Lord Von Becker
2018-10-25, 09:58 PM
Hey! I've written quite a few new spells, and they aren't all Necromancy this time. Also, I figure it's time I made a hub for my 5e homebrew, as I have rather a lot of it which I haven't yet posted. Please tell me if any of it's broken!
Index:
New Cantrips (below)
New Spells (further below)
Necromancy Rework (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?569045-Necromancy-Overhaul-(PEACH-of-course))
Fighter Stuff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577038-Fighter-Reworks-(Second-Wind-Desperation-Moves-Champion-as-The-Fast-Guy))
Two Weapon Fighting and Weapon Supplements (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577321-Two-Weapon-Fighting-Weapon-Upgrades-Poison-and-a-Paladin-Feat)
Staggering (new condition+damage vulnerability fix) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?599177-Damage-Vulnerability-and-Staggering)
Exploration Stuff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?599590-Consolidated-Exploration-Homebrew&p=24181230#post24181230)
General Houserules, Capstone Fixes, and New Feats (To Be Posted)
Magic Items and Any Remaining Wealth-By-Level Casualties (To Be Fixed)
Warlock Stuff (To Be Posted)
New and Revised Races (To Be Posted)
On to the cantrips. I'd like feedback for both balance and fluff, here. Some of them deviate considerably from regular cantrip assumptions, but I've done my best to keep those reasonable anyway.
Blade Ward (revised)
Abjuration cantrip
V, S
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round
You touch an object or a willing creature and name slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing damage in any language you know. The target gains resistance to the specified type until your next turn.
Commentary: If your opponent can understand you and is at least passingly familiar with magic, they can switch weapons to avoid this. Otherwise, it's a pseudo-Rage you can give to others. Fun for the whole party!
True Strike (revised)
Divination cantrip (Bard, Sorceror, Warlock, Wizard)
S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You point a finger at a target in range. Your magic grants you a brief insight into the target's defenses.
If your next attack against that target misses, it is considered to hit anyway. If it hits, it is considered a critical hit. The attack must be made before the spell ends to to obtain this benefit.
Commentary: Should now be solid-but-not-overwhelming. Scales best with dice-only damage (so, most damage spells cast by most archetypes), but also effective against high-AC opponents. Competitive with Green-Flame Blade for Eldritch Knights at levels 3-4. Trades the Concentration slot for more efficient Smiting/Inflict Wounds. Enables a surprisingly flavorful Sorceror 3/Arcane Trickster X build. It gives options!
Ironwood (revised shillelagh)
Transmutation cantrip
M (a weapon you are proficient with)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 minute
When you hold a weapon you are proficient with, you may warp it in a way which resembles wood growing very quickly. This has the following effects for the duration.
*Its damage die is 1d8.
*You may change its damage type to slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing as a bonus action, and you may apply poison to it with the same bonus action. (If its damage type is bludgeoning it can hold poison, but won't inject it on hit.)
*You may use your spellcasting modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity for attack or damage rolls with it.
*If it was a flail or had the Versatile property, it gains the Reach property.
Commentary: This is designed to interact with my to-be-posted Druid reworks, as well as my weapon upgrades and poison rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577321-Two-Weapon-Fighting-Weapon-Upgrades-Poison-and-a-Paladin-Feat). It should work okay with the regular rules, though.
Mage Hand (revised)
Evocation cantrip
S
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Until dismissed
You create a floating hand of translucent force, which you control with your mind. It has an effective Strength score of 2 (which equates to a STR mod of of -4, and a carrying capacity of 30 lbs.), and an effective Dexterity equal to your own or your spellcasting ability, whichever is higher.
A mage hand has 1HP and an AC equal to your Spell Save DC. It also has a fly speed of 30, acts on your turn, and if it takes damage or exceeds the spell’s range it is immediately dismissed, dropping whatever it was holding.
You may use a mage hand for practically anything you could do with a normal hand, including to attack or cast touch-range spells, but keeping a mage hand active occupies one of your normal hands for the duration.
The only fighting styles a mage hand can use are Protection and Dueling.
Commentary: I don't believe this is broken. Finesse weapons are already balanced against ranged weapons, and Familiars can channel touch spells with much better range (and the ability to keep up if you Dash). Plus, it lets us have live-action-Sorcerer's-Apprentice-style ranged swordfights. And regular flying swords. It's fun!
Eldritch Blast (revised)
Evocation Cantrip (Warlock)
V, S
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 120 ft. or Self (60 ft. line)
Duration: Instant
This ability, basic to Warlocks, fires a blast of silvery energy which can push the animating forces from almost anything mobile. It may be used in two ways.
In the first, the power blasts out from you as a line in a direction of your choosing. The line is 5 feet wide, and you may make it any length between 10 and 60 feet. Every creature caught in the line must make a Wisdom save or take 1d4 force damage.
In the second, you narrow it into a beam. Make a ranged spell attack with advantage against one target within 120 feet. On hit, the target takes 1d8 force damage.
The spell’s damage increases by one die when you reach the 5th level (2d4 or 2d8), and again when you reach the 11th (3d4 or 3d8), and 17th levels (4d4 or 4d8).
Commentary: Multiple rays didn't suit the fluff well for me. (When I get around to uploading my Warlock stuff, it will include the update-compatible version of Agonizing Blast.)
Turning what were touch attacks in 3.X into attacks with advantage in 5E makes sense, and attack-with-advantage is roughly equivalent to multiply-damage-by-one-and-a-half, which makes it only slightly better than Toll the Dead.
Also, since learning that it competes fairly directly with the dragonborn breath weapon, I reduced the huge laser form to a d4 progression. I liked it enough to keep it, though.
Punchline
Evocation cantrip (Bard)
V, S
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
With a witty remark, you hit someone or something nearby. Make a melee spell attack. On hit, the target takes magical bashing damage equal to 1d6 plus your spellcasting modifier.
At higher levels, you may make more spell attacks when you cast this. At 5th level you may make two attacks, at 11th you may make three, and at 17th you may make four. You may choose a different target for each.
Commentary: I wanted Extra Attack as a cantrip, and then I happened upon the pun and knew it had to be a Bard thing. The Somatic component is intended to be compatible with improvised weapons. It may still need work - combo ability isn't the only reason Extra Attack is powerful - but I do like it.
Witch Lightning
Evocation cantrip (Druid, Sorceror, Warlock, Wizard)
S, M (a splinter from a lightning-struck tree)
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You hurl chains of lightning to bind and electrocute. Make a ranged spell attack roll against one target. On hit, that creature or object takes 1d6 lightning damage.
If you are concentrating on this cantrip, and have used it to damage your target since the beginning of your last turn, you may treat the attack roll as an automatic hit and increase the damage die to 1d10.
The spell’s damage increases by one die when you reach the 5th level (2d6 or 2d10), and again when you reach the 11th (3d6 or 3d10), and 17th levels (4d6 or 4d10).
Commentary: Balancing this one is tricky. It's clearly a very good candidate for Quicken Spell, but without it, Ki, or Cunning Action, you don't have a way to keep up with someone Dashing away. And you can also lose your concentration.
On the other hand, assuming peer AC, it's roughly on par with Agonizing Blast or Quickened Fire Bolt once it's set up. Hopefully this isn't broken!
Chromatic Sphere
Evocation Cantrip (Sorceror, Warlock, Wizard)
V, S, M (a chip of opal or multicolored glass)
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 80 ft.
Duration: Instant
You throw a beautiful ball of kaleidoscopic energy. Make a ranged spell attack roll against the target. On hit, choose Acid, Cold, Fire, Thunder, Lightning, or Poison damage. The target then takes 2d4 damage of the chosen type.
The spell’s damage increases by 2d4 when you reach the 5th level (4d4), and again at 11th (6d4), and 17th levels (8d4).
Commentary: Chromatic Orb is such an interesting concept, but it doesn't scale nearly well enough to be optimal. So I turned it into a cantrip instead.
Index:
New Cantrips (below)
New Spells (further below)
Necromancy Rework (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?569045-Necromancy-Overhaul-(PEACH-of-course))
Fighter Stuff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577038-Fighter-Reworks-(Second-Wind-Desperation-Moves-Champion-as-The-Fast-Guy))
Two Weapon Fighting and Weapon Supplements (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577321-Two-Weapon-Fighting-Weapon-Upgrades-Poison-and-a-Paladin-Feat)
Staggering (new condition+damage vulnerability fix) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?599177-Damage-Vulnerability-and-Staggering)
Exploration Stuff (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?599590-Consolidated-Exploration-Homebrew&p=24181230#post24181230)
General Houserules, Capstone Fixes, and New Feats (To Be Posted)
Magic Items and Any Remaining Wealth-By-Level Casualties (To Be Fixed)
Warlock Stuff (To Be Posted)
New and Revised Races (To Be Posted)
On to the cantrips. I'd like feedback for both balance and fluff, here. Some of them deviate considerably from regular cantrip assumptions, but I've done my best to keep those reasonable anyway.
Blade Ward (revised)
Abjuration cantrip
V, S
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round
You touch an object or a willing creature and name slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing damage in any language you know. The target gains resistance to the specified type until your next turn.
Commentary: If your opponent can understand you and is at least passingly familiar with magic, they can switch weapons to avoid this. Otherwise, it's a pseudo-Rage you can give to others. Fun for the whole party!
True Strike (revised)
Divination cantrip (Bard, Sorceror, Warlock, Wizard)
S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You point a finger at a target in range. Your magic grants you a brief insight into the target's defenses.
If your next attack against that target misses, it is considered to hit anyway. If it hits, it is considered a critical hit. The attack must be made before the spell ends to to obtain this benefit.
Commentary: Should now be solid-but-not-overwhelming. Scales best with dice-only damage (so, most damage spells cast by most archetypes), but also effective against high-AC opponents. Competitive with Green-Flame Blade for Eldritch Knights at levels 3-4. Trades the Concentration slot for more efficient Smiting/Inflict Wounds. Enables a surprisingly flavorful Sorceror 3/Arcane Trickster X build. It gives options!
Ironwood (revised shillelagh)
Transmutation cantrip
M (a weapon you are proficient with)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 minute
When you hold a weapon you are proficient with, you may warp it in a way which resembles wood growing very quickly. This has the following effects for the duration.
*Its damage die is 1d8.
*You may change its damage type to slashing, bludgeoning, or piercing as a bonus action, and you may apply poison to it with the same bonus action. (If its damage type is bludgeoning it can hold poison, but won't inject it on hit.)
*You may use your spellcasting modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity for attack or damage rolls with it.
*If it was a flail or had the Versatile property, it gains the Reach property.
Commentary: This is designed to interact with my to-be-posted Druid reworks, as well as my weapon upgrades and poison rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577321-Two-Weapon-Fighting-Weapon-Upgrades-Poison-and-a-Paladin-Feat). It should work okay with the regular rules, though.
Mage Hand (revised)
Evocation cantrip
S
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Until dismissed
You create a floating hand of translucent force, which you control with your mind. It has an effective Strength score of 2 (which equates to a STR mod of of -4, and a carrying capacity of 30 lbs.), and an effective Dexterity equal to your own or your spellcasting ability, whichever is higher.
A mage hand has 1HP and an AC equal to your Spell Save DC. It also has a fly speed of 30, acts on your turn, and if it takes damage or exceeds the spell’s range it is immediately dismissed, dropping whatever it was holding.
You may use a mage hand for practically anything you could do with a normal hand, including to attack or cast touch-range spells, but keeping a mage hand active occupies one of your normal hands for the duration.
The only fighting styles a mage hand can use are Protection and Dueling.
Commentary: I don't believe this is broken. Finesse weapons are already balanced against ranged weapons, and Familiars can channel touch spells with much better range (and the ability to keep up if you Dash). Plus, it lets us have live-action-Sorcerer's-Apprentice-style ranged swordfights. And regular flying swords. It's fun!
Eldritch Blast (revised)
Evocation Cantrip (Warlock)
V, S
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 120 ft. or Self (60 ft. line)
Duration: Instant
This ability, basic to Warlocks, fires a blast of silvery energy which can push the animating forces from almost anything mobile. It may be used in two ways.
In the first, the power blasts out from you as a line in a direction of your choosing. The line is 5 feet wide, and you may make it any length between 10 and 60 feet. Every creature caught in the line must make a Wisdom save or take 1d4 force damage.
In the second, you narrow it into a beam. Make a ranged spell attack with advantage against one target within 120 feet. On hit, the target takes 1d8 force damage.
The spell’s damage increases by one die when you reach the 5th level (2d4 or 2d8), and again when you reach the 11th (3d4 or 3d8), and 17th levels (4d4 or 4d8).
Commentary: Multiple rays didn't suit the fluff well for me. (When I get around to uploading my Warlock stuff, it will include the update-compatible version of Agonizing Blast.)
Turning what were touch attacks in 3.X into attacks with advantage in 5E makes sense, and attack-with-advantage is roughly equivalent to multiply-damage-by-one-and-a-half, which makes it only slightly better than Toll the Dead.
Also, since learning that it competes fairly directly with the dragonborn breath weapon, I reduced the huge laser form to a d4 progression. I liked it enough to keep it, though.
Punchline
Evocation cantrip (Bard)
V, S
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
With a witty remark, you hit someone or something nearby. Make a melee spell attack. On hit, the target takes magical bashing damage equal to 1d6 plus your spellcasting modifier.
At higher levels, you may make more spell attacks when you cast this. At 5th level you may make two attacks, at 11th you may make three, and at 17th you may make four. You may choose a different target for each.
Commentary: I wanted Extra Attack as a cantrip, and then I happened upon the pun and knew it had to be a Bard thing. The Somatic component is intended to be compatible with improvised weapons. It may still need work - combo ability isn't the only reason Extra Attack is powerful - but I do like it.
Witch Lightning
Evocation cantrip (Druid, Sorceror, Warlock, Wizard)
S, M (a splinter from a lightning-struck tree)
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You hurl chains of lightning to bind and electrocute. Make a ranged spell attack roll against one target. On hit, that creature or object takes 1d6 lightning damage.
If you are concentrating on this cantrip, and have used it to damage your target since the beginning of your last turn, you may treat the attack roll as an automatic hit and increase the damage die to 1d10.
The spell’s damage increases by one die when you reach the 5th level (2d6 or 2d10), and again when you reach the 11th (3d6 or 3d10), and 17th levels (4d6 or 4d10).
Commentary: Balancing this one is tricky. It's clearly a very good candidate for Quicken Spell, but without it, Ki, or Cunning Action, you don't have a way to keep up with someone Dashing away. And you can also lose your concentration.
On the other hand, assuming peer AC, it's roughly on par with Agonizing Blast or Quickened Fire Bolt once it's set up. Hopefully this isn't broken!
Chromatic Sphere
Evocation Cantrip (Sorceror, Warlock, Wizard)
V, S, M (a chip of opal or multicolored glass)
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 80 ft.
Duration: Instant
You throw a beautiful ball of kaleidoscopic energy. Make a ranged spell attack roll against the target. On hit, choose Acid, Cold, Fire, Thunder, Lightning, or Poison damage. The target then takes 2d4 damage of the chosen type.
The spell’s damage increases by 2d4 when you reach the 5th level (4d4), and again at 11th (6d4), and 17th levels (8d4).
Commentary: Chromatic Orb is such an interesting concept, but it doesn't scale nearly well enough to be optimal. So I turned it into a cantrip instead.