D&D 5E Homebrew Spell Review!

[doctorbadwolf]

Would many of those bullet points we're "dazzled by" be their own spell that requires Concentration? Yes.

Can one caster normally Concentrate on multiple things at once? No.

I think that's why most everyone has commented on the number of things - because that's an important part of the Concentration balancing. Not just ignoring it but handwaving those comments away with "dazzled by" when multiple people give the same feedback feels like you aren't getting that point.

Here's the thing.

The simple fact that it's multiple "things" is meaningless unless what the caster is doing in total during a given turn, round, encounter, or day, is out of line.

At worst, this spell puts more balls in the air at a time than is normal for it's spell level. Which I'm fine with. It isn't better than the strong spells of 4th level.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Would many of those bullet points we're "dazzled by" be their own spell that requires Concentration? Yes.

Can one caster normally Concentrate on multiple things at once? No.

I think that's why most everyone has commented on the number of things - because that's an important part of the Concentration balancing. Not just ignoring it but handwaving those comments away with "dazzled by" when multiple people give the same feedback feels like you aren't getting that point.

How do you feel about Investiture spells?
Each gives a movement buff, a defensive buff, and an action.
Again, this spell simply does the same sort of thing, at a somewhat earlier level. It certainly isn't strong enough to be a 6th level spell, however, and even 5th would require better numbers somewhere. I could drop things out of it and make it a 3rd level spell, but I'd rather not.

 

[Blue]

How do you feel about Investiture spells?

I feel that they are significantly weaker than your spell. They do not affect a selection of others, only have a single action, they don't go against a weak save. None of them are round after round of potential stuns on multiple foes, with two different triggers. Withotu taking any of your action economy. None of them grant tHPs to several allies and then allow you to refresh them to all of them as a bonus action. None allow you to mass-apply defensive buffs to everyone around.

Actually, thank you for pointing those out. This is absolutely more powerful than then, so 6th is too low.

Challenge - find a selection of spells that together does close to what your spell does. Start with the highest level and add levels for adding in additional effect, 1 level for an effect where the spell is below max and doesn't require Concentration, 2 otherwise. See what level you end up.

 

[Dausuul]

The stun effect alone is too powerful for 4th level. Maybe--maybe--it would be okay if a successful save made you immune and the spell didn't do anything else. Even then, I'd be wary, since it can easily stunlock any low-Int foe that enters.

 

[Blue]

@doctorbadwolf , if you asked for a spell review, I have to assume that it's because you actually wanted this forum of people to do a, you know, spell review. When there is a majority saying it should be a much higher level, that's good feedback for you.

You asked for peer review of the spell. You got peer review. It showed distinct trends the spell is a higher level. Why would you throw away that valuable feedback that you asked for?

Don't be the scientist who gets angry when others can't replicate their experiement and calls everyone "Fools!" and plots world domination. Or at least, only do that in game. Instead take the feedback you requested to heart.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

wow y’all are wild.

First of all, I’ve mentioned the update multiple times. The refresh on THP is an action.

Second, look at the numbers. It is less average damage/healing per round than call lightning, even if we assume the reaction happens every round, which it won’t. The actions also won’t, as they’ll want to cast other spells.

The stun save I will change to wisdom, to match most illusion spells that force a save.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Also the THP refresh is all creatures, not designated creatures.

Literally the only valid argument i can see for 4th level being too low is the combo of occasional, situational resistance and occasional, situational stun.

The fact that it does the same thing a lower level spell does just...so what?

 

[Dausuul]

All melee enemies AND all damage-dealing spellcasters is "occasional, situational?"

Have it your way, it's your game. But if a player in my campaign put this spell in front of me, I would not even try to work with them on it. When the initial proposal is so far out of whack, trying to bring it into balance is an exercise in futility--and, to be honest, your responses here perfectly demonstrate why. I'm not going to get sucked into endless arguments about each individual tree when the forest is on fire.

At most, I would ask the player to pick 1-2 key elements of the spell, and then I would design a spell from scratch around those elements and present it to the player as a "take it or leave it" proposition.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

@doctorbadwolf , if you asked for a spell review, I have to assume that it's because you actually wanted this forum of people to do a, you know, spell review. When there is a majority saying it should be a much higher level, that's good feedback for you.

You asked for peer review of the spell. You got peer review. It showed distinct trends the spell is a higher level. Why would you throw away that valuable feedback that you asked for?

Don't be the scientist who gets angry when others can't replicate their experiement and calls everyone "Fools!" and plots world domination. Or at least, only do that in game. Instead take the feedback you requested to heart.

This seems pretty hyperbolic.
And I'm not throwing away the feedback, I'm just not gonna pretend that feedback I'm inclined to scoff at is good.

However, my co-dm and I went over the spell again, and came up with the following version. Some of the changes came about after our discussion of the feedback here.

version 4, again this is a level 4 spell.

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 you, 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 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.

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 stunned until the end of their next turn.

While the spell is active, you can use one of the following actions.

• 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.
• You can target all creatures within 60ft of you that are stunned by the maze. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, on their next turn they must take the Dash Action and move their full speed in a random direction. If they move at least 10 ft and further movement is blocked by another creature, or an object or solid surface, they and the creature or object they run into take damage equal to 1d6 for every 10 ft that they move before the impact (maximum 3d6). If a creature succeeds on this save, they are no longer stunned.

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.

So, dealing any damage requires two failed saves, and two actions, and increases the chance that they'll save out of the stun early. The reaction now only mitigates damage. I might add back in a clause that a designated creature also gains that THP when it starts it's turn within the maze, since THP don't stack, but if I do, I might ditch the +1 AC.

About the only drop in power i'd consider at this point is limiting the number of creatures targeted by the movement attack, perhaps even making it a much greater range, but only 1 creature.

I'd also consider a version with slightly higher numbers, where you have to choose between a version that stuns creatures and a version that gives beefy THP and damage mitigation.

I considered a "meta-abjuration" version of the spell that would be essentially a more limited but more active variant of glyph of warding, where you get bonuses when casting other abjurations while this spell is active, but I'd rather make that at a level where I can really go ape with it.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

All melee enemies AND all damage-dealing spellcasters is "occasional, situational?"

Have it your way, it's your game. But if a player in my campaign put this spell in front of me, I would not even try to work with them on it. When the initial proposal is so far out of whack, trying to bring it into balance is an exercise in futility--and, to be honest, your responses here perfectly demonstrate why. I'm not going to get sucked into endless arguments about each individual tree when the forest is on fire.

At most, I would ask the player to pick 1-2 key elements of the spell, and then I would design a spell from scratch around those elements and present it to the player as a "take it or leave it" proposition.

Of course it’s occasional and situational. They have to use a spell or magical ability that targets a specific creature or object in the maze to even be targeted by the stun, and they have to put Elemental/magical damage into the area of the maze for the maze caster to be able to use a reaction to grant resistance.
Those won’t happen every round.
Sometimes they’re gonna Counterspell or Shield instead, and sometimes the enemy isn’t going to use spells that will trigger any of it.

I have literally never seen a single Druid who casts call lightning in round 1 use their action every round to call lightning, even if they keep concentration through the whole fight. Why would this be any different?