a conjuration spell, not an evocation. Should this ability maybe be a bit more tailored to evocation cantrips? Something like "you evocation cantrips do half-damage when they would otherwise do no damage due to a saving throw or a miss on a spell-attack"? Or is there something I'm missing completely?
#2 superknud Sep 11, 2014 21:56:46	it originally listed the 'on a miss' in the play test, but the developers wanted to get away from misses doing damage which is why great weapon fighting was changed. Also, the potent cantrip does not list only evocation cantrips, only says cantrips, so both should be allowed to gain half damage on saves.
(Reply to #2) Proin	superknud wrote:
(Reply to #3) 2Chlorobutanal	Actually I don't think any Evocation spells benefit from Potent Cantrip: both acid splash and poison spray are Conjuration spells. So you basically get to choose between a spell like fire bolt that will do 4d10+5 damage (0 on miss) or poison spray that will do 4d12 (half on save). Roughly 13.5 expected damage from fire bolt versus 19.5 from poison spray, assuming a 50% miss/save rate. I guess Potent Cantrip wins out over Empowered Evocation, at least at higher levels, if poison spray's range and acid splash's situational value don't turn you off.
(Reply to #4) Proin	2Chlorobutanal wrote:

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Proin

Sep 11, 2014 21:52:57

Potent Cantrip is the level 6 ability for Evocer Wizards; it causes all cantrips to do half-damage on a successful save instead of no damage.

The problem is there are only two damaging cantrips that even have saving throws associated with them, and one of them is a conjuration spell, not an evocation.

Should this ability maybe be a bit more tailored to evocation cantrips? Something like "you evocation cantrips do half-damage when they would otherwise do no damage due to a saving throw or a miss on a spell-attack"?

Or is there something I'm missing completely?

superknud

Sep 11, 2014 21:56:46

it originally listed the 'on a miss' in the play test, but the developers wanted to get away from misses doing damage which is why great weapon fighting was changed. Also, the potent cantrip does not list only evocation cantrips, only says cantrips, so both should be allowed to gain half damage on saves.

(Reply to #2)

Proin

superknud wrote:

(Reply to #3)

2Chlorobutanal

Actually I don't think any Evocation spells benefit from Potent Cantrip: both acid splash and poison spray are Conjuration spells.

So you basically get to choose between a spell like fire bolt that will do 4d10+5 damage (0 on miss) or poison spray that will do 4d12 (half on save).

Roughly 13.5 expected damage from fire bolt versus 19.5 from poison spray, assuming a 50% miss/save rate. I guess Potent Cantrip wins out over Empowered Evocation, at least at higher levels, if poison spray's range and acid splash's situational value don't turn you off.

(Reply to #4)

Proin

2Chlorobutanal wrote: