Can I Take Eldritch Blast with Spell Sniper? A Comprehensive Guide
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The short and direct answer is: yes, you can take Eldritch Blast with the Spell Sniper feat. While Eldritch Blast is primarily known as a Warlock cantrip, feats like Spell Sniper provide ways for other classes, or even Warlocks seeking specific builds, to acquire this powerful spell. This means you don’t have to be a Warlock to harness the force of Eldritch Blast. However, it’s essential to understand the mechanics and limitations of how this acquisition works, as well as the implications of combining Spell Sniper with Eldritch Blast and other spells.
How Spell Sniper Grants Eldritch Blast
The Spell Sniper feat allows you to choose one cantrip from any spell list that requires an attack roll. Eldritch Blast meets this criterion as it involves a ranged spell attack. Therefore, you can select Eldritch Blast as your chosen cantrip when you take the Spell Sniper feat. This opens up tactical opportunities for classes who wouldn’t normally have access to it.
The Benefits of Spell Sniper
Beyond adding a cantrip to your spell list, Spell Sniper provides additional benefits:
- Doubled Spell Range: When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell’s range is doubled. This greatly enhances the reach of spells like Eldritch Blast, especially when combined with specific Warlock invocations like Eldritch Spear.
- Ignore Cover: Your ranged spell attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. This significantly improves your accuracy when facing opponents behind obstacles.
These features make the Spell Sniper feat quite powerful, particularly when combined with the already formidable Eldritch Blast.
Optimizing Eldritch Blast with Spell Sniper
The combination of Eldritch Blast and Spell Sniper allows for interesting strategies. Here are some things to consider:
- Cantrip Selection: If you choose Eldritch Blast with Spell Sniper, you must consider what second cantrip would compliment your build. Common choices include Fire Bolt, Ray of Frost, or Chill Touch depending on which spell type you already have access to. This maximizes your versatility in combat.
- Range Extension: Spell Sniper’s range-doubling benefit is incredibly potent when combined with Eldritch Spear, a Warlock invocation. This invocation increases the base range of Eldritch Blast to 300 feet, and Spell Sniper doubles this to an impressive 600 feet. That’s long-range battlefield control.
- Action Economy: Remember, Eldritch Blast is an action, so using it limits you to spells that can be cast with a bonus action, unless you have abilities that alter action costs.
FAQs About Eldritch Blast and Spell Sniper
Let’s delve into some frequently asked questions to clarify some common points of confusion around the combination of Eldritch Blast and Spell Sniper.
1. Does Spell Sniper work with all spells?
No, Spell Sniper only affects spells that require a ranged attack roll. Spells that require saving throws are not affected by this feat. Additionally, certain spells with a “self” range will not see an effect on range extension.
2. Can I take Spell Sniper more than once?
No, you can only take the Spell Sniper feat once. While D&D Beyond might list the feat multiple times to streamline character creation, it’s a single feat that cannot be stacked.
3. Can a non-Warlock use Eldritch Blast?
Yes, a non-Warlock can use Eldritch Blast if they gain access to it through feats like Magic Initiate (choosing the Warlock spell list) or Spell Sniper. However, a non-Warlock character will not gain access to Warlock Invocations that typically augment Eldritch Blast.
4. Does Eldritch Blast use a spell slot?
No, Eldritch Blast is a cantrip, meaning it is an “at will” spell that does not consume any spell slots. However, it still counts as a spell for purposes like Counterspell.
5. Does the Powerful Cantrip feat work with Eldritch Blast?
Yes, the Powerful Cantrip feat does work with Eldritch Blast. For each blast that misses, it increases the expected damage by 2.5, so 7.5 expected damage if all 3 blasts miss.
6. Can I cast two cantrips in one turn?
No, you can’t cast two cantrips in one turn using your action. If you cast a spell as a bonus action, your main action is restricted to a cantrip, and vice-versa.
7. Can I cast Eldritch Blast and another spell?
Yes, you can cast Eldritch Blast and another spell in the same turn, provided the other spell has a casting time of one bonus action.
8. Can I quicken Eldritch Blast?
Yes, using a feature like Quicken Spell, you can cast Eldritch Blast twice in one turn, or in addition to another damaging spell.
9. Does Hex affect Eldritch Blast?
Yes, because Eldritch Blast makes multiple attack rolls, each blast can benefit from the additional damage from Hex.
10. Can Eldritch Blast go around corners?
Yes, Eldritch Blast can curve or turn to hit a target within range, as it does not require line of sight, only that you are aware of the target.
11. Can I use War Caster with Eldritch Blast?
Yes, you can use the benefits of the War Caster feat when casting Eldritch Blast.
12. Does Spell Sniper work with Booming Blade?
Yes, the range of Booming Blade can be doubled with Spell Sniper, extending the range of the initial attack from 5ft to 10ft.
13. Does Spell Sniper work with Thorn Whip?
Yes, Spell Sniper extends the range of Thorn Whip, and it will still count as a melee spell attack.
14. Does Spell Sniper work with Primal Savagery?
While Primal Savagery does use an attack roll, it doesn’t make a ranged spell attack and its base range is “self”, so the range doubling of Spell Sniper will have no effect.
15. Can you twin Eldritch Blast?
Yes, at low levels when Eldritch Blast only targets a single creature, it can be twinned using a feature like the Sorcerer’s Twinned Spell Metamagic.
Conclusion
In summary, you can absolutely take Eldritch Blast using the Spell Sniper feat, opening up exciting new build possibilities. Understanding how this interacts with other abilities and feats, as well as limitations, is crucial for optimizing your character. By strategically combining Spell Sniper with Eldritch Blast and other spells, you can create a powerful and versatile character capable of dealing substantial damage from a considerable distance, while circumventing common battlefield obstacles. Whether you’re a Warlock aiming for maximum range or a different class looking for offensive power, the Eldritch Blast and Spell Sniper combo is a powerful option to consider.