Frostbite: Vicious Mockery Without the Fun
Usable By: Artificer, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level: Cantrip
School: Evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V, S
You cause numbing frost to form on one creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d6 cold damage, and it has disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
At Higher Levels. The spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Yelling obscenities at a goblin so well it mentally breaks down is the main selling point to me of Vicious Mockery. The fantasy it's selling has become more iconic to the bard class than their bardic inspiration. Mechanically, Vicious Mockery has always stood out to me as a superbly designed spell. It's a supportive tool that sells the fantasy of a class in a creative way, and deals a bit of damage to prop it up and make it easy to use.
Enter Frostbite: a cantrip that has nearly identical text with tiny shifts in power. You’re trading d4s of psychic damage for a d6s of cold and a Wisdom save for a Constitution save. In exchange for the lost damage, Frostbite loses imposing disadvantage on spell attack rolls. In the vast majority of cases, that won’t matter, as the monsters usually are smacking you around with axes, tentacles, and their bodies.
While I’m not opposed to introducing more effects like Vicious Mockery, I do feel like Frostbite takes what was once a tool unique to bards and fitting for them to have and gives it out to every other class that could want it. This, to some level, homogenizes the full casters more. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it opens up players to get more of exactly what they want on their character sheet, but it also makes each character a little less unique as they are using tools that can be found on a lot more characters.
Frostbite is something I don’t think the game needed, and I much would rather see new spell effects like Mind Sliver add new tools characters can use. That being said, it's a solid option for the full casters and artificers who are looking to get a bit more utility in combat out of their cantrips. You probably won’t be casting all too much at higher levels, but in the first few levels of the game it can offer a pretty substantial advantage, and doesn’t cost much damage to use. Instead of a d10 fire damage, you can get a d6 cold damage with some protection. If that’s something you’re in the market for, Frostbite will serve you well.
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