Giving Spirit Guardians a short range. What breaks?

[Oramac]

Pretty much what the title says. I'm thinking about a high level feature (around 17th level-ish) that, under certain circumstances, would allow spirit guardians to be cast with a 30 ft range, so it can be cast on others.

Thoughts?

[Mastikator]

I don't think it breaks anything, it just makes a good spell better.

[Unoriginal]

Pretty much what the title says. I'm thinking about a high level feature (around 17th level-ish) that, under certain circumstances, would allow spirit guardians to be cast with a 30 ft range, so it can be cast on others.

Thoughts?

Depends what you mean by "feature".

As an Epic Boon taught, given, found or created as the conclusion an interesting arc or subplot? Nice.

As a class or subclass feature replacing a PC's lvl 17 feature? Far too niche and weak to be worth it.

As an additional class or subclass feature? Those who can cast Spirit Guardians get enough perks at those level.

As a new, 9th level version called sonething like Mighty Guardians? It's a good start but you need more to really sell it.

As an additional feature to SG itself? Eh, it's fine, but it doesn't need more goodies.

[Theodoxus]

Since you can essentially do that with a Ring of Spell Storing, I have no issue either creating a higher level spell (probably 5th) that allows you to cast it on an ally, or even a 4th level spell that created an unmoving dome of doom at range. (I initially thought making it a 2nd level spell as unmovable, but realized the advantage of being able to stay on the far edge in a chokehold is better than being at the center of the vortex, so should be higher level.)

[JLandan]

Instead of making a feature of a class or subclass, just rewrite the spell to have that as a higher spell slot upcast.

[Chronos]

Certainly you could, but I'd say that it's already a very good spell, and doesn't have any need to be any better.

[Snails]

I am not against the idea, but I think you should include an upcast cost to employ it this way. It is a good spell even though it has clear and obvious downside in the bargain: damaging enemies with it puts you where enemies are likely to hit you.

The nice thing here is the cleric can cast this spell and move to a location of relative safety, so the cleric is a lot less likely to lose concentration (or get pounded into unconsciousness).

To allow this spell to be cast on others opens up some interesting superstacks. For example: Spirit Guardians cast on a Raging Barbarian who is extra sticky because enemies have movement penalties. For example: Spirit Guardians cast on Fire Shielded Fire Elemental. I am sure that the players at your table will manage to find combos even more impressive than these.

I do not think these automatically break the game, but I do think some kind of upcast cost will make these tradeoffs more interesting. It is, after all, an improvement in power of an already good spell.

[Oramac]

Thanks y'all! I appreciate all the input.

To clarify, this is a feature for a homebrew class I'm playtesting. And there are definitely costs associated with it. I've even considered reducing it to Range: Touch instead of 30 ft. Still toying with the idea.

[Psyren]

Being able to place it on someone else at range (who then can presumably move with it?) would be at least as good as an upcast Moonbeam, and likely considerably better - Moonbeam has a smaller radius, requires your action to move it, and doesn't create difficult terrain, while this would leave your action free and doubles as both damage and battlefield control. So I would probably make Spirit Guard Someone Else at least 5th level - or if it's a subclass feature, either the penultimate one or the subcapstone.

[Oramac]

snip---or if it's a subclass feature, either the penultimate one or the subcapstone.

It's the 17th level feature, just behind the 20th level capstone. I'm still playing with variations, but so far it seems to be very good, but not broken.

[KorvinStarmast]

Since you can essentially do that with a Ring of Spell Storing

That's a good solution.

Certainly you could, but I'd say that it's already a very good spell, and doesn't have any need to be any better.

Tend to agree.


And one can cast it with Glyph of Warding, so that it goes off somewhere for ten minutes ...