Creating Cantrips

[Carl Wheezer]

I personally prefer more utility based cantrips and I have made one that is quite useful. I do think it needs to be vetted though as the DMg isn't too precise on what is entailed in making new spells (particularly cantrips).

this is the cantrip I came up with.
Magic Tether
Casting time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour
You sling a magic tether up to 120 feet away from you with a ranged spell attack. You can shorten and lengthen this tether but not longer than 120 feet. You can attach the other end of this tether with a melee spell attack or just by touching a subject. After you, the tether is attached to a subject, and let’s say a stone you can rapidly shorten the line to deal 1d6 damage. If it is attached to a solid object the subject must make a strength save or be knocked prone. This line has 11 armor class, 2 hit points, and can be broken with a strength save.

My concern is that the duration is too long and that the range might also suffer from the same. Additionally, I'm not sure how it should be treated when leveled. should the impact damage increase or stay static?

[Hrugner]

It's much too potent for a cantrip.

[Carl Wheezer]

It's much too potent for a cantrip.

Do you mean it has too much utility? Do you think it should be unable to affect living creatures and thus not be used for attacking? Please elaborate I think I agree with you mostly but I would also like input.

[Talamare]

Other than the duration seeming excessive it sounds okay

I would make it a bonus action to shrink the tether

[Avonar]

The duration should be concentration 1 minute as is standard for a lot of cantrips.

I would remove the damage from it, and make it an action to force the prone check. Prone is a powerful ability.

[Carl Wheezer]

Other than the duration seeming excessive it sounds okay

I would make it a bonus action to shrink the tether

Yeah, you are probably right it was either that or 1 minute based on the duration of other cantrips. I intended on changing it but I thought I would submit it here first and see what people think. Also changing the length as a bonus action is a great idea it might even be warranted to make it a full action seeing as how you can make an attack with it. but then you would have to take 2 turns to actually attack so I think a bonus action is best suited to it.

[Carl Wheezer]

The duration should be concentration 1 minute as is standard for a lot of cantrips.

I would remove the damage from it, and make it an action to force the prone check. Prone is a powerful ability.

I think I should also reduce the hp to 1 it was originally based on the stats for rope but it just dosesn't make sense in this context.

[Talamare]

Magic Tether
Casting time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: S, M (A piece of thread, or rope, or string)
Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You sling a magic tether to lasso multiple targets together. All targets must be within the range and line of sight of each other, and within your range and line of sight. A target can be a creature or an object. Make a ranged spell attack against 2 different targets. On hit the target suffers 1d4 damage, and are lassoed to every other target that you have hit with attack from this spell. Target's that are lassoed cannot move more than the spells range away from each other without a successful STR save, which breaks the lasso on them. If this spell has 1 or less target's lassoed it ends. Non moving objects (not creatures) are treated as if they had 10 AC, moving objects (not creatures) are treated as if they had AC equal to 10+1 AC for Every 5 feet it has moved this round.

Once per turn, if this spell is affecting at least 2 different targets, as a bonus action you may Shrink the Tether upto 10 ft, to a minimum of 5 ft. Each target must succeed a STR save or be pulled in towards the center. A successful Strength save breaks the lasso on them. If this ability is affecting creatures or objects of different size, then the smaller creature or object is pulled towards the larger creature or object.

As a bonus action on their turn, a target may use its bonus action to make a STR save to break a tether affecting them.

This spell may tether additional enemies at higher level. At 5th level you may attempt to tether 3 different targets; 11th, 4 targets; 17th, 5 targets. Make separate attack rolls for each target.




This may have gotten a little complex...

Also, this spell sounds so insanely fun that I would more than willingly spend a spell slot to cast it. Basically makes you into like... Spiderman
or Just Cause 3

[Ninja_Prawn]

This may have gotten a little complex...

You can say that again! I would have to agree that what you're moving towards is more like a spell than a cantrip.

I'd say... instantaneous prone and 1d4 is not overpowered for a cantrip. C.f. thorn whip. Edit: I guess it would be better to add a save? Prone isn't that powerful in my view though.

Shadow Lasso
Conjuration cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a piece of string)
Duration: Instantaneous

You lash out with a lasso of shadows that entangles a target, pulling them to the ground. Make a ranged spell attack against one creature you can see within range. They take 1d4 bludgeoning damage and, if they are Large or smaller, they must make a Strength saving throw or fall prone.
The spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4) and 17th level (4d4).
The other way is to go for more of a utility angle. In that case it'd work more like mage hand, but instead of opening doors and pouring out vials, it can knock people prone or stop them falling off a cliff.

Invisible Tether
Conjuration cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (a piece of string)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

A spectral tether appears between you and a creature or object you can see within range. If the target is an unwilling creature, they can make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid the effect. The tether vanishes is the target is ever more than 120 feet away from you.
For the duration, you can use a bonus action to pull the target 15 feet closer to you. Alternatively, you can use an action to force the target to make a Strength saving throw or fall prone, as long as it is a Large or smaller creature. The target cannot move or be moved away from you while it is tethered, except by using its movement on its own turn.

[Nidgit]

As is, the lasso is almost strictly better than Vicious Mockery. Automatic prone on a hit is still too strong- just have them make a check against your spell DC. You could up the damage to make up for the extra save.

[Hrugner]

Do you mean it has too much utility? Do you think it should be unable to affect living creatures and thus not be used for attacking? Please elaborate I think I agree with you mostly but I would also like input.

My concerns have mostly been covered by others now. I apologize for my too brief response, I was tired. Your cantrip deals damage, applies 2 conditions, and can be used to manipulate objects. The range is enormous for a control cantrip. The duration is long enough that you could snare an army. It can be used as either a combat or utility cantrip.

Shrink the range to 15 feet. On a failed Dex check, the spell applies the snare to one creature and one object. The creature is forced to drag the object or remain still if they can't drag it. As a bonus action you can end the spell by shrinking the rope and hitting the creature with the object for 1d8 damage. If the snared target attempts to drag the snaring object you can spend a reaction to make a ranged spell attack to knock them prone ending the spell. The spell lasts for 1 minute but can be cast repeatedly linking the same creature to additional objects with each casting. At 5th, 11th and 17th level you can end an additional strand with your bonus action. The tether is destroyed if it takes any damage and is automatically struck if targeted.

[Asmotherion]

There are some ways to create cantrips relativelly safely aka with a lesser chance of disturbing game balance:

A) Altering/tinkering existing cantrips a bit and refluffing them. For example, you can make an Icebolt safelly enough by refluffing Firebolt into Cold Damage and Freezing solid unatended objects instead of starting fires...

B) Heavy visual change; Take a minor effect from one cantrip, and combine it with the dammage type of an other. Example:
For this example, we will use the "Ray of Frost" secondary benefit of redusing the speed by 10 feet, as well as it's damage die, a d8. We'll use Necrotic dammage and an attack roll as per "Chill touch". However, the visual will be "You send a wave of shadows to infest the health of your target, on whose body appear black veins, and prevent him from moving freely untill the end of his next turn".

C) Deeper understanding of game balance etc may allow you to experiment with further effects; It is however crucial to understand when a spell is indeed the equivalent of a Cantrip.

For example think of your cantrip. In Vanilla D&D, the closest thing to it is Thorn Whip and to a lesser extend, Lightning Lure.

Thorn Whip has a range of 30 feet, and Lightning Lure 15. One deals d6, and the other d8. For a 60 feet cantrip on the same concept, you are looking at d4 damage. At 120 feet, 1-2 damage is already too much. Prone condition as part of the description of a cantrip is also never well balanced, when the Warlock has to invest an invocation for Repelling Blast to have the DM sometimes make some enemies roll dex saves after they are pushed back 10 feet.

In any case, that, or take Magic Initiate for Thorn Wipe and then Spell Sniper like everybody else who wants this concept :P