[5e] Spell & Crossbones

[Shayuri]

Hm. So the Moonbeam spell can only be cast at night under the moon?

That is a pretty big limitation, considering the usual adventure content. It makes a kind of sense, but it sets a precedent that worries me. The same kind of sense says Call Lightning can only be cast during a thunderstorm...and it's not like druids get a lot of damaging spell options at low to mid levels.

 

[Quickleaf]

Hm. So the Moonbeam spell can only be cast at night under the moon?

That is a pretty big limitation, considering the usual adventure content.

Nope, you misunderstood me.

We were discussing ways to augment an existing spell for a modified use. "Under natural moonlight" was meant to apply only if you wanted to cast the spell without dealing damage. Clear?

Here's my thinking: Moonbeam is big showy magic; it causes a 40' high beam of pale light to descend from the sky in a 5' radius. Creatures in the light are engulfed in ghostly flames that deal radiant damage and force shapeshifters into their true form. It can also be moved around by the caster like a spotlight. Big showy magic.

Your suggestion of dealing no damage but still revealing shapeshifters implies to me that it's more of a subtle magic. Maybe you pictured it differently? I was taking into account the flavor of the "Moonbeam" spell, lycanthropes and their connection to the moon, and subtle Voodoo magic fitting your character (or so I thought). The idea is the moon reveals their true face while under natural moonlight (rather than the 5' radius beam) for up to the spell's duration.

Does that make sense? Would you propose something different?

 

[Shayuri]

AH

Okay then, that's fair. Perhaps that usage of the spell can be a Ritual casting? A sort of house-ruled in ritual, so it has special requirements, takes awhile to cast, but can be done even if the spell itself hasn't been prepared, or if the caster hasn't any spell slots left?

 

[Quickleaf]

AH

Okay then, that's fair. Perhaps that usage of the spell can be a Ritual casting? A sort of house-ruled in ritual, so it has special requirements, takes awhile to cast, but can be done even if the spell itself hasn't been prepared, or if the caster hasn't any spell slots left?

Sure! Great idea! As a ritual it would probably require some component related to the suspected shapeshifter you're targeting. You know, sympathetic magic stuff like fingernail clippings, their grandfather's axe, or the stuffed teddy bear a pirate sleeps with

 

[Shayuri]

Could be! I was thinking making it a ritual helps avoid the situation where we can just pop it on anyone we suspect who happens to wander out under the moonlight, without consequence. As a ritual, it takes 10 minutes to cast, and the casting is pretty obvious.

Makes it a good Plot Device then, since it forces us to choose between a fast, brutal option that expends a great deal of magic power but is definitely an ATTACK, and a slower, gentler option that gives the target plenty of time and means to escape or otherwise avoid the magic unless restrained somehow (and that brings us back to attacks ), and has stricter requirements on how and when it can be done. For all things a price, and a price for all things!

 

[Quickleaf]

Could be! I was thinking making it a ritual helps avoid the situation where we can just pop it on anyone we suspect who happens to wander out under the moonlight, without consequence. As a ritual, it takes 10 minutes to cast, and the casting is pretty obvious.

Makes it a good Plot Device then, since it forces us to choose between a fast, brutal option that expends a great deal of magic power but is definitely an ATTACK, and a slower, gentler option that gives the target plenty of time and means to escape or otherwise avoid the magic unless restrained somehow (and that brings us back to attacks ), and has stricter requirements on how and when it can be done. For all things a price, and a price for all things!

Yes, that sounds good Here's what I propose:

[SBLOCK=Moonbeam Ritual]
Moonbeam Ritual
2nd-level divination (ritual)
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (something sympathetically connected to the target like a drop of blood, fingernail clippings, or a cherished item)
Duration: Conentration, up to 1 minute

This ritual version of Moonbeam must be cast under the light of the moon. When complete, it causes ambient moonlight to aggregate around a creature of your choice. If the creature is a shapechanger, it must make a Constitution saving throw with disadvantage. If the creature fails, it instantly reverts to its original form and can't assume a different form until it is no longer exposed to moonlight (or the ritual's duration expires).

If you include sympathetic components for other creatures during the ritual casting, on each of your turns after you cast the ritual, you can use an action to change the target of the Moonbeam Ritual.[/SBLOCK]

As you can tell, I am very open to tweaking spells (or anything else) to get the right feel you're aiming for. And you seem to have a good grasp for balance. So feel free to come up with ideas like this and run them by me with a quick note like "I want to do X with this spell, is that possible if we change Y or I give up the spell doing Z?" We don't need to formally write things up like I've done here, this was just to illustrate the sort of trade-offs I'm talking about.

Plus you've also got the Voodoo Rituals fortune which you can do a lot of fun stuff with!

 

[Queenie]

Dammit. Of COURSE I get a cool DM willing to change things up and I am playing a rogue!! Like, almost all my other characters are magic users cause I just loovveeees the magics <3 Maybe next time

 

[Shayuri]

There's always Arcane trickster.

 

[Quickleaf]

Dammit. Of COURSE I get a cool DM willing to change things up and I am playing a rogue!! Like, almost all my other characters are magic users cause I just loovveeees the magics <3 Maybe next time

You do know that one of the 3rd level Roguish Archetypes is Arcane Trickster, right? Assassin, Thief, and Arcane Trickster.

If you wanted to switch from Thief to Arcane Trickster you'd lose Fast Hands & Second-Story Work (which is pretty cool for a pirate game), and gain:

Limited Wizard Spellcasting: mage hand and 2 other cantrips, 3 known spells, and 2 level one spell slots.

Mage Hand Legerdemain: When you cast mage hand, you make the spectral hand invisible, can use the bonus action granted by Cunning Action to control the hand, and you can perform the following actions with the mage hand:

• Stow an object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another creature.
• Retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.
• Use thieves' tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range.

I understand not wanting to have magic for characterization/concept purposes, but you do have the option. Of course, if you did want to switch, you'd need to come up with background/story explaining her magic.

EDIT: Ninja'd by [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] Or maybe "pirated", I'm not sure...

 

[Queenie]

I didn't actually know that, no. It's hard enough for me to remember all the stuff a normal rogue / sorcerer / whatever gets without those complications!

That being said, I'm not sure it fits in my story but I will take a look. I'm certain I can make it fit if I really want it.

Honestly, I was pretty sure it was a bad idea to mix me and my favorite spell, Fireball (Shay and Fenris witnessed my epic Mythic Fireball in another game... Oh was so so sweet) anyway, Me and Fireball and a ship, especially our own ship. Especially that whole "roll a die and see if you murder yourself and all your friends" roll.

So, yeah. There's that. I will definitely take a look some of those things you posted look like a lot of fun.