D&D 5E Crimson Flame [Homebrew Spell]

[Yunru]

Crimson Flame:


2nd level Evocation spell
Spell Lists: Sorcerer, Warlock
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: Tendrils of burning darkness stream from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into a pillar of unholy fire. Each creature in and above a 10-foot-radius circle centered on that point must make a dexterity saving throw. A target takes 4d12 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.


At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 2nd.



For comparison:

Moonbeam:

2nd level Evocation spell
Spell Lists: Druid
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Up to 1 minute
Effect: A silvery beam of pale light shines down in a 5-foot radius, 40-foot-high Cylinder centered on a point within range. Until the spell ends, dim light fills the Cylinder.

When a creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it is engulfed in ghostly flames that cause searing pain, and it must make a Constitutionsaving throw. It takes 2d10 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

A shapechanger makes its saving throw with disadvantage. If it fails, it also instantly reverts to its original form and can't assume a different form until it leaves the spell's light.

On each of your turns after you cast this spell, you can use an action to move the beam 60 feet in any direction.


At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.

 

[Dan Chernozub]

The spell is so boring, I've hurt my jaw yawning when I saw it.

 

[Yunru]

The spell is so boring, I've hurt my jaw yawning when I saw it.

This comment is so boring I fell asleep typing a re...

 

[Dan Chernozub]

My friend, if you want better feedback, I suggest you write something else but just the spell itself. And frankly, making a level 2 DBF that scales like crazy is not a very interesting design decision.

 

[Dan Chernozub]

Crimson Flame:


2nd level Evocation spell
Spell Lists: Sorcerer, Warlock
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: Tendrils of burning darkness stream from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into a pillar of unholy fire. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centred on that point must make a dexterity saving throw. A target takes 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.


At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

Ok, just not to be flaming.

The design is bad because at a 7th slot this thing causes 18d6 damage after two rounds, with you being able to direct the blast point at the end of round 2. Consider looking at the DBF.

What else have you changed? Oh, you removed the Material Component. And you've invented an only spell that has a casting time of two actions.

Still unimpressed. What is the point of the whole exercise?

 

[Gadget]

So, this is basically a fire ball that takes two rounds to cast but is a level lower? Same range, area, damage, damage type, and save. I'm not that partial it myself. While in some campaigns the longer casting time may be an acceptable trade off, in others it would really cripple the spell. And in those campaigns where it is acceptable, it might be too good. I'm not sure I like the precedent of a longer casting time to duplicate a higher level spell either.

 

[Yunru]

So, this is basically a fire ball that takes two rounds to cast but is a level lower? Same range, area, damage, damage type, and save. I'm not that partial it myself. While in some campaigns the longer casting time may be an acceptable trade off, in others it would really cripple the spell. And in those campaigns where it is acceptable, it might be too good. I'm not sure I like the precedent of a longer casting time to duplicate a higher level spell either.

Honestly it was just supposed to be a two-turn damage spell. Damage spells are the easiest to make and balance.

It wasn't supposed to be the same as Fireball, it's just Fireball's over damaged for its level so it comes out the same as two turns of a level 2 spell's recommended damage.


The hard parts I'm concerned about are the damage and the two-turn aspect. Currently it deals two 2nd level spell's worth of damage.
It saves you a second level spell slot, which is really good early on, but it delays that damage, giving opponents an extra turn to do stuff.
Does the saving of a slot balance with the delaying of the damage?

 

[jgsugden]

That is overpowered, even with the extended casting time. It also does not fit the warlock model very well as they have limited 'blaster' abilities.

Crimson Flame:

2nd level Evocation spell
Spell Lists: Sorcerer
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: Tendrils of burning darkness stream from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into a pillar of unholy fire. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a dexterity saving throw. A target takes 2d6 fire and 3d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

...
The hard parts I'm concerned about are the damage and the two-turn aspect. Currently it deals two 2nd level spell's worth of damage.
It saves you a second level spell slot, which is really good early on, but it delays that damage, giving opponents an extra turn to do stuff.
Does the saving of a slot balance with the delaying of the damage?

Your idea here is that this is two spells joined together that get delivered at once. As you note, it gives you an extra spell slot, effectively. However, that view is not really reflective of the benefit you're achieving. There are ways to game that casting time restriction that limit the penalty, and as you note, effectively gaining an extra slot is disproportionately strong at lower level. Adding an extra turn to a casting time does create a neat change and is worth a minor bump in the effectiveness of the spell, but you must be conservative in how much you'll bump the spell to avoid gaming the system. The version I have above is slightly better than a Snilloc's Snowball (by 2d6 and 5' radius). It also gets necrotic damage. That seems like a good offset for the extra round cast.

 

[Yunru]

Ok, just not to be flaming.

The design is bad because at a 7th slot this thing causes 18d6 damage after two rounds, with you being able to direct the blast point at the end of round 2. Consider looking at the DBF.

What else have you changed? Oh, you removed the Material Component. And you've invented an only spell that has a casting time of two actions.

Still unimpressed. What is the point of the whole exercise?

Hmmm...
Clearly not to engage your mental capacities

I'm not sure if you would be able to direct the blast point at the end of round 2. We're in unknown waters. I myself am torn as to whether you'd be allowed to choose before or after, depending on whether it's gathering energies to send at an area, or gathering energies at an area to detonate later.

 

[Yunru]

That is overpowered, even with the extended casting time. It also does not fit the warlock model very well as they have limited 'blaster' abilities.

Crimson Flame:

2nd level Evocation spell
Spell Lists: Sorcerer
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: Tendrils of burning darkness stream from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into a pillar of unholy fire. Each creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a dexterity saving throw. A target takes 2d6 fire and 3d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

Sooo... never worth taking, at all?

Scorching Ray does more damage, and doesn't take two turns and concentration.

Although thank you for pointing that out. It'll either be Warlock (Fiend), or just Sorcerer.

EDIT: Better yet, see Moonbeam which does only slightly less damage, and can be repeated over far more turns, without the delay in casting.