Dungeons & Dragons brings back three classic 1st edition spells via new D&D Beyond Drops feature

Three classic Dungeons & Dragons spells have made their way into 5.5E courtesy of the new D&D Beyond Drops feature. Today, D&D Beyond unveiled Drops, a new compendium of releases that's available to any D&D Beyond Hero and Master Tier subscribers. As part of the initial Drops release, D&D Beyond released five new spells, four of which are pulled from past editions of D&D. Two of these spells - Buzzing Bee, Sticks to Snakes, and Leomund's Lamentable Belaborment - have roots in 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Buzzing Bee is an updated version of Mordenkainen's Buzzing Bee, which first appeared in the 2003 Miniatures Handbook. Mordenkainen's Buzzing Bee, in turn, was a take on the Bee spell originally created by Gary Gygax and appeared in the original Unearthed Arcana book. The Buzzing Bee spell (like Mordenkainen's Buzzing Bee spell) is a 1st level Conjuration spell that creates a spectral bee that follows a target around the field. While the bee is following the target, it has Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks, Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and Constitution saving throws made to maintain Concentration. In addition, the target cannot benefit from the Invisible condition.

Meanwhile, Sticks to Snakes is a straightforward spell that transforms sticks into snakes. The spell first appeared in the AD&D Player's Handbook and made its way into 2nd edition as well. The new version of the spell transforms up to four sticks into venomous snakes that can be controlled by the spellcaster. Sticks to Snake is now a 4th level spell, which is in line with its original spell level, but feels a bit underwhelming given that it only transforms 4 sticks into 1/8 CR creatures.

The final spell is Leomund's Lamentable Belaborment, which appeared in the original Unearthed Arcana rulebook. This spell causes all intelligent creatures within range of the caster to engage in an all-consuming debate that they can't turn away from. The new version of the spell charms everyone within 10 feet of a casting point and causes them to argue over a topic of the spellcaster's choosing. For the duration, those charmed have a Speed of 0 and have the Blinded and Deafened conditions with respect to everyone except you and other targets affected by this spell. This is a 6th level spell, which is a level higher than the original spell in Unearthed Arcana.

 

[Maxperson]

You must be talking about the Dire Swallow.

Actually, I looked at a normal bat as it's about the same size as a swallow. They gave it a strength of 2!!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Actually, I looked at a normal bat as it's about the same size as a swallow. They gave it a strength of 2!!

Swallows are a little faster than bats I think (although 30 ft. is also too slow for bats, both species dart about much faster than I can run), so I looked at the hawk stat block, which has a STR of 5! That’s a lot of coconuts!!

Swallows really should have very high CON, since they fly from Europe to Africa and back every year on minimal food and water.

 

[Maxperson]

Swallows are a little faster than bats I think (although 30 ft. is also too slow for bats, both species dart about much faster than I can run), so I looked at the hawk stat block, which has a STR of 5! That’s a lot of coconuts!!

A plethora of coconuts!

 

[Distracted DM]

Sticks to snakes seems really bad for a 4th level spell. I made my own version some time ago when it was relevant, and it could create stuff a bit more powerful than 4 CR 1/8 snakes for 1min Concentration.

The spell can only effect non-magical pieces of wood... I don't know, I really loved the original spell, which is why I adapted it when serpent cults became a thing in my games. This 5.5e one is surprisingly underpowered? Is it just me?

Spoiler: 5.5e Sticks to Snakes

Spoiler: My version:

Sticks to Snakes
4th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M*
Duration: concentration, up to 1 hour

You transform a bundle of sticks, branches, or a log into snakes. The snakes turn back into sticks when they drop to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. The summoned snake(s) are friendly to you and your companions. The snakes have their own turn, which immediately follows your own on the initiative order. They obey verbal commands that you issue to them as a bonus action. If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. If you lose concentration on the spell, the snakes persist for the hour duration but are no longer under your direct control.
*A bundle of sticks (5lbs) turns into a swarm of poisonous snakes; an armload of branches (40lb) can be turned into a half-dozen flying snakes, or constrictor snakes with a poisonous bite (1d6) ; a log (400+lb) can be turned into a giant constrictor snake with a poisonous bite (2d6).

I think the added poison damage was because it was a boon given from Yig, father of serpents, so I wanted to zhuzh it up a little.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sticks to snakes seems really bad for a 4th level spell. I made my own version some time ago when it was relevant, and it could create stuff a bit more powerful than 4 CR 1/8 snakes for 1min Concentration.

The spell can only effect non-magical pieces of wood... I don't know, I really loved the original spell, which is why I adapted it when serpent cults became a thing in my games. This 5.5e one is surprisingly underpowered? Is it just me?

Spoiler: 5.5e Sticks to Snakes

View attachment 436704

Spoiler: My version:

Sticks to Snakes
4th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M*
Duration: concentration, up to 1 hour

You transform a bundle of sticks, branches, or a log into snakes. The snakes turn back into sticks when they drop to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. The summoned snake(s) are friendly to you and your companions. The snakes have their own turn, which immediately follows your own on the initiative order. They obey verbal commands that you issue to them as a bonus action. If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. If you lose concentration on the spell, the snakes persist for the hour duration but are no longer under your direct control.
*A bundle of sticks (5lbs) turns into a swarm of poisonous snakes; an armload of branches (40lb) can be turned into a half-dozen flying snakes, or constrictor snakes with a poisonous bite (1d6) ; a log (400+lb) can be turned into a giant constrictor snake with a poisonous bite (2d6).

I think the added poison damage was because it was a boon given from Yig, father of serpents, so I wanted to zhuzh it up a little.

I think these things are deliberately not very good, to try and dodge "pay to win" accusations, at least at this point. What are the feats like?

This spell is in for 1st edition nostalgia purposes, which was itself something of a joke, being based on an incident in the Old Testament (Exodus). Personally, I would have made it more like Summon Beast, turning a staff into a single medium snake based on the giant venomous snake, with scaling stats, or a pile of sticks into a single medium swarm of snakes, again with scaling stats.

 

[Distracted DM]

I think the are deliberately not very good, to try and dodge "pay to win" accusations, at least at this point. What are the feats like?

This spell is in for 1st edition nostalgia purposes, which was itself something of a joke, being based on an incident in the Old Testament (Exodus). Personally, I would have made it more like Summon Beast, turning a staff into a single medium snake based on the giant venomous snake, with scaling stats, or a pile of sticks into a single medium swarm of snakes, again with scaling stats.

The feats are interesting- though I'm not an expert on 5.5e content, if anything they're quite powerful. The infernal pact origin-type feat gives you resistance to fire and poison damage, as well as devil's sight, and the deception skill. That seems ... really powerful for an origin-level feat? There's a fey origin-level feat, and then a fey feat that requires that original feat. Same goes for infernal pact, except it has two feats you can get with it. The infernal feats overall seem very powerful. The fey feats seem less broken, but they can make characters very, very, very difficult to catch and/or effect. Basically just plan on attacking any other character, because enemies going after them is a waste of time.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The feats are interesting- though I'm not an expert on 5.5e content, if anything they're quite powerful. The infernal pact origin-type feat gives you resistance to fire and poison damage, as well as devil's sight, and the deception skill. That seems ... really powerful for an origin-level feat? There's a fey origin-level feat, and then a fey feat that requires that original feat. Same goes for infernal pact, except it has two feats you can get with it. The infernal feats overall seem very powerful. The fey feats seem less broken, but they can make characters very, very, very difficult to catch and/or effect. Basically just plan on attacking any other character, because enemies going after them is a waste of time.

Yeah, seeing through magical darkness is too powerful. Normally requires two levels of warlock, and results in everything on the battlefield being blind. I would be inclined to disallow this stuff even if we had them - aside from power level, I don't want to get back to the situation where players are summoning a bunch of minions.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Sticks to Snakes
Transmutation
Casting time; 1 action. Range 30'. Components: V, S, M. Duration: Permanent

The target of this spell will permanently adhere to any serpent it contacts.

 

[Stormonu]

Sticks to snakes seems really bad for a 4th level spell. I made my own version some time ago when it was relevant, and it could create stuff a bit more powerful than 4 CR 1/8 snakes for 1min Concentration.

The spell can only effect non-magical pieces of wood... I don't know, I really loved the original spell, which is why I adapted it when serpent cults became a thing in my games. This 5.5e one is surprisingly underpowered? Is it just me?

Spoiler: 5.5e Sticks to Snakes

View attachment 436704

Spoiler: My version:

Sticks to Snakes
4th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M*
Duration: concentration, up to 1 hour

You transform a bundle of sticks, branches, or a log into snakes. The snakes turn back into sticks when they drop to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. The summoned snake(s) are friendly to you and your companions. The snakes have their own turn, which immediately follows your own on the initiative order. They obey verbal commands that you issue to them as a bonus action. If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. If you lose concentration on the spell, the snakes persist for the hour duration but are no longer under your direct control.
*A bundle of sticks (5lbs) turns into a swarm of poisonous snakes; an armload of branches (40lb) can be turned into a half-dozen flying snakes, or constrictor snakes with a poisonous bite (1d6) ; a log (400+lb) can be turned into a giant constrictor snake with a poisonous bite (2d6).

I think the added poison damage was because it was a boon given from Yig, father of serpents, so I wanted to zhuzh it up a little.

I definitely like your version better, seems useful for a 9th level Cleric "High Priest" to actually use (though I think I'd specify 6 flying snakes instead "half a dozen"). The WotC version certainly seems like its meant for 5.5 and I just feel its unworthy and underpowered.

I mean, this is the classic depiction of the spell in action:
(Clip from 10 Commandments)

Spoiler

 

[Atlatl Jones]

To quote a late friend of mine, "Why would anyone want to stick to a snake?"