The wizard, sorcerer, warlock, and bard classes can learn True Strike as one of their first spells since it is available to these classes. Typically, this is met with an exclamation of “no!” among those around the table. However, does True Strike deserve all the hate it gets? In this article, we’re going to look at what is considered one of the worst spells in 5e Dungeons & Dragons.
True Strike: What Is It?
True Strike’s first thing to know is that it provides the caster with an advantage on their next attack roll against their target.
The caster of a concentration spell must avoid taking damage between casting it and their next turn in order to avoid taking damage. They might lose concentration and the advantage roll that the spell grants them unless they do so.
True Strike requires 1 action to cast, and the benefit explicitly does not happen until your next turn. This spell only lasts until you take your next turn; you’ll want to make sure you attack the next round after casting it.
Conditions For Casting a True Strike
These three instances are prime examples of when True Strike will be your best friend. The long-suffering cantrip is there to help you tilt the odds in your favor during these high-stakes, ride-or-die moments.
Situation 1: You Are at A Disadvantage
The critics have a valid point. A normal attack roll is better than an advantage roll mathematically. Nevertheless, one normal attack roll is better than two disadvantageous rolls for the same reason. Only monsters with an extremely low Armor Class, such as zombies and lemurs, are an exception. A status effect such as poison or exhaustion can put you at a disadvantage, but True Strike can override that disadvantage to allow you to make a regular attack roll.
Situation 2: This Must Hit
The spells become incredibly powerful once you reach the upper levels of play. There are only a limited number of slots available for higher-level spells. The feeling of missing a 7th-level spell attack like Plane Shift while attempting to banish another creature to another plane is disappointing.
The trumpet of being let downplay in your head still rings in your head as you wasted a 7th level spell slot and are likely in the melee range of your opponent. Since you gain an advantage on your next turn by casting True Strike, it is very small compared to the opportunity cost of wasting one of your highest-level spell slots. Although you may still miss your melee spell attack, you have just doubled your chances of success.
Situation 3: You’re an Arcane Trickster
Arcane Trickster Rogues can use no shortage of tactics to gain an advantage over their enemies, but it never hurts to add one more to the arsenal! In my opinion, Arcane Tricksters can benefit most from True Strike by leading with it to get an advantage on your attack and dish out that sneaky Sneak Attack damage. Of course, the answer to this is situational, but there is nothing quite like being prepared! (Especially with the possibility of dealing with so much extra damage!)
What I’m going to share today will give you a solid understanding of how to use True Strike effectively in any situation. Whether you’re playing a Rogue or not, you’ll want to learn how to use True Strike as a key part of your arsenal. Let’s begin! How Does True Strike Work? When you’re deciding how to use True Strike, the first question is: How does it work? It’s important to understand how it works before we can figure out what situations we want to use it in. True Strike is an attack roll bonus that you can apply to a single attack. This means that you get the bonus once and only once per round. If you’re looking to make more than one attack, you can either use other tactics or simply take a bonus action. The most common way to use True Strike is to use it on your first attack. The damage you deal with will be based on your Dexterity modifier, so it’s easy to see why it’s a good choice for your first attack!