D&D (2024) Celestial Warlock's Radiant Soul got a buff

[Neonchameleon]

The devil (or Celestial) is in the details. The old version read:

and when you cast a spell that deals radiant or fire damage, you add your Charisma modifier to one radiant or fire damage roll of that spell against one of its targets.

The new one reads:

Once per turn, when a spell you cast deals Radiant or Fire damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to that spell’s damage against one of the spell’s targets.

What's the difference? Spells that stay in play.

The old version triggers when you cast the spell - so once for the entire wall of fire. The new one works when the spell you cast does damage to a maximum of 1/turn. Wall of Fire does damage on the target's turn so the extra damage triggers for each foe. And a summoned Celestial acts on its turn not yours so gets the extra damage every round.

Just a tiny but useful change someone noticed on Reddit (@Ruin Explorer I seem to recall you complaining about the ability being bad - does this help?)

Summon Celestial and Wall of Fire are of course on the subclass list - the question is whether it burns out Guardian of Faith faster.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

I dunno, the way it is worded it sound like the casting might have to happen on the same turn as the damage for the ability to trigger. There is a difference between "cast" and "have cast". It's hard to say if this is an intentional change or just poor writing.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I dunno, the way it is worded it sound like the casting might have to happen on the same turn as the damage for the ability to trigger. There is a difference between "cast" and "have cast". It's hard to say if this is an intentional change or just poor writing.

There was nothing preventing them sticking with the old wording as they did with so much. I can therefore only conclude that the change was intentional.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

There is a difference between "cast" and "have cast". It's hard to say if this is an intentional change or just poor writing.

There's no difference between did cast vs have cast. And because both the present and past tense of cast is cast, guess we'll never know!

 

[I'm A Banana]

Yeah, that sounds intentional to me. Good catch!

 

[UngeheuerLich]

There was nothing preventing them sticking with the old wording as they did with so much. I can therefore only conclude that the change was intentional.

It can also be read as a nerf.

Before you could use it on more than one spell. Now it is only one spell per turn that can benefit.

Not that this is my opinion about what RAI, but again RAW is unclear.

 

[Neonchameleon]

It can also be read as a nerf.

Before you could use it on more than one spell. Now it is only one spell per turn that can benefit.

Not that this is my opinion about what RAI, but again RAW is unclear.

I'm trying to work out what bonus action warlock spells do radiant or fire damage in order to actually use that. (It's hardly the worst thing Sorlocks can do...)

And in terms of balance the reworked True Strike turned the ability from basically worthless into one that enables a niche build with minimal hoop jumping (unlike Pact of the Tome/Shileleagh/Green-Flame Blade) and this combined with the spell list turns it into something meaningful and balanced.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Summon Celestial and Wall of Fire are of course on the subclass list - the question is whether it burns out Guardian of Faith faster.

Does the summoned celestial’s attacks count as the spell doing the damage?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I'm trying to work out what bonus action warlock spells do radiant or fire damage in order to actually use that. (It's hardly the worst thing Sorlocks can do...)

And in terms of balance the reworked True Strike turned the ability from basically worthless into one that enables a niche build with minimal hoop jumping (unlike Pact of the Tome/Shileleagh/Green-Flame Blade) and this combined with the spell list turns it into something meaningful and balanced.

I just said how you could understand it. I did never say anything about balance.

 

[Kurotowa]

Does the summoned celestial’s attacks count as the spell doing the damage?

I don't believe so. Just like True Strike isn't a spell attack, but a spell that lets you make a weapon attack, Summon Celestial is not a spell that deals Radiant damage but a spell that summons a creature. What the creature does after that is its own business.