Creating new spells

[Falconcry]

So having watched Critical Role and playing a wizard I was wondering if there were any rules/suggestions with creating new spells beyond plead with your DM. Since wizards are not limited to the number of spells they can scribe in their spell-book that downtime creations should not count against your two upon level.
Thoughts on adding to the existing list of spells?
DDB has some interesting homebrew I would like to borrow.

[heavyfuel]

Creating any new spell is going to involve pleading with the DM.

Personally, I only allow spells that are strictly worse than spells in the books.

[Man_Over_Game]

One thing I've allowed is for a player to do something with a spell that normally wouldn't be possible by upcasting it.

So if you want Shield to grant bonus to a Dex Save instead of AC, it has to be cast with a level 2 spell slot.

[MrStabby]

So I think anything goes so long as two broad conditions are met.

1) The resulting character should be as powerful as others in the same party.

2) The additions should enhance the fun at the table and not be at anyones expense.

3) appropriate conditions or costs are met

So, the first point is just that what a DM should allow will depend on the party. If the caster is an unoptimised sorcerer or a PHB ranger in a party of hexblades, paladins, and divination wizards then I think a bit of leeway is appropriate. Indeed it is a very cool and unique way to help out some characters.

Enhancing the fun is more about role play and party composition. Giving a wizard healing spells steps on the toes of divine casters. On the other hand if you are a druid focussed around plants, then more high powered ensnaring spells is not only thematic but also also likely to be playing within your mechanical niche. If a spell can enhance a theme or character concept then I would advise the DM to go for it.

The costs being met is in itself pretty broad. Basically if you are getting something good, you should be giving up something good for it. So if you were to research a spell as a druid but agree to forfeit the Conjure Animals spell, as a DM I would be willing to grant you something awesome. On the other hand if you just wanted to add something more to your selection, then it wouldn't be as good.

Then there is the question of how the spell is researched. If it is using downtime and gold then I would be inclined to give something a bit more powerful if that same pair of resources could be used to say craft magic items. It is just a player converting their spoils to a different type of combat reward and seems pretty legitimate. A +1 weapon seems to typically add about 15% to damage on every attack - a single improved spell would add a bonus only to that level of spell slot so it's probably actually a bit safer.

Other costs include the player forfeiting other options - if the table uses something like AL rules, homebrew spells can be the +1 content.


So if a Light cleric asked to research a spell that was something like Farie Fire but did some fire damage over time and it was in leu of some other loot I would not only allow it, but also make it pretty powerful. It is the theme of the domain, it has a real cost, it builds that character and will probably add some fun to the table. If a wizard asked the same I would be less inclined - they would need to justify the specialist theme, they dont get that ability as part of a wizards spell set and it doesnt overlap with their existing abilities.

In terms of costs and times, it is hard to put a figure on it as it depends on campaign pace, downtime, loot availability and so on.

One thing that could be cool is researching spells that use cool material components. You recover the Orb of Thunder from a temple of Talos, you can research a storm themed spell that uses the Orb as its material component, for example.

[Bobthewizard]

You could present the spell to the DM without a level and let them tell you what level the spell would be in their campaign.