D&D 5E Making Spell Foci more interesting

[DND_Reborn]

Here is my current foci descriptions:

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

For the life of me I can't figure out what a totem is!

Oh, that's easy. A totem is the same thing as a fetish.

 

[Azzy]

Oh, that's easy. A totem is the same thing as a fetish.

Sounds kinky.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

KMF DM, that's clever.

 

[Azzy]

KMF DM, that's clever.

Thank you. But it positively dates me as old.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

For the life of me I can't figure out what a totem is!

Ever played World of Warcraft? The kinds of things the Shaman class summons, but handheld. @Lakesidefantasy is correct that "fetish" is a synonym. It's some kind of handheld object that acts as a symbolic anchor or miniature representation of...something. "Totem poles," usually made by Pacific Northwest indigenous peoples, and the broader "ceremonial pole" concept, are much too large to serve this function for a D&D character, but they're in the same ballpark. Family deities, hearth-spirits, gargoyles, "foo dogs," and other statues, carvings, charms, and ornamental things (whether monumental, portable, or whatever else) all fit into the same overall concept.

 

[Azzy]

I always liked to have special components that allow you to not need normal components. A demon horn allows you to cast fireball for example. Making a wand with this might be something. Of course, components tend to become meaningless for most groups so you may need something more.

Most of my ideas are magic items and not just for base foci and small benefits.

Earlier versions of Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron had something similar. Like your ideas, they were magic items (of the common sort). Arcane foci made of imbued wood would give a +1 to damage to certain damage types depending on the wood that focus was made from. While Orbs of shielding served as an arcane focus that allowed you to use a reaction to reduce incoming damage of a certain type by 1d4 (the damage type depends on what type of crystal or stone it was made from).

While this also doesn't quite fit what @BookTenTiger is looking for, hopefully it can serve as some inspiration.

 

[Stormonu]

I think I'd stay away from effects that grant +1/-1, that just tends to make players gravitate towards what makes their "build" stronger and avoid things that make them worse. Basically "Weapon Specialization" for casters.

I think I would have it that foci add themed spells to your list without counting against spells known - like a Cleric's domain; a cantrip and 1st level spell at character level 1, a 2nd level spell at character level 3, a 3rd level spell at character level 5, etc. Doesn't have to be strictly fixed, and might be "any 1st level spell of the school of illusion (or divination)" or something similar.

As another idea, it could be that certain foci are required for Ritual uses of spells, or possibly for the use of Arcane Recovery. Perhaps at 5th level or so, the foci might allow a 2nd concentration spell (of a select school) to be maintained.

 

[Tonguez]

Normally I really resist these types of changes, but...

I kind of like this idea.
Increasing the DC of a spell is a good idea, but do you decrease the DC of one of the opposite schools? So orbs are +1 for divination, but -1 for transmutation? Have to be careful that the opposing schools are meaningful. i.e. make sure the penalty is meaningful to the type of caster.

Now, what about the tools of the other classes? If you change this for arcane casters, shouldn't you do something similar for other class tools? Would their be different types of longswords? Or shortbows? If you give meaningful choices to casters, do you need to give meaningful choices to melees?

Martials already make weapon choices on things like Finesse (Dex/Str), dual weilding, twohandedness, range etc With different weapon types fittingbthe different Martial foci. 5e isnt quite as complex as 4e was, but its still there.

As to Spell foci, I wonder if they could be used for metamagic effects without stepping on the scorcerers toes. Like a wand can be used to empower a spell, a crystal allows a spell to be cast as a bonus action or use Wis instead of Int, a staff might allow a spell to be maintained without concentration or an orb used to cast a spell beyond its range etc etc

 

[BookTenTiger]

Martials already make weapon choices on things like Finesse (Dex/Str), dual weilding, twohandedness, range etc Witj different weapon types fittingbthe different Martial foci. 5e isnt quite as complex as 4e was, but its still there.

As to Spell foci, I wonder if they could be used for metamagic effects without stepping on the scorcerers toes. Like a wand can be used to empower a spell, a crystal allows a spell to be cast as a bonus action, a staff might allow a spell to be maintained without concentration or an orb used to cast a spell beyond its range etc etc

Oooo, interesting!

I've been playing around with giving weapons weaker Battlemaster Manuevers, so weakened Metamagic abilities is a really intriguing idea.