Rewriting Magic Circle

[Michael Morris]

I found myself completely rewriting Magic Circle for my setting with the warding being based on alignment. Spells and creatures are alignment. I added a new restriction to it since it can affect native creatures in the hopes it can stay at 3rd level.

Magic Circle
3^rd level valran abjuration
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (varies)
Duration: 1 hour

When you learn this spell you must choose an alignment. The version of the spell you learn affects only the alignment you choose. If you want to affect more than one alignment, you must learn the spell multiple times or cast the spell from a 5^th level slot and choose a different alignment.

You create a 10 foot radius, 20 foot tall cylinder of magical energy centered on a point on the ground that you can see within range. Glowing runes appear wherever the cylinder intersects with the floor or other surface.

The ward has the following effects on spells and creatures with the chosen alignment:
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• The creature can’t willingly enter the cylinder by nonmagical means. If the creature tries to use teleportation to do so it must succeed on a charisma saving throw. If the spell that provides the teleportation has the alignment the ward protects agains the saving throw has disadvantage.​
• The creature has disadvantage against targets in the cylinder​
• Targets in the cylinder can’t be charmed, frightened, or possessed if the creature or spell has the warded alignment​
• Targets in the cylinder make their saving throws with advantage against spells of the warded alignment.​

Creatures are subject to the spell if any of their alignments are warded. As a rule of thumb, fey are Abora aligned; celestials are Valra aligned and occasionally Balcra aligned; elementals are Shunra or Balcra aligned depending on element; fiends are Sodra or Shunra aligned and undead Sodra aligned at a minimum.

When you cast the spell you can elect to cause its magic to operate in the reverse direction, preventing a creature of the alignment from leaving the cylinder and protecting targets outside it. Spells of the warded alignment can’t be cast in a reversed magic circle.

The material component varies by alignment warded – iron filings for Abora, gold dust against Valra, copper wire for Balcra, silver dust for Sodra, sea salt crystal for Shunra. The process of preparing these materials costs 100 gold pieces. A ward cast from a 5^th level slot that allows you to pick the alignment to ward at casting time requires 1,000 gp worth of diamond dust.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4^th level or higher, the duration increases by 1 hour for each level above 3^rd. As mentioned previously, if the spell is cast from a 5^th level or higher slot using diamond dust you may pick the alignment to ward at casting time.
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[Quartz]

If I cast this as a 5th level spell and choose the alignment, does it last 1 hour or 3?

How does the circle affect involuntary movement? Does the creature bounce? Take damage?

This screams out to be a Ritual, to be used when summoning something nasty. As such, you might want to extend the duration when cast as a Ritual. You'd also want a prepared summoning circle etc.

 

[Morrus]

Mike, I know that "PEACH" acronym is on every other post on WotC's forums, but we don't use it here. I've snipped it out of the title for you. It's redundant, and we banned it here years ago. You can assume that anyone will examine and/or critique your post honestly.

 

[Michael Morris]

If I cast this as a 5th level spell and choose the alignment, does it last 1 hour or 3?

3

How does the circle affect involuntary movement? Does the creature bounce? Take damage?

The original spell didn't answer this - I'm hoping the DMG addresses it. If it doesn't it's something that needs to be addressed for all warding abjurations as a group, not just this spell by itself. After all, your questions can be pointed at Antilife Shell or any one of the other wards in the book.

This screams out to be a Ritual, to be used when summoning something nasty. As such, you might want to extend the duration when cast as a Ritual. You'd also want a prepared summoning circle etc.

The Magic Circle in the Player's Handbook isn't a ritual, so neither is this. I'm thinking I might want to shift the "any color" mode to a separate spell. But the effects stack - the spell lasts 3 hours from a 5th level slot and if you have the more expensive material component on hand, you can attune it to any alignment.

Mike, I know that "PEACH" acronym is on every other post on WotC's forums, but we don't use it here. I've snipped it out of the title for you. It's redundant, and we banned it here years ago. You can assume that anyone will examine and/or critique your post honestly.

Ok, no worries.