TripleD
2017-02-13, 08:32 PM
Witch Bolt
1st Level Evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
During: Concentration, up to one minute
A beam of crackling, blue energy lances out toward a creature within range, forming a sustained arc of lightning between you and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against that creature. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 lightning damage, and its speed is reduced by half its maximum value. On each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 1d12 lightning damage to the target automatically and sustain the speed reduction. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or if it has total cover from you.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may reduce your opponent's speed by an additional 10 feet for each slot level above 1st.
There is no cooler looking spell with a weaker hitting effect than Witch Bolt. People describe it as "getting your Palpatine on" which made me think of a way to improve it.
In the movies Palpatine's lightening doesn't just hurt, it makes it difficult to move. Full paralysis at level one is too powerful, to say nothing of no save. But turning it into a controlling spell affecting speed for a single creature gives it a niche that is useful, without completely overshadowing stuff like Hold Person.
1st Level Evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
During: Concentration, up to one minute
A beam of crackling, blue energy lances out toward a creature within range, forming a sustained arc of lightning between you and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against that creature. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 lightning damage, and its speed is reduced by half its maximum value. On each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 1d12 lightning damage to the target automatically and sustain the speed reduction. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or if it has total cover from you.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you may reduce your opponent's speed by an additional 10 feet for each slot level above 1st.
There is no cooler looking spell with a weaker hitting effect than Witch Bolt. People describe it as "getting your Palpatine on" which made me think of a way to improve it.
In the movies Palpatine's lightening doesn't just hurt, it makes it difficult to move. Full paralysis at level one is too powerful, to say nothing of no save. But turning it into a controlling spell affecting speed for a single creature gives it a niche that is useful, without completely overshadowing stuff like Hold Person.