Yakk
2021-03-29, 12:31 PM
This is an attempt to take a run at the spells that are less than satisfactory for their level, and bring them up to something interesting.
1. Did I go too far with any of these?
2. Did I miss any spells that are real stinkers?
3. Did I not go far enough?
Barkskin
The target’s AC is 14 plus your proficiency bonus. When the creature takes non-fire damage, as a reaction the creature subject to the spell end the spell and make the creature immune to the damage. At higher levels, for every 2 levels higher than 2nd you use to cast the spell, they can do the reaction once without ending the spell.
Arcane Sword
The sword’s speed is increased to 60’. The sword deals 4d10 damage, and if you do not take a bonus action to direct it, it moves up to 60’ towards the last target you told it to attack and attacks it if it is adjacent at the end of your turn.
Blade of Disaster
Does not require concentration.
Witch Bolt
Crackling energy forms in your hands. When you cast the spell, or as an action while concentrating on it, you can make a ranged spell attack on a creature within 30’, dealing 1d12 plus your spell casting ability modifier lighting damage on a hit. In addition, as an action you can deal 1d12 plus your spell casting ability modifier lightning damage to every creature you have hit with Witch Bolt within 60’ that does not have total cover against you. Creatures you damage with Witch Bolt cannot take reactions and have disadvantage on attacks against you until the end of your next turn.
Blade Ward
You can cast this spell as a reaction to being hit by an attack. If you do so, you do not get an action or reaction on your next turn.
Feign Death
You can touch up to 10 creatures as you cast the spell.
False Life
If you suffer damage that would remove the last of these temporary HP, you gain resistance to it, unless it is radiant damage.
True Strike
If you hit with the true strike enhanced attack, it deals an extra 1d12 damage, increasing to 2d12 at level 5, 3d12 at level 11 and 4d12 at level 17.
Searing Smite
The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, your weapon flares with white-hot intensity, and the attack deals an extra 1d6 fire damage to the target and causes the target to be set on fire for 2d4 dice. Once you have struck a creature, you no longer have to concentrate on this spell.
At the start of each of its turns until the spell ends, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it becomes on fire for an additional 1d4 die, and on a successful save it becomes on fire for 1d4 die less. Then roll the on fire dice and the creature takes that much fire damage. If the target or a creature within 5 feet of it uses an action to put out the flames, or if some other effect douses the flames (such as the target being submerged in water), the spell ends.
At higher levels: For every level above 1st, the initial damage increases by 1d6 and the initial on fire dice increase by 1d4.
Flame Arrows
The ammunition only gains its property if the person possessed the quiver at the start of their turn. The arrows deal an extra 2d8 fire damage, not 1d6.
Bestow Curse
If the target succeeds in the saving throw, as an action you may attempt to curse a creature within 5’, forcing them to make the same saving throw. You may continue to do this until the spell ends or a creature fails a saving throw against your curse.
Vampiric Touch
You gain temporary HP equal to the damage this spell does, and creatures damaged by it are considered charmed by you until the end of your next turn.
Blight
The spell’s duration becomes 1 hour. While the spell is active, you can repeat the attack as an action. Each time you attack, the damage of the next attack is reduced by 1d8; the spell ends when it is reduced to 0d8 damage. While the spell is active, plants within 30’ of you look and feel sickly
Immolation
The target burns even if it succeeds on the saving throw. At the end of each of its turns while burning it takes 4d6 damage. Before it takes this damage, it may make a constitution saving throw; on success, the damage is reduced by 1d6. When the damage is reduced to 0d6 the spell ends.
Flesh to Stone
On a successful initial save, you can choose a different target as an action on your turn, but it must be a creature that hasn’t already saved against this spell already.
Phantasmal Killer
The creature must make a wisdom saving throw when the spell is cast, and at the end of each of its turns. If it fails any saving throw, it becomes Frightened of the manifestation until the end of its next turn, and takes 4d10 psychic damage; the manifestation appears to move 1d6*5 feet away in a random direction, and moves at the start of each of the creature’s turns; the creature is aware of where the manifestation is, even if they cannot see it. Creatures immune to fear are immune to this spell. The spell ends after the 3rd successful saving throw.
Spare the Dying
The spell has a 30’ range, and targets any creatures you choose within range. In addition to becoming stable, for the next minute, those creatures require 5 failed death saving throws instead of 3 before they die.
Weird
As Phantasmal killer, but the manifestations appear to be all in one random direction, and the radius of the spell can be any value between 10’ and 50’ (chosen when you cast the spell). The manifestations all change position to a different direction randomly at the start of your turn.
Crown of Madness
On your subsequent turns, you must use your action to maintain control over the target or the crown disappears from their head. You can also spend an action to attempt to place the Crown on a creature who hasn’t saved against this spell yet, they must make a wisdom save or have the crown appear on their head; this removes the crown from any other head. If you do neither, the spell ends.
The creature who has the Crown on their head may make wisdom saving throw at the end of each of their turns. On success, the Crown disappears from their head.
Cordon of Arrows
You can plant up to 10 arrows, and the arrows deal 1d6 plus your spellcasting attribute modifier. Creatures trigger the arrows when they first move within range, or start their turn within range. You are aware when the ammunition is triggered. If cast at 3rd level each triggering creature is attacked by 2 arrows, and if cast at 4th level they are attacked by 3 arrows each.
Grasping Vine
Does not require concentration.
Acid Arrow
On a hit, the target takes 5d4 acid damage, and on a miss the target takes 3d4 acid damage. The acid clings to the target if they make the save or not.
At the end of each turn afterwards, the creature takes 1d4 less acid damage, or 2d4 if submerged in water or other fluid that could wash the acid off. As an action, the target or a creature within 5' of the target can scrape off the acid; this deals 1d4 acid damage to the creature doing the scraping, but reduces the ongoing damage by 2d4.
At higher levels: The spell deals an additional 1d4 acid damage on a hit for every slot level higher and 1d4 more acid damage on a miss for every 2 slot levels higher.
Horrid Wilting
The spell has a duration of 1 minute. Creatures who enter the area or end their turn in the area must repeat the save, but never more than once for each of their turns, and the damage is reduced by 1d8 at the end of your turn.
Shillelagh
You can choose to cast this spell as an action instead of a bonus action. You do so, the next time you attack a creature before the end of your next turn with the enchanted weapon, if you hit the attack deals an extra 2d8 bludgeoning or piercing damage. At level 5, 11 and 17 this additional damage increases by 2d8.
Tenser’s Transformation
You may choose to have the spell transmute your clothing or armor into plate, half plate or a breastplate for the duration of the spell. They keep whatever magical properties they had in addition to being serviceable weapons and shields.
You may choose to have the spell transmute the objects you are holding in your hands into a shield and a martial melee weapon of your choice. They keep whatever magical properties they had in addition to being serviceable weapons and shields.
You add your casting attribute bonus to your Strength and Constitution saving throws.
Dragon’s Breath
The creature can use its breath as a bonus action. The damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level higher than 2nd.
Find Traps
This spell does not require line of sight. It tells you how many traps there are. From the information about the nature of the trap gained, you have advantage on ability checks to further perceive, investigate or disarm any trap the spell detects, and it has disadvantage on attacks on you, and you have advantage on any saving throws it inflicts upon you.
Investiture of Stone
You have resistance to all damage except thunder and psychic. The small earthquake does not cost an action, and you can do it once on your turn.
Investiture of Ice
The damage of the cone is 4d12, and all creatures damaged by it have their speed halved.
Investiture of Flame
Creatures who move within 10’ or start their turn there take the 1d10 fire damage instead of 5’ range and at the end of their turn.
The line of fire is up to 100 feet long, and deals 4d10 fire damage.
Investiture of Wind
If you are still flying when the spell ends, you do not take falling damage from the fall.
The cube of swirling wind can be 10’ to 30’ in size. The damage is done is 3d10. It targets creatures other than you.
Instant Summons
You can summon the item if it is on the same plane and within 100’ and not possessed by another creature without without crushing the sapphire as an action.
If another creature is holding the item, they must make a charisma saving throw. On failure, the item is taken from them; on success, you become aware of who and roughly where the creature is. An object may not be subject to this spell more than once at a time.
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This is an already good spell, I wanted to encourage using it offensively.
Absorb Elements
This deals 1d8 additional damage, not 1d6.
At higher levels, the damage increases by 2d8 for each slot level above 1st.
-----------
The next set of spells are probably made worse, overall.
Shield is made better for fragile pure-casters and warlocks, and worse for AC-optimizers.
Magic Missile removes the nuclear wizard.
And I downgraded minionmancy somewhat (summoning hordes of under-CR'd creatures and boosting them), while making the spells stronger for non-minionmancers. This is partly because I find mass monster management annoying.
Shield
The shield spell lasts for 1 attack or cast of magic missile per slot level used to cast it. It also grants resistance to all damage from attacks.
Magic Missile
You roll for damage for each missile separately.
Conjure Animals, Minor Elementals and Woodland Beings
This summons 1 CR 2, 2 CR 1, 3 CR ½ or 4 CR 1/4 creatures. Creatures you summon are controlled by 1 spirit, and can concentrate on one spell between them.
The creatures have a bonus to AC, attack rolls and damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.
At higher levels: The creature gains additional HP and attacks.
If the creature is CR 2, it gains +12 HP for every additional slot level, and when they take the attack or multiattack action they gain 1 extra attack for every 2 additional slot levels.
If the creatures are CR 1, it gains +6 HP for every additional slot level, and 1 extra attack for every 3 additional slot levels.
If the creatures are CR 1/2, they gain +5 HP for every additional slot level, and 1 extra attack for every 4 additional slot levels.
If the creatures are CR 1/2, they gain +4 HP for every additional slot level, and 1 extra attack for every 5 additional slot levels.
Animate Dead
While you control the undead, they gain a bonus to their attack rolls, damage and AC equal to your proficiency bonus.
Casting this spell to maintain control only maintains control over 2 undead.
At higher levels, it only gains 1 undead (controlled or not) per higher slot level.
1. Did I go too far with any of these?
2. Did I miss any spells that are real stinkers?
3. Did I not go far enough?
Barkskin
The target’s AC is 14 plus your proficiency bonus. When the creature takes non-fire damage, as a reaction the creature subject to the spell end the spell and make the creature immune to the damage. At higher levels, for every 2 levels higher than 2nd you use to cast the spell, they can do the reaction once without ending the spell.
Arcane Sword
The sword’s speed is increased to 60’. The sword deals 4d10 damage, and if you do not take a bonus action to direct it, it moves up to 60’ towards the last target you told it to attack and attacks it if it is adjacent at the end of your turn.
Blade of Disaster
Does not require concentration.
Witch Bolt
Crackling energy forms in your hands. When you cast the spell, or as an action while concentrating on it, you can make a ranged spell attack on a creature within 30’, dealing 1d12 plus your spell casting ability modifier lighting damage on a hit. In addition, as an action you can deal 1d12 plus your spell casting ability modifier lightning damage to every creature you have hit with Witch Bolt within 60’ that does not have total cover against you. Creatures you damage with Witch Bolt cannot take reactions and have disadvantage on attacks against you until the end of your next turn.
Blade Ward
You can cast this spell as a reaction to being hit by an attack. If you do so, you do not get an action or reaction on your next turn.
Feign Death
You can touch up to 10 creatures as you cast the spell.
False Life
If you suffer damage that would remove the last of these temporary HP, you gain resistance to it, unless it is radiant damage.
True Strike
If you hit with the true strike enhanced attack, it deals an extra 1d12 damage, increasing to 2d12 at level 5, 3d12 at level 11 and 4d12 at level 17.
Searing Smite
The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, your weapon flares with white-hot intensity, and the attack deals an extra 1d6 fire damage to the target and causes the target to be set on fire for 2d4 dice. Once you have struck a creature, you no longer have to concentrate on this spell.
At the start of each of its turns until the spell ends, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it becomes on fire for an additional 1d4 die, and on a successful save it becomes on fire for 1d4 die less. Then roll the on fire dice and the creature takes that much fire damage. If the target or a creature within 5 feet of it uses an action to put out the flames, or if some other effect douses the flames (such as the target being submerged in water), the spell ends.
At higher levels: For every level above 1st, the initial damage increases by 1d6 and the initial on fire dice increase by 1d4.
Flame Arrows
The ammunition only gains its property if the person possessed the quiver at the start of their turn. The arrows deal an extra 2d8 fire damage, not 1d6.
Bestow Curse
If the target succeeds in the saving throw, as an action you may attempt to curse a creature within 5’, forcing them to make the same saving throw. You may continue to do this until the spell ends or a creature fails a saving throw against your curse.
Vampiric Touch
You gain temporary HP equal to the damage this spell does, and creatures damaged by it are considered charmed by you until the end of your next turn.
Blight
The spell’s duration becomes 1 hour. While the spell is active, you can repeat the attack as an action. Each time you attack, the damage of the next attack is reduced by 1d8; the spell ends when it is reduced to 0d8 damage. While the spell is active, plants within 30’ of you look and feel sickly
Immolation
The target burns even if it succeeds on the saving throw. At the end of each of its turns while burning it takes 4d6 damage. Before it takes this damage, it may make a constitution saving throw; on success, the damage is reduced by 1d6. When the damage is reduced to 0d6 the spell ends.
Flesh to Stone
On a successful initial save, you can choose a different target as an action on your turn, but it must be a creature that hasn’t already saved against this spell already.
Phantasmal Killer
The creature must make a wisdom saving throw when the spell is cast, and at the end of each of its turns. If it fails any saving throw, it becomes Frightened of the manifestation until the end of its next turn, and takes 4d10 psychic damage; the manifestation appears to move 1d6*5 feet away in a random direction, and moves at the start of each of the creature’s turns; the creature is aware of where the manifestation is, even if they cannot see it. Creatures immune to fear are immune to this spell. The spell ends after the 3rd successful saving throw.
Spare the Dying
The spell has a 30’ range, and targets any creatures you choose within range. In addition to becoming stable, for the next minute, those creatures require 5 failed death saving throws instead of 3 before they die.
Weird
As Phantasmal killer, but the manifestations appear to be all in one random direction, and the radius of the spell can be any value between 10’ and 50’ (chosen when you cast the spell). The manifestations all change position to a different direction randomly at the start of your turn.
Crown of Madness
On your subsequent turns, you must use your action to maintain control over the target or the crown disappears from their head. You can also spend an action to attempt to place the Crown on a creature who hasn’t saved against this spell yet, they must make a wisdom save or have the crown appear on their head; this removes the crown from any other head. If you do neither, the spell ends.
The creature who has the Crown on their head may make wisdom saving throw at the end of each of their turns. On success, the Crown disappears from their head.
Cordon of Arrows
You can plant up to 10 arrows, and the arrows deal 1d6 plus your spellcasting attribute modifier. Creatures trigger the arrows when they first move within range, or start their turn within range. You are aware when the ammunition is triggered. If cast at 3rd level each triggering creature is attacked by 2 arrows, and if cast at 4th level they are attacked by 3 arrows each.
Grasping Vine
Does not require concentration.
Acid Arrow
On a hit, the target takes 5d4 acid damage, and on a miss the target takes 3d4 acid damage. The acid clings to the target if they make the save or not.
At the end of each turn afterwards, the creature takes 1d4 less acid damage, or 2d4 if submerged in water or other fluid that could wash the acid off. As an action, the target or a creature within 5' of the target can scrape off the acid; this deals 1d4 acid damage to the creature doing the scraping, but reduces the ongoing damage by 2d4.
At higher levels: The spell deals an additional 1d4 acid damage on a hit for every slot level higher and 1d4 more acid damage on a miss for every 2 slot levels higher.
Horrid Wilting
The spell has a duration of 1 minute. Creatures who enter the area or end their turn in the area must repeat the save, but never more than once for each of their turns, and the damage is reduced by 1d8 at the end of your turn.
Shillelagh
You can choose to cast this spell as an action instead of a bonus action. You do so, the next time you attack a creature before the end of your next turn with the enchanted weapon, if you hit the attack deals an extra 2d8 bludgeoning or piercing damage. At level 5, 11 and 17 this additional damage increases by 2d8.
Tenser’s Transformation
You may choose to have the spell transmute your clothing or armor into plate, half plate or a breastplate for the duration of the spell. They keep whatever magical properties they had in addition to being serviceable weapons and shields.
You may choose to have the spell transmute the objects you are holding in your hands into a shield and a martial melee weapon of your choice. They keep whatever magical properties they had in addition to being serviceable weapons and shields.
You add your casting attribute bonus to your Strength and Constitution saving throws.
Dragon’s Breath
The creature can use its breath as a bonus action. The damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level higher than 2nd.
Find Traps
This spell does not require line of sight. It tells you how many traps there are. From the information about the nature of the trap gained, you have advantage on ability checks to further perceive, investigate or disarm any trap the spell detects, and it has disadvantage on attacks on you, and you have advantage on any saving throws it inflicts upon you.
Investiture of Stone
You have resistance to all damage except thunder and psychic. The small earthquake does not cost an action, and you can do it once on your turn.
Investiture of Ice
The damage of the cone is 4d12, and all creatures damaged by it have their speed halved.
Investiture of Flame
Creatures who move within 10’ or start their turn there take the 1d10 fire damage instead of 5’ range and at the end of their turn.
The line of fire is up to 100 feet long, and deals 4d10 fire damage.
Investiture of Wind
If you are still flying when the spell ends, you do not take falling damage from the fall.
The cube of swirling wind can be 10’ to 30’ in size. The damage is done is 3d10. It targets creatures other than you.
Instant Summons
You can summon the item if it is on the same plane and within 100’ and not possessed by another creature without without crushing the sapphire as an action.
If another creature is holding the item, they must make a charisma saving throw. On failure, the item is taken from them; on success, you become aware of who and roughly where the creature is. An object may not be subject to this spell more than once at a time.
-----------
This is an already good spell, I wanted to encourage using it offensively.
Absorb Elements
This deals 1d8 additional damage, not 1d6.
At higher levels, the damage increases by 2d8 for each slot level above 1st.
-----------
The next set of spells are probably made worse, overall.
Shield is made better for fragile pure-casters and warlocks, and worse for AC-optimizers.
Magic Missile removes the nuclear wizard.
And I downgraded minionmancy somewhat (summoning hordes of under-CR'd creatures and boosting them), while making the spells stronger for non-minionmancers. This is partly because I find mass monster management annoying.
Shield
The shield spell lasts for 1 attack or cast of magic missile per slot level used to cast it. It also grants resistance to all damage from attacks.
Magic Missile
You roll for damage for each missile separately.
Conjure Animals, Minor Elementals and Woodland Beings
This summons 1 CR 2, 2 CR 1, 3 CR ½ or 4 CR 1/4 creatures. Creatures you summon are controlled by 1 spirit, and can concentrate on one spell between them.
The creatures have a bonus to AC, attack rolls and damage rolls equal to your proficiency bonus.
At higher levels: The creature gains additional HP and attacks.
If the creature is CR 2, it gains +12 HP for every additional slot level, and when they take the attack or multiattack action they gain 1 extra attack for every 2 additional slot levels.
If the creatures are CR 1, it gains +6 HP for every additional slot level, and 1 extra attack for every 3 additional slot levels.
If the creatures are CR 1/2, they gain +5 HP for every additional slot level, and 1 extra attack for every 4 additional slot levels.
If the creatures are CR 1/2, they gain +4 HP for every additional slot level, and 1 extra attack for every 5 additional slot levels.
Animate Dead
While you control the undead, they gain a bonus to their attack rolls, damage and AC equal to your proficiency bonus.
Casting this spell to maintain control only maintains control over 2 undead.
At higher levels, it only gains 1 undead (controlled or not) per higher slot level.