Mar 15

Mar 15 A Player's Guide to Feats - Flames of Phlegethos

Honestly, I had to look up Phlegethos because I couldn't remember where it was in Hell. Turns out it is the 4th level of Hell, ruled over by Fierna and Belial. It's the only level of Hell ruled by two devils. To say they are friends is a big stretch, but so is calling them enemies. Sure, they rarely see eye to eye and will occasionally fight to become the sole ruler of Phlegthos. When another devil tries to overtake their rule, they bond together and squash any attempted coup.

Phlegethos, a realm cloaked in the fury of volcanos, lava, and sentient flame, beckons with its fiery allure. This is why the Flames of Phlegetos, a feat of unparalleled light and the power of fire, holds such significance. Let us delve into the Flames of Phlegethos feat and discover if it's worth undertaking.

What is the Flames of Phlegethos Feat

Prerequisite: Tiefling
You learn to call on hellfire to serve your commands. You gain the following benefits:
Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
When you roll fire damage for a spell you cast, you can reroll any roll of 1 on the fire damage dice, but you must use the new roll, even if it is another 1.
Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can cause flames to wreathe you until the end of your next turn. The flames don’t harm you or your possessions, and they shed bright light out to 30 feet and dim light for an additional 30 feet. While the flames are present, any creature within 5 feet of you that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d4 fire damage.

Dissecting the Feat

The Flames of Phlegethos is a unique racial feat exclusively for the Tiefling. As a critic of racial feats, I've often felt that certain races were overlooked. The Tiefling was one such race, and it wasn't until the release of Xanathar's that they were bestowed with two distinctive feats. Flames of Phlegethos, one of these, stands out as the more potent of the two—significantly more potent.

It's another half feat, with you gaining a +1 to either Charisma or Intelligence. This makes total sense since the feat is focused on the primary spellcaster, and those two ability scores cover most of them (sorry, Clerics). I've said it before, and I'll say it once again. Any bonus to your ability score granted by a feat is a big deal and makes some feats more enticing.

In this case, the ability score bonus seems even more powerful, given what you get from the guts of the feat. I've read in every other review of this feat that if you're building a pyromancer, this is almost a must-have feat. I completely agree, but let's not sell the feat short. Re-rolling dice is always fun—everyone loves rolling dice—especially when you roll a 1. What makes the feat so good is that you can re-roll all your 1s.

I don’t usually add art to my article, but this was a no brainer. Credit - Dokkan Co., DBZ mobile game

We all have those days when the dice hate you, but you just can't stop casting fireball no matter how crappy your rolls are. This feat can, hopefully, ease some of your pain. The feat scales well cause as you gain the chance to more dice to make those dread 1's go away. If you roll a 1 on the second roll, you've got to use that roll, but you have a 5 in 6 chance of rolling better. Maybe someone way smarter than me could figure out the probabilities and damage increases based on re-roll, but that sure as shit ain't me. Oh, wait, someone smarter than me did figure it all out.

Then there's the flame shield. Lighting yourself up to become a human torch that shines light in all directions for thirty feet, ten more feet than a regular torch. It does minimal damage to anyone up close and personal, but any damage is good damage. It's important to note that the feat states you can cause the flames to wrap around you. This allows you the option not to, which could come in handy when your friends are next to you, and you don't want them to be inadvertently singed.

Finally, there's the issue I had with whether or not the light is magical. Light from a spell is magical unless it specifically states it's not. Since the flames - and the light they produce - result from you casting a spell, would that make the light magical? After doing some research, I landed on the light not being magical. My reason is the fire shield (I can't call it a fire wreath) is not a spell you cast but an ability you gain from the feat. Sorry, everyone, but that simple 2nd level darkness spell isn't going to dissipate no matter what level spell you cast.

The Flames of Phlegethos Feat Useability by Class

Artificer: They have a fair amount of fire spells, including green-flame blade, which scales nicely. The Intelligence bump is helpful, and the fire shield can be useful if you're playing an Armorer or Battle Smith. Overall, it's very build-specific, but I wouldn't discount it out of hand.

Barbarian: Can't cast spells, so….

Bard: Not worth taking.

Cleric: Not worth taking

Druid: The druid has 10+ spells that cause fire damage. The feat isn't worth taking unless you are a Circle of Wildfire Druid. If you are, then you want to take the feat. Do not consider it, but take it with hesitation. Gaining access to additional fire spells and increased fire spell damage at the 6th level makes the feat a must-have. For the remaining subclasses, the feat isn't worth taking.

Fighter: See barbarian. Okay, maybe, with a 1% chance, you could consider the feat if you were an Eldritch Knight…and wanted to waste a feat and/or ability score bonus.

Monk: Another class that can't cast spells.

Paladin: It's not worth taking unless you have a burning desire to re-roll anytime you cast the searing smite spell.

Ranger: Not worth taking

Rogue: You can't cast spells unless you're an Arcane Trickster. If you are, it's still not worth taking. Rogues are about hiding in the shadows, not turning themselves into a shining beacon for all to see.

Sorcerer: Charisma bonus. Lots and lots of fire spells. Most sorcerers will avoid getting their hands dirty and engaging in melee combat, but the flame shield can be helpful when an enemy rushes up to them. If you're playing a Draconic Bloodline sorcerer, you may engage in some melee combat, and the feat becomes much more feasible. Overall, it's another class where the feat is worthy of consideration—maybe not a lot of consideration, but still.

Warlock: This feat is worth considering if you're playing a Hexblade Warlock. Hellish rebuke benefits greatly from the feat, especially if you cast it at higher levels. But I was surprised to find how few fire damage spells the warlock has access to, so it's a pass.

Wizard: A wizard's spell list contains many fire spells. If you've taken a dip into a melee-focused class or if your fighter took a dip into a wizard, the green-flame blade spell becomes very useful. The Intelligence bump is always helpful for a wizard. It's not a must-have fat, but some consideration should be given based on your build.

Conclusion

The Flames of Phlegethos comes down to a few simple things. First, you have to be playing a tiefling. Second, you have to love watching your enemies burn, which sounds very disturbing now that I type it. If you’ve covered those criteria, taking the feat is totally dependent on your build. Playing a promancer or a Circle of Wildfire Druid? Then it’s a definite yes. Maybe if you’ve multiclassed, have access to a decent amount of fire spells, and are willing to engage in melee fighting and use green-flame blade. Other than that, it’s probably best left on the sidelines.

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