D&D 5E Homebrew Spell Review!

[FrogReaver]

Sure, it can be. It isn't inherently so.
IMO, this isn't a case where it is.

Then you realize his argument is that this is a case where it is. Maybe address the specifics of this situation if you agree in general that combining things can be too strong?

 

[FrogReaver]

You place a silver torc on the ground at your feet as you complete the incantation. The torc floats inches above the ground, and spins clockwise until the aperture is pointed north. As the torc splits into 4 parts, it grows into ethereal circles surrounding you, and each circle's opening faces a different compass point, creating a deceptively simple circular maze in the air.


For the duration of the spell, you and your allies are protected by an ethereal maze of arcane energy. The maze is a 10-foot-radius, 20-foot-tall cylinder, centered on a space you choose within range, and creates the following effects while the spell is active. You designate any number of creatures, types of creatures, or an identifier or pass-phrase a creature can speak, which determines who is protected by the maze.

Size feels right.

You and such designated creatures gain a +1 bonus to AC, and 3d6+3 temporary hit points if they are within the maze when the spell is cast, or the first time they enter the maze during the spell's duration.

Not talking about power - i'm not sure how these effects thematically fit into a "mental maze" style spell.

In terms of power this effect is essentially aid (+13.5 temp hp) + AC that scales to any size party and requires concentration. If this effect were the only thing the spell did then this spell could be a strong 3rd level spell (with concentration requirement).

(Think about this compared to aid)

Any time a creature not designated by you begins their turn inside the maze, or targets a creature inside the maze with a magical ability, the attacker must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be trapped by the maze. Trapped creatures are blinded, seeing only the corridors of the maze. They can still hear, but sounds are distorted as if coming from around a corner. At the end of its turns, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the effects end on the target.

I would rate this effect standalone as at least a 4th level spell (and it'd be one of the stronger ones). Keep in mind that blind prevents many offensive spells from being cast. Many require sight afterall and even then some DM's will further penalize casting blind. It also provides advantage to your melee allies attacks and disadvantage to your enemies attacks. Then there's also what behavior adjustments occur due to being in the maze.

If combined with the first set of effects we are looking at a 5th or 6th level spell.

(Think about this compared to greater invisibility).

You can use your reaction, when any creature within the maze takes acid, cold, fire, thunder, lightning, or force damage, to grant all creatures within the maze resistance to that damage type until the end of the current turn. Then, all designated creatures within the maze gain 2d6+3 temporary hit points.

This part alone would be a 5th level effect. Recurring temp hp and resistance to any elemental damage when foes use elemental damage. Turns any fight against foes that use elemental attacks into a cakewalk.

With everything else so far we are looking at 7th level spell. Maybe 8th.

(Think about this compared to protection from energy for the whole party every turn + aid every turn. Can't be used every fight but enemies that use elemental attacks are fairly common)

You can use your action to target all creatures within 60ft of you that are blinded by the maze. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, they become incapacitated. They continue to make wisdom saving throws at the end of their turns, ending all conditions from this spell on a success.

This is the most unique effect. I'm also not sure how it fits in thematically.

Power-wise: This is probably a +1 spell level on top of the blind causing effect. So 5th level spell with just that.

All combined - 8th level spell IMO.

(Compare to bestow curse)

At higher levels. When you cast this spell at 5th level or higher, the temporary hit point values increase by 1d6+1, and the radius and height of the maze increase by 5 ft, for each spell level above 4th.

Growing radius isn't typical for leveled up spells. Hard to rate the level up effects due to that. Probably better to do +5 ft radius every 2 levels.

Hopefully this explains the issues we have with your spell.

 

[FrogReaver]

Right now I'm imagining this spell on a necromancer build. Surround myself with archer skeletons and keep them alive every fight.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Frog, I have you on ignore right now. It’s not entirely fair, but sometimes someone just grates on ya, and it’s best to not interact for a few days at least.

I’ll unignore and check out your post that quoted me on my next day off.

nothing personal. Sometimes even my best friend gets on my nerves and I don’t hang out for a few days. I have to interact with people no matter what they do at work, I have found that it’s best to not force that on myself when I’m not at work as well.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I disagree. You're combining Alarm, Aid, Protection from Energy, and - to some extent - Blindness and Power Word Stun with no HP limit. And those last two repeat. And you're dropping the Concentration requirement. This is far too powerful for a 5th level spell and should be an 8th level spell at least. You are getting 5 effects for the price of one.

When did I drop concentration?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think there is a disconnect here that just isn’t gonna get bridged.

I don’t care about “you’re combining this and that” arguments. If you put it in terms of effects, and how they tend to be valued, I can grok that and review. But if a player came to me with a spell that was explicitly “Ive basically combined this 1st level spell and this 2nd level spell, with this number of dice of effect on top”, I would completely ignore as wholly and inherently irrelevant the fact that they’d combined some spells. IMO, that doesn’t matter, at all, on any axis.

Balance is a comparative analysis of total effect. If the spell brought to me does an amount of effect comparable to 3rd level spells, I’d allow it at that level.

It’s like the Hexblade. Yes, it “gets more stuff”. So what? The character isn’t more powerful than a Fiend warlock character.

Which isn’t to say that the spell is perfectly balanced, I’m just saying that I don’t care about other spell duplication as a balance argument. It’s absolutely fine for a spell to do “lower level spell + other thing”. All that matters is comparing total effect on the scene, day, or campaign.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I disagree. You're combining Alarm, Aid, Protection from Energy, and - to some extent - Blindness and Power Word Stun with no HP limit. And those last two repeat. And you're dropping the Concentration requirement. This is far too powerful for a 5th level spell and should be an 8th level spell at least. You are getting 5 effects for the price of one.

Also, there is no stun in the spell anymore. The lowest level spell that stuns is Contagion, and it does one target. Which isn’t all the spell does, so I’d be fine with a 4th level spell that stunned, but not if it also does anything else.

However, looking at stun, the monk can stun up to 4 creatures in a turn at fifth level. By the time a wizard has 4th level spells, the monk is using 5 of 14 ki per day (assuming 2 short rests per day, as the designers do) to flurry and try to stun each target. That’s 4 stuns and 4d6+3(at least) damage.
Comparing what two characters do with their action, im

It also isn’t the effect of protection from energy, it’s comparable instead to absorb elements. Going out of your way to list the higher level spell that does a thing isn’t a good argument.

Not sure where you’re getting alarm, but even if it did have an alarm effect...okay. Alarm is a first level ritual. It’s a ribbon spell.

The point of the spell is that the maze grounds magical energy that is directed into it, and traps the minds of creatures that the caster doesn’t designate as protected by it.

That could be done without the AC bonus, to be fair.

Looking at the comparisons of what a character can do, I’d be fine with dropping the AC bonus, to start with. It’s there to represent the maze protecting people, but the THP is a more normal way to do that.

Having both the damage mitigation and THP refresh on a reaction was my co-dm’s idea, because we want the spell to feel like the energy that gets grounded is then used by the caster. If the spell only did absorption and damage redirection, I’d make it a 2nd or 3rd level spell, depending on the number of damage dice. (generally, spells of a given level are better than upcast spells of a lower level)

But, if it isn’t also a mind trap, it isn’t the spell.

Now, I’m not sold on this, but I may consider making the blindness effect a reaction. Thus, it’s one target per round, and it is a choice between damage mitigation and a mind trap. If I did that, it would be “the target must save blah blah, and until the start of your next turn any target who does XYZ must save against the same effect”, more or less.

And describe the maze as reorienting itself when you use either reaction, like it’s setting itself toeither trap minds or ground and absorb energy.

Or, the spell could gain a longer casting time. I don’t like long casting time battle magic, however. It’s...weird, mechanically and in terms of gameplay.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay, gonna drop the AC bonus, and turn the blind effect into a reaction so you have to choose between damage mitigation and trapping people in the maze, with a description that the ethereal maze is recalibrating itself when you use the reaction effects.

That does make me want to have a spell-ending Action that does a big blowout effect where you align all the apertures of the maze and aim it at someone, but I don’t think I could spread the dice of the spell around in a way that makes the THP matter and still have any significant effect that ends the spell. Idk.

I wish there was precedent in 5e for meta-spells where that explicitly have synergies with other spells. Things like “if you cast absorb elements while this spell is active, you can cast it in response to any creature in the maze taking damage, and protect all creatures in the maze” and “you can end the spell by dropping concentration, or as an action. If you do so as an action, you can also cast XYZ spell, targeting every creature in a 30ft line”, etc.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

update. anything not posted here is unchanged. also posted the newest version in the OP.

You place a silver torc on the ground at your feet as you complete the incantation. The torc floats inches above the ground, and spins clockwise until the aperture is pointed north. As the torc splits into 4 parts, it grows into ethereal circles surrounding you, and each circle's opening faces a different compass point, creating a deceptively simple circular maze in the air.

For the duration of the spell, you and your allies are protected by an ethereal maze of arcane energy. The maze is a 10-foot-radius, 20-foot-tall cylinder, centered on a space you choose within range, and creates the following effects while the spell is active. You designate any number of creatures, types of creatures, or an identifier or pass-phrase a creature can speak, which determines who is protected by the maze.

You and such designated creatures gain 2d6+3 temporary hit points if they are within the maze when the spell is cast, or the first time they enter the maze during the spell's duration.

While the spell is active, you can use the following actions. Each time you do, the maze re-calibrates itself, each circle spinning in place, it's aperture facing a different cardinal direction, though no two openings ever face the same direction.

• You can use your reaction, when any creature or object within the maze is the target of a spell or magical ability that requires an attack roll or saving throw, to try to trap the mind of interlopers in the maze. The triggering creature, as well as any creature who targets a creature or object within the maze with a spell or magical ability before the start of your next turn, must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded. A blinded creature makes an additional save at the end of their turns, ending the effect on a success.
• You can use your reaction, when any creature within the maze takes acid, cold, fire, thunder, lightning, or force damage, to grant all creatures within the maze resistance to that damage type until the end of the current turn. Then, all designated creatures within the maze gain 1d6+3 temporary hit points.
• You can use your action to target all creatures within 60ft of you that are blinded by the maze. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, they become incapacitated. They continue to make wisdom saving throws at the end of their turns, ending all conditions from this spell on a success.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell at 5th level or higher, the temporary hit point values increase by 1d6+1, and the radius and height of the maze increase by 5 ft, for each spell level above 4th.


Dropped the ac boost, and dropped the THP amounts by 1 die for each value. The THP drop may not stay, we shall see.

The mind trap is now a reaction, that lasts until the start of the caster's next turn. It's late, so if the wording isn't perfect, don't judge me.

There is more descriptive text in this spell than in most 5e spells, but that ain't gonna change, no matter what.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Dude. In my judgment, the stun-every-round alone is too good. This is way overpowered, even your fourth version. Especially with a halfway decent save DC against a creature with a crappy Wisdom save. Everything else is just icing on the cake. No offense, but yikes.

just wanna point out, wisdom isn't a rare save. The fact that low wisdom means this spell will stick and be effective...yeah, that's the point of having different saves.