Pyrotechnics: About as Exciting as Sparklers

Usable By: Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

Spell Level: 2

School: Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Duration: Instantaneous

Components: V, S

Choose an area of flame that you can see and that can fit within a 5-foot cube within range. You can extinguish the fire in that area, and you create either fireworks or smoke.

Fireworks. The target explodes with a dazzling display of colors. Each creature within 10 feet of the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become blinded until the end of your next turn.

Smoke. Thick black smoke spreads out from the target in a 20-foot radius, moving around corners. The area of the smoke is heavily obscured. The smoke persists for 1 minute or until a strong wind disperses it.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

Pyrotechnics would have you believe it was for creating fantastical fire effects, giant bursts of flames that can do all kinds of mystical effects. Practically, while the words imply that’s what’s going on, what Pyrotechnics ACTUALLY does is so boring; no charms, no dazzles. Just a quick blind or Darkness effect in a pinch. What really guts the spell in its entirety is its need to be used on MUNDANE fire within the area.

Without the condition, each of these effects (Fireworks, Smoke) are fine. I’m not crazy about Darkness builds, as I find they can end up being more of a liability than a perk with a lot of parties. An area effect temporary blind could be somewhat useful, and could be worth a 2nd level slot; it empowers allies while debuffing enemies all at the same time. Unfortunately, you don’t really have the best ability to use this as you’d like because…

Non-magical fire isn’t everywhere. In fact, to get non-magical fire somewhere, you have to spend precious actions moving it around. Sure, a torch can suffice as the necessary mundane flame, but getting things within twenty feet for the smoke effect or ten feet for the blind makes it so practically you need to spend too much effort to get these modes to work. If you have to spend actions throwing a torch or otherwise moving it where you want, this effect becomes so much more effort to enable than it rewards you with. It pigeon holes this effect to be predominately a smokescreen to aid in defense or flight, and makes the blind feel nearly unusable.

I want to like Pyrotechnics; I want this to be a brilliant display of explosions used to apply nifty conditions. The words here just make it not really that, and the mechanics force its user and their friends to bend over backwards for a mediocre spell effect. Why cast this when Blindness/Deafness offers a more potent single target effect? Why go for smoke when Darkness covers basically as much of the area as you need, and can be placed anywhere you want? If you’re the kind of player who loves the little incatricies of spells and wants a three or four step process to every plan, Pyrotechnics rewards you for that in a very minor way, but will scratch that itch. If you don’t want the hassle of figuring out how to get flames forty feet from you in a round without you needing to run through the enemy frontline, you’re better off with basically any other 2nd level condition afflicting spells.

5e Spells

Pyrotechnics: About as Exciting as Sparklers