Unearthed Arcana spell review

[Spellbreaker26]

A review of these spells: http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA-Starter-Spells.pdf

Number 1: Cause Fear
Wizards and Warlocks get it

Frightened is a good status effect, but concentration's a big disadvantage.
It would be an excellent boss killer, especially at early levels, since it does not allow repeated saving throws - it is a save or suck spell, similar to banishment. In fact it may be a little too good.


Number 2: Ceremony
Clerics and Paladins get it
It has a bunch of flavourful effects, mostly a decent spell though I recommend changing the material component to consumed unless you want holy water factories.

Number 3: Chaos Bolt
Sorcerers Only
Similar to Chromatic Orb, but trades damage and being able to pick the damage type for a possibility to hit an additional target and not requiring a material component
Also it scales terribly. Change the d6s to 2d4s and it becomes more worthwhile. Not OP by any means


Number 4: Guiding Hand
Clerics, Wizards, Druids

Hmm. This navigation ritual spell (which allows you to find any famous location) seems a bit too low level. Since it’s a ritual, any party at one of the above levels always knows where they’re going. I think it takes a little fun out of classes and tools that allow for navigation, but others might disagree. I think this would work better as a second or third level spell.

Number 5: Hand of Radiance
Clerics

Basically Cleric Thunderwave. Excellent for brutal close encounters, but I am usually wary of giving more attack cantrips to the cleric. Nonetheless, it’s low damage seems reasonable. I don’t see any outright problems with this one.

Number 6: Healing Elixir
Wizards and Warlocks take this from my cold, dead, hands

I hate this. Wizards should create potions with alchemy, not magic them up. Wizards and Warlocks have enough toys without grabbing healing as well.

Number 7: Infestation
Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

BEES. I actually really like this one. Low damage but it’s a great linebreaker. Not that competitive but a lot of fun.

Number 8: Primal Savagery
Druids

I’m watching Logan on Thursday! No spoilers!
But basically Wolverine the Cantrip. Better damage and type than shocking grasp but doesn’t have either of the riders. Still good.

Number 9: Puppet
Wizard Warlock Bard

Like command but better. Also it doesn’t prevent you dropping people off of cliffs. Really feel like this is potentially open for abuse; especially since it's totally silent. Just imagine an arcane trickster sneaking along a castle wall chucking soldiers off with Puppet. Actually, now I'm really starting to like it!

Number 10: Sense emotion
Warlock Wizard

Now this one is a good idea. Keys you into facts without being outright telepathy. A bit like a polygraph, informative but can also trip you up.

Number 11: Snare
Ranger, Druid, Wizard

It just seems pointless. Can’t you just make a regular trap with all that rope? Just do a survival check to hide it. This feels like a spell that doesn’t need to be a spell.

Number 12: Sudden Awakening
Ranger, Wizard, Sorcerer, Bard

...this feels so pointlessly situational. That’s just about all I can say about it.

Number 13: Toll the Dead
Cleric, Wizard, Warlock

Blows sacred flame out of the water for clerics (despite having a slightly worse damage type). May rank as a damage cantrip on the level of Fire bolt - i.e. only worse than Eldritch Blast. Very powerful indeed

Number 14: Unearthly Chorus
Bard

This seems like a way better version of charm person. Diplomancers are already fairly decent but this seems like a fair bit over the top. Bards can already get incredible bonuses to Charisma, they don’t need advantage for ten minutes.

Number 15: Virtue
Cleric

Despite what it looks like, this is actually a utility spell. Walk on nails continually casting, that sort of thing. Does it suck? Probably, but clerics usually have a spare cantrip slot after guidance and their attack cantrip I find.

Number 16: Wild Cunning
Druid, Ranger

Basically outright replaces some survival checks and makes the rest trivial. WoTC continues its quest to replace the Ranger class abilities with spells in the ranger list, the most pointless quest of all time.

Number 17: Zephyr Strike
Ranger

When WoTC heard people thought that they were neglecting the ranger, they decided to fix that. They confirmed that they were! This spell should be badass but isn’t. It should be a good hit n’ run spell but doesn’t do extra damage and honestly a 1st level spell to get advantage once isn’t enough hit.

[jaappleton]

For clarity, Zephyr Strike's 'advantage' only applies to the first attack you make after casting the spell. Just the initial attack.

EDIT: Also, how can you possibly be wary about giving Clerics more cantrips? They've had ONE offensive cantrip since 5E's release. One. Sacred Flame, that's all. They got zero love in Elemental Evil. It's long past due that Clerics got more cantrips and spells.

[Spellbreaker26]

For clarity, Zephyr Strike's 'advantage' only applies to the first attack you make after casting the spell. Just the initial attack.

EDIT: Also, how can you possibly be wary about giving Clerics more cantrips? They've had ONE offensive cantrip since 5E's release. One. Sacred Flame, that's all. They got zero love in Elemental Evil. It's long past due that Clerics got more cantrips and spells.

As someone who plays them, I feel their limited cantrips is intentional, like Bards. They've got good proficiencies, decent hit dice and a great spell list; giving them much better cantrips feels a bit too much. Our group has allowed hand of radiance, but we're probably going to nerf Toll the Dead.

[TentacleSurpris]

I agree with you completely. Wizards and Warlocks don't need to steal healing: the classes are supposed to do different things. Survival and Nature checks don't need to be replaced by spells... on the class list of classes that get survival and nature. Toll the dead doesn't need to be the best cantrip on the market. In fact, Druids need a better cantrip. Wolverine's Claws is 1d10 melee at level 1, worse than Shilleleigh. At level 5 it becomes 2d10 which is again about the same damage as a Shilleleigh with Wis 18 or 20. Druids just have the worst cantrips (and the worst attack spells to boot, don't get me started).

[Spellbreaker26]

Toll the dead doesn't need to be the best cantrip on the market. In fact, Druids need a better cantrip. Wolverine's Claws is 1d10 melee at level 1, worse than Shilleleigh. At level 5 it becomes 2d10 which is again about the same damage as a Shilleleigh with Wis 18 or 20. Druids just have the worst cantrips (and the worst attack spells to boot, don't get me started).

The funny thing about Toll the Dead is that it's still not better than eldritch blast.

As for druids, the ironic thing is that Shilleagh can be used better by basically every class except them. Also, 1d8+5 has average damage less than 2d10 so I'd say that Wolverine starts pulling ahead at level 5.

[Foxhound438]

I think toll the dead would be a little more balanced as a d6/ d10; this makes it so that it isn't always better than sacred flame, and when it's good it's slightly better than firebolt due to the damage type

[jaappleton]

I think toll the dead would be a little more balanced as a d6/ d10; this makes it so that it isn't always better than sacred flame, and when it's good it's slightly better than firebolt due to the damage type

Chill Touch is 1d8 with a 'you can't heal' rider, right? So if you want to nerf Toll the Dead, you're looking at 1d8 / 1d10 at least. And since its Necrotic, I'd say 1d8 / 1d12 is fine because its commonly resisted, isn't it?

[TentacleSurpris]

The funny thing about Toll the Dead is that it's still not better than eldritch blast.

As for druids, the ironic thing is that Shilleagh can be used better by basically every class except them. Also, 1d8+5 has average damage less than 2d10 so I'd say that Wolverine starts pulling ahead at level 5.

Oh when I said the best cantrip on the market, I meant not including eldritch blast with agonizing blast. Obviously. But it's still better than anything for those classes.

Druids need a better cantrip. Even Produce Flame has less damage and less range than Fire Bolt, not to mention how many fire-resistant monsters there are.

[Foxhound438]

Chill Touch is 1d8 with a 'you can't heal' rider, right? So if you want to nerf Toll the Dead, you're looking at 1d8 / 1d10 at least. And since its Necrotic, I'd say 1d8 / 1d12 is fine because its commonly resisted, isn't it?

definitely you can see a lot of resistance in certain campaigns, but in a campaign that is either balanced in what enemy types show up or one that doesn't happen to focus on undead/unholy things the damage type is on the same level as radiant/force/psychic.

as for the comparison to chill touch, it should do less than chill touch when in "low damage mode." Sure, chill touch has its own rider, but not one that increases damage. most things don't have healing abilities anyways.

[Jerrykhor]

So much hate for Healing elixir. I'm fine with most of the spells except Sense Emotion, Chaos Bolt and Sudden Awakening. These 3 spells stand out as too weak and too situational.

Sense Emotion can be replaced with proper Insight check, Chaos Bolt is low damage, random damage type, and Sudden Awakening... I mean how many sleeping/prone bodies can you fit within 10ft of you? If its just one sleeping guy, just wake him up with your action.

[Spellbreaker26]

So much hate for Healing elixir. .

Yes, yes I do have so much hate for it. Because it negates alchemy, which should be how potions are made, because combined with Wizard and warlock short rest spell recharge it has virtually no cost. Also, it represents Wizards being given another tool that shouldn't be in their toolbox, a reoccurring theme in UA that really irks me.

[Joe the Rat]

Chill Touch is 1d8 with a 'you can't heal' rider, right? So if you want to nerf Toll the Dead, you're looking at 1d8 / 1d10 at least. And since its Necrotic, I'd say 1d8 / 1d12 is fine because its commonly resisted, isn't it?

I see it as basically necrotic Frostbite (1d8 save vs. cantrip), where the rider is "if target is wounded, upgrades to Poison Spray damage." I like it, but I'm on the fence on the damage.

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On healing elixir. I actually like the concept of it (magic up a potion in a pinch), but the implementation is rife for abuse. Requiring proficiency and making components consumed (so you can't just have it squirt out of your wand) is a start (material cost, albeit a negligible one). The current cast time makes it a pinch setup, but too long to cast up for immediate use. A significantly longer casting time (in the neighborhood of an hour) cuts down on abuses.

Another angle would be to make it a "healing surge" potion - rather than straight healing, it lets you spend hit dice (max 1 or 2, +1 per level over 1 used).

The current version would be fair for the most recent artificer.