How does a Shillelagh work?
A Shillelagh is a druid spell that imbues a club or quarterstaff with the power of nature, allowing the wielder to use their spellcasting ability instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls, and dealing 1d8 bludgeoning damage. The spell requires a club or quarterstaff as a target object, which can be circumvented by having a Druidic Focus, and its benefits can only be used by the caster, ending if the weapon is handed off to someone else or if the spell is cast again.
Understanding Shillelagh
To understand how a Shillelagh works, it’s essential to know the rules and limitations of the spell. The spell enchants a weapon to be magical, bypassing resistances and immunities, such as against a shadow or werewolf.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does Shillelagh work on any weapon?
Shillelagh requires an actual club or quarterstaff, which can be circumvented by having a Druidic Focus. However, the spell also requires the target object to be an actual club or quarterstaff.
2. Is Shillelagh useful?
Shillelagh is useful as it enchants a weapon to be magical, bypassing resistances and immunities. It also works well with features like Extra Attack, making it a good option for rangers with Druidic Warrior.
3. What kind of damage does Shillelagh do?
The weapon’s damage die for this attack is a d8, and the attack deals bludgeoning damage. This means that if Shillelagh is cast on a quarterstaff, the BA attack will be 1d8.
4. Does Shillelagh add damage?
No, Shillelagh does not add damage to a magical weapon. If the spell did that, it would say so in the spell description.
5. Can you cast Shillelagh on a torch?
Yes, Shillelagh can be cast on a torch, but it will do only 1d4 (improvised weapon damage) bludgeoning damage + 1 fire (normal torch damage).
6. Can you use Shillelagh on a mace?
No, Shillelagh cannot be used on a mace, as it requires a club or quarterstaff.
7. What is the most damaging melee weapon in D&D?
The greatsword is often considered one of the best melee weapons in D&D, due to its high damage output.
8. Can you dual wield Shillelagh?
Sadly, Shillelagh only works for one weapon at a time, as it ends if you cast it again or let go of the weapon.
9. What is the difference between Magic Stone and Shillelagh?
There’s a fundamental difference between Magic Stone and Shillelagh: Shillelagh gets cast on a weapon and its benefits can only be used by the caster, while Magic Stone gets cast on ammunition and its benefits can be used by anyone.
10. Do you need a free hand to cast Shillelagh?
Yes, Shillelagh requires a free hand for somatic components, a druidic focus, and can only target a club or staff that the druid is currently wielding.
11. Can you cast Shillelagh with a shield?
No, you must have a free hand to cast a spell with a somatic component, which means you must stow away either the Shillelagh weapon (club/quarterstaff) or the shield.
12. Can you use Shillelagh on a quarterstaff?
Yes, Shillelagh can be used on a quarterstaff, and it’s a popular choice for druids who want to deal bludgeoning damage.
13. Can you combine Green Flame Blade and Shillelagh?
Yes, Green Flame Blade works well with Shillelagh, as the green-flame blade spell states that you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell’s range.
14. Can you stack Green Flame Blade and Shillelagh?
Yes, you can combine Shillelagh with Green-Flame Blade and other features/spells to maximize damage output.
15. What is Thorn Whip?
Thorn Whip is a spell that creates a long, vine-like whip covered in thorns that lashes out at your command toward a creature in range, dealing 1d6 piercing damage and potentially pulling the creature closer to you.