Flame Strike

[Eko]

Flame Strike, a 5th level spell: "Each creature in a 10 foot radius, 40 foot high cylinder centered on a point within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d6 fire damage and 4d6 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."

Fireball, a 3rd level spell: "Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."

As a 9+ level light cleric, what reason would I ever have to cast Flame Strike? If what I want is radiant damage, I would cast guiding bolt. If what I want is AoE fire damage, I would cast fireball. I simply can't see this spell competing with the other tools that are available to the cleric. There are far better things I could do with a 5th level spell slot (For example, mass cure wounds). Can someone explain this to me?

[Malaketh]

Flying creatures? Seeing as it's a40' high column, it's like I line spell but vertical

[AttilatheYeon]

U wouldn't. Look at who gets Flame Strike normally. Clerics a Druids don't have the super dynamic damage spells, so Flame Strike is there version. Much like Sorcs and Wizards don't have great persistant damaging spells until Animate objects.

[Eko]

U wouldn't. Look at who gets Flame Strike normally. Clerics a Druids don't have the super dynamic damage spells, so Flame Strike is there version. Much like Sorcs and Wizards don't have great persistant damaging spells until Animate objects.

I'm not sure Druids get Flame Strike...? I checked, could be wrong though. Sorcs and wizards have cloudkill (5th) and bigby's hand (5th)(wiz only), both strong persistent-damage spells. But that's not what I'm trying to answer: the question is, given that fireball is available to the light cleric, why would they ever make the choice to cast flame strike, given that it's essentially equivalent except much pricier.

Flying creatures? Seeing as it's a40' high column, it's like I line spell but vertical

Fireball is not limited by height, you could cast it in mid-air. Also its range is far superior to Flame Strike :/

[AttilatheYeon]

I started by saying u wouldn't.

[PeteNutButter]

There are only edge cases for any actual use, such as needing to do radiant damage to things like vampires. It is really bad in comparison to fireball.

Flying creatures? Seeing as it's a40' high column, it's like I line spell but vertical

Fireball has a 40ft diameter, which covers just as much vertical space, so only in the rare case that enemies are vertically stacked, but allies are too close for fireball is even viable. I'd say it's more frequently useful whenever allies are in tight areas, for a smaller fireball.

Overall definitely not worth preparing, and almost never used on the light cleric.

[JackPhoenix]

Different AoE may have its uses sometimes. If you need to hit multiple enemies, Guiding Bolt is useless, and if the space you're fighting in is too small, you can't cast Fireball without hitting your party, Flame Strike's unusual AoE shape may be better.

It's not very good spell for Light cleric, because he gets better option, but that option isn't available to other domains. It's on the domain spell list for both thematic, and practical reason... there are no other level 5 spells that would fit. Even Light domain's second level 5 spell, Scrying, is kinda stretch from thematic perspective.

[imanidiot]

I have never cast Flame Strike in 5e. Not all of the spells are good in all situations. Some aren't good in any situation. If there weren't any bad choices it would make the choice itself irrelevant.

[Corran]

I dont like flame strike. The only excuse I can make for it when comparing it to a fireball, is that flame strike is more precise (smaller radius), so that might work better when you want to blast things that are close to your allies (but typically you dont do that anyway).

Hmmm, good against flying undead? I dunno...

Quite an underwhelming spell imo too, if you have accesss to other blasting options (like fireball).

[djreynolds]

It certainly sucked in CoS when my 10th level cleric, with a 22 wisdom (thanks to a tome) rolled 1s and 2s and Strahd took almost no damage.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I'm not sure Druids get Flame Strike...? I checked, could be wrong though.

They don't. Devotion paladins and fiendlocks do though (probably more useful for the former).

As to why Flame Strike might be useful, there is one thing no one's mentioned. For my money, Fireball needs not just line of sight, but line of effect. It specifies that a mote of fire "streaks from your finger" to the target. Flame Strike, on the other hand does not need line of sight. You can blind-fire it around walls, though the 60 foot range is rather limiting. It also does less collateral damage.

[Beelzebubba]

Clerics are worse at causing raw HP damage because Wizards are worse at healing it.

I think it's truly just 'niche protection'. They want some characters to shine in some areas more than others, but they don't want the difference to be absolute - only relative.

If every casting class had equally good options for each different kind of spell type - battlefield control, intelligence gathering, damage, movement, etc. - then it would be bland.

[EvilAnagram]

I started by saying u wouldn't.

Enough of what this mysterious U would do. We're talking about the OP!

[Pex]

There is also the rare occasion of fighting a creature like a Helmed Horror which is immune to Fireball specifically but not Flame Strike. Too bad Sunbeam is a 6th level spell. That would have been more thematic.

[Theodoxus]

If every casting class had equally good options for each different kind of spell type - battlefield control, intelligence gathering, damage, movement, etc. - then it would be bland.

Off topic, but I think it would be interesting to allow every class a choice of casting stat (Cha/Int/Wis only) and Preparation style (book memorization, prayer, innate casting or pact magic).

Yes, it would take a bit of work to sort out the differences (probably the most regarding pact magic, as invocations are a large part of the balance), but a modular casting concept would be amazing.

Step 1) Choose your spell list: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard
Step 2) Choose your casting stat: Charisma, Intelligence or Wisdom
Step 3) Choose your Spell Preparation style: Spell book (as Wizard), Innate (as Bard or Sorcerer), Prayer (as Cleric or Druid) or Pact (as Warlock)

Each step would provide pros and cons so you're not stuck with potential trap options... but I think that'd be fun!

[PeteNutButter]

They don't. Devotion paladins and fiendlocks do though (probably more useful for the former).

As to why Flame Strike might be useful, there is one thing no one's mentioned. For my money, Fireball needs not just line of sight, but line of effect. It specifies that a mote of fire "streaks from your finger" to the target. Flame Strike, on the other hand does not need line of sight. You can blind-fire it around walls, though the 60 foot range is rather limiting. It also does less collateral damage.

You are spot on about Fireball needing Line of Effect, but the spell does not require line of sight. It is a point of your choice within range. You can freely toss it into the center of your Hunger of Hadar.

Flame strike's not needing line of effect can be nice though, when we start throwing in walls of force.

[Ninja_Prawn]

the spell does not require line of sight. It is a point of your choice within range. You can freely toss it into the center of your Hunger of Hadar.

Point, but that's a corner case. For the most part, line of effect is a more stringent requirement than line of sight.

[Rysto]

Clerics are worse at causing raw HP damage because Wizards are worse at healing it.

I think it's truly just 'niche protection'. They want some characters to shine in some areas more than others, but they don't want the difference to be absolute - only relative.

The issue is for Light Clerics, who do get access to Fireball. Having Flame Strike on their domain list is basically a waste of a domain spell. I'd rather get Fire Shield (a 4th-level spell) at level 11 than a spell that is at best highly situational from my domain list.

Another option to buff it would be to make it deal all radiant damage, to make it useful against things vulnerable to Radiant or resistant/immune to Fire.