D&D 5E Shillelagh. Am I missing something?

[Minigiant]

So shillelagh. It boosts the damage of a club or staff for a druid and lets the druid attack with Wisdom. It also makes it magic. That's a nice boost of damage at low levels.

But it doesn't scale. Most of the 'attack" cantrips scale with level.
It's not horrible but it feels off. The "warrior" clerics don't get Divine Strike until level 8 (which is pretty long). But that's something. Most classes get a damage boost for their "at-will" between leve 5-8 via a scaling cantrip, Extra Attack, more Sneak Attack or something.

But shillelagh seems off. It looks like you are intended to use it for low levels then "forget about it" to go for "attack" cantrips for land druids or wildshapes for moon druids.

It's a great cantrip for warriors who can cast (bards with a secret or paladins, rangers, and EKs with a feat).

But it feels weird. Does shillelagh not scale to weaken Extra Attackers who can snag it?
Was there supposed to be a Circle of the Wood "warrior" druid taken out planned for later?
Or is it an oversight?


Any insights?

 

[Quartz]

It lasts 1 minute and doesn't require concentration, and certain creatures have resistance to or immunity to damage from non-magical weapons, so you can rustle one up very quickly if your normal magic weapon gets Disintegrated.

 

[Minigiant]

It lasts 1 minute and doesn't require concentration, and certain creatures have resistance to or immunity to damage from non-magical weapons, so you can rustle one up very quickly if your normal magic weapon gets Disintegrated.

Unfortunately, most of that is minor to the current druid circles.

The land druid is better off using poison spray, produce flame, or thorn whip as attack cantrips.
The moon druid is can use shillelagh at lower levels but at a mere level 6 has all his wildshape attacks count as magical.

So shillelagh is only good for a druid who is low level, multiclasses, can't wildshape, or cant cast another "attack cantrip". Rather situational. Its usefulness counts on you not being able to use most of your other features.

 

[trentonjoe]

Yeah. Not so good after level 4.

 

[fba827]

I agree with the general premise that it gets less useful at later levels, a couple random situational things...
Sometimes (magical or not) bludgeoning damage is important, can't do that with beast forms that are mainly piercing and slashing.

the other offensive cantrips are ranged, this is melee. So if you're circle of the land and adjacent to enemies this is a melee option to avoid ranged penalties

Even in comparison to the other offensive cantrips, produce flame can only attack every other round (an action to produce it, another action next round to throw it, repeat.) and is typed damage to which the enemy might have resistance or immunity, poison spray is a save rather than ac attack and if you think it has good saves or legendary whatecer-it's-called to auto pass saves and is typed damage where they might have resist or immunity, thorn whip is ranged so can't cast it if adjacent to an enemy without penalty.

But, again, I'm not disagreeing that it's usefulness does diminish over progression. Just a couple situations where it has some differences.

( I'm saying all this from memory, apologies if I'm remembering something incorrectly)

 

[Stormonu]

It scales if you're getting an extra attack (2 weapons or actual extra attacks due to high level). If the damage scaled AND you got extra attacks, it would border on being ridiculous.

 

[thalmin]

produce flame can only attack every other round (an action to produce it, another action next round to throw it, repeat.) and is typed damage to which the enemy might have resistance or immunity

Produce Flame allows attack when cast or as an action on a later round.

 

[Minigiant]

It scales if you're getting an extra attack (2 weapons or actual extra attacks due to high level). If the damage scaled AND you got extra attacks, it would border on being ridiculous.

Well druid don't get extra attacks so...
I forgot Two Weapon Fighting with clubs so you could.
Oh. shilelagh's duration end if you cast it again.
So no dual shillelaghs.

I guess you can go Dexterity/Wisdom and shillelagh/scimatar. Heavy cost for low reward,

 

[EroGaki]

Another option would be playing a monk and either mulitclassing, or picking up the magic initiate feat.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I found myself looking for a spell exactly like Shillelagh but using Int rather than Wis just last week. So while it is situational, (for myself at least) it is also a spell around which a character concept can be devised.