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quinron
2018-06-07, 04:30 AM
I've made a few spells oriented toward frontline combat, which is a major facet of a class I'm working on, but I'd like to know how the spells stand up on their own.

WINTER'S EMBRACE
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: S, M (a spruce twig)
Duration: Instantaneous

Make a melee spell attack against a creature you can r each. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 cold damage, and its speed is reduced by 20 feet until the start of your next turn. In addition, if you hit with this spell and take fire damage before the beginning of your next turn, you can reduce the damage taken by an amount equal to half the damage you dealt with this spell.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

SKIRMISHER'S RETREAT
2nd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you hit by an attack
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

Reduce any damage taken from the triggering attack by 2d4, then move up to half your speed. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks from the creature whose attack triggered the spell, but otherwise it provokes opportunity attacks as normal.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage reduction increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 2nd. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can move up to your full speed instead of half your speed.

SPECTRAL WEAPON
2nd-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You touch a melee weapon, creating a shimmering extension that envelops it and seems to increase its size. Until the spell ends, the weapon's reach increases by 5 feet, it deals an additional 1d6 damage of its type on a hit, and it is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a slot of 4th or 5th level, the extra damage increases to 2d6. When you use a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the reach bonus increases to 10 feet and the extra damage increases to 3d6.

Edited

ECHOING PULSE
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a brass bell with a lead clapper)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You create a blast of concussive force, which you then concentrate in your target to burst forth later. Make a melee spell attack against a target you can reach. The target takes 3d10 thunder damage on a hit, or half as much damage on a successful save. At any point before the spell's duration expires, you can use your reaction to force the target and each creature within 5 feet of it to make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d10 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage for both effects of the spell increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd.

Blackbando
2018-06-07, 07:40 AM
Oooh, spells! I'm always a sucker for new spells!

Winter's Embrace
I like it. 20 feet of speed is quite a bit to lower, but, since it's a range of Touch anyways, I don't see much abuse from it.

Skirmisher's Retreat
Ooh, interesting! I like this one, too.

Spectral Weapon
Here's one I kinda like, but I can't agree on the balance. It deals more damage than elemental weapon, is 1 slot level lower than it, and it adds more reach. The only point of contention elemental weapon has over spectral weapon is a +1 (or +2/+3 from higher levels) to-hit bonus, but I still don't think it's enough to put it ahead when spectral weapon is an entire slot level lower. Maybe raise it to 3rd?

Echoing Pulse
I really enjoy this one. Using your reaction feels a bit weird, considering it's not really a reaction to anything, but I don't have much complaints. Personally, I'd have made that part a bonus action.

quinron
2018-06-07, 08:06 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad things are mostly looking balanced. I used ray of frost's slowing effect for winter's embrace, but I wanted it to be more effective so it could serve as a more effective lockdown tool.

I wrote up Spectral Weapon very quickly and was actually questioning it as I copied it into my post. Adding reach was the main intent; if I stripped away the bonus damage, do you think that would balance it out as 2nd-level, or would that drop it to 1st? I'd be happy with either.

Blackbando
2018-06-07, 08:35 AM
If I stripped away the bonus damage, do you think that would balance it out as 2nd-level, or would that drop it to 1st? I'd be happy with either.

I think that'd keep it 2nd-level, yeah. That's the same level as magic weapon, which grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, as well as being magical, and I'd say it should be fine. Probably.

quinron
2018-06-07, 09:33 AM
I realized I forgot to explain something else - the idea behind echoing pulse using a reaction is to make it a little more flexible and allow it to work as a trap - if you want to make the most out of the bomb effect, you'll want to trigger it when it's near as many of your enemies and as few of your allies as possible, which is more likely to happen on the target's turn than on your own.

In terms of damage, I tweaked it slightly from lightning arrow, boosting the base damage slightly to compensate for the fact that it's touch rather than ranged, but I still thought I should drop the secondary damage because of the greater damage you can deal with it due to the finer control.