Dungeons & Dragons Kills the Booming Blade/Shadow Blade Combo Attack

A popular attack combination is being nerfed in Dungeons & Dragons' next expansion. Earlier this week, Dungeons & Dragons released a set of errata for its older publications, to reflect some revisions being made in the upcoming expansion Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. One of the more notable changes is to the spell booming blade, a popular cantrip used by many melee spellcasters. The spell was revised to remove its synchronicity with several feats and other spells, mostly through changing its range and component cost. Notably, the errata revealed that booming blade could no longer be stacked with the spell shadow blade, as booming blade now requires a material component - a melee weapon worth at least 1 silver piece.

Previously, a player could cast shadow blade as a bonus action and then booming blade as an action and stack the damage on the two spells. This was a particularly popular combination for Arcane Trickster rogues, who could also throw in their Sneak Attack damage for even more damage when using the shadow blade in dim light or darkness.

Because of its ability to force opponents to either stay where they are or take damage when they willingly moves, booming blade is a popular cantrip. Although the revisions to booming blade somewhat nerfs the spell (it's no longer eligible for the twinned or distant metamagic options, nor can it be used in conjunction with the spell sniper feat), players with the war caster spell can still use it as a reaction. D&D rules designer Jeremy Crawford confirmed the spell still worked with the war caster feat on Twitter.

Are you surprised that the booming blade/shadow blade spell combo is no longer a part of Dungeons & Dragons? Let us know in the comment section.

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything will come out on November 17th.