New Melee Spells for Wizard/Warlock/Sorcerer (Bladesinger In Mind) PEACH

[Ghost Dragon]

Hey everyone!

So I love the idea of the Bladesinger tradition out of SCAG, but am disappointed with the lack of spell support for it. Also this can help the other casters who wish to be a bit more choppy choppy :) As it says in the title please PEACH the below:

Spoiler: Arcane Blade

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Arcane Blade
Transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of gold dust, and a one handed melee weapon)
Duration: 1 minute

The one handed melee weapon you are holding is imbued with arcane power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using that weapon, and the weapon's damage die becomes a d8. The weapon also becomes magical, if it isn't already. The spell ends if you cast it again, you let go of the weapon, or you attempt to use the weapon with two hands.

Spoiler: Arcane Alacrity

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Arcane Alacrity
2nd-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a shaving of licorices root, and a one handed melee weapon)
Duration: 1 minute

When you cast the spell, using a one handed weapon you are holding you can make a melee attack against a creature within your reach. As a bonus action on your turn you can repeat this attack against any creature within your reach. If you attempt to use a weapon two-handed to attack at any time during the spells duration, the spell fails. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, the duration increases to 10 minutes. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the duration increases to 1 hour.

Spoiler: Spectral Weapon

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Spectral Weapon
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 5 feet
Components: V, M (a one handed melee weapon)
Duration: Instantaneous

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a single handed melee weapon attack against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal damage plus two additional damage die. Spectral weapons that mirror your own appear immediately strike at two other creatures of your choice that you can see within 20 feet of the target. The secondary creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking force damage equal to the original targets damage on a failure, or half as much on a success.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you may roll one more additional damage dice for each slot level above 2nd.

Spoiler: Change Log

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Spectral Weapon
Added a Dexterity saving throw for the secondary targets and increased damage dice to bring it in line with other 2nd level spells, assuming the weapon used is the maximum one handed damage die of 1d8 (comparison damage reference shatter, 3d8 damage to multiple targets).

Thanks!

[Sicarius Victis]

Arcane Blade: So, an arcane Shillelagh? Seems alright. If it's for Bladesinger and similar characters, though, they'll likely be using it on a d8 weapon anyways. Remember, Shillelagh is only used for d6 weapons. Because of that, they'll always benefit from the die size increase.

Arcane Alacrity: Just a weaker Haste, I guess. It takes up your BA and you only get some of the benefits, so it feels reasonable.

Not sure about the third one, though. Feels within reason, but I'm not really an expert on it.

Edit: Just noticed the increased duration at higher levels for the Arcane Alacrity. Also just noticed that neither it nor Arcane Blade require concentration. Seems fair that AB wouldn't, since it's going to be used by someone who already needs to concentrate on a few things. Not sure about AA, though. Allows for incredible synergy with Haste, and combined with AB they allow for the Bladesinger to put out better, relatively consistent DPS than a fighter of equal level. So I'd probably say make AA requite concentration, but let it keep the increased duration.

More Edit: Huh, I'd completely forgotten that Shillelagh wasn't concentration either. Then there's no way that it wouldn't be alright for AB to have it.

[Artagon]

Arcane Blade is fine, though I think the Blade-Singer screams out Dex/Int build more than pure int, thus making it mostly for non-bladesingers. Do we want to encourage that? I am thinking about how a FvS would look with that spell.. Regardless, it's probably balanced in that there is an identical spell already out there.

Arcane Alacrity: I don't like this at all. Basically you are granting a level 6 class feature as a spell that any pure caster can pick up. It's not good to step all over the toes of another sub-class schtick. Why would I ever play an eldritch knight with this spell in play on a bladesinger?

Spectral Weapons.. I don't like that the secondary targets are automatically hit for the same damage as the first target.. So if I'm fighting a boss monster with insane saves and AC I can hit his minion to break through all his defenses? That seems broken. Add an attack roll back into the secondary targets and then it will probably be ok.

[Ghost Dragon]

Thanks for the feedback.

I am looking at both the AA and SW to teak due to your feedback. SW I will add in an attack roll/saving throw for secondary damage.

@ Artagon: For AA I am at a loss as to how to give more melee spell support without it impacting on other classes, but I thought it wasn't to OP or out shined other melee classes as it uses a bonus action for the attack, something that, for example, and EK sword and board fighter could use to great effect. However if you still think this is a terrible approach would you happen to have a suggestion on something else that would still give more choppy options to a caster without "stepping on the toes" of melee classes?

Thanks again.

[Sicarius Victis]

When it comes to AB, I'd say just have it increase the die type of the weapon by one. And maybe have it allow DEX instead of STR for non-finesse weapons? Not sure about it.