D&D 5E DMs: What percentage of your spells in 5E are homebrew?

[ccs]

Wether 5e or PF1, we've had very few custom spells in our games in recent years. Either on the DM or the PC side.
Now & then the PCs might find something I've pulled out of a previous edition source book - for ex; I still make use of my 1e FR Magister book. And sometimes there's spells or versions of spells used from previous PHB. But I don't really count converting existing stuff as homebrew.

For the most part though we've found the existing spells sufficient.

 

[TwoSix]

I'm playing a homebrew subclass in one game that comes with a number of homebrew spells, so I've been using those. Mostly I have NPCs use reskinned versions of PHB spells, sometimes with damage types changed, but I don't think of that as "homebrew".

 

[J-H]

I have about 10 houserules changing class stuff around.
I have >80 homebrew items.
I have 0 homebrew spells so far.

I wonder why?

 

[Minigiant]

Around 20%.

Lots of custom NPC spells inspired by comics, fighting games, and anime.

A few unique spell fixes for ranger and sorcerer.

I actually let my sorcerer use only spells from 4e. So technically 80%+ of his spells are converted homebrew.

 

[Shiroiken]

I don't allow homebrew spells for players, because that's often a recipe for disaster. I very rarely ever have NPCs cast homebrew spells in-game. I clarify the last part, because I don't bind myself to justify certain tricks, traps, abilities I put in an area by a spellcaster. Unless there's some precedent to work from, like Guards and Wards being a 6th level spell, I just hand wave it. For example, I just recently used a modified Glyph of Warding to deal necrotic damage that reduced maximum HP; I had it work as a 6th level spell (for Dispel purposes) that only dealt the normal 3rd level damage.

I knew a DM in 3E who bent over backwards to justify how an NPC archmage caused a rowboat to spring a leak. The boat just sat on shore for the party to use to enter his dungeon, and the DM decided he needed to put a stop to that. The plan was convoluted, involving numerous high level spells that would cause the boat to spring a leak while crossing the lake, and then summon 2 water elements to fight the party while they tried to fix it. I wasn't part of his game, so he asked me if his plan worked. I asked him if it was possible for the party to prevent it, and it was... if the party did a full inspection of the boat beforehand (which they hadn't in almost a dozen uses) and succeeded in a series of skill checks. I pointed out that his plan technically worked, but that it didn't really matters, as the players had no realistic chance of stopping it anyway. He ran it the way he planned, and not only did it go exactly as planned, the players never once questioned the "legality" of the challenge (which was his concern to seek justification for such a convoluted plan).

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I don't homebrew spells for players or NPCs/monsters. However, I will create limited use magic items such as potions, wands, or what-have-you that have spell-like effects. For example a vial of marinara (acts like a potion of dragon breath but causes acid damage including 1 damage to the user for terrible reflux) or a wand of hope (5 charges, causes a random benefit like a few temp XP or unlocks a stuck escape hatch) or a coin of disguise (single use, one try per day, only works when flipped to heads).

 

[cbwjm]

Though I've created more, currently there is only a couple homebrewed spells being used: arc lightning a cantrip spell that can hit two targets with (unsurprisingly) an arc of lightning and forked lightning a 1st level spell which is similar but uses a spell attack to deal lightning damage to up to two targets. The artificer has the cantrip and the bard has a wand that adds the cantrip to her spells known, and uses charges for the forked lightning spell.

I will often introduce homebrewed spells via NPCs so that a NPC wizard might know the spell frost orb which is essentially a cold version of fireball that creates difficult terrain.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I forgot to mention a campaign where about a dozen chronomancy spells were added (this was before the second CR book) - largely because they didn't really change the way the game played out, which probably signifies something.

 

[jgsugden]

...
Maybe the bigger question is why more people do not homebrew? I'm note sure if the rules allow for good research rules and spell development rules. They are kind of vague like crafting rules and may be harder for some players and DMs to come up with by themselves. Although, there are enough threads here abut looking at my new spell or feat or item.

Although we get about 3 paragraphs on it in the DMG, we're mostly on our own in 5E - but that is not so different than 3E, 2E or AD&D.

I really think it is the lack of the internet for the first few editions - and then inertia of habit for 3E - that led to more homebrew materials. People didn't have these random sources for everything, or people telling them what to think or believe, so they were just creative out of a desire to interact with their game more. 4E's rigid format and the eventual loss of inertia combined to beat it out of many people, or failed to instill it in newer players, it seems.

 

[Greg K]

I am not running 5e. However, I have several third party spells that I have found (e.g. KitbblesTasty's Animate Rope) or that came with other material that I have purchased and plan to include if I do run. This is the closest that I plan to come to using homebrewed spells (and will help offset the number of WOTC spells that I will not be including (due to flavor reasons)).