D&D (2024) The new spell creation rules

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The 2014 corebooks provided the absolute bare minimum in guidance on how to make custom spells, something I as a player and DM have done for a long time. So I was thrilled that the April 2023 UA provides concrete guidance for how this works for wizards -- at least as long as one is modifying a published spell. I hope we'll see expanded guidelines in the DMG for creating one from scratch, although not doing so is a great way to ensure more sales of books with new spells to be modified.

But I have a few quibbles:

First, making abilities into spells is the new hotness in this UA, but in this case, it means someone playing a ninth level or above wizard has to flip back and forth through the spell listings just to get the rules for making new spells. I suspect they were made spells so the process wouldn't be a big intimidating wall of text, but from a usability standpoint, this isn't great. Just make them abilities and stick them in the class write-up so the wizard player can find them all in one spot.

Second, Modify Spell doesn't change the level of the spell it modifies. For some changes, that's fine. For others, well, I have some concerns.

Here's the text of Modify Spell, just for reference:

Using arcane formulas in your Spellbook, you magically alter one Arcane spell you have prepared. You can change the spell’s color, sound, and smell, and you make one of the following modifications to the spell:

Components. Remove one of the spell’s components: Verbal, Somatic, or Material. You can’t remove the Material component of a spell that consumes that component.

Concentration. If the spell requires Concentration, damage can’t break your Concentration on the spell.

Damage Type. If the spell has a damage type, replace it with one of the following types: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, or Thunder. If the spell has multiple damage types, you can change only one of them.

Range. If the spell has a range of at least 5 feet and doesn’t have a range of Self, increase its range by a number of feet equal to 30 times your Wizard level.

Ritual. If the spell lacks the Ritual tag and has a casting time of at least 10 minutes, give it the Ritual tag.

Targets. If the spell affects one or more creatures and doesn’t have a range of Self, it now affects only your allies or enemies (choose which when you cast Modify Spell).

The chosen alteration lasts until you cast Modify Spell again or you finish a Long Rest. This altered version of the spell can’t be added to a spellbook or Spell Scroll without first casting Create Spell.
At Higher Levels.

When you cast this spell using a Spell Slot of 5th level or higher, you can choose an additional spell modification for each slot level above 4th.

So, multiple things about this list:

1. As has been pointed out on the other threads, Create Spell strips the Arcane tag off these modified spells, so you can only modify them once. If you want to modify spells more, you'll need to gain some levels.
2. At level 18, when you can cast ninth level spells, you can make a total of five modifications to a spell.
3. Some of these changes are better than others and I feel the most powerful changes need a level adjustment on them, similar to how spells were balanced in 3E, with both spell creation and metamagic.
   1. Removing a non-expensive material component isn't a big deal. I can't imagine anyone going through the hassle of customizing a spell this way, since you'll need to spend gold to make the change, but sure, that's fine.
   2. Removing Verbal and Somatic components, on the other hand, is more of an issue. It's a tactical upgrade to remove these from illusion and enchantment spells, but it makes any spell modified this way one that can be cast while paralyzed. Every wizard fighting ghouls, for instance, needs to do this. But just removing Verbal components means than that Silence spell no longer holds any terror for the prepared wizard, taking a huge tactical element off the table. Removing Verbal or Somatic components are worth bumping up the resultant spell a level, IMO, and removing both is worth two level bumps.
   3. Making Concentration spells that can't be interrupted by damage is definitely worth at least a level bump.
   4. The most dangerous damage type, Force, isn't one a spell can be modified to do, but I'm confident that there's someone out there with a spreadsheet that lists which of Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison or Thunder is the least commonly resisted energy type. (Also, having Necrotic on the list, but not Radiant, feels like an oversight.) The moment an evoker hits level nine, they should be modifying all of their damaging spells to whichever is the most likely type to bypass resistances. If these were all roughly equally likely to be resisted, it wouldn't be worth a level bump, but I suspect there are some significant disparities. This might be worth a level bump.
   5. Modifying range seems powerful, but in actual practice, I'm not sure that being able to cast an attack spell 600 feet away is a big deal, although it's probably a great way to irritate the party's archer.
   6. Are there really many spells that take 10 minutes to cast that aren't Ritual spells already? And if so, why aren't they? This feels like they're empowering players to fix poor editing in the 2024 edition.
   7. Finally, making spells that automatically ignore allies is a huge change, especially since "allies" doesn't have a definition that I can see. Is everyone who voted me Most Attractive Wizard permanently my ally? Is everyone in my army of 100,000 conscripts all my ally? Are people who secretly did something nice to me that I don't know about my ally? I guess we'll find out when I start blasting away with Fireball! Even in the less extreme scenarios, being able to throw fireballs around in small spaces filled with the close-range attacker members of my party is a game changer. Without a level bump, why wouldn't every single group immediately subsidize Fireball being customized the moment their wizard hits level 9? Anything that obviously everyone should immediately do is no longer a matter of player choice -- it's overpowered. This absolutely needs a level bump, maybe two.

As someone who's been playing a gnome illusionist for more than 15 years, if the spell creation system goes in as-is, fantastic, I look forward to tweaking all the spells to be still and silent and, depending how I feel about the rest of the party, ignore allies.

As a DM for a lot of casters, though, I don't want to have to house rule a system that is such a good foundation for both players and DMs to have a lot of fun.

 

[Parmandur]

Fair points all around, a few targeted responses real quick

The most dangerous damage type, Force, isn't one a spell can be modified to do, but I'm confident that there's someone out there with a spreadsheet that lists which of Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison or Thunder is the least commonly resisted energy type. (Also, having Necrotic on the list, but not Radiant, feels like an oversight.) The moment an evoker hits level nine, they should be modifying all of their damaging spells to whichever is the most likely type to bypass resistances. If these were all roughly equally likely to be resisted, it wouldn't be worth a level bump, but I suspect there are some significant disparities. This might be worth a level bump.

Radiance would be elbowing in on Priest turf, and honestly I will wager thar Force and Radiant are the two problematic damage types in terms of resistances.

Are there really many spells that take 10 minutes to cast that aren't Ritual spells already? And if so, why aren't they? This feels like they're empowering players to fix poor editing in the 2024 edition.

There are 28 Spells in the 2014 that have a casting time of 10 minutes or more, and of these 26 are not Rituals. Only Forbiddence and Find Familiar have that casting length and are also Rituals.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There are 28 Spells in the 2014 that have a casting time of 10 minutes or more, and of these 26 are not Rituals. Only Forbiddence and Find Familiar have that casting length and are also Rituals.

That's so weird. But it feels like an oversight. What spells are worth spending 10+ minutes on that also merit burning a spell slot to cast?

 

[W'rkncacnter]

Finally, making spells that automatically ignore allies is a huge change, especially since "allies" doesn't have a definition that I can see. Is everyone who voted me Most Attractive Wizard permanently my ally? Is everyone in my army of 100,000 conscripts all my ally? Are people who secretly did something nice to me that I don't know about my ally? I guess we'll find out when I start blasting away with Fireball!

you missed something - it doesn't say you can make the spell ignore allies. it says you can make the spell only target allies or enemies (your choice when you modify the spell). so you don't need to care what the definition of an ally is when you throw out that fireball - it'll only kill who you want it to anyway.

 

[Parmandur]

That's so weird. But it feels like an oversight. What spells are worth spending 10+ minutes on that also merit burning a spell slot to cast?

I agree that it is peculiar, though I doubt it is an oversight. On a guess looking at the Spells in question, it's probably about encouraging genre expectations (such as Control Weather taking 10 minites so yoy can'teasily weaponize it, but it takes resources because it is not a Ritual), which this Create Spell process is about letting a Wizard and DM peraonalize.

 

[Yaarel]

The 2024 spell descriptions should delete the "Component" item.

No spell should refer to "Verbal, Somatic, Material".

Different classes have different methods to spellcast.

It is the particular class that determines what the components need to be.

For example, the Cleric typically uses prayers (Verbal) and ceremonial symbols (Material Focus) for every spell.

The Sorcerer can on bodily gestures (Somatic).

Innate spellcasters have no spell components.

Spell components are irrelevant for mechanical gaming balance, and they interfere with class flavor.

The spell descriptions need to get out of the way of the class flavor.

 

[Leatherhead]

Spell components are irrelevant for mechanical gaming balance, and they interfere with class flavor.

They are irrelevant for numerical balance, and unnecessarily clunky, but absolutely essential for tactical balance.

Every spellcaster being able to cast untraceable spells would be a nightmare. Nobody could tell where the fireball comes from.

 

[Yaarel]

They are irrelevant for numerical balance, and unnecessarily clunky, but absolutely essential for tactical balance.

Every spellcaster being able to cast untraceable spells would be a nightmare. Nobody could tell where the fireball comes from.

In my campaigns, Fey magic and psionics are "innate" and never use spell components. It is irrelevant to gaming balance. There is never a problem.

The only time it matters is in RARE situations when a spell caster is taken prisoner, and there is a desire to incapacitate a spellcasting prisoner. But there are trivial ways to do this, especially with antimagic magic items, plus keeping the prisoner unconscious as a last resort.

SPELL COMPONENTS SERVE NO PURPOSE MECHANICALLY.

We see this already in 3e when the Eschew Component feat was never taken, except for flavor reasons, because it is worthless mechanically.



That said. Spell casting components can be interesting for reasons of flavor. Each class should have a different flavor for how it casts spells. Wizards prepare from spell books, Clerics contemplate, Sorcerers self-explore and develop their innate potential, and so on. So normally, there is a "tell" when a caster casts a spell − but only because it makes good flavor for the game.

 

[Yaarel]

The "Component" item needs to stop polluting the Spell Descriptions.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

you missed something - it doesn't say you can make the spell ignore allies. it says you can make the spell only target allies or enemies (your choice when you modify the spell). so you don't need to care what the definition of an ally is when you throw out that fireball - it'll only kill who you want it to anyway.

OK, so reverse what I said:

Is everyone who voted against me for Most Attractive Wizard my enemy? Is everyone in the opposing 100,000-strong army my enemy? Are all my ex-girlfriends my enemy? I guess we'll find out when I start blasting away with Fireball!

This is an extremely powerful upgrade to spells and basically suggests that there is a sentience underlying arcane magic. That's something 2E briefly flirted with (see Vecna and the Serpent), but it's a wild thing to imply via spell mechanics for a class without further explication.