Spell fixes?

[Sans.]

What spell fixes can you guys think of? There are tons and tons of really bad spells in D&D; how do you guys deal with them?

Examples:
Power Word Kill: Does 100 damage, no save.
True Strike: Castable as a bonus action.
Witch Bolt: Cast as a regular action, uses up your bonus action each round if you want to keep it going, not your regular action.

Thoughts?

[Gastronomie]

True Strike as a bonus action?

....What?

OT: Adding exhaustion or something to Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, giving Circle of Death a rider, allowing Eyebite and the Investitures to be bonus action from next turn, and lots, lots more. Mainly the stuff that are thematically really cool but meh in actual use.

[Sans.]

True Strike as a bonus action?

....What?

OT: Adding exhaustion or something to Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, giving Circle of Death a rider, allowing Eyebite and the Investitures to be bonus action from next turn, and lots, lots more. Mainly the stuff that are thematically really cool but meh in actual use.

Have I got something wrong? My intention was that you could cast a spell, can cast True Strike as a bonus action and then get advantage on your next Disintegrate.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Have I got something wrong? My intention was that you could cast a spell, can cast True Strike as a bonus action and then get advantage on your next Disintegrate.
It goes all the way to being too good. Pretty much everyone in the game world take it to make pretty much every attack at advantage.

[Kryx]

It goes all the way to being too good. Pretty much everyone in the game world take it to make pretty much every attack at advantage.
Moving it back to first level and using a bonus action is more balanced, but a bit weak.

You could call it true strikes and have it last for 1d4+1 attacks. Then it's viable for both EK and AT.

[CantigThimble]

True Strike as a bonus action is too good for sure. Every character who doesn't have a good use for their bonus action (and several that do) would multiclass or take magic adept for that cantrip. I might consider fixing it by making it:
Target creature gains advantage on their next attack roll.

Basically a limited, ranged version of help. It kinda falls into the same category as Spare the Dying where it makes you marginally more capable of doing something that wasn't all that difficult to begin with (and allowing you to 'help' yourself) but at least it serves a purpose.

The main value of power word kill is that there's no death saving throws or any chance to get the target back on their feet. As long as you aren't removing that I don't see too much problem with letting it deal 100 damage if the target is invalid. It's 9th level after all.

The change for witch bolt seems fine. They can just go 35 feet away or dive under cover to break it anyway so unless you're setting it up then it's definitely not going to be OP.

One spell I would change is suggestion. The spell is really vague, but I would just make it clear that "I suggest [insert any non-suicidal use of dominate person or geas]" is not a valid suggestion. What you are saying needs to be something which could feasibly be in the target's self-interest, something they might WANT to do because it would benefit them or at least not have any immediate downsides. Now, it's fine if it secretly isn't in their interest or will cause serious downsides but the key there is secret.

[Blue Lantern]

Have I got something wrong? My intention was that you could cast a spell, can cast True Strike as a bonus action and then get advantage on your next Disintegrate.

Disintegrate is not an attack roll though. And if you give disadvantage on saves it would be way too good.

[Giant2005]

Is Bonus Action True Strike really that bad? Virtually all combat styles have better things to do with their bonus action.
The only classes that would really be better for using it would be a GFB-spamming Arcane Trickster, an EB spamming Warlock that didn't multiclass into Sorc (if they actually exist), and a Lore Bard that got their hands on an attack Cantrip.

[pwykersotz]

I added concentration to Resilient Sphere, Wall of Force, and Forcecage, gave them a damage threshold of 20 and infinite HP, and made it so that half of all damage taken was dealt to the person concentrating as Psychic damage (which might break concentration).

I also modified Remove Curse, updated the Reincarnate table to include all new races, modified Witch Bolt to use a bonus action for subsequent damage and require that the enemy be out of range at the end of the caster's turn to break, and merged Jump with Longstrider into Striding and Springing.

The Witch Bolt fix and the Jump/Longstrider merge are both fixes from these boards.

Remove Curse

At your touch, you use your power to fight a curse affecting one creature or object. The spell has different effects depending on what type of curse is targeted.


Spell. You end the curse immediately.
Magic Item. The curse remains, but you break the owner's attumement to the object so it can be removed and discarded. This has no effect on Legendary and Artifact items, and it treats them as other curses as detailed below.
Lycanthropy. The next time that the lycanthrope would transform within 24 hours, they get a saving throw with advantage versus the original curse DC to resist the transformation. If they succeed, they keep their true mind. However, acts of violence and spilled blood enrage the beast within and force the creature to make a new save. If they fail, the effects of Remove Curse end. A transformed or natural lycanthrope is immune to this spell.
Other curses. If the curse is not one of the above, then the spell instead gives you a vision of its nature, including what must be done to remove it. This is a divination effect.

[Blue Lantern]

Is Bonus Action True Strike really that bad? Virtually all combat styles have better things to do with their bonus action.
The only classes that would really be better for using it would be a GFB-spamming Arcane Trickster, an EB spamming Warlock that didn't multiclass into Sorc (if they actually exist), and a Lore Bard that got their hands on an attack Cantrip.

A shield master that now doesn't have to rely on a contested check to get an advantage or can get it against Huge and Gargantuan creatures.
A great weapon master that had not crit or killed anyone on his turn.
Any ranged fighter who prefer longbows to crossbow for the increased distance.
An arcane cleric that is not currently using spiritual weapon.
A valor bard who took magic initiate

I'm sure there are others.

[Kryx]

I added concentration to Resilient Sphere, Wall of Force, and Forcecage
Resilient Sphere and Wall of Force already have concentration.


merged Jump with Longstrider into Striding and Springing.]
That's mine! :D

[Giant2005]

A shield master that now doesn't have to rely on a contested check to get an advantage or can get it against Huge and Gargantuan creatures.
Fair enough on the size limitations. Although I think that nice is a bit too narrow to be worth investing a feat or level on.


A great weapon master that had not crit or killed anyone on his turn.
He would still be better off taking Polearm Master.


Any ranged fighter who prefer longbows to crossbow for the increased distance.
Fair call. Although I'm not so sure such characters even exist.


An arcane cleric that is not currently using spiritual weapon.
An Arcana Cleric only gets two Arcane Spells, at least one of which is going to be either GFB or BB. Even if the other isn't GFB or BB, there are too many options for True Strike to be worth the investment considering Spiritual Weapon will be in use almost all of the time.


A valor bard who took magic initiate
He would be better off with Polearm Master or Shield Master.


I'm sure there are others.
You are probably right, but they also tend to be sub-optimized situations and builds. If something isn't pushing up the upper cap, then it is okay. That is actually why I don't think the proposed Witch Bolt change earlier in the thread is a good one. It pushes up the upper cap of how much multi-round damage an arcane caster can pull off with their bonus action.

[Naanomi]

Magic initiate rogue; truestrike as bonus + booming blade... who needs to be a swashbuckler to solo backstab?

[Pex]

Cure Wounds/Healing Word starting at 2 dice.

Smite spells not being Concentration.

Magic Weapon, Shield Of Faith, Barkskin not being Concentration. (Really the entire Concentration mechanic, but that's a whole other gripe.)

[Grod_The_Giant]

Magic initiate rogue; truestrike as bonus + booming blade... who needs to be a swashbuckler to solo backstab?
Oh, you still totally want to be a Swashbuckler-- that way you can still run away after hitting them.

[Gastronomie]

Smite spells not being Concentration.I disagree. Casting multiple Smite spells before a battle starts and slamming all of that nova onto the first attack can be lethal and game-breaking.

[Pex]

I disagree. Casting multiple Smite spells before a battle starts and slamming all of that nova onto the first attack can be lethal and game-breaking.

Point. Add to each spell description you may only have one Smite effect active. Casting another Smite spell ends the previous one.

[Naanomi]

The best use of truestrike is that it only has somatic components, so it doesn't tip off people... good for preparing for the ambush

[CantigThimble]

The best use of truestrike is that it only has somatic components, so it doesn't tip off people... good for preparing for the ambush

If you're ambushing someone you will already have advantage.