Level Up (A5E) Community Design Project Proposal: Free Generic Elemental Spells

[xiphumor]

I've done that!

Although there's always room for new spells.

My knowledge of earlier editions is largely limited to their names, so I’m glad to have this passed down. I have to imagine that the project would receive additional charm if old favorites were reintroduced into the game.

 

[RangerWickett]

I very much like effects that induce peril, and by peril I mean creating a threat that the player has the ability to avoid or mitigate.

So for basic cantrips, sure, whatever, just deal some damage, but for higher level stuff, Melf's Acid Arrow is a neat premise in that you can take an action to avoid future damage.

And, like, I'd much prefer a fireball that does 5d6 damage (save for half) and then sets the area on fire, so if you enter or end your turn in the area you take 10 fire damage.

And make a necrotic spell that does damage to the victim whenever they take an action that requires an attack or a save, so they have the chance to break the curse before it kills them.

Oh, and have more ways to break spells that don't require someone to be a 5th level spellcaster who knows dispel magic. Like, let fire spells disperse water spells. Let any radiant spell be able to disrupt a necrotic spell. Stuff like that.

 

[xiphumor]

I very much like effects that induce peril, and by peril I mean creating a threat that the player has the ability to avoid or mitigate.

So for basic cantrips, sure, whatever, just deal some damage, but for higher level stuff, Melf's Acid Arrow is a neat premise in that you can take an action to avoid future damage.

And, like, I'd much prefer a fireball that does 5d6 damage (save for half) and then sets the area on fire, so if you enter or end your turn in the area you take 10 fire damage.

And make a necrotic spell that does damage to the victim whenever they take an action that requires an attack or a save, so they have the chance to break the curse before it kills them.

Oh, and have more ways to break spells that don't require someone to be a 5th level spellcaster who knows dispel magic. Like, let fire spells disperse water spells. Let any radiant spell be able to disrupt a necrotic spell. Stuff like that.

I very much like this, although creating rules to apply it generally across the board might be a separate project.

However, creating specific spells to have ongoing, perilous effects does sound like a feasible goal for the immediate project, as does creating spells that have some counterplay built into them. That being said, I think an important design consideration is how/whether a non-spellcaster could deal with the effects.

 

[Corinnguard]

I've done that!

Although there's always room for new spells.

Have you converted any of the elemental spells from 3e's Complete Arcane? curious

 

[Faolyn]

Have you converted any of the elemental spells from 3e's Complete Arcane? curious

I don't own that book, so no, sorry.

 

[Corinnguard]

I don't own that book, so no, sorry.

It's cool. I happen to have it, and have been pondering about converting a 3rd-level Earth spell to A5e.