Magic Stone: I Got a Rock
Usable By: Artificer, Druid, Warlock
Spell Level: 0 (cantrip)
School: Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 minute
Components: V, S
You touch one to three pebbles and imbue them with magic. You or someone else can make a ranged spell attack with one of the pebbles by throwing it or hurling it with a sling. If thrown, it has a range of 60 feet. If someone else attacks with the pebble, that attacker adds your spellcasting ability modifier, not the attacker’s, to the attack roll. On a hit, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier. Hit or miss, the spell then ends on the stone.
If you cast this spell again, the spell ends early on any pebbles still affected by it.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
The shortbow: a pillar of low-level D&D. 1d6+3ish ranged damage requiring only simple weapon proficiency to use. Magic Stone: a bonus action cantrip that gives you a lower range shortbow with the upside of using your casting modifier instead of Dex mod. Cool, I guess?
Here’s my main issue with Magic Stone: if you’re a warlock, shortbows are just an option you have, and you already want a decent Dexterity. If you would want this, you can just take a shortbow and basically get its effect. If you’re a druid, you get a list of a bunch of fairly crappy weapons best among them probably being the sling and scimitar. In that case, you might consider taking Magic Stone, but have to ask yourself if going from 1d4+Dex to 1d6+Wis is worth a cantrip slot when both foundationally hit stuff with pebbles.
Other druid cantrip options I think are going to give you more than enough to justify just using a regular sling in place of Magic Stone if you’re in the market for ranged single target damage. Thorn Whip has interesting positioning opportunities and a good bit of utility, Create Bonfire creates a consistent area of damage, and Frostbite imposes disadvantage on the target's next attack roll if it deals the 1d6 damage. How much more do you value the 3ish damage you’re getting over any of these other options? It can add up over a long campaign, but it definitely is within reason to compare it to these other options. When I do, I’m not really impressed and land at Magic Stone just not doing anything unique enough to justify it.
On the note of using a sling, if the target is further than 30 feet but less than 61 feet away, you’re better off throwing the rock than slinging it. Keeping a sling on you does have the fun upside of giving it a bit more range at disadvantage, so if you do want to Magic Stone, taking a sling as well improves the spell slightly.
Ultimately I like that Magic Stone exists, I just wish it wasn’t only rock based. I like the idea of a cantrip version of Catapult, which this kind of feels like. You may want to pick it up if you want a cantrip that does similar damage to your low level rangers and fighters bow attacks. If you want a bit more out of your cantrips, this isn’t going to do it for you.
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