Mind Silver 5e: DnD 5th Edition Spell

Mind Silver 5eMind Silver 5e: What is the Process of Using it?

With mind silver 5e, you can force a target within 60 feet of you to attempt an Intelligence saving throw, failing which will result in 1d4 of reduction from the outcome of the following saving throw the target attempts before the end of your next turn. It is a cantrip, allowing you to use it at higher levels of play, the damage increases with character level.

The spell mind silver was included in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, which introduced the 5e rules. It is available to the Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard as well as the classes and feet that take inspiration from those lists such as the bard’s magical secrets feat and the arcane trickster rogue subclass

The spell has a distinct psychic flavor as well. The Aberrant mind Sorcerer, the soul knife rouge, and the PSI Warrior were all introduced in Tasha’s carotene of Everything. It served as a kind of soft lunch for playable psionics in 5e subclasses that have been added to the game. It seemed natural for wizards of the coast to include psychic powers in DnD 5e. This edition is just another method to cast spells using the new psionic subclasses that have been added to the game.

Description of Mind Silver 5e:

You send a dizzying burst of psychic energy into the mind of the nearest creature you can see. The goal must accomplish on an Intelligence saving throw or suffer 1d6 psychic damage and a 1d4 penalty on the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn. When you reach certain levels, the damage of this spell increases by 1d6; 5th level(2d6), 11th (3d6), and 17th level (4d6)

The warlock searches her opponent’s mind weaknesses while rolling I back into her skull.  The warrior with green skin glares at her and turns to confront her. She barks a forbidden word of power while her face is distorted from concentration.

The brutish and stupid orc collapses, his head splitting in anguish. The beast staggers back to its feet while its eyes are watering and the vision is fuzzy. It is enraged and is holding its blade
He spits blood out of his mouth before speaking. Puny wizard tricks and strings along won’t be enough to stop me. The warlock grins and says “Oh, I know, I’m just the one keeping you occupied.” I said.

Mind Sliver 5e:

  • Action: 1 minute of casting
  • Range and area: 60-foot
  • Timeline: Instantaneous
  • School: The enchantment 
  • Class: Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard 
  • Level: 0 (cantrip)
  • Damage/Impact: Debuff, Psychic 
  • Save Attack: Intelligence save 
  • Elements: V

The orc turns on his heels, but it’s too late for him to dodge the ranger’s spear. He’s too disoriented to escape the tangle of entangling, prickly vines that shoot out from the weapon’s tip.

The orc restrained, and powerless looks up in uncontrollable rage at his captors. The warlock adds “Now, my friend” as his eyes begin to droop once more. “Either you give us the information we need or I’ll demonstrate to you How awful a headache can be.”
Everyone is invited to our tutorial on the mind sliver cantrip, a remarkably underappreciated spell
That encourages cooperation, hinders adversaries, and adds some fantastic psychic flavor to any warlock, wizard, or sorcerer.

Warning:

Be aware that while mind silver is an intrinsic spell for the Aberrant mind sorcerer, the spell itself is not innately psionic. A wizard could read about it in an old book and learn it the same way they learned to cast fire bolts.

Speaking of fire bolt, why would someone choose mind silver, a d6 damage cantrip over fire bolt(or eldritch blast, if you are a warlock) which deals with 1d10 damage?

How effective is mind silver 5e and when should you take it?

Let’s start by examining the damage.

While a d6 is unquestionably poor damage, the damage type–psychic is probably one of the top three damage types in the game. In terms of avoiding monster resistances and immunities–as well as the requirement that a saving throw is made with intelligence. Typically the weakest ability score for the large monsters with strong physical stats means you’ll be able to apply that damage fully more frequently than not.

Fun Fact: At the time of writing, only Mind Silver is a cantrip that calls on an Intelligence saving throw.

Let’s now discuss the 1d4 penalty for failing a saving throw.

I’ll put it out there: I think my new go-to cantrip for sorcerers might be mind silver. Warlocks…. Should probably stick to Eldritch blast while wizards can definitely learn it more situationally. 

Why is this the happiest new spell that the trendiest kids discuss being a sorcerer?

Let me give an example. I pull our Dark Runs the Moon and I want to be a huge jerk who messes up the DM’s encounter balance and makes everyone else in the party look awful. She is a Tabaxi  Aberrant Mind sorcerer who has just reached level 5, and she could be the most terrifying single-round nuker I’ve ever encountered.

Now before I used to copy this technique from an Animated spell book on flexing with metamagic if I wanted Dark runs the moon to make a number of high-level adversaries vanish in a single round of combat.

Read More Spell: compelled Dual 5e

Quickened spell:

The quickened spell is used as a bonus action to cast Scorching Ray (upcast from 2nd 3rd level), and the twinned spell fire bolt is used as your action to cast the twinned spell at anything still standing. It works pretty brutally well. I now have a trickier than ever before to completely destroy a couple of thought individuals. 

You start by using your action to lead with the twinned spell mind silver. This cantrip requires a successful intellect-saving throw, making it ideal for use against large powerful brutes with high hitpoints.

Next, as a bonus action, cast Quickened spell to hurl a fire bolt toward the adversaries. Now that they can save themselves from full 8d6 fire damage, said adversaries can only do so with a penalty of up to -4. Then you look the dungeon master in the eye with dominance and inquire as to whether the encounter was concluded at the point.

Consequently, Mind silver is excellent if you are playing a sorcerer with twinned spell and Quickened spell metamagic active. The optimum time to use mind silver is when you can be certain that you’ll have an enemy make a saving throw. While that is undoubtedly the most flashy “wombo-combo” form of how to use this spell, it’s a wonderful example of how to do so. 

You should prepare for this in advance, whether it takes the form of anything as straightforward as an Ally who is prepared with their spell or something fanciful like a paint can on a string from the movie Home Alone. Attempt this spell in the trash and go find a genuine damage cantrip if you can’t pretty much guarantee that you’ll make your opponent’s next turn end before their savings throw is required. 

Even so, how effective is a 1d4 penalty?

Now consider it this way: Statistically, advantages and disadvantages on a d20 roll move the needle up and down by an average of about 3.5 points.

This is indeed a very basic way of looking at it. The actual impact varies greatly depending on your desired number. It all comes out to an average of 3.5 more or less.

The average d4 roll is 2.5 so it isn’t nearly as effective as a spell that explicitly manipulates luck, like Silvery Barbs. It’s still pretty darn impressive for a cantrip that also deals damage.

When to cast the spell: Why party structure and collaboration are important?

mind silver will feel notably sub-optimal in comparison to the damage or control you may deal out  with other options if your adventuring party like each do their own thing(the rogue stabs, the fighter stabs, the barbarian also stabs, you cast a spell, nobody heals anyone.)

Nevertheless, if you are in the party with several spell casters (or even who are willing to follow your instructions). You can elevate this cantrip to the top tier by using it to cause the highest priority target(or, if that target has high intelligence, the biggest idiot) to fail their next saving throw. By doing this you’re giving your ally a soft adventure on AoE or other powerful and effective spells.

To be honest, even if all you’re doing with mind silver is setting up an ally’s cantrip—say. Thunderclap or scared flame—it can still serve as the foundation for a potent, repeatable combo attack that you can use from level 1 to level 20. I believe the design of DnD 5e makes it possible to have multiple protagonists on each party. Everyone has a “thing” that they are better at than everyone else. More importantly, acting alone is frequently more effective than trying to make an ally look good or executing some other gambit.

As a result, mind silver is both conceptually new and mechanically effective when used as a damage spell and as a boost to your next ally’s attempt to deal even more damage. 

Most commonly asked questions about Mind Silver:

Will I need to focus to Play the spell?

No, It is not necessary to concentrate because mind silver has an instantaneous duration. This means that it ends as soon as its effect  Is felt. 

How does Mind Silver compare to bane?

Yes, while the target cannot be affected by two instances of the same spell simultaneously (for example, casting mind silver twice on the same target in the same turn would result in twice as much damage but only a 1d4 saving throw penalty) different spells with the same effect(-1d4) can stack while their durations overlap. When a mind silver struck a creature in the same round, the outcome of its subsequent saving throw is reduced to 2d4.

Are you able to twin Mind Silver 5e?

Yes, A spell can only affect one target when using meta magic to twinned it. Mind silver is a candidate for the twinned spell effect because it only can harm and affect one creature.

Conclusion:

Mind silver 5 is an intrinsic spell for the Aberrant mind sorceress. Targets within 60 Feet of you must make an intelligent saving throw or suffer 1d6 psychic damage. The damage type—psychic is one of the top three damage types in the game.

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