Hold Monster: So Good It Kinda Sucks
Usable By: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level: 5
School: Enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S, M (a small, straight piece of iron)
Choose a creature that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for the duration. This spell has no effect on undead. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the spell ends on the target.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 5th. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.
Review by Samuel West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Oh, save or dies; what magical moments you lead to. And by magical, I mean miserable. Hold Monster is one of the earliest castable spells that require big bads come with legendary resistance, because if they fail this save, the fight is more or less over. This can be fun the first time it happens, as everyone gangs up and beats the snot out of the dragon that was so menacing just a second ago. After that, it can just make the game feel so stale and coin flippy.
Paralyzing a creature is incapacitating them, but so much better. Not only is the creature unable to act, all attacks against them are made with advantage, and all of them critically hit when they hit. ALL of them. That rogue’s sneak attack damage and paladin’s divine smite damage? Double it.
A single round of paralysis is often all you need with any reasonably competent group. Sure, most groups aren’t reasonably competent by real life standards, but I’m talking about D&D party levels of reasonable competency; they need to have a pulse to absolutely obliterate something paralyzed with Hold Monster.
In combat built around a lone major threat, Hold Monster is likely going to outshine 4th level all-star Banishment, specifically if you’re fighting a plane native. If you’re in a situation where multiple little lads can attempt to free their boss, you probably would rather temporarily remove said boss, deal with the little threats, then Hold Monster it for the big finish.
Hold Person exists, and it is usable on players. I find that there are few ways to more thoroughly demoralize and bore a player than paralyzing their character. You really don’t want to do that; it just builds grudges and makes the whole table feel worse. Hold Monster is a spell that can take an epic, climactic moment a games been building towards against a villain and either waste a players turn (which feels terrible), burn a legendary resistance (which feels only slightly less terrible), or end the encounter early by functionally instantly killing the big bad (which feels terrible for all sides, save the caster).
If you’re playing to win, absolutely take Hold Monster. The spell is undoubtedly powerful, and will lead to many encounters being trivial unless your DM literally builds around it. If you’re playing to have fun, don’t take Hold Monster. Save or dies are truly awful for all parties involved.
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