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sandmote
2020-04-22, 02:44 PM
This page on the homebrewery. (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/K06Rxy61e)

The initial theme for these spells was to have spells that work differently underwater, to help distinguish the spellcasters of aquatic races from those that live on land.

Fins and Gills to Legs and Lungs
3rd-level transmutation (ritual)

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: S, M (a piece of wood and some air)
Duration: 1 day
This spell grants up to ten willing creatures you can see within range a land speed equal to half their swim speed, if they do not already have a faster land speed. Each of these creatures that has the Water Breathing trait also gains that ability to breath air for the duration of the spell.

(Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Wizard)

Murkwater
1st-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hr.
You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of murky grime centered on an underwater point within range. The sphere spreads around corners but not into air, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a current of moderate or greater speed (at least 4 miles per hour) disperses it. Any creature drinking from this water must make a Constitution saving throw or spend its action that turn retching and reeling. Creatures that don't need to drink or are immune to poison automatically succeed on this saving throw.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the radius of the grime increases by 20 feet for each slot level above 1st.

(Artificer, Druid, Cleric, Ranger, Warlock)

Rippling Disguise
2nd-level illusion

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You reach out and touch one creature, causing light to dance around it as if were shining through a river or current. When viewed through a layer of water at least one inch thick the creature is lightly obscured. Once before the spell ends, the creature can choose to be heavily obscured by water until the end of its next turn. Any creature viewing it when it takes this bonus action will have to attempt to spot the creature again once the effect returns to normal. The spell ends for a target that attacks or casts a spell.

A creature that uses its action to examine the target can determine that a creature affected by the spell is disguised with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the illusion becomes faint and ceases to affect that creature, even when the creature affected by the spell heavily obscures itself with water.

(Druid, Ranger, Warlock)

Seatracking
4th-level divination

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: self
Components: V, S, M (a shark's scale)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hr.
Describe or name a creature that is familiar to you. You sense the direction to the creature's location, as long as that creature is within 1,000 feet of you. If the creature is moving, you know the direction of its movement.

The spell can locate a specific creature known to you, or the nearest creature of a specific kind (such as a human or a scrag), so long as you have seen such a creature up close--within 30 feet--at least once. If the creature you described or named is in a different form, such as being under the effects of a polymorph spell, this spell doesn't locate the creature.

This spell can't locate a creature if an area of earth at least 10 feet wide blocks a direct path between you and the creature.

(Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Wizard)

Sink/Float
1st-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: S, M (a piece of stone to sink or a piece of wood to float)
Duration: 1 hour
You reach out and touch a willing creature or an object weighing no more than 500 pounds, causing it to take on a stony appearance and sink in water, or to take on a wooden appearance and float in water.

Sink The target is pulled downward by 30 feet whenever it ends its turn in liquid. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Float The target rises 30 feet up whoever it ends its turn in liquid. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

The spell ends early if the target becomes dry.

(Artificer, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Warlock, Wizard) These four spells a pretty much limited to being most useful underwater. Murkwater and Seatracking are knockoffs of fog cloud and locate creature respectively, while Fins and Gills to Legs and Lungs is a variation on waterbreathing. Rippling Disguise is meant as a reference to the tendency of aquatic races to be represented as either stealthy or simply less well known. You can, for instance spot a merfolk using this spell and the merfolk can then cause you to lose sight of them long enough to escape. Note that Sink/Float requires a willing creature, so it replaces Feather Fall without letting you kill anyone by sending them deep underwater.

Discern Dead from Dying
2nd-level divination

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a prayer wheel or holy water)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
For the duration of the spell, you can see a bright, etherial marker floating 20 feet over each creature with less than half its hitpoints within range of the spell. The lights over dead creatures are red, those over unconsious but stable or dying creatures orange, and those over creatures with less than half their hitpoints are yellow. The area in which creatures are effected travels with you.

At Higher Level. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the radius of the spell increases by 30 feet for each spell level above 2nd.

(Bard, Cleric, Paladin)

Ghost Ship
7th-level illusion

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
By gathering threads of shadow material from the Shadowfell, you create a Huge ghostly ship in an unoccupied space that you can see within range, which appears to emerge from a deep mist. The illusion lasts for the spell’s duration and occupies its space, as if it were a creature.

When the illusion appears, any of your enemies that can see it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of it for 1 minute. If a frightened creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn’t have line of sight to the illusion, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 60 feet along the surface of the water or ground. At any point during its movement, you can cause it to appear to fire a cannon, setting off either roundshot in a 100 feet long and 10 feet wide line that deals bludgeoning damage, or grapeshot in a 60 foot cone that deals piercing damage, each of which originates from its space. Each creature in the line or cone must make an Intelligence saving throw, taking 6d6 damage of the chosen damage type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The illusion is tangible because of the shadow stuff used to create it, but attacks miss it automatically, it succeeds on all saving throws, and it is immune to all damage and conditions. A creature that uses an action to examine the ship can determine that it is an illusion by succeeding on an investigation (Intelligence) check against your spell save DC, and gains advantage on the check if the ship is aground. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through it and has advantage on saving throws against its cannonfire.

(Cleric, Warlock, Wizard)

Shadow Workers
6th-level illusion

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours
You draw energy from the plane of shadow, which takes the form of twenty roughly humanoid forms of small or medium size (our choice) within range. As an action on your turn, you can instruct the forms to follow simple instructions, such as carrying materials or rowing a boat, enacting orders as you understand them rather than your literal words. Each form vanishes if it is more than 120 feet from you or takes any damage (AC 10, immune to poison and psychic).

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the number of forms you summon increases by ten for each slot level above 6th.

(Bard, Warlock, Wizard)

Shattering Peal
5th-level evocation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (a shard of mica)
Duration: Instantaneous
A peal of thunder goes out in a 30 foot radius from a point within range. Creatures within range must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 8d8 damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

This spell deals double damage to objects and structures.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 5th.

(Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) These spells are more relevant to combat between naval vessels. Discern Dead from Dying helps with rescue operations, Ghost Ship is a knockoff of Illusory Dragon, and Shadow Workers creates a groups of workers for when cheap labor isn't available (ex: remote island) or unwilling (ex: evil PCs/villains)

Flashstone
2nd-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (a shard of stone)
Duration: 1 round
Choose a creature that you can see within range is petrified for the duration of the spell. An Unwilling target can attempt a Wisdom saving throw to resist the effects of the spell. A petrified target sinks at a rate of 90 feet per round in water. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.

(Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer)

Lasting Acid
2nd-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a piece of bronze)
Duration: 1 minute
Choose a point you can see on the ground or inside a liquid within range. Acid splatters down in a 15 foot cube centered on a point within range. Creatures in the cube must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d4 acid damage, which falls in air and remains suspended in liquid. A creature that enters the area or starts its turn there must also succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 acid damage, unless the creature is flying when it does so or jumps over the effected area.

(Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Limbshred
2nd-level necrotic

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a lead marble)
Duration: 1 round
You drain the essence of a creature within range, leaving it struggling to move its body. The target must make a constitution saving throw, taking 4d6 necrotic damage, having its walking speed halved, and losing any other movement speed on a failed save. On a successful save, the damage is halved, the creature's walking speed is unaffected, and its other speeds are halved.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each spell level above 2nd.

(Bard, Druid, Warlock, Sorcerer) These spells are still useful out of water, but less so. I was hoping to come up with more of these but seem to be having trouble. Flashstone is primarily meant as a combination buff and debuff: you can grant an ally damage resistance, and when upcast can also prevent enemies from attacking using the same action. Underwater is also allows a character to move further without taking damage (assuming a 30 foot swim speed on whatever's attacking them, they'll be out of reach). Lasting Acid is a damaging version of Grease, and floats in liquid. Limbshred reduced flight and swim speeds even on a successful save.

Minor Regeneration
4th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: touch
Components: V, S, M (a prayer wheel or holy water)
Duration: 10 minutes
You touch a creature and stimulate its natural healing ability. The target regains 4d8 + 15 hit points.

One of the target's severed or destroyed organs (a hand, an eye, a jaw, and so on) of the creature's choice, if any, is restored after 2 minutes, after which the spell begins restoring another part. If you have the severed part and hold it to the stump, the spell causes the part to knit to the stump over the duration. This spell can also grow and repair internal organs, whether injured or naturally deformed. For instance, this spell can restore a creature born with a missing lung.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.

(Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger)

Mistmire
4th-level illusion

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
A black, swirling mist forms out of material from the shadofell in a 100-foot radius sphere centered on a point within range. The sphere spreads around corners, atlthough you can exclude one or more areas of any size within the spell's area from being affected. Anything viewed through more than five feet of mist is lightly obscured, and anything viewed through more than ten feet of mist is heavily obscured.

A creature moving through the area must spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves. When you cast this spell, you can choose up to six creatures to be immune to this effect.

A creature that uses its action to examine the mist can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, it must only spend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves and objects and creatures are only lightly obscured when viewed through at least ten feet of fog.

(Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Wisplight
cantrip enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You can choose one creature within range, which either sees a beguiling light or hears an eerie call emanating from a direction of your choice. The creature must succeed on a wisdom saving throw or be charmed for the duration of the spell. While charmed in this way it can only spend its movement to move closer to the location of the light or call for the duration of the spell. This spell does not force the target to move.

(Artificer, Bard, Druid, Warlock) Mistmire is like Plant Growth, but for dealing with ranged creatures instead of Melee ones. Sailing is popularly associated with people who have a physical disability, and Minor Regeneration is to give the players a choice on the matter at 7th level instead of 14th. Wisplight is a reference to the various mythological women who call to sailors to abandon ship and drown; I'm wonder if it is weak enough to remove the concentration requirement, or if the tricks you can play with it by preventing someone from moving away would make the cantrip too strong without them.

sandmote
2020-12-29, 08:04 PM
Okay, someone posted a 3.5e spell for changing appearance based on "change her body to one which reflects that of her true self." This was the early goal for Minor Regeneration, although I eventually abandoned it because I didn't feel I had enough grasp of LGBT+ (particularly the T and NB) issues to make the spell work effectively.

The original idea was to allow the target to adjust their body, one portion at a time. Hair length/density, cheekbones, shoulder width, I really don't have the familiarity with the full scope here, which is part of why I got so worried and dropped it.

The "chicken-out" version of the spell, so no one needs to go digging through the previous post:

Minor Regeneration
4th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: touch
Components: V, S, M (a prayer wheel or holy water)
Duration: 10 minutes
You touch a creature and stimulate its natural healing ability. The target regains 4d8 + 15 hit points.

One of the target's severed or destroyed organs (a hand, an eye, a jaw, and so on) of the creature's choice, if any, is restored after 2 minutes, after which the spell begins restoring another part. If you have the severed part and hold it to the stump, the spell causes the part to knit to the stump over the duration. This spell can also grow and repair internal organs, whether injured or naturally deformed. For instance, this spell can restore a creature born with a missing lung.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.

(Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger)

The potion of instantly changing to yourself is also great, although I figure its also important to fill some of the middle ground between that and a refluff of the IRL method(s?).

sandmote
2022-01-04, 12:08 AM
When writing Rippling Disguise, I forgot Invisibility has a 1 hour duration. While I think the previous version of the spell compared fine with Greater Invisibility, I'd still like it to work better. The following is an attempt at a fix. Changes from the previous version are underlined.


Rippling Disguise
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You reach out and touch one creature, causing light to dance around it as if were shining through a river or current. When viewed through a layer of water at least one inch thick the creature is lightly obscured. While light obscured in this manner, the creature can use an action to make itself invisible to all other creatures more than 5 feet away. The invisibility lasts until the creature leaves the water or the the start of the creature's next turn.

A creature that uses its action to examine the target can determine that a creature affected by the spell is disguised with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the illusion becomes faint and ceases to affect that creature, even when the creature affected by the spell heavily obscures itself with water.

(Druid, Ranger, Warlock)

If anyone sees this thread now and would like to provided commentary on any other spells in this thread, that is welcome as well.