D&D 5E What Spells Would You De-Nerf? (and how would you change them...)

[DND_Reborn]

In the same spirit as my other thread:

D&D 5E - What Spells Would You Nerf? (and how would you change them...)

Title says it all. Obviously this is all subjective, so please respect everyone's choices. If you agree with a choice and want to comment on the nerf, cool, but please don't challenge a choice. If you don't agree with a choice, you aren't contributing in a meaningful way simply by stating the...

www.enworld.org

Title says it all.

Obviously this is all subjective, so please respect everyone's choices. If you agree with a choice and want to comment on the nerf, cool, but please don't challenge a choice. If you don't agree with a choice, you aren't contributing in a meaningful way simply by stating the fact. Thank you!

A major change I am considering is how these three aspects of spells intertwine: attacks, saves, and concentration. In general, I don't think a spell should have more than one of these affecting it.

In short, if you read the spell description and need to make an attack roll, the target doesn't make a save and there is no concentration. If there is a save, you don't need concentration. If there is a save every round, you can use concentration to deny the save, or allow it and not need to concentrate on it.

When I have time, I am going to examine each spell in this light.

What spells would you want to de-nerf?

 

[Lanefan]

The concentration requirement would come off quite a few spells.

AoE damage spells such as Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Cone of Cold, etc. would be uncapped at dx (usually d6) per caster level (but you'd have to roll to aim them). With everything in 5e tending to have gobs of h.p. this doesn't seem like a problem.

Fireball would expand to fill the required volume. (this is kind of both a nerf and an un-nerf at the same time)

Save-or-suck - a lot of these would get some duration back before the target would start getting any per-round saves to shrug off. (e.g. Hold Person duration 4 rounds + 1 round / 2 levels, save each round after the 4th round to negate early)

 

[cbwjm]

I'd be tempted to remove concentration from stone skin and return it to blocking X number of hits (originally it was attacks, hit or miss but I think reducing damage from actual hits would be better since it is no longer immunity). Maybe something like the following:

Duration: 1 hour or special.
Stone grants resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. It lasts for the duration or until it has reduced damage from number of attacks equal to 1d4 + 4.

At higher levels. Increase the number of blocked attacks by 1 for each spell slot level above 4th.

This would make it work more or less like the 2e version of the spell which increased the number of absorbed attacks by 1 for every 2 levels of the spellcaster.

 

[Spohedus]

Any spell which requires concentration and whose supposed purpose is to be used in melee (there are several....).

I mean really???? They aren’t overpowered compared to a fighter of the same level as the caster using the spell slot. I just don’t get it.

barkskin, flame blade, etc

 

[Minigiant]

The Skin spells

I'd Like them to be buffed to challenge other buffs for Rangers, nature Clerics, and Shillelagh druids but not be automagic buffs for wildshape druids.

To me, the ones who should be most benefited by them are humanoids in armor. They have wooden or stone skin under armor.

Barkskin
You touch a willing creature. Until the spell ends, the target's skin has a rough, bark-like appearance, and the target's AC can't be less than 16 or18 if it wearing light or medium armor.

Duration: 1 hour or special.
Stone grants resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. It lasts for the duration or until it has reduced damage from number of attacks equal to 1d4 + 4.

At higher levels. Increase the number of blocked attacks by 1 for each spell slot level above 4th.

This would make it work more or less like the 2e version of the spell which increased the number of absorbed attacks by 1 for every 2 levels of the spellcaster.

I like but I'd still limit it to nonmagical damage

 

[Eric V]

Time Stop, for obvious reasons.

As for others, I'd always keep an eye out to make sure un-nerfing them wouldn't undo the (sorta) balance they have between the classes.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Obviously this is all objective,

When you say "objective", do you mean "subjective"?

A major change I am considering is how these three aspects of spells intertwine: attacks, saves, and concentration. In general, I don't think a spell should have more than one of these affecting it.

Love this. I don't think that there are any spells that require an attack AND a save, but not 100% sure.

 

[Eric V]

When you say "objective", do you mean "subjective"?



Love this. I don't think that there are any spells that require an attack AND a save, but not 100% sure.

Plane Shift, used offensively.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Fireball would expand to fill the required volume. (this is kind of both a nerf and an un-nerf at the same time)

I have fond memories of killing myself (and brutally damaging my party-mates) in AD&D White Plume Mountain when my wizard did a fireball in a 20x20 room.

Now, in 5e, I can just put the center of my fireball in the wall so it only affects the monsters. What's the fun in that?

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I would scale up damage spells (especially Burning Hands) by a couple of dice, in order to keep even with Fireball. Fireball already has superior range and area. It shouldn't also have better damage than anything else.

I would also buff healing spells, by removing Hit Dice and overnight full healing, because a Cure spell that's less effective than a nap is just pathetic.