D&D 5E Fireball tweak idea

[jgsugden]

I guess I just don't have a lot of sympathy for a wizard who deploys the arcane equivalent of cluster munitions anywhere near civilians. In real life, we have a term for people like that, and it ain't "hero".

...and D&D is not reality, right? It is a story telling game. About heroic acts. About heroes. It isn't a simulation. The game works best when you tell a great story.

We don't have D&D rules for when a PC should get cancer, when a PC should trip over their own feet, when a PC needs to go to the bathroom - because, although these can be things that hamper the real world, they have no place in most fantasy stories.

As I said, this may work well in some games. However, there are many games where this could ruin the fun. Just make sure you're considering whether the game you're in is one that would be improved, and not ruined, by something like this going wrong. That is something the entire group needs to consider rather than just having a DM dictate the type of game that will be played.

 

[Ristamar]

I don't think an uncontrolled variable radius on one spell would matter much in terms of creating interesting choices. The players willing to take the risk likely wouldn't care much about collateral damage. Those unwilling to take the risk would simply use less efficient alternatives.

 

[Dausuul]

Increase the radius of the fireball by 5 feet for each 6 you roll on its damage dice. Decrease the radius of the fireball by 5 feet for each 1 you roll on its damage dice (to a minimum of 5 feet).

Crunching the numbers, you would have:

5-foot radius: 6.0% chance, average damage 19.8
10-foot radius: 11.5% chance, average damage 23
15-foot radius: 20.2% chance, average damage 25.5
20-foot radius: 24.5% chance, average damage 28
25-foot radius: 20.2% chance, average damage 30.5
30-foot radius: 11.5% chance, average damage 33
35-foot radius: 4.5% chance, average damage 35.5
40-foot radius: 1.2% chance, average damage 38
More than 40 feet: 0.3% chance, average damage 40.8

I kind of like it. It's extremely volatile though, because the radius scales with the damage roll: Either you do a lot of damage in a big area (which is when you are most likely to hit allies), or a little damage in a small area. As a longtime wizard player who remembers the chaotic glory of AD&D blasting magic, that has some appeal, but I can also see how it could get unpleasantly swingy.

If you decide to try this in play, please let us know how it turns out!

 

[TheCosmicKid]

A more conservative alternative might be to say it's just +5 feet if there are more 6s than 1s and -5 feet if vice versa. That would give the border some uncertainty without being so hugely swingy.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I like it. I think, on average, it would even out because 1s and 6s cancel each other out. That said, Dausuul has a point. When it's big, it'll be really big and when it's small it'll tiny. It would be better if it didn't scale with the damage. There was a suggestion above with d8s. I'd just use a single 1d6. Maybe a different coloured one in the pile of d6s. On a 1 the fireball is 5 feet smaller and on a 6 it's 5 feet larger.

The other option is to pick an intersection on the grid and roll a d8 and have the fireball land within 5 feet of that intersection. Sometimes it'll land exactly where you want it but, usually it's slightly off by 5 feet. Less Perfect Placement of huge explosions. But then, you'd need to do that with other area spells, I think.

No matter what you do, I'd be interested in seeing what you choose and how it works in play.

Lastly, To echo Oofta, remind casters that fireballs generally destroy unattended objects and light things on fire. My first-ever time playing D&D, I played a 5th level Evoker. An evil wizard was in his library, smugly telling us his evil plans so I blew the place up with a fireball and killed him instantly. The whole party was stunned that I'd done it. Not knowing the rules well, I didn't know that Wizards could find new spells from scrolls and books. I'd incinerated all my treasure.

 

[Krachek]

Fireball don’t deserve a nerf or random effect.
it is the only efficient area spell, and it is hard to use it efficiently.
so don’t touch it.

 

[the Jester]

I don't see this as solving a problem, just increasing complexity and slowing down play for no real reason. I wouldn't do it personally, but I do see the appeal of introducing a little less predictability into spellcasting.

 

[cbwjm]

A more conservative alternative might be to say it's just +5 feet if there are more 6s than 1s and -5 feet if vice versa. That would give the border some uncertainty without being so hugely swingy.

I like this option best, easy to total up the 1s and 6s and adjust the AoE. I mean it isn't difficult to go "I have three 6s and a 1 so that's an extra 10 foot radius!" But simplifying it to just be a quick check just has a better feel to me.

 

[Helldritch]

The days where the fireball would fill the entirety of its 33500 cubic foot of volume are long gone. That was 33.5 10x10x10 squares. Seeing your fireball coming right at you was unpleasant to say the least. That is why there was spells like lightning bolt, Melf's minute meteor, Snilloc's snowball swarm and the like.

Now what I do in my games is the following:
A Fireball must be cast in such way that most of its radius will be used. Thus if you cast a fire ball in a 15 feet room, the center of the fireball will be in the door square, this means that yes, if you are within 20 feet of that square you're done for.

Also, if you want to cast your fireball so as not to hit your friend, you must make an arcana check DC 15 to put it exactly where you want your fireball to land. (Of course an evoker has an easier time because he can always protect friends).

It means that, in my campaigns, lightning bolt is often used instead of fireball.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I was thinking after reading the OP, maybe a reverse would be neat. Instead of making it larger area when you roll 6's and smaller whan you roll 1's, do it the other way around. That way it is small and focused and really stronger or larger and diffuse.