Older Spells

[MrStabby]

What are spells from previous editions that people would like to see in 5th? Are there any really wonderful thematic spells that would really add to the game (even if they needed a major rework to fit into the structure of 5th)?

How do you think those spells would improve the game and what do you think the odds are of a release that makes them available?

[Âmesang]

Each of my arcane casters have learned runefinger, a 2e 1st-level spell turned 3e/5e cantrip that alights one of your fingers in a harmless flame and allows chosen movements with that finger to glow, allowing you to write in the air or on a surface, with the writing remaining either stationary or moving with its surface, lasting for 1 hour/level or 8 hours (3e and 5e respectively).

I once attempted to convert 3e's 3rd-level Verraketh's shadow crown for a FORGOTTEN REALMS® bard of mine, but abandoned it because it seemed the "Shadow Weave" no longer exists in 5e? Otherwise all it'd (probably) do is grant her advantage on Perform checks. Other conversion attempts are the 3e's 1st-level cloak of dark power (shields against sunlight), 2e's 9th-level Slerotin's fortitude (makes an area of inorganic, nonmagical material impervious to mundane or magical attack; only dispelled by wish), 2e's 2nd-level Thundaerl's universal taster (allows the caster to identify contaminated foods, and allows such contamination to be known by projecting an illusion of hissing snakes on said food), and Keraptis' various spells (which are mostly just fiery versions of pre-existing spells, such as the 1st-level Keraptis' flaming missiles (magic missile), 5th-level Keraptis' flamecone (cone of cold), &c.

[Kane0]

Dimensional Anchor/Lock, Summon Monster, Waves of Fatigue, Undeath to Death, Ironskin, Wail of the Banshee, Consecrate/Desecrate, Death Knell, Implosion

Wouldn't be particularly difficult to implement

[Seclora]

I converted Slide from 3.5. I also kind of miss a lot of the whole party buffs from 3.5 Cleric, all of the Mass Divine Spirit, Mass Divine Favor type flat stat boosts. They really have no place in 5e, but boy did they make us feel strong. I also miss Permanency, Pathfinder's version of Demiplane, and the Sonic Snap Cantrip.

[Seclora]

Dimensional Anchor/Lock, Summon Monster, Waves of Fatigue, Undeath to Death, Ironskin, Wail of the Banshee, Consecrate/Desecrate, Death Knell, Implosion

Wouldn't be particularly difficult to implement

I'll second these. Waves of Fatigue would be a great spell to add and really play up the fatigue system, and Consecrate/Desecrate still feel so iconic I forget they don't exist. Death Knell would be a bit harder to implement, since Caster levels no longer effect spells. Summon Monster goes against the general lack of summoning, but would be welcome as an addition. Dimensional Anchor should be in the game.

[Zhorn]

I wanna cast a spell... I CAST FLARE!

I've heard people suggest reskinning Vicious Mockery as Flare, but I also understand a cantrip level blindness would be unbalanced (even if it were only for one round) when Blindness is 2nd level.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I'll second these. Waves of Fatigue would be a great spell to add and really play up the fatigue system, and Consecrate/Desecrate still feel so iconic I forget they don't exist. Death Knell would be a bit harder to implement, since Caster levels no longer effect spells. Summon Monster goes against the general lack of summoning, but would be welcome as an addition. Dimensional Anchor should be in the game.

Consecrate/desecrate is handled by the hallow spell, which despite the name can do either form.

Summon monster is broken into various smaller spells, and for good reason.

[Seclora]

Consecrate/desecrate is handled by the hallow spell, which despite the name can do either form.

Summon monster is broken into various smaller spells, and for good reason.

I agree, somewhat, with Summon Monster. I think the old version was a pain to manage, but the new version is not much better, save that it lacks the same strength.

Consecrate isn't Hallow. Hallow is a 24 hour cast with a load of long term benefits. Consecrate was a more spur of the moment buff at a much lower spell level, and served a purpose somewhere between Magic Circle and Hallow. It's a spell intended to debuff undead more so than to create a safe zone.

[Kane0]

Limit Summon Monster to just Monstrosity type creatures, would sit well with the existing conjure beasts (beasts), woodland creatures (fey), demon (fiends), etc

[TripleD]

Mighty Wallop and Greater Mighty Wallop.

No particular reason. It’s just funny to have a Kobold’s tiny mace suddenly hit as hard as a Stone Giant’s club.

[manyslayer]

Make Whole. This just seems like a spell that should exist in a world with Mending.

[MrStabby]

Mighty Wallop and Greater Mighty Wallop.

No particular reason. It’s just funny to have a Kobold’s tiny mace suddenly hit as hard as a Stone Giant’s club.

Oh yeah, they feel missing.


I do miss the specialist bard spells, sufficiently unique that they felt like they helped make bard magic unique.

[Theodoxus]

What are spells from previous editions that people would like to see in 5th? Are there any really wonderful thematic spells that would really add to the game (even if they needed a major rework to fit into the structure of 5th)?

How do you think those spells would improve the game and what do you think the odds are of a release that makes them available?

i added nearly all the utility powers for 4E into 5th, granting them to each class as bonus abilities. My players don't use them particularly often, but they've been useful from time to time.

Honestly. there's a lot of mechanics from 4E that would have been just fine in 5E without having that "it factor" that made people dislike the system.

[Fable Wright]

Anticipate Teleport.

I really hate teleporting demons, and this at least creates an option to lock those down without a save.

Defenestrating Sphere.

Love everything about it.

Transmute Rock to Lava.

Actually, just more spells that do things with lava. In general. This is a good first step, though. MAGMA KRAKEN MAGMA KRAKEN MAGMA KRAKEN

(Greater) Arcane Fusion.

Being able to combine spells into unique effects on the fly has always been cool, and gives Sorcerers a cool niche. Though I really wish there was a Druid variant.

[Balyano]

Mighty Wallop and Greater Mighty Wallop.

No particular reason. It’s just funny to have a Kobold’s tiny mace suddenly hit as hard as a Stone Giant’s club.
Should be called Mighty Wallop and Mightier Wallop.


Curse of Lycanthropy
Thunderhead
Field of Ghouls
Benign Transposition
Baleful Transposition
Caltrops
Lightning Leap

[Crgaston]

Glassteel and Iron Wood.

Also Shout.

[Chronos]

The one I miss most is Shrink Item. Yeah, yeah, there's still Enlarge/Reduce, but that serves a different role. It doesn't let a bard carry a piano around in his back pocket (http://i.imgur.com/F0TtgKj.jpg).

[bobofwestgate]

What are spells from previous editions that people would like to see in 5th? Are there any really wonderful thematic spells that would really add to the game (even if they needed a major rework to fit into the structure of 5th)?

How do you think those spells would improve the game and what do you think the odds are of a release that makes them available?

In a 3.5 game, I had a very high level wizard and during downtime he created a bunch of new spells. So I had the AD&D wizard spell compendiums and I picked a bunch of really fun 2nd ed spells and converted them to 3.5

[MrStabby]

The one I miss most is Shrink Item. Yeah, yeah, there's still Enlarge/Reduce, but that serves a different role. It doesn't let a bard carry a piano around in his back pocket (http://i.imgur.com/F0TtgKj.jpg).

Is that an organ in your pocket...

[Seclora]

Is that an organ in your pocket...

Yes, but it's not mine, I'm holding it for a friend.


Summon Instrument was a fun one too. I used it to make a Timpani once so I could make my song affect a subterranean target.

[JakOfAllTirades]

Does anyone remember Leomund's Lamentable Belaborement?

So much wacky fun.

[Chronos]

Oh, yeah, Summon Instrument was also great, especially since my group (despite being 3.5) houseruled in from Pathfinder that cantrips were free. Don't have a ten-foot pole when you need one? Here's an alphorn. Need something big to drop down a hole to see how deep it is? Drop a tuba. Want to break your own fall down that hole? Make a pile of bagpipes at the bottom before you jump. Oh, yeah, and I guess that technically you could make music with them, too.

[Nagog]

While not a previous version, Pathfinder had a few spells specifically livable to Magus (PF version of EK) that I would love to see adapted to 5e. One in particular I've brought to the fore is Force hook Charge, which essentially functions as a magical grappling hook. It was a 3rd level spell in PF, but it fits better with 1st level spells in 5e, so I changed that for home use, but that's about all I changed. Frankly, the whole Magus list would be a great addition to 5e for EK, Warlocks, Bladesingers, and the like. Other examples include Long Arm, which increases your reach by 5 feet (which is useful and hilarious/terrifying to imagine)