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Blindseer
2017-09-10, 08:51 AM
So I might have the world's most easygoing DM, and I decided to whip up some new spells because I'm allowed to. I'd greatly appreciate it, if you guys would be willing to help with balancing and overall advice.

Level 1:
Unnerving Glow
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 30 feet, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

Target makes a dexterity saving throw. If failed, the target takes 2d8 radiant damage and receives a -2 penalty to saving throws for a minute.

When cast with a second level slot or higher, this spell does an extra 1d8 and the penalty increases by 1.

Level 2:
Corrupting Grasp
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 30 ft, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

Black frigid tentacles entwine around the target. They make a strength saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 2d12 cold damage and has disadvantage on constitution saving throws.

When cast at a third or higher level slot, does an extra 1d12 damage.

Level 3:
Consuming State
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 30 ft, Components: vs, Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

Your body is wreathed in dark tentacles. You gain +2 AC and can use a bonus action to pull a random enemy within 30 feet of you to 5 feet of you, dealing 2d8 damage to them. On a successful dexterity saving throw, they take no damage and aren't pulled.

When cast with a slot of the 4th level or higher, this gives an extra +1 AC and does another 1d8 damage.

Level 4:
Pull of Darkness
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 100 feet, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

Black tentacles explode from within the target dealing 3d8 necrotic damage. Every creature within 30 feet of it must make a dexterity saving throw or be pulled by the tentacles into the target, dealing 2d8 bludgeoning damage. On a successful save they take half damage and aren't pulled.

When cast with a 5th level slot, the damage to each target increases by 1d8 and the radius increases by 10 feet.

Soul Gaze:
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: touch, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

You touch another creature, a dark bridge forming between your minds. You both see into the memories of this and all past lives. You gain knowledge of some of these memories. The target can't control the flow of untamed knowledge as you can. The target makes an intelligence saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 2d8 psychic damage and the DM rolls 1d6. On a 1 or 2, you learn little or unimportant information from the memories and the target is sickened (disadvantage on all rolls) for 1d4 rounds. On a 3 or 4, you learn the information you were intending or is directly helpful and the target is paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. On a 5 or 6, you learn what you were seeking as well as extra information that is valid or helpful and the target suffers from the confused effect for 2d4 rounds.

Level 5:
Borrowed Gift
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: self, Components: vsm, Duration: 1 hour
Material: A cracked shard of garnet (fiend), emerald (archfey), or obsidian (GOO)

You draw increased power from your patron. Terrain around you in a 15 foot radius is difficult for enemy creatures. You have an advantage on all charisma checks against fiends, fey, elementals, and undead. You gain 4 temporary 1st level spell slots.

Unknown Level (may be overpowered)
Aspect of The Otherworldly
Casting Time: 1 minute, Range: self, Components: vs, Duration: concentration up to 1 hour

You draw power from your patron in it's rawest form. Upon the first casting, your soul shows clear influence of your patron, and your patron knows of you specifically. (ex a fiend warlock would have trouble getting a temple to heal them) For the duration, your eyes take on the appearance of your patron's and a nearly palpable aura surrounds you. Your patron can see through your eyes and knows exactly where you are. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, your AC increases by 3, and you have advantage on all saving throws. You can speak any language, and can choose to speak with the voice of your patron. As a bonus action you can extend or retract 8 tentacles from your body. These tentacles each make their own attacks against any creature with 5 feet of you. Because of space, only 3 can attack the same creature at once. Each does 1d8 bludgeoning damage and 1d8 necrotic damage. Once per casting, you can force all creatures in a 30 ft radius of you to make a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, they're frightened of you for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns and when they take damage they can repeat the saving throw. Creatures frightened like this can't speak when they can see you, and have a disadvantage on charisma saving throws against you.

Edited for a grammar thing.

Blindseer
2017-09-10, 08:57 AM
I took inspiration from some spells from he star pact warlock. I also used this to fill in some gaps I thought were present in spells. Such as disadvantage on constitution saving throws, they didn't exist as a warlock thing despite some powerful spells requiring the saves. I also like to see (at least my warlock) as chaotic and a little selfish. That's why a couple of the spells specify attacking creatures, not enemies.

Also Aspect of The Otherworldly had as much fluff as an immortal dwarf who can't shave and that's exactly what I was going for.

These are also leaning heavily towards GOOlocks, but that's all I have experience in.

Kane0
2017-09-10, 07:34 PM
Unnerving Glow: Compare with Doom for relative power and possible phrasing, this appears to be straight up better.
Corrupting Grasp: Disadvantage on Con for how long, 1 minute? Does it allow a new save each turn? Does it need concentration? If so, seems fine
Consuming State: AC boost is a bit of a no-no, try setting to a certain AC ala Barkskin (that doesn't scale). Otherwise seems fine, but maybe should be a STR save.
Pull of Darkness: All good
Soul Gaze: I like it. Might need to offer additional saves and might be a concentration since it seems like a duration thing rather than instant.
Borrowed Gift: Concentration required, four free 1st level slots is pretty powerful, not sure how it matches thematically with the difficult terrain. Maybe separate those into different spells.
Aspect of the Otherworldly: So much happening here, try to keep each spell as having no more than 3 aspects to it or it becomes really unwieldy. Perhaps 3-4 tentacles OR a fear aura, advantage on saves OR the speed/AC boost (see Consuming State) and the speech OR patron remote view. Wouldn't be as powerful as foresight, perhaps a 7th or 8th in this form.

Ninja_Prawn
2017-09-11, 04:38 AM
Let's see... I haven't read Kane0's comments, so apologies if I repeat anything. Also you haven't specified the schools for any of these, so I've noted which ones I'd put them in.


Level 1:
Unnerving Glow
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 30 feet, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

Target makes a dexterity saving throw. If failed, the target takes 2d8 radiant damage and receives a -2 penalty to saving throws for a minute.

When cast with a second level slot or higher, this spell does an extra 1d8 and the penalty increases by 1.

Not a fan of the -X penalty; that should be disadvantage. Also, the duration should be "concentration, up to 1 minute" because it's a lasting debuff.

For the school, I'd say this sounds like an evocation.


Level 2:
Corrupting Grasp
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 30 ft, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

Black frigid tentacles entwine around the target. They make a strength saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 2d12 cold damage and has disadvantage on constitution saving throws.

When cast at a third or higher level slot, does an extra 1d12 damage.

Again, needs to be a concentration spell, and you need to specify how long the disadvantage lasts. Can the save be repeated? That applies to the previous one as well actually.

Conjuration?


Level 3:
Consuming State
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 30 ft, Components: vs, Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

Your body is wreathed in dark tentacles. You gain +2 AC and can use a bonus action to pull a random enemy within 30 feet of you to 5 feet of you, dealing 2d8 damage to them. On a successful dexterity saving throw, they take no damage and aren't pulled.

When cast with a slot of the 4th level or higher, this gives an extra +1 AC and does another 1d8 damage.

That's very strong. It's like shield of faith and spiritual weapon rolled into one with an added control effect. I also dislike the way the AC bonus scales. Personally, I'd drop the AC stuff altogether and balance it against Melf's minute meteors.

I think that's clearly a conjuration.


Level 4:
Pull of Darkness
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: 100 feet, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

Black tentacles explode from within the target dealing 3d8 necrotic damage. Every creature within 30 feet of it must make a dexterity saving throw or be pulled by the tentacles into the target, dealing 2d8 bludgeoning damage. On a successful save they take half damage and aren't pulled.

When cast with a 5th level slot, the damage to each target increases by 1d8 and the radius increases by 10 feet.

Seems fine. Evocation.


Soul Gaze:
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: touch, Components: vs, Duration: instantaneous

You touch another creature, a dark bridge forming between your minds. You both see into the memories of this and all past lives. You gain knowledge of some of these memories. The target can't control the flow of untamed knowledge as you can. The target makes an intelligence saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 2d8 psychic damage and the DM rolls 1d6. On a 1 or 2, you learn little or unimportant information from the memories and the target is sickened (disadvantage on all rolls) for 1d4 rounds. On a 3 or 4, you learn the information you were intending or is directly helpful and the target is paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. On a 5 or 6, you learn what you were seeking as well as extra information that is valid or helpful and the target suffers from the confused effect for 2d4 rounds.

Wow. The paralysed/confused effect alone is probably worth 5th level, unless you allow repeated saves. Again, it should be concentration until the debuff runs out, but on the flip side, it should still do something if the target makes the save. Maybe just a small amount of damage.

I guess it's a divination?


Level 5:
Borrowed Gift
Casting Time: 1 action, Range: self, Components: vsm, Duration: 1 hour
Material: A cracked shard of garnet (fiend), emerald (archfey), or obsidian (GOO)

You draw increased power from your patron. Terrain around you in a 15 foot radius is difficult for enemy creatures. You have an advantage on all charisma checks against fiends, fey, elementals, and undead. You gain 4 temporary 1st level spell slots.

Are temporary spell slots a thing in your game? That seems... kind if insane. What happens if you use them - do you lose spell slots tomorrow? Regaining spent spell slots makes more sense, but I have no idea where the balance point for that would be.

I'd call this a transmutation.


Unknown Level (may be overpowered)
Aspect of The Otherworldly
Casting Time: 1 minute, Range: self, Components: vs, Duration: concentration up to 1 hour

You draw power from your patron in its rawest form. Upon the first casting, your soul shows clear influence of your patron, and your patron knows of you specifically. (ex a fiend warlock would have trouble getting a temple to heal them) For the duration, your eyes take on the appearance of your patron's and a nearly palpable aura surrounds you. Your patron can see through your eyes and knows exactly where you are. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, your AC increases by 3, and you have advantage on all saving throws. You can speak any language, and can choose to speak with the voice of your patron. As a bonus action you can extend or retract 8 tentacles from your body. These tentacles each make their own attacks against any creature with 5 feet of you. Because of space, only 3 can attack the same creature at once. Each does 1d8 bludgeoning damage and 1d8 necrotic damage. Once per casting, you can force all creatures in a 30 ft radius of you to make a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, they're frightened of you for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns and when they take damage they can repeat the saving throw. Creatures frightened like this can't speak when they can see you, and have a disadvantage on charisma saving throws against you.

Well, it might be okay at 9th level. I'm not sure what school to call this either. Perhaps transmutation again?