I may have screwed someone over with a fluff ruling and I want to fix it.

[Ralanr]

So I’m running a gothic horror setting where magic is often viewed negatively and casting spells causes you to take on a physical trait of some kind until a short rest (like glowing eyes or long nails). There is a will save to suppress it with the DC equal to 10+the spell level, though we keep forgetting to use it.

For the most part, this hasn’t burdened my players choices. I have a Wizard, a warlock, a cleric, a fighter, and two rangers. The problem that one of my players has is that his subclass (Gloomstalker) gets hard countered by the divine effects (which are mainly bright lights or sounds instead of small things. We wanted divine spells to be very impactful in setting).

So far in combat he’s fine, but he complains how he cannot use hunters mark early because it’ll reveal his location from the shadows when trying to hide and do Gloomstalker things.

How should I approach this? One friend suggested we give him a magical item to help him avoid the effects, but I’m not sure I want to take away an attunement for that.

[clash]

Not all magical items require attunement. Just give him one that doesn't. Alternatively, rule Hunters Mark to be a special case and make it exempt from the extra effects.. It is more of a focusing on a target than a magical affect for the most part anyways

[RSP]

One way could be to scale the effects with spell level. Maybe bright light doesn't come onboard until you're casting a 3rd level spell. 1st level (hunters mark) might be less noticeable.

Or count Rangers as non-Divine casters. It's not the biggest leap of fluff I've seen and if the idea that Divine gets hot harder than Arcane due to its relationship with gods, well then the Ranger, whose more of a 'nature' Caster shouldn't be getting hit that hard anyway.

[Ventruenox]

The Ranger list has four spells without a Verbal component: Absorb Elements, Beast Sense, Snare, and Steel Wind Strike. Casting pretty much anything gives away his location, magical light effect or no.

[Lombra]

Make the exeption since he's a gloomstalker. Homebrew problem homebrew solution. His conclave trained him to not give away light/sound when casting spells.

[The Jack]

Have certain spells trigger certain effects. Hunters mark, a relatively stealthy spell, might have something like you temporarily grow bestial features or your blood veins become very dark and visible, nothing that interrupts his stealth. A spell like fireball could cause light to flow through your whole body before it exits your hand and soot could fall everywhere.. that's awesome, but fireball is something really flashy. Something like hunters mark or guidance should be a lot more somber.

[ProsecutorGodot]

Hunters mark has a Verbal component anyway so casting it from stealth would also need to have that taken into consideration.

I don't think it's a bad thing to have to consider this as a downside and since there's already an opportunity to avoid the effects it adds a nice risk/reward option. If it really impacts your players enjoyment what I would do is give them something to gain advantage or a small bonus on the save to suppress the magical backlash.

It wouldn't take much explaining since some sort of object that could help anyone capable of using mid or high tier spells to avoid a negative reaction would surely exist, if it didn't someone would make it. I don't think you'd be able to avoid making it an attuned item though since the effect is significant in the setting and would have to be targeted towards the casters type of magic. I also don't think it should be very simple to get your hands on such an object if casting spells if viewed negatively by the general population.

[brainface]

For what it's worth, I don't think arcane/divine is an explicit divine anymore--the lore of the specific class/subclass just tends to describe some source for the magic.

[ProsecutorGodot]

For what it's worth, I don't think arcane/divine is an explicit divine anymore--the lore of the specific class/subclass just tends to describe some source for the magic.

I thought that was the case but the Weave of Magic section of spellcasting (pg 205 PHB) pretty specifically puts spell casting into either Arcane or Divine magic.


The spells of clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers are called divine magic. These spellcasters’ access to the Weave is mediated by divine power—gods, the divine forces of nature, or the sacred weight of a paladin’s oath.

This does open up an opportunity of making the effects less dramatic for a spellcaster who channels the divine power of nature since nature isn't really about flashing holy light and majestic choirs sounding off. Maybe you could tailor the effects to classes specific sources of divine magic.

Clerics would be likely still give off light and sounds, Paladins might have some otherworldly voice echo over their own when they start delivering justice. Druid spells could whip up wind and cause nearby water or fire to swell with supernatural strength. Rangers would probably be more inclined towards developing animal like traits signifying their spells giving them a natural advantage over their prey, perhaps distant but at the same time sourceless sounds of howling will mark the rangers intent to chase you down.

It's up to you how specific or non specific you want to be with the effects.

[Daithi]

Maybe delay when the effect occurs. For example, maybe the sparkling lights stuff doesn't happen until a minute later.

[JackPhoenix]

Step 1: get a rat. Preferably more rats.
Step 2: cast Hunter's Mark on the rat.
Step 3: kill the rat.
Step 4: when you get near the actual target, switch the HM from the dead rat to the target as bonus action that won't break stealth or give any clue what you've done.
Step 5: ???
Step 6: profit!