D&D 5E Pacifist priest Spell : Placation Hammer

[ClaytonCross]

Just a Thought for making a Priest a pacifist and still useful in battle.

Placation Hammer
1st level Divination Spell
Range: Touch
Cast time: Bonus Action
Duration: 1 hour
Verbal

Cast on a Bludgeoning Weapon. When you make a successful attack with this weapon you do no damage but instead the target has its hit points temporarily reduced by 1d6 plus your spell caster ability modifier. If the targets hit points are reduced to 0 while under the effect of this spell, all temporary hit points lost by this spell are returned and the target is knocked unconscious for 1 hour. Any additional damage that the target would have taken beyond 0 is now applied. If this spell is dispelled temperately hit points become permanent and unconscious targets remain asleep but maybe shaken awake with an action. The caster may use a bonus action to suspend the effect on the weapon for 1 round or to release it permanently.

If cast at higher levels, each spell level above the 1st level add 1d6 to the effect.

 

[rgoodbb]

Homebrew a Pacifist Domain and just cast sleep as one of the domain spells. Seems less.....rulesy.

Just noticed it's your first post. Welcome!

 

[Phazonfish]

This doesn't really seem necessary given that you can already choose to knock a creature unconscious instead of killing it when you reduce its hp to 0 with a melee attack. Maybe change the effect to make it similar to sleep, or maybe give it some other restraining effect. Also: Welcome!

 

[Blue]

Welcome to ENWorld!

You can knock someone unconscious, but only if you are the one that is doing it. And that doesn't stop it from being real damage up to that point that a pacifist may have problems with so I see your issue.

That said, tracking it separate seems like it would be a pain for the DM, especially if you are attacking several foes.

On the other side, when upcasting you can make a really nasty weapon that does Xd6 and lasts an hour without concentration. At 11th level is a 6th level slot worth it to give your 3 attack fighter a 6d6 warhammer for an hour, no concentration? It might be overpowered. That's up to 18d6 per round (assuming all hit, no crits) for what could easily be multiple encounters.

There's also the interesting point that right now you can do it to a foe's weapon if you can touch it, making that 30 average damage giant do next to nothing. I don't think it's intentional.

Maybe something like this:

--

Placation Hammer
1st level Enchantment Spell
Range: Touch
Cast time: Bonus Action
Duration: 1 hour
Verbal

Cast on a bludgeoning weapon you are holding, though others may wield it. The weapon does no damage on a hit in combat. Instead, if the target has 10 HPs or fewer they fall into a deep sleep for 1 hour. They will stay asleep even with loud noises or other effects that might normally wake, woken by taking any damage or someone spending an action to shake them awake.

If the target does not fall asleep, each subsequent hit against the same target increases the threshold by +5 HPs. If you switch targets, this is reset.

When cast using a higher level spell, the initial threshold is increased by 5 HPs per slot level above 1st. At 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th level slots the per-hit increase also steps up by +5 HPs.

--

Basically this stops the need for the DM tracking, you just track the current. It's a HP threshold, so others beating it down will help like your original. I'm not perfectly satisfied about the threshold increase, but the original would allow you to beat on someone until thy fell unconcious so this needed a way to deal with more powerful opponents. You need to actually hold the weapon, so you can't do it on a foe in the middle of combat. And it doesn't become a game-breaker at high levels doing 4d6 or 6d6 or more per hit.

It's still nice as a bonus action, last an hour, no concentration. d6+casting ability averages less than 10 so it's a slight uptick in the beginning - you should be able to one-shot a lot of weaker beasties.

If you wanted to change it around, you could up the threshold but make the spell also end after putting a set number (1? 2? 3?) of creatures to sleep, which makes it a bit more like the sleep spell.

EDIT: If you wanted this for just the caster to use, you may want to consider a cantrip they use every round instead. That's probably a cleaner implementation.

DOUBLE EDIT: Just realized this was a divination. That doesn't fir the standards, changed the type to enchantment.

 

[Satyrn]

Aye. I'm gonna vote for [MENTION=20564]Blue[/MENTION]'s revision of your neat idea.

 

[ClaytonCross]

@Blue

You make some very good points and I do think your version is better and addresses some over sites on my initial build. A few points I would like to work on though:
-- I really think its important that it differentiates itself from sleep
-- Unconscious for an hour instead of a sleep so they don't wake up
-- Hit rolls on attacks make it feel more like combat
-- It needs to scale well enough to be useful
-- I think it should be a single target attack
----
-- It is too much to track temporary hit points
-- I did not consider multiple attacks
-- I had not considered using it on enemies weapons
-- The high "damage" roles were to make it useful on high hit point creatures later but I realize the ability to use it multiple times does allow it to be over powered.

Here is an adjusted version combining yours and mine.


Placation Hammer
1st level Enchantment Spell
Range: Touch
Cast time: Bonus Action
Duration: 1 hour
Verbal

Cast on a Bludgeoning Weapon you are holding. When you make a successful attack with this weapon you do no damage but instead, the spell leaves the weapon and transfers to the target. Roll 2d6 plus your spell caster ability modifier. If the total is greater than the targets current hit point knocking them unconscious for 1 hour. Creatures knocked unconscious by this spell cannot regain consciousness unless the enchantment is first dispelled or an hour has passed since it was transferred to them. If the enchantment is dispelled they will awaken when damaged, an action is used to shake them, or an hour has passed since it was transferred to them. Constructs, spirits, and undead are not effected by this spell. The spell may be released from the weapon by the caster as a bonus action.

If cast at higher levels, each spell level above the 1st level add 1d6 to the effect.

 

[mellored]

IMO:
Placation Hammer
Cantrip
Make a melee attack against a creature in range. If the target is reduces to 0 hit points by this attack, or by any other damage before the start of your next turn, it does not die and is instead knocked unconscious for 10 minutes. When it awakes, it cannot take any hostile actions until it takes a long rest unless is attacked.
At higher level: at level 5 you deal an extra 1d6 radiant damage. 2d6 at level 11, and 3d6 at level 17.