As a DM I love this spell when it can be cast buy an undead cleric. Stopping two of The Players being able to be bounced back up from zero hit points is gold.
Chill Touch made more sense back in previous editions, where it was a touch attack. At my games I call it Death's Caress. Also, the rider effects of anti-heal and debuffing undead enemies works regardless of whether the target takes damage or not, so by RAW, it still works against enemies with immunity to Necrotic.
Here’s the use case for the disadvantage to undead when attacking you - Death Cleric. They get chill touch as part of the subclass AND can hit two targets if they’re adjacent to each other with it AND they ignore necrotic resistance (which some undead will have) AND have solid AC meaning they’re very likely not to get hit when enemies have disadvantage. The fact that it lasts until the end of your next turn means you can pretty safely keep it rolling on enemies by stepping back, casting it, then entering melee again. And if you have spirit guardians rolling at the same time, good chance you’re going to have enemies trying to swarm you.
The amount of times I’ve told so many players that chill touch can shut down powerful healing spells, magical effects, regeneration, etc I even argue chill touch can indeed shut down the wish spell if it involves healing
Love chill touch and i used it on my Necromancer and Artificer Alchemist for anti heal as my dm would say ''Some potions and poison are common and uncommon, if a mary band of murder hobos can get them or make them why can't any npc with the intelligence or skill to do so.
When we played Tomb of Annihilation, our DM ran Acererak with a custom stat block. One of his changes was an added regeneration ability. My Lore Bard/Tome Warlock had Chill Touch as one of his cantrips, and I'd cast it every other round just to slow him down a bit so we could get more damage in before he healed some of it.
For non-Warlocks, Chill Touch should be 1b option to the 1a option Firebolt. Same range, far-less resisted damage type, decent rider effect, and spell name shenanigans. For renaming, I like Wither. Simple, and DMs wont be confused on what type of damage it does haha.
Just gonna point out that unless an invisible creature takes the hide action, something that usually cannot be done in the same turn as becoming invisible due to action economy, then by RAW you know where it is and don't need something like a ghost hand to help you. It's also not going to prevent a creature from trying to hide, as it only needs to be feasible that you could try to hide to make the attempt. If a ghost hand was enough to prevent fully hiding, then that same logic should suggest that since its much easier to see a non invisible person than a tiny hand, hiding is always impossible unless invisible or completely out of LoS (which is obviously dumb). My point is that the vid's points are a big reach. However since lots of GMs rule invisibility wrong (I've done it too, even while in the know, though only in the player's favor), the point has some validity. Though if the GM was ruling that you don't know where the invisible thing is, thus making having a ghost hand clinging to it useful, you would have the problem that you don't know where the thing is to target it with a ghost hand in the first place and couldn't make the attack anyway.
The most underrated part of the spell is against downed creatures or players. If you have a lich with chill touch, rezzing downed party members isn't an option, nor can they be revivified. The same can be said for NPCs with death saves, but those are up to the DM
As a DM I love this spell when it can be cast buy an undead cleric. Stopping two of The Players being able to be bounced back up from zero hit points is gold.
Chill Touch made more sense back in previous editions, where it was a touch attack. At my games I call it Death's Caress.
Also, the rider effects of anti-heal and debuffing undead enemies works regardless of whether the target takes damage or not, so by RAW, it still works against enemies with immunity to Necrotic.
I love this cantrip and 100% the part about the hand hanging on. I call it the Raven Queen claw.
Here’s the use case for the disadvantage to undead when attacking you - Death Cleric. They get chill touch as part of the subclass AND can hit two targets if they’re adjacent to each other with it AND they ignore necrotic resistance (which some undead will have) AND have solid AC meaning they’re very likely not to get hit when enemies have disadvantage. The fact that it lasts until the end of your next turn means you can pretty safely keep it rolling on enemies by stepping back, casting it, then entering melee again. And if you have spirit guardians rolling at the same time, good chance you’re going to have enemies trying to swarm you.
The amount of times I’ve told so many players that chill touch can shut down powerful healing spells, magical effects, regeneration, etc
I even argue chill touch can indeed shut down the wish spell if it involves healing
Love chill touch and i used it on my Necromancer and Artificer Alchemist for anti heal as my dm would say ''Some potions and poison are common and uncommon, if a mary band of murder hobos can get them or make them why can't any npc with the intelligence or skill to do so.
When we played Tomb of Annihilation, our DM ran Acererak with a custom stat block. One of his changes was an added regeneration ability. My Lore Bard/Tome Warlock had Chill Touch as one of his cantrips, and I'd cast it every other round just to slow him down a bit so we could get more damage in before he healed some of it.
You make some excellent points. Also I snickered when you said to talk to the DM about renaming options. Another great video❤
Appreciate that, and always happy to get a laugh!
For non-Warlocks, Chill Touch should be 1b option to the 1a option Firebolt. Same range, far-less resisted damage type, decent rider effect, and spell name shenanigans.
For renaming, I like Wither. Simple, and DMs wont be confused on what type of damage it does haha.
Once again, amazing video where you point out things I haven’t considered!
Thanks, glad you found it helpful!
Every point you brought up is precisely why I usually take it.
my DM gave a boss opponent Chill Touch as a legendary action - made fighting them much more dangerous!
Might have to steal that…
The title Is chill touch, but the real title Is: how go stop the DM to heal the monster
I wonder if this spell is named by Inspector Gadget: Go Go Chill Touch!
I think it is great for DM to scare players.
I shall call mine spell Chillie La Bamba Gootchie Gootchie! Everyone feared me now!😋
Just gonna point out that unless an invisible creature takes the hide action, something that usually cannot be done in the same turn as becoming invisible due to action economy, then by RAW you know where it is and don't need something like a ghost hand to help you. It's also not going to prevent a creature from trying to hide, as it only needs to be feasible that you could try to hide to make the attempt. If a ghost hand was enough to prevent fully hiding, then that same logic should suggest that since its much easier to see a non invisible person than a tiny hand, hiding is always impossible unless invisible or completely out of LoS (which is obviously dumb).
My point is that the vid's points are a big reach. However since lots of GMs rule invisibility wrong (I've done it too, even while in the know, though only in the player's favor), the point has some validity. Though if the GM was ruling that you don't know where the invisible thing is, thus making having a ghost hand clinging to it useful, you would have the problem that you don't know where the thing is to target it with a ghost hand in the first place and couldn't make the attack anyway.
I could count the number of encounters in 5e I've had where an enemy regained HP on 1 hand, and wouldn't need all my fingers.
The most underrated part of the spell is against downed creatures or players. If you have a lich with chill touch, rezzing downed party members isn't an option, nor can they be revivified. The same can be said for NPCs with death saves, but those are up to the DM
I hadn’t considered that, great point!
I would call it deaths hand
Aid might be the only way around it short of Dispelling it...
Great point, hasn’t considered Aid! too bad I already did a video on aid or I’d include that :x
@@dndlounge I mean, it is a pretty unique outlier, I don't think anything else in 5e does quite the same...
Touch spells are great for enchanting weapons as well.
🦄 😢