The Salem witch trials were a dark period in American history. From 1692 to 1693, a wave of paranoia and fear swept through the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, resulting in the execution of twenty people accused of witchcraft. The events of the witch trials have captivated the imaginations of many writers, leading to a wealth of literature exploring the themes of hysteria, justice, and the power of fear. This literature offers insight into the events of the trials and provides a lens through which we can examine the impact of mass hysteria on a community and the dangers of unchecked power. One of the most famous literary works inspired by the Salem witch trials is Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible." Written in 1953 during the height of McCarthyism, Miller drew parallels between the hunt for witches in Salem and the hunt for communists in America.
We saw this play out in the first hypothetical scenario with bless, but getting to affect more targets with our spells is powerful. A third-level bless covers five times as many party members as a third-level haste does. An upcast command targeting three or four enemies can wreak havoc on an encounter, denying what might well be half of the enemies on the field their action for a round, while also repositioning them, and potentially triggering multiple opportunity attacks as well. Tasha’s mind whip upcasts impressively as well, providing a pseudo-incapacitation effect for multiple creatures. Fortune’s favor isn’t easy to access, but can provide close to the equivalent of 1 luck point to two targets for a third level slot for a duration of 1 hour, which could have its uses. Upcasting these low level, but powerful spells using those 2nd or 3rd level spell slots is an excellent way to get more bang for your buck.
Finally, there is one healing spell that is incredibly potent when upcast, but only with characters with a certain multiclass dip Life Domain Cleric 1. Given the rough additional hit points per CR estimates, dealing 15 or so additional damage from the upcasted damage dice per creature likely means you are keeping pace with enemy scaling, compared to the subpar additional damage on single-instance damage.
" Written in 1953 during the height of McCarthyism, Miller drew parallels between the hunt for witches in Salem and the hunt for communists in America. Through this connection, Miller showcased the destructive power of mob mentality and the willingness of people to accuse others without evidence or reason. "The Crucible" highlights the themes of moral ambiguity, scapegoating, and the struggle for truth in the face of hysteria.
Upcasting Spells in DnD 5E
In 5th Edition, “upcasting” is an unofficial term that refers to the mechanic of casting a spell that is of lower level than the level of the spell slot being used to cast it. Primarily, this is done for the purpose of providing enhanced effects from the spell, as many spells in 5E have an “At Higher Levels” clause in their description that lists the benefits of using a higher level spell slot. Compared to D&D 3.5E or Pathfinder, where this sort of ability was reserved for Sorcerers and heighten metamagic, 5E allows any caster to upcast their spells, making it a far more universally applicable tactic.
In practice, upcasting is a relatively rare occurrence at most tables, but sometimes it can be just the right tactic for the situation. Some spells are particularly powerful when upcast, while others might seem worthwhile but are trap options. If you want to make the most out of your spellcasting abilities, you owe it to yourself and your party to make the best use out of upcasting that you can.
Higher Level Spells Are Not Always Superior
Our first point is not specifically about upcasting, but is a general idea that is good to learn, which is that higher level spells are not always superior to lower level spells.
Less optimization-minded players tend to have a certain amount of built-in faith that the game system created by Wizards of the Coast is well balanced, and thus have consciously or subconsciously internalized the maxim that higher level spells are always better than lower level ones. If they weren’t, why would they be higher level?
Often, this is indeed the case: cone of cold is superior to pulse wave which is superior to burning hands; Otiluke’s freezing sphere deals more damage than fireball, which does more damage than shatter. But for spell types that aren’t just increasing stacks of damage dice (and are thus less directly comparable), this isn’t always going to be the case. It might seem tempting and even appropriate to cast haste on the Fighter that’s whacking the barlgura on the front-line, but would an upcast 2nd level bless that covers the entire party be better?
So in short, bless is a significantly more potent offensive buff than haste. It’s no slouch in defense either, since it also grants the party a bonus to their saving throws. Bless is a good spell, but what this really shows is that haste is mediocre for its level. Five to seven damage per round? For a third level spell? Really?
And then there’s the consideration that if you drop your concentration, you’ve hung your fighter out to dry for an entire round—a crippling outcome that puts them in a very bad spot. Additionally, casting haste means you cannot cast another concentration spell without suffering this downside, a weakness that doesn’t plague other concentration spells.
The point of this exercise is not to reiterate an argument that we have made about the usefulness of haste, but rather to point out that haste is not an inherently superior spell to bless despite being two levels higher—and that haste vs. bless is far from the only example where in lower-level spells are as good or better compared to higher level ones, and thus we want to emphasize that you should not always default to a certain spell just because it’s higher level!
Another notable work is Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, "The Scarlet Letter." Although not directly about the witch trials, "The Scarlet Letter" explores similar themes of public shaming and the consequences of sin. Set in Puritan Boston, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her clothing as punishment for adultery. Hawthorne uses the harsh judgment and hypocritical nature of Puritan society to critique the societal norms that led to the witch trials. "The Scarlet Letter" delves into the themes of guilt, conformity, and the struggle for redemption. In addition to fictional works, there are also accounts and historical texts that provide a more factual look at the Salem witch trials. One such text is "A Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft" by Thomas Brattle. Published in 1692, Brattle questioned the validity of the witchcraft accusations and called for more reasonable approaches to discerning truth. His work offers a critical examination of the trials and highlights the absurdity of the accusations and the flawed judicial processes. The literature surrounding the Salem witch trials serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of hysteria and the importance of justice. These works explore the psychological impact of fear and paranoia on individuals and communities. The stories and accounts provide valuable insights into the human capacity for cruelty and the need for vigilance in protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals. By examining the literature of the Salem witch hunts, we can learn from the past and strive to create a more just and compassionate society in the present..
Reviews for "Literary Imagery of the Salem Witch Hunts: Picturing a Dark Chapter in History"
1. John - 2/5 stars: I must admit, I just couldn't get into the literature about the Salem witch hunts. I found it to be a bit repetitive and lacking in depth. It seemed like every story I read had the same characters and plotlines, and it became quite monotonous after a while. The writing style also didn't captivate me, as I felt it was bland and didn't evoke any strong emotions. Overall, I was disappointed and didn't find it to be a compelling read.
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars: I couldn't wait to finish reading the literature about the Salem witch hunts because I found it incredibly boring. The stories felt like a regurgitation of the same events with slightly different characters. There was no character development or interesting twists that would have made the reading experience more enjoyable. The writing style was also lackluster, with no lyrical or captivating prose to hold my attention. I wouldn't recommend this literature to anyone looking for an engaging and exciting read.
3. Michael - 2/5 stars: I had high hopes for the literature about the Salem witch hunts, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The stories lacked depth and failed to explore the psychological and historical complexities of that time. I was hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the events and the people involved, but instead, I was left feeling unsatisfied. The writing style was decent, but the overall substance just wasn't there. I was left wanting more from this literary exploration of a dark period in history.