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Saelethil
2021-08-06, 02:28 PM
Bonded Guardian
7th level Conjuration Spell
Casting Time: 8 hours
Range: 30’
Components: V, S, M*
Gems worth 2,500 gp, consumed by the casting
Duration: until destroyed
Classes: Cleric, Druid, Wizard

You bring a guardian into being which will follow you and your orders. You decide the form and appearance that it takes as well as whether it will be Celestial, Fey, or Fiend. Whenever you take damage you can choose for the damage to be magically transferred to it. Any resistances you have take effect before the damage is transferred. You can spend your bonus action to order it to take the Attack action on its turn, otherwise your Bonded Guardian can only take the Dash, Dodge, or Disengage actions. If it reaches 0 hit points the Bonded Guardian will disapparate, leaving no remains. If it is ever more than 60 feet away from you it will take whatever it deems the most reasonable route to return to you, using its action to dash and taking 1d10 damage per round until either you return, it finds you, or it dies. You can only have one guardian summoned at a time. Your guardian has the following stat block:

Bonded Guardian
Large, Celestial, Fey, or Fiend
__________________________________________________ _______________
Armor Class: Your spell save DC + 2 for each spell level above 7th (natural armor)
Hit Points: 70 + 25 for each spell level above 7th
Speed: 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
__________________________________________________ _______________
STR 18, DEX 16, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 10

Damage Resistances: cold, fire, necrotic, poison, radiant

Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages: understands the languages you speak

Armor: none, if it is wearing armor it cannot move and is unable to take your damage

Weapons: any that you are proficient in

Actions
Attack: your bonded guardian can make 2 attacks using your PB + its Str. or Dex. Its unarmed strike deals 1d6 + 4 bludgeoning damage.

Dash, Dodge, Disengage


When cast at a higher level the Bonded Guardian’s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores increase by 2 for each spell slot above 7th level. The guardian becomes huge instead of large when cast with a 9th level spell slot.

BerzerkerUnit
2021-08-07, 10:50 AM
It's competing a bit with the utility and power of a simulacrum?

With that in mind I think it feels weak. I realize it's a bag of "double hp" kind of, but since it's also going to be a viable target in combat, it doesn't resist physical damage, etc. I don't necessarily see the 2500 gp and 8 hour casting's value reflected. It's attacks are also shockingly weak for large creature, like plink damage that will eat your bonus action?

I guess there's something here for Moon or Shepherd druids.


I will say it's given me someeideas., Thanks for sharing!

sandmote
2021-08-07, 11:30 AM
This is functionally the Create Magen spell, so I'd check if that doesn't do what you actually want this for.

For balance and formatting also see the the Find [creature] spells, the Shield guardian stat block, the Steel defender stat block, and the Magen stat blocks.

Specific Mechanical notes:

Is the guardian intended to be destroyed by Dispel Magic? If it isn't, I would change the duration to "Instantaneous," meaning the spell simply creates the guardian, without being needed to maintain it. See the Find spells for how that works.

I included it in Bonded below, but it would probably be better if the guardian did not absorb 100% of the damage a caster takes. For starters that makes it really easy for the caster to maintain concentration, because they don't need to make Constitution saves if they don't take damage.

It would probably be simpler if you said the guardian cannot use weapons or armor, so there's less the player and DM need to fiddle with. Leave that to Simulacrum.

And as a personal thing, is there a reason this isn't on the warlock spell list? "Summon thing from the beyond to serve you" is a warlock stereotype, is it not? Ussually summoning/conjure/create/find spells are left off the warlock spell list because regaining those spells on a short rest is broken, but at 7th level this would use a Mystic Arcanum rather than the short rest slots.

I don't know if you actually care about the spell being formatted like a published 5e spell, but I'll include some formatting recommendations as well.

"Consumed by the casting," is usually written as "which the spell consumes."

Languages should be "understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak"

Rewriting the binding effects (using Bound from the Shield Guardian):

Bound. The bonded guardian is magically bound to you. As long as the guardian and you are on the same plane of existence, the you can telepathically call the guardian to travel to you, and the guardian knows the distance and direction to you. If the guardian is within 60 feet of you, half of any damage you take (rounded up) is transferred to the guardian.

Origin Dependency Any time the guardian ends its turn more than 60 feet from you, it takes 1d10 force damage. If the guardian starts its turn more than 60 feet away from you, it will use its action to move closer to you by the safest available route. The guardian will do this over taking any orders you have given it.

Extra attack is written as follows. This is done to clarify how much damage an opportunity attack does and how the monster is affected by the Haste spell.

Multiattack. The guardian makes two melee attacks.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Spell scaling usually also follows the formatting of "At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of Nth level or higher," and then explain what the higher spell slots do.

Saelethil
2021-08-08, 02:46 PM
It's competing a bit with the utility and power of a simulacrum?

With that in mind I think it feels weak. I realize it's a bag of "double hp" kind of, but since it's also going to be a viable target in combat, it doesn't resist physical damage, etc. I don't necessarily see the 2500 gp and 8 hour casting's value reflected. It's attacks are also shockingly weak for large creature, like plink damage that will eat your bonus action?

I guess there's something here for Moon or Shepherd druids.


I will say it's given me someeideas., Thanks for sharing!

I'm not sure that I would consider it more of a viable target than a mid/high tier full caster would normally be so I guess I disagree with that point. Would it be too powerful to give it resistance to all damage types so attacks against the caster would be the most viable form of offence against it?

I do feel like you're right about the cost and casting time being too high though. I'll probably reduce it to 1,00 gp and 1 hour casting time. I feel like a pool of temporary HP that can be healed, used as a flying mount, and is large enough to give full cover to multiple party members is something that shouldn't be free and should require a pause in the action to re-summon if it goes down. to make it more clear that it can be healed I should probably give it hit dice.
I'll probably also give it a more powerful innate weapon an remove its ability to use weapons you are proficient in. Maybe 2d6 magical slashing damage?


This is functionally the Create Magen spell, so I'd check if that doesn't do what you actually want this for.

For balance and formatting also see the the Find [creature] spells, the Shield guardian stat block, the Steel defender stat block, and the Magen stat blocks.

Specific Mechanical notes:

Is the guardian intended to be destroyed by Dispel Magic? If it isn't, I would change the duration to "Instantaneous," meaning the spell simply creates the guardian, without being needed to maintain it. See the Find spells for how that works.

I included it in Bonded below, but it would probably be better if the guardian did not absorb 100% of the damage a caster takes. For starters that makes it really easy for the caster to maintain concentration, because they don't need to make Constitution saves if they don't take damage.

It would probably be simpler if you said the guardian cannot use weapons or armor, so there's less the player and DM need to fiddle with. Leave that to Simulacrum.

And as a personal thing, is there a reason this isn't on the warlock spell list? "Summon thing from the beyond to serve you" is a warlock stereotype, is it not? Ussually summoning/conjure/create/find spells are left off the warlock spell list because regaining those spells on a short rest is broken, but at 7th level this would use a Mystic Arcanum rather than the short rest slots.

I don't know if you actually care about the spell being formatted like a published 5e spell, but I'll include some formatting recommendations as well.

"Consumed by the casting," is usually written as "which the spell consumes."

Languages should be "understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak"

Rewriting the binding effects (using Bound from the Shield Guardian):

Bound. The bonded guardian is magically bound to you. As long as the guardian and you are on the same plane of existence, the you can telepathically call the guardian to travel to you, and the guardian knows the distance and direction to you. If the guardian is within 60 feet of you, half of any damage you take (rounded up) is transferred to the guardian.

Origin Dependency Any time the guardian ends its turn more than 60 feet from you, it takes 1d10 force damage. If the guardian starts its turn more than 60 feet away from you, it will use its action to move closer to you by the safest available route. The guardian will do this over taking any orders you have given it.

Extra attack is written as follows. This is done to clarify how much damage an opportunity attack does and how the monster is affected by the Haste spell.

Multiattack. The guardian makes two melee attacks.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Spell scaling usually also follows the formatting of "At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of Nth level or higher," and then explain what the higher spell slots do.

I think it's different enough from Create Magen unless I'm missing something so I will keep it as a separate spell.
I hadn't considered the effect this would have on concentration so I'll change it to splitting the damage. It still mitigates just as much in the long run but will make it so that concentration can still be interrupted.

I do appreciate your wording recommendations. I'm not very practiced at writing stat blocks so I'll take all the help I can get.

I didn't put it on the warlock spell list because I wanted it to go to casters that had more control over their use of magic than Warlocks are traditionally given. It would probably make sense to give it to the Warlocks though (especialy since it would require a Mystic Arcanum) for the reasons you gave. At that point Bards might as well get it also considering they get their magic from an academic setting (colleges).

I think that covers all the questions and comments. I'll get the new version up here soon.

Thanks again for the help BerzerkerUnit and Sandmote.

Saelethil
2021-08-08, 03:58 PM
So here's the update. Thoughts?

Bonded Guardian
7th level Conjuration Spell
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: 30’
Components: V, S, M*
Gems worth 1,000 gp which the spell consumes
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Cleric, Druid, Warlock, Wizard

You bring a guardian into being which will follow you and your orders. You decide the form and appearance that it takes as well as whether it will be Celestial, Fey, or Fiend. You can spend your bonus action to order it to take the Attack action on its turn, otherwise your Bonded Guardian can only take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge actions. If it reaches 0 hit points the Bonded Guardian will disapparate, leaving no remains. Your guardian has the following stat block:

Guardian
Large, Celestial, Fey, or Fiend
__________________________________________________ _______________
Armor Class: Your spell save DC (natural armor)
Hit Points: 75 + 25 for each spell level above 7th
Speed: 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
__________________________________________________ _______________
STR 18, DEX 16, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 10

Damage Resistances. cold, fire, lightning, poison, necrotic, radiant, bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Senses. darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages. understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak

Armor. none, if it is wearing armor it cannot move and is unable to take your damage

Weapons. any that you are proficient in

Actions

Multiattack. The guardian makes two melee attacks.

Innate Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit (this increases with your PB and its Str.), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + Str. mod.) magical slashing damage.

Bound. The bonded guardian is magically bound to you. As long as the guardian and you are on the same plane of existence, you can telepathically call the guardian to travel to you, and the guardian knows the distance and direction to you. If the guardian is within 60 feet of you, half of any damage you take (rounded up) is transferred to the guardian.

Origin Dependency. Any time the guardian ends its turn more than 60 feet from you, it takes 1d10 force damage. If the guardian starts its turn more than 60 feet away from you, it will use its action to move closer to you by the safest available route. The guardian will do this over taking any orders you have given it.
__________________________________________________ _______________

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the guardian gains an additional 25 HP, and its AC, Str., Dex., and Con., scores increase by 2 for each level above 7th. If cast using a 9th level spell slot, the guardian’s size increases to Huge.