D&D Base Class Contest XV Chat Thread

[Damon_Tor]

I've started the process of looking through the spells of the Spellslinger at various levels and writing new spells for the levels where I feel like the concepts aren't well represented. The first new spell is Ring of Blades, which replaces Otiluke's Resilient Sphere at the Magneticist's 4th level spell. Its like if Melf's Minute Meteors and Swift Quiver had a love child. It's not quite as good as Melf's in terms of damage because it lacks an AoE component, but it has some defensive properties which help to justify its place as a 4th level spell. I'll be adding more spells here and there as we approach our deadline. I'll make sure there's at least one ice damage spell at each level for the thermalist (and an icey-melee cantrip in the vein of Greenflame Blade and Booming Blade) and I'll probably add a few more earth-bender-y damage spells spattered through the levels.

Also, I gave the magneticist Mage Hand as a bonus spell. I didn't want to give the class in general too many good utility spells, but it's a little silly if the magneticist can't do basic at-will telekinesis.

EDIT: Several more new spells added which are thematically appropriate for the Vulcanist. I'll continue to add more as I have time.

• Earth Strike is a second level spell that functions kind of like Booming Blade in that a melee weapon attack is a part of casting the spell, with bonus damage, knockback and prone. Great for a vulcanist who wants to knock a guy back into his difficult terrain and keep him there. A spellslinger will likely want to use a staff enchanted with Shillelagh for this.
• Fissure is a 5th level spell that creates a 15 by 60 crevasse in the ground, 20 feet deep, the interior of which is difficult terrain. It also deals bludgeoning damage when it forms, as well as falling damage to creatures who don't pass the dex save to jump out of the area. The spell is instantaneous, and the crack in the ground is new landscape feature.
• Fist of the Earth is a 7th level spell and summons a huge pillar of stone. The spell has a "relaxed" mode where you can call it up slow if you just want a little elevator ride, but when cast offensively, it deals damage when the pillar hits a guy and again when it either slams the guy into the ceiling or launches them into the air to fall back to the ground. If you manage to pin a guy between the pillar and the ceiling it becomes a restraining spell which holds them there and continues to crush them until they manage to wiggle free or until the spell ends the pillar slowly sinks back into the ground.

EDIT2: Another round of new spells:

• Frostforged Blade is the booming-blade-esque ice cantrip I mentioned, and it has the opposite effect from Booming Blade, dealing its bonus damage if you don't move from the spot you're in. Its damage is lower than the similar spells because in my opinion forcing someone to move is inherently more powerful than forcing someone not to for several reasons.
• Iron Binding is a second level spell with a one-time damage effect as you levitate a weaponized slap-bracelet at someone, then choose from a menu of effects depending on what body parts you've shackled. Effects are generally softer control than similar spells like Maximilian's Earthen Grasp or Ensnaring Strike which restrain the target, but Iron Binding is neat in that it requires no concentration: once you've bent the rebar around the other guy's wrists or ankles it stays like that until it or one of it's pals unbends it. Combos nicely with magneticist spells and abilities which gain some benefit from targets wearing metal.
• Cryogenesis is a high-level single-target ice-based DoT with a disable effect that begins as rather mild but becomes more powerful as the target fails more and more of its saves.
• Magnetic Conflux is a situationally powerful AoE control effect. It can be a mass-disarm against a bunch of guys with metal weapons, but it's a much more potent control and damage spell against creatures made of or wearing metal. At this point in the game (It's a 7th level spell) you are Magneto and anybody who wears metal around you should feel dumb.