Spell Creation Rules

[MrStabby]

I am looking to develop some rules for creating spells in my next campaign. Well, more guidelines.

The aim is to allow customisation and a tiny bit of power creep (given treasure is involved it will involve some sacrifices).

1) you have a set of eligible spells to replace. An eligible spell is any spell on your spell list that you have not yet known or prepared or written to your spell book.

2) To research a new spell you need to replace an eligible spell with the one you research. The new spell will be of the same spell level and should be of the same power and pillar of the game. I.e. you cant replace an exploration themed spell with a combat spell and you cant replace a poor spell with a good one.

3) You can only research spells tied to your character theme. If you dont have a magical theme you will need to select one. It could be a cleric domain, a school of magic, an element or damage type or a role for the character.

4) You need inspiration. This can be as per the PHB - your theme (as in 3) is a reflection of your character and vice versa. It could be an object/relic found, a ritual seen, some lore discovered, some guidance given by an NPC... basically an in character, in game reason... if the inspiration is a discovered object, then that object is likely to be the material component of the spell, if the inspiration is a prayer or invocation then it is likely to be the verbal and so on.

5) Gold. 100 x spell level x spell level.

6) Time. 10 hours plus 5 hours per spell level. This is downtime and can take place in small increments such as in evenings before resting.


So the aim is to let players that want it to develop more thematic characters as expressed through flavourful spells, to broadly maintain balance, to promote the exploration and social pillars of the game and their interaction with combat, to enable differentiation between characters better.

So, if you had a cleric that worshiped a god of winter and wanted a frost themed spell, they could research one. If they were to replace spirit guardians on their spell list then they could get a very powerful (for the level) spell. If they were to replace flame strike... then I would offer something unremarkable for its level in its place. If on the other hand, they wanted a spell that created an arcing bridge of ice that could be crossed then they would probably need to sacrifice a spell like create food and water instead.

[Guy Lombard-O]

Since nobody else is answering, I'll just make a couple comments. But fair warning, I'm uninformed about the RAW spell creation rules in the (DMG?), so I'm not going to even compare your ideas to them.

If the parameters of your spell creation rules makes it basically impossible to improve upon the spell you're altering, I'm not sure how much of a benefit it really is to spend the time, treasure and thought pursuing it. How much sense does it make to alter Witchbolt into a cold-damage spell, just to end up with a similarly crappy cold powered spell?

In terms of sacrificing one of your spells in order to create a new one, I'm not sure this makes equal sense for different classes. For a cleric, I can see where a more thematic new spell might (or even should) replace the old, non-thematic one on your spell list. Particularly if the effects are nearly the same (e.g. radiant damage Spirit Guardians changes to cold damage Frost Guardians). But does it really make sense that a wizard who wants to alter Witchbolt into a cold-power spell A) shouldn't even have to learn Witchbolt first, and then B) would thereafter forget the spell that he had to understand well enough to alter it (I get that this isn't exactly what you're suggesting, but how do you "sacrifice" a spell you've never learned as a wizard? Are you unable to read or learn it thereafter, even if you encounter it in a scroll)? I think the idea has more merit for a sorcerer, and probably the other known spells crowd.

For a cleric, druid or paladin, I'd also wonder how it'll play out in the game, that they cannot ever prepare the spell they want to replace. Obviously, they cannot know or prepare it until the reach an appropriate level. They also cannot prepare the new spell they want until they have both the time and money to research the new spell. And don't get to use either version until that's done. Maybe that type of money and time investment is not a big deal in your campaign (I'm assuming not)? But (if I'm reading your formula correctly) 900 gp is not a small investment at 5th level in many games. I'll grant you that the 25 hours is probably not a problem. At least for clerics, I'd think that a more deity-thematic spell of equal power could simply be swapped out with some DM/Player collaboration, without any real cost or effort by the cleric. After all, why wouldn't the god in question cooperate and simply offer you that more appropriate spell instead?

I don't dislike the larger idea at all. But I'm not sure it makes a ton of sense to require substantial in game resources of the type you're suggesting with only thematic benefits (and essentially zero mechanical benefits) to the PC. Still, if you think your PCs will jump on board, then I hope it works out for you! :smallsmile:

[EDITED for clarity]

[MrStabby]

Since nobody else is answering, I'll just make a couple comments. But fair warning, I'm uninformed about the RAW spell creation rules in the (DMG?), so I'm not going to even compare your ideas to them.

If the parameters of your spell creation rules makes it basically impossible to improve upon the spell your altering, I'm not sure how much of a benefit it really is to spend the time, treasure and thought pursuing it. How much sense does it make to alter Witchbolt into a cold-damage spell, just to end up with a similarly crappy cold powered spell?

In terms of sacrificing one of your spells in order to create a new one, I'm not sure this makes equal sense for different classes. For a cleric, I can see where a more thematic new spell might (or even should) replace the old, non-thematic one on your spell list. Particularly if the effects are nearly the same (e.g. radiant damage Spirit Guardians changes to cold damage Frost Guardians). But does it really make sense that a wizard who wants to alter Witchbolt into a cold-power spell A) shouldn't even have to learn Witchbolt first, and the B) would thereafter forget the spell that he had to understand well enough to alter it (I get that this isn't exactly what you're suggesting, but how do you "sacrifice" a spell you've never learned as a wizard? Are you unable to read or learn it thereafter, even if you encounter it in a scroll)? I think the idea has more merit for a sorcerer, and probably the other known spells crowd.

For a cleric, druid or paladin, I'd also wonder how it'll play out in the game, that they cannot ever prepare the spell they want to replace. Obviously, they cannot know or prepare it until the reach an appropriate level. They then cannot ever prepare the spell they want (in altered form), and don't get to use it until they have both the time and money to research the new spell. Maybe that's not a big deal in your campaign (I'm assuming not)? But (if I'm reading your formula correctly) 900 gp is not a small investment at 5th level in many games. I'll grant you that the 25 hours is probably not a problem. At least for clerics, I'd think that a more deity-thematic spell of equal power could simply be swapped out with some DM/Player collaboration, without any real cost or effort by the cleric. After all, why wouldn't the god in question cooperate and simply offer you that more appropriate spell instead?

I don't dislike the larger idea at all. But I'm not sure it makes a ton of sense to require substantial in game resources of the type you're suggesting with only thematic benefits (and essentially zero mechanical benefits) to the PC. Still, if you think your PCs will jump on board, then I hope it works out for you! :smallsmile:

Thanks for the thoughts.

So yeah, the research is supposed to increase the power of the caster but just slightly. Maybe with the high gold cost the price is a bit high. I had been wanting to provide an incentive for the party to collect gold as well - something to spend it on (There is an equivelant for martial characters in that they can research/develop fighting styles as well).

I had also wanted to put it back a few levels from the start of the game - get an adventure going then have this thrown in. In reality I think you are right, this kind of scaling cost is a bit high. Also the rate of scaling is pretty steep as well; to my mind there isn't such a huge advantage to having an "upgraded" level 5 spell rather than a level 4. Maybe 100*(spell level+1) for the cost (cantrips at 500gp) would be a better scaling?

One thing I didn't explicitly say that will make this a bit easier - the research doesn't need to be done after you have access to the spell slots, so you can research a spell and then have "discovered" it when you next level up.

[Guy Lombard-O]

So yeah, the research is supposed to increase the power of the caster but just slightly. Maybe with the high gold cost the price is a bit high. I had been wanting to provide an incentive for the party to collect gold as well - something to spend it on (There is an equivelant for martial characters in that they can research/develop fighting styles as well).

I had also wanted to put it back a few levels from the start of the game - get an adventure going then have this thrown in. In reality I think you are right, this kind of scaling cost is a bit high. Also the rate of scaling is pretty steep as well; to my mind there isn't such a huge advantage to having an "upgraded" level 5 spell rather than a level 4. Maybe 100*(spell level+1) for the cost (cantrips at 500gp) would be a better scaling?

The fact that as DM you can control the wealth level of your campaign helps make this more viable at whatever level you put the cost. I've been in campaigns where the fighter found plate mail and the party had thousands of GP in loot before hitting level 3. And I've been in campaigns where we played 1-12 and less than 3,000 GP ever passed through my character's hands (or any other character's). So I'm sure you can peg the costs to a place that makes sense in your world. It just sounded a wee bit high to me.

By the way, I love that your martials can train to develop fighting styles! Very good motivation to obtain GP!


One thing I didn't explicitly say that will make this a bit easier - the research doesn't need to be done after you have access to the spell slots, so you can research a spell and then have "discovered" it when you next level up.

Well, that helps a great deal. I'm guessing that there will be very few players who will put in the thought and effort to create anything other than a good-to-great kind of spell. Which means that they'll have to give up a good-to-great spell to get the new one. So not having to do without both the good-to-great spells for a substantial amount of play time definitely makes this process more appealing.

[MrStabby]

Thanks on your thoughts on this.

I have been mulling it over and I think that the gold cost should be lowered further. You make a good point.

Given that this is a rule intended to let the players play the characters they want, it seems a bit crass to then charge them for the same. Still, also use the higher gp rate for a bit of an upgrade to the spell.