Homebrew Spells

ZenBear

Explorer
I've been tinkering with a homebrew system based on 5e, and figured I could playtest some spells in a standard D&D game. The idea is to have spellcasters become experts in their chosen cantrips that scale up into spells, rather than have a limited number of cantrips and a broad variety of spells. What do you think of these first drafts?

Blink
Conjuration
Casting time: Bonus Action

Range: Self
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You teleport 5 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. At 1st level, you increase the distance to 15 ft., and every spell level higher doubles the distance or includes an additional target within 5 ft.

*The idea is that the cantrip level is used to get you out of melee range to avoid opportunity attacks. Higher levels are essentially varying scales of Misty Step/Dimension Door. Extreme distances would only be achievable through power amplifiers like magic items or arcane relays.

EDIT: per aco175's suggestion

Foresight
Divination
Casting time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: S
Duration: 1 round

Add 1d4 to your next attack roll or saving throw. At 1st level, it becomes concentration and applies to all such rolls for 1 minute, increasing the duration by 1 minute per level or 1 target per level within 30 feet. At every 2 levels above first, the die increases 1 size (L3-D6, L5-D8, L7-D10, L9-D12).

*It always struck me as odd that Divination has so few combat spells when the idea of seeing into the future, even by mere moments, could be incredibly potent (as seen by the 9th level spell Foresight). Bless seems like a subdued version of the spell. I would have liked some way to enhance the caster's defense as well, but an AC boost seems too potent and hard to scale.


Restoration
Evocation
Casting time: Action
Range: 5 ft.
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous


Infuse the target with energy to stimulate healing. As a cantrip, you stabilize your target if they are dying. At 1st level, the target heals 1d8 + your spellcasting modifier, increasing by 1d8 per level above 1st.

*Pretty straight forward. Combine Cure Wounds and Spare the Dying. Might include the option to increase targets and/or range with spell slots, or I'll make that a sort of metamagic mechanic. Perhaps as you level you can choose to learn more cantrips, or learn metamagics to enhance the cantrips you know instead?
 
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aco175

Legend
Overall, I like the idea of cantrips that scale and these are fine examples. None have material components which not sure how many use all the time and I feel are fine. Healing spells may stay with healers like clerics and bards, or only certain casters may have these spells like clerics of Lathander.

I do not understand the distance on the Blink spell. It says 5ft and then at 1st level you seem to add the character speed to the distance and something about doubling thereafter. It makes me think that casting it at first level is 35ft, if you have 30ft speed, which is a 1st level spell that is better than Misty Step. I'm not sure if you were thinking that first level is 10ft and 20ft at 2nd level. This makes it slightly worse than Misty Step as a 2nd level spell, but continues to scale.
 

ZenBear

Explorer
Overall, I like the idea of cantrips that scale and these are fine examples. None have material components which not sure how many use all the time and I feel are fine. Healing spells may stay with healers like clerics and bards, or only certain casters may have these spells like clerics of Lathander.

I do not understand the distance on the Blink spell. It says 5ft and then at 1st level you seem to add the character speed to the distance and something about doubling thereafter. It makes me think that casting it at first level is 35ft, if you have 30ft speed, which is a 1st level spell that is better than Misty Step. I'm not sure if you were thinking that first level is 10ft and 20ft at 2nd level. This makes it slightly worse than Misty Step as a 2nd level spell, but continues to scale.

Blink would be 30 ft. at 1st level for most characters, 35 for wood elves, 25 for dwarves, etc. As I said it's a first draft, and I figured just using your movement range would be simplest. Perhaps your idea is better, to limit it to 10 ft at 1st, or perhaps 15 so it's equal to Misty Step at 2nd.
 

A neat idea.
Foresight at cantrip level seems quite good for GWM. But you lose your bonus attack and only gain +1d4 for the next attack roll. Seems ok then.
I think as first level spell it really needs to take an action. Bless is balanced by its action cost. Maybe if you change it to:
Once per turn you may add 1d4 to a roll...
Still very powerful but probably more balanced.
 

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