D&D 5E Does Magic Initiate need changing?

[Ancalagon]

Magic initiate was the first "get some magic" feat, in the phb. Even then it wasn't seen as very strong - taking a subclass with magic, or a small dip, was often seen as better. But still it was a fun and useful feat, and I used it a lot as a GM to give NPCs a little magical something.

Since then, a lot of new feats have been published that give players access to magic, notably the "half-feat" fey touched, which doesn't give you a cantrip but does give you a first and a second level spell AND +1 to one "casting" stat. I feel like magic initiate has essentially been replaced by these superior spell-granting "half feats", published later.

Should it be changed (perhaps in "5.5") so that magic initiate would be either a half feat or perhaps slightly buffed?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

In my experience magic initiate was taken a lot for variant humans. Shield + 2 cantrips ofthen helped known casters get more versality.

 

[Seramus]

The main buff I want is adding the 1st level spell to your spell list / spells known.

 

[Flamestrike]

The main buff I want is adding the 1st level spell to your spell list.

But unless it was on your list already, you only got 1 casting a day.

I now let it just add the spell to your list regardless, in line with the other feats that add casting.

 

[Horwath]

with sorcery points, 1st level spell is 2 pts and 2nd level spell is 3 points
that gives Fey/shadow touched feast 5 points. and another 5 for being half feats.
10 points total

for magic initiate we have 1 1st level spell. 2 points, and lets be generous towards cantrips and rate them at 2 points also.
that is 6 points. we need 4 more points.
anything above two 1st level spells would be a slap towards sorcerers, so we are left with:

3 cantrips
2 1st level spells

 

[CreamCloud0]

i think if i were to change it i might either go with either 'two cantrips, two 1st level spells and one 2nd level spell or i might build it more like the subclass spell progression where more spells/cantrips are gradually added once they reach higher levels at 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th so it's a little bit more of a slowburn reward.

 

[ECMO3]

Magic initiate was the first "get some magic" feat, in the phb. Even then it wasn't seen as very strong - taking a subclass with magic, or a small dip, was often seen as better. But still it was a fun and useful feat, and I used it a lot as a GM to give NPCs a little magical something.

Since then, a lot of new feats have been published that give players access to magic, notably the "half-feat" fey touched, which doesn't give you a cantrip but does give you a first and a second level spell AND +1 to one "casting" stat. I feel like magic initiate has essentially been replaced by these superior spell-granting "half feats", published later.

Should it be changed (perhaps in "5.5") so that magic initiate would be either a half feat or perhaps slightly buffed?

No. MI is already a top notch feat and all things considered it is probably the best non half feat.

The power in magic initiate is in the cantrips, which particularly great for Rogues and melee Clerics who can get booming blade or green flame blade. These give solid options that scale with level and put high-strength clerics on a level playing field with many martials and provide a substantial boost to Rogues.

Sorcerers, Bards and some Paladins picking up Hex and Eldritch Blast is pretty good too. It would be OP with the +1.

What we could do better with MI is enable casters to use the spell as a spell known. So if my Cleric picks up magic initiate with Absorb Elements or shield as the spell he can cast it more than once using 1st-level slots. If they did that it would be fine because there are so many useful 1st level spells that remain useful the entire game (Shield, Absorb Elements, Feather Fall, Hex).

Fey touched is very powerful at low level when you can cast a 2nd and 1st level spell for free, but it is not that powerful at tier 2+ especially for non casters and it is much more limited on the 1st-level spell selection. For non casters it is only one misty step a day and then one spell a day, the other spell is competing with an attack unless it is a bonus action or reaction spell. This generally means in addition to misty step, I can cast Silvery Barbs once a day or Hex once a day; useful but hardly great at high levels. At high levels, it is much more powerful on a caster where it is 2 spells known and can be off list spells.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I think if they update it, they'll probably add that you can the chosen first level spell with your own spell slots, but I'm not sure they'll need to add more than that.

 

[ECMO3]

for magic initiate we have 1 1st level spell. 2 points, and lets be generous towards cantrips and rate them at 2 points also.
that is 6 points. we need 4 more points.

I don't think this is a good way to look at it, especially at high levels considering the way cantrips scale. The power in MI is mostly in the cantrips.

For example, something like Toll the Dead at 11th level is going to do 3d12 every turn all day long (occasionally 3d8), Thunderclap can do 3d6 to everyone within 5 feet. No 1st level spell and few second level spells are going to match that turn after turn. Those cantrips alone have more impact than the whole Fey touched feat at this level and that is before you consider the 1st-level spell, which in this example can be any Wizard, Sorcerer or Warlock spell you want.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I think it would ok if the first level spell was added to the characters spell list and could be also cast with slots.