Warlocks in Dungeons & Dragons are particularly known and popular for one spell and therefore focus on spells to support this attack. However, one player insists on how powerful another spell is that makes life difficult for the opponents.
Which spell is being referred to? It is the spell “Bane”, a level 1 spell that can be learned quite early by spellcasting classes. “Bane” is a concentration spell where up to three creatures within the line of sight must make a Charisma saving throw, or else they receive a penalty of 1d4 on their attack rolls and saving throws. In this respect, “Bane” works like “Bless”, only with the opposite effect.
The player LashOut2016 writes on Reddit that the warlock of his group really “saved the ass” of his teammates with Bane and a d4: “As it turned out, [one of our last encounters] should have been a TPK [total party kill] since the gang boss could have killed every party member in one round. But then – Bane.”
Here you see the presentation of the role-playing game “Daggerheart” by Critical Role:
Warlocks can – and should – do more than just deal damage
What does the community say about the spell? Players agree that players who prioritize the success of the group over making themselves stronger should really be recognized: “I appreciate someone who prefers to play as debuff support rather than saying: ‘Look, I do 5 billion DPS'” (LashOut2016 via Reddit).
“Bane” was never really considered a bad spell; it was simply often overlooked since a control spell is not as appealing to many players as one that deals high damage. “Debuffers are not as glamorous as damage dealers, but man, are they helpful,” writes BroasVideo8 (via Reddit).
When is Bane most effective? The spell is best suited for groups that make a lot of attacks and/or spells that require a failed saving throw from the target to be particularly effective. For this reason, they are perfect for crowd control, which often requires these saving throws.
“I always underestimated Bane compared to Bless, but I hadn’t considered its usefulness in a group that mainly attacks through saving throws. Your contribution made me think,” writes crazyrich (via Reddit).
VelvetCowboy also recognizes the value of the spell when the opponents’ saving throws become more reliable: “For spellcasting characters that do not use many concentration spells, it is enough to cast Bane on the 3–6 most important opponents to achieve a lot, especially when reaching higher levels. The opponents’ saving throws become stronger, so it becomes even more important to subtract 1d4 from those throws” (via Reddit).
Warlocks love the cantrip “Eldritch Blast” and therefore often use spells that synergize well with it, such as “Hex” or “Hunger of Hadar”. All of these spells are concentration spells and extremely powerful, yet many players in Dungeons & Dragons as well as Baldur’s Gate 3 refuse to learn them: Players willingly forego powerful spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 because an old mechanic from D&D annoys them
