So I'm looking at doing some new spells and design around the core spellcasting classes to make them more mechanically distinct... and I had a few ideas I wanted to toss out to get opinions on.
1) New spell components.
Yes. We have V,S,M... but what about P and C? P would be "Partner". Spells that you cast with another person and you both benefit from the spell. For an example, consider the following, loosely detailed, spell:
I didn't bother with the schools or spell level or anything, yet. But it's a spell meant to mimic those delightful moments in action-comedies where a couple literally waltzes, tangos, or otherwise dances through violence doing perfectly timed dips and spins to avoid bursts of gunfire or swinging swords. Everyone involved still gets their actions and such, and your speed 'effectively' becomes 40ft between the two of you spending movement on each other.
Partner spells could even scale up to C. Chorus.
A Chorus spell typically, but does not always, involve getting a group of people to sing or otherwise act in harmony together. Consider, for example, a spell which mimics a Paladin's aura of courage centered upon each person who continues to sing in the Chorus. Or chant. Or recite epic poetry. Or does a choreographed dance like a line of Chorus Girls. Or whatever.
While the outlined concepts would certainly best fit Bards... having spells you need a partner for could certainly work for most classes.
2) Class Revamp
Rather than designing new classes for a project, I'd be writing up new versions of the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, and Wizard. Primarily to restructure their spellcasting and create differentiation between the classes. For example:
2a) Wizards would gain a specific number of 'Utility Spell' slots and a separated out list of utility spells, rather than casting all of their spells out of the same bucket of spell slots. They'd also be the primary caster of utility spells in general. Things like Knock, Levitate, Find Object, and Simulacrum would use these separate slots. Further, these slots would be built to scale with your level, and recover on a short rest, giving Wizards more of a reason to go for the hour long break the Warlock is begging for.
2b) Sorcerers would become Spell Point casters with a twist... Sorcery Points would be folded into their spell points so that you spend your spell points on metamagic feats. To offset the loss of Sorcery Points, however, you could spend hit dice during a short rest to recover SP in place of HP. Their spell list would be trimmed down a bit to have practically no utility spells, however. Instead, they'd gain class ability options which largely replace utility spellcasting with a sorcerous bent to them. Things like the ability to use your inherent magic to augment your persuasiveness or be captivating to allow allies to sneak past.
2c) Clerics and Druids would have baked-in healing powers rather than spending spell slots on healing. Again, this would be accompanied by a few class ability choices with class-specific flavor to offset some loss of utility spellcasting. Further, Revivify, Raise Dead, and Resurrection would become 1/long rest class abilities rather than spell slots. Though as you level, Revivify and Raise Dead would both have the benefit of becoming multi-target spells. So everyone get your dying out of the way, together, so no one has to pick who gets revived!
2d) Bards would likewise get baked-in healing powers to the class itself, and a drastic revamp of spell list with a ton of new spells that are musically, artistically, and illusion or enchantment inclined. Bards, like all classes, deserve their own spell list. But more than that they deserve one that better reflects their identity as artists and creatives who change the world around them through performance.
So I ask... is this something you'd have interest in? If nothing else, it would be new ways to play favorite classes. And, of course, it would all be balanced around the 5e compatibility standard.
