PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Al-Quadim and Complete Sha'ir Spell Conversion



sandmote
2020-12-13, 09:43 PM
This page on the homebrewery (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/FsHXAC-G3-Ss)

What it says on the tin, although I've reduced the emphasis on the five provinces of spellcasting a bit. Some of the spells are reused from some of my other material, because they're in these books but I already converted something very similar from 3.5e material.

The spells, with commentary:

5th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (sand in quantities sufficient to made a life-size copy of the duplicated creature)
Duration: 10 minutes
A mass of sand within range billows and settles into the form of a beast of CR 1 or lower of your choice you have seen. The sand beast uses the statistics of the chosen creature, except that it is an elemental rather than a beast.

The created creature is friendly to you and your companions. It has its own turns, acting directly after you. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to it, it will defend itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions.

For the duration of the spell, you can use your action to see through the beast’s eyes and hear what it hears, and continue to do so until you use your action to return to your normal senses.

When the duration of the spell ends or the creature is reduced to zero hit points, it collapses into an inert pile of sand.

(Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Warlock)I tried to distinguish it from the way most people run Conjure Beasts. Hopefully the higher level, lower CR cap, combined Beast Sense, and lack of concentration manage that? Based on Conjure Sand Lion, if it wasn't obvious.

4th-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: touch
Components: V, S, M (a burning candle)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.
You reach out and touch a creature, which must make a Wisdom saving throw or be marked with a burning green brand over their face. At the start of your next turn, you can choose to have the creature make an additional Wisdom saving throw, taking 1d6 acid damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. For the duration, you can choose to deal this damage again at the start of each of your turns. Each time you choose to repeat it, the damage increases by 1d6.

(Cleric, Paladin, Warlock)This is Flame of Justice, but fiddled with to fit the 5e action economy a bit better. I also figured acid fits better than fire, given I'm not trying to force everything into a desert theme.

1st-level enchantment (ritual)

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: touch
Components: V, S, M (a burning candle)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.
You reach out and link the creature's mind to a candle, connecting the strength of the flame to the creature's truthfulness and causing the candle to burn an unnatural shade. An unwilling creature can attempt a Charisma saving throw against the effect, ending the spell on a success. Constructs and undead are immune.

As long as the candle remains within 5 feet of the creature, the strength of the flame is tied to the last in-person communication (whether verbal, somatic, or telepathic) used by the creature. The candle burns evenly when the creature tells the truth, flickering instead when the creature tells an intentional half truth or slight deception. If the creature tells an outright lie, the flame is extinguished and the spell ends.

(Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard)Rather than preventing a person from lying as Zone of Truth does (or affecting multiple targets), this spell is intended for magical confirmation on various subjects. Note also that it shows the difference between the whole truth and a partial lie, which Zone of Truth doesn't do. On the other hand, it only affects a single creature, and they can end the spell at any time (although it might be suspicious to do so. You could probably also grant at will casting as a warlock invocation, for the warlocks obsessed with contracts.

1st-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
As an action, you make a melee spell attack against a creature, causing toxins to erupt from your finger. On a hit, your target takes 2d8 poison damage, and you inject the toxins into the creature's body. On a miss, your target takes half as much damage and no poison gets into their body.

A creature that has the toxins inside its body makes a Constitution saving throw at the end of its turn. On a failed save it takes 1d4 poison damage. On a success the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

(Bard, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock)I consider a refluff of Thorn Whip to be a perfectly good Fist of the Adder, but I had this lying around so I'm pretending this is that. Rather than the poisoned condition, this is meant to force repeated saving throws against another spellcaster.

2nd-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.
A crimson rain drizzles down in a 5-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range.

When a creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it is doused in the crimson liquid, which festers on the skin, and unless it is undead it must make a Constitution saving throw. It takes 2d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

When an undead creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it gains 2d6 temporary hit points, which last until the end of the creature's next turn.

On each of your turns after you cast this spell, you can use an action to move the beam up to 60 feet in any direction.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 and the temporary hti points increase by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

(Sorcerer, Wizard, Warlock)The damage type is worse than moonlight, but I expect it to be used more, because necromancers can get the benefits consistently.

3rd-level illusion

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 60 feet.
Components: V, S, M (a clear crystal)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour.

As an action, you focus the environment around a see through crystal, which is echoed around itself. Up to 20 illusory duplicates appear within range, each duplicating the environment within 10 feet of the crystal.

Each illusory duplicate travels in the some position relative to the crystal, stopping, starting, and raising as the crystal does. For example, if someone carrying the crystal falls down, all of the illusions will appear to drop into the ground at the same time.

Physical interaction with a reflection reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it. A creature that uses its action to examine a duplicate can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the duplicate for what it is, the creature can see through all the duplicates.

(Bard, Warlock, Wizard)This is meant to be a conversion of sunwarp, but I'm honestly sure how useful it is. The duration is longer than Major Image and the potential effect is stronger (20' across is large enough to have quite a few illusory horsemen, while Major Image is limited to 4). On the other hand, it doesn't let you control the duplicates independently, so it isn't quite as useful as mislead.

3rd-level divination

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: self
Components: S, M (10 feet of water beneath the feet)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour.
As long as you remain with water possessing a depth of at least ten feet beneath your feet you know the direction of a landmark you have visited before, such as a structure, natural feature, or settlement. You can be any distance over the water, but 2 feet of rock, 2 inches of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead blocks the effects of the spell. If the structure is shielded from scrying or destroyed, the spell fails.

(Artificer, Bard, Cleric)I can't tell if I need to boost the level of this. The material component can be dropped for a focus (cause it doesn't cost anything), should I add an expensive astrolabe as a component as well?

2nd-level evocation

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 30 feet
Components: S, M (a feather)
Duration: 10 minutes
An invisible wall of silence appears in the air at a point you choose within range. The wall can form a sphere with a 10 foot radius, a hemispherical dome with a 15 foot radius or a flat plane up to 30 feet long and 30 feet high. In either case the wall is one inch thick and moves vertically and horizontally as you do.

Any sound originating on one side of the wall is blocked from passing through the space, including speech, song, and effects dealing thunder damage. Spells with a somatic component can target a point beyond the wall without issue, but spells requiring the target hear a spoken phrase may fail if the target is unable to hear the caster.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the thickness of the wall increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 2nd. If making a hemispherical dome, the thickness extends away from you.

(Artificer, Bard, Warlock)Weaker than Silence against enemies, but less detrimental to your own party. Should I maybe allow to move it around, to let the party advance without being heard? That would make it useful for helping the meat shield sneak.

MrStabby
2020-12-16, 09:27 PM
Beast of the desert:

I think this is tough to get right - real risk of too powerful or utterly useless. 1 min casting time and 10 min duration means you can really only use it when you precisely know when a fight will take place/can cause it to take place... and then you are stacking another concentration free buff on whatever glyphs and wards and other buffs you can have thrown on when you know what is coming.




Dissolving confession:

Like heat metal... ony really, really bad. Double the spell level, 1/3 of the damage, needs a save to do the damage rather than being automatic, cant force a drop of equipment and doesn't force disadvantage on attacks. I guess you can use your level 4 concentration spell to do your d6 damage evenif they don't have metal. Or compare this to something like fireball or phantasmal force. If they fail EVERY save on this they take 10d6 over a minute. Fireball will do 8d6, half on a save but do it immediately and do it to a number of other creatures nearby. Oh and its touch, so you have to get close. I mean I get that the classes this is for don't get fireball so its a bit of an iffy comparison... but this is just really bad.



Fire Truth:

Cool. I like it. A useful level 1 spell. Personally i would restrict it more (cleric, paladin, artificer). Some clarification of what happens if there are two or more creatures within 5ft of the candel might help.



Inject Venom:

My point of comparison would be inflict wounds as a level 1 touch ranged spell attack... this seems a little worse, but not worthless. I see your point about it being an anti-caster tool. It might be a bit niche as a spell though given the damage is poison. Its also a bit wierd with the whole doing damage on a miss thing - not that this is a bad thing but you could also make it a dex save to dodge the finger.



Rain of blood:

It both heals and harms anything in its area of effect? I honestly don't really get what this is trying to do.




Phantom army:

Judgement pending.


True Bearing:

I might be missing something here, but this doesn't seem to warrent being a 3rd level spell. A relatively simple survial check will get you most of the way and for parctical purposes by the time you get close to a landmark you are likely to be one... well... land. And concentration - well understandably we worry about the risks of this stcking with another spell!


Wall against noise:

OK, I get that it is different to silence, but there is such an overlap I don't know if its role is needed. Similar effect and same level seems a bit crowded. I would be tempted to make it a higher (or lower) level but adjust the power to reflect this. Also that 1 min cast time will limit its use somewhat.



All in all, I think these are a bit on the weak side. There is space to puch them up a LOT. Some cool spells though

sandmote
2020-12-17, 12:45 AM
Yay, commentary. Frankly, I deserve at harsher commentary; I should know by now to go through multiple drafts before posting.


Beast of the desert:

I think this is tough to get right - real risk of too powerful or utterly useless. 1 min casting time and 10 min duration means you can really only use it when you precisely know when a fight will take place/can cause it to take place... and then you are stacking another concentration free buff on whatever glyphs and wards and other buffs you can have thrown on when you know what is coming.
...
Wall against noise:

OK, I get that it is different to silence, but there is such an overlap I don't know if its role is needed. Similar effect and same level seems a bit crowded. I would be tempted to make it a higher (or lower) level but adjust the power to reflect this. Also that 1 min cast time will limit its use somewhat. I was copy and pasting spells to avoid formatting errors. Both of these are intended to have a 1 action casting time. Thanks for the catch.

I think that puts Beast of the Desert into a different field than you addressed.

The bit about wall against noise makes sense to me, but I'm not sure what other level to put such a spell at. If you make it 1st level, people are just going to try to cheese using it instead of Silence. I put it at 2nd because I think the two spells have a separate niche. Where silence prevents spellcasting, I think WAN would be more useful in social encounters, where you might want to have a (more than two person) discussion without being spied on, or keep someone from hearing people coming. Perhaps I could require creatures to notice the dome in a manner similar to an illusion?


Dissolving confession:

Like heat metal... ony really, really bad. Double the spell level, 1/3 of the damage, needs a save to do the damage rather than being automatic, cant force a drop of equipment and doesn't force disadvantage on attacks. I guess you can use your level 4 concentration spell to do your d6 damage evenif they don't have metal. Or compare this to something like fireball or phantasmal force. If they fail EVERY save on this they take 10d6 over a minute. Fireball will do 8d6, half on a save but do it immediately and do it to a number of other creatures nearby. Oh and its touch, so you have to get close. I mean I get that the classes this is for don't get fireball so its a bit of an iffy comparison... but this is just really bad. It is 55d6, assuming you deal damage every turn. Is there a way to clarify the last line of the spell description to make this clear? It is meant to deal 1d6 the first time, 2d6 the second, 3d6 the third, and so on.


Fire Truth:

Cool. I like it. A useful level 1 spell. Personally i would restrict it more (cleric, paladin, artificer). Some clarification of what happens if there are two or more creatures within 5ft of the candel might help. The spell affects the touched creature for the duration. The 5 foot limit is there to keep the spell weak enough to warrant people still using Zone of Truth.


Inject Venom:

My point of comparison would be inflict wounds as a level 1 touch ranged spell attack... this seems a little worse, but not worthless. I see your point about it being an anti-caster tool. It might be a bit niche as a spell though given the damage is poison. Its also a bit wierd with the whole doing damage on a miss thing - not that this is a bad thing but you could also make it a dex save to dodge the finger. Thematically I was thinking you're injecting poison into their body, and on a miss end up spraying them instead. I guess I could make it acid damage, but I'd rather leave the attack roll.


Rain of blood:

It both heals and harms anything in its area of effect? I honestly don't really get what this is trying to do. I seem to have swallowed a word. It's supposed to heal undead only. Thanks for the catch. Although I should also specify the THP lasts until the end of the creature's next turn...


True Bearing:

I might be missing something here, but this doesn't seem to warrent being a 3rd level spell. A relatively simple survial check will get you most of the way and for parctical purposes by the time you get close to a landmark you are likely to be one... well... land. And concentration - well understandably we worry about the risks of this stcking with another spell! To be honest, this was mainly intended to be a lower level Find the Path spell. Although Al-Quadim actually included an anecdote about a wizard who devised stilts to make use of the spell while on land and was last seen racing through the desert to some ruin he recalled from his childhood. I should probably drop it to be honest.

I got Gaseous Form confused with Wind Wall and thought this spell would allow you to quickly fly the party to a particular destination unless I stopped you from casting both at once. Which isn't a concern for gaseous form, and isn't prevented with wind walk.

MrStabby
2020-12-19, 10:29 AM
Aha, great stuff.


Yay, commentary. Frankly, I deserve at harsher commentary; I should know by now to go through multiple drafts before posting.

Yeah, sorry if it was a bit harsh; it is an odd thing but I don't tend to think of commenting that things are underpowered here is a harsh criticism - I think because most people tend to post stuff on the strong side and want to add more powerful content and saying something is a bit on the weak side is like giving permission to add more of what they want!


I was copy and pasting spells to avoid formatting errors. Both of these are intended to have a 1 action casting time. Thanks for the catch.

I think that puts Beast of the Desert into a different field than you addressed.

Yeah, this is a big difference. Honestly... I still don't knowwhere this spell sits. Lack of concentration is a big deal and the no requirement for an action, bonus action or whatever means you can stack a number of these in play. On theother hand the duration is relatively short compared to say animate dead that you wont be able to build an army. I think its OK.


The bit about wall against noise makes sense to me, but I'm not sure what other level to put such a spell at. If you make it 1st level, people are just going to try to cheese using it instead of Silence. I put it at 2nd because I think the two spells have a separate niche. Where silence prevents spellcasting, I think WAN would be more useful in social encounters, where you might want to have a (more than two person) discussion without being spied on, or keep someone from hearing people coming. Perhaps I could require creatures to notice the dome in a manner similar to an illusion?

Maybe something a bit different:chose two radii between 0ft and 30ft and consider this spacearound you. Supress sound in that band for the duration of the spell. Then make it a level 4 spell or so. Silence that follows you is great for shuttingdowncasters,for stealth over longer distances and so on. Being able to do so whilst exempting you/your party right at the middle adds functionality. A higher level but more abusable spell could befun.


It is 55d6, assuming you deal damage every turn. Is there a way to clarify the last line of the spell description to make this clear? It is meant to deal 1d6 the first time, 2d6 the second, 3d6 the third, and so on.

OK, now this is a bt more interesting. Honestly, I think its still weak given that it takes longer than most fights to even get close to phantasmal killer - but it does have some space. I would up the damage die a bit... maybe.


The spell affects the touched creature for the duration. The 5 foot limit is there to keep the spell weak enough to warrant people still using Zone of Truth.

Thematically I was thinking you're injecting poison into their body, and on a miss end up spraying them instead. I guess I could make it acid damage, but I'd rather leave the attack roll.

Yeah, the attack roll is fine - I was just commenting that it is pretty unique. How is the secondary damage supposed to interact with a critical hit?


I seem to have swallowed a word. It's supposed to heal undead only. Thanks for the catch. Although I should also specify the THP lasts until the end of the creature's next turn...

Ah, I see the point. Looks pretty good.


To be honest, this was mainly intended to be a lower level Find the Path spell. Although Al-Quadim actually included an anecdote about a wizard who devised stilts to make use of the spell while on land and was last seen racing through the desert to some ruin he recalled from his childhood. I should probably drop it to be honest.

Yeah, I guess.

I got Gaseous Form confused with Wind Wall and thought this spell would allow you to quickly fly the party to a particular destination unless I stopped you from casting both at once. Which isn't a concern for gaseous form, and isn't prevented with wind walk. [/QUOTE]

All in all I think that this is a good set of spells though.

sandmote
2020-12-20, 09:00 PM
Yeah, sorry if it was a bit harsh; it is an odd thing but I don't tend to think of commenting that things are underpowered here is a harsh criticism - I think because most people tend to post stuff on the strong side and want to add more powerful content and saying something is a bit on the weak side is like giving permission to add more of what they want! I think you got this backward: I do not consider you criticism severe by any measure, and was saying I think I deserved a bit more ragging given the number of typos.


Yeah, this is a big difference. Honestly... I still don't knowwhere this spell sits. Lack of concentration is a big deal and the no requirement for an action, bonus action or whatever means you can stack a number of these in play. On theother hand the duration is relatively short compared to say animate dead that you wont be able to build an army. I think its OK. Hopefully.


Maybe something a bit different:chose two radii between 0ft and 30ft and consider this spacearound you. Supress sound in that band for the duration of the spell. Then make it a level 4 spell or so. Silence that follows you is great for shuttingdowncasters,for stealth over longer distances and so on. Being able to do so whilst exempting you/your party right at the middle adds functionality. A higher level but more abusable spell could befun. I have a 4th level "muzzle" spell written but not posted that does some of this. For a moveable AoE effect, I'd honestly make it useable if you upcast the Silence spell instead.

What if I let you upcast to increase the listed thickness? A wall 30 feet long, 30 feet tall, and 20 feet wide would probably be useful.


OK, now this is a bt more interesting. Honestly, I think its still weak given that it takes longer than most fights to even get close to phantasmal killer - but it does have some space. I would up the damage die a bit... maybe. Weak for fights, excellent for torture though. Well, if you think torture is useful, but a spell for characters who do sounds okay to me.


Yeah, the attack roll is fine - I was just commenting that it is pretty unique. How is the secondary damage supposed to interact with a critical hit? Separate save for the secondary damage, so I wouldn't increase it if there's initially a crit.