D&D 5E WHAT IF... Spells didn't do damage?

[Tales and Chronicles]

Love the idea. I dont mind if spells were more about small damage at best and a nasty effect than can be combo'ed with other members of the party.

Burning

• Shed light within 15 ft
• weapon attacks received deal +Int fire damage
• speed halved

Brittle

• Vulnerable to bludgeoning and thunder damage
• If a bludgeoning and thunder damage attack reduces you to 0hp, you die.

Frozen

• You are Brittle
• Speed 0

Corroded

• Armor AC -2
• -10 speed if wearing armor
• Weapon attacks roll damage twice, take lowest.

Weakened

• Cant Dash/Dodge
• Deal half damage
• Disadvantage on Str/con/dex check

Dazed

• Disadvantage on Wis/Int/Cha check
• Every terrain is difficult terrain.
• Vulnerable to psychic damage

Drained

• HD recovery roll twice, take lowest result.
• Max HP halved.
• Proficiency bonus halved

Doomed

• Disadvantage on Death Save
• Healing received is halved.
• saves rolled with -1d4

Lured

• Target must use their speed to move toward the lure
• target is charmed by the lure

 

[Faolyn]

What If dandelions were red, or bees flew backwards.

I guess my question is… what is the benefit?

I could imagine the benefit would be to make magic more "realistic," since real-world "magicians" didn't throw fireballs. They laid curses or summoned demons or shapechanged or whatever. (I'm sure, having said that, someone will point out some myth or bit of ancient fiction that did have a spellcaster throwing fireballs.)

It's an interesting thought experiment, as to what if spellcasters didn't have direct damage spells, but I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Finger of Death - instills the Death condition...

You joke, but the game would really benefit from having more instant death features.

In my games, Dragon Breath, Death spells (finger, circle of, power word) insta-kill.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Love the idea. I dont mind if spells were more about small damage at best and a nasty effect than can be combo'ed with other members of the party.

Burning

• Shed light within 15 ft
• weapon attacks received deal +Int fire damage
• speed halved

Brittle

• Vulnerable to bludgeoning and thunder damage
• If a bludgeoning and thunder damage attack reduces you to 0hp, you die.

Frozen

• You are Brittle
• Speed 0

Corroded

• Armor AC -2
• -10 speed if wearing armor
• Weapon attacks roll damage twice, take lowest.

Weakened

• Cant Dash/Dodge
• Deal half damage
• Disadvantage on Str/con/dex check

Dazed

• Disadvantage on Wis/Int/Cha check
• Every terrain is difficult terrain.
• Vulnerable to psychic damage

Drained

• HD recovery roll twice, take lowest result.
• Max HP halved.
• Proficiency bonus halved

Doomed

• Disadvantage on Death Save
• Healing received is halved.
• saves rolled with -1d4

Lured

• Target must use their speed to move toward the lure
• target is charmed by the lure

I love these!

Playing around with making enemies vulnerable to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage is something I was thinking about too, and sounds super fun

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I love these!

Playing around with making enemies vulnerable to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage is something I was thinking about too, and sounds super fun

Harsh Condition

Poison

Rank	Effect
1	Poisoned. You have disadvantage on all ability checks and attack rolls. You can't benefit from a long rest if you are poisoned when the long rest ends.
2	Sickened. You have disadvantage on all Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws. You also make Constitution saves to maintain concentration with disadvantage.
3	Affliction. When you deal damage or regain hit points, roll all dice twice, taking the lowest result.
4	Wracking. You are vulnerable to all damage and you have disadvantage on Dexterity and Strength saving throws.
5	Pestilence. Your speed becomes 10 feet. Any creature that ends a rest within 15 feet of you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of poison. The target can make the save again after each hour. For each save failed, the creature gains another level of poison.
6	Bout. You die.

Fright

Rank	Effect
1	Frightened. You have disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of your fear is within line of sight and you can't willingly move closer to it.
2	Fear. You can’t maintain Concentration on a spell or any feature while the source of your fear is within line of sight.
3	Panic. While the source of your fear is within line of sight, you can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents you from moving. If there's nowhere to move, you can use the Dodge action.
4	Torpor. While the source of your fear is within line of sight, creatures other than the source of your fear are invisible to you while beyond 5 feet of you.
5	Forfeit. While the source of your fear is within line of sight, vou must make a DC10 Wisdom save at the start of your turn or your speed becomes 0 and you are incapacitated until the start of your next turn.
6	Shock. You die.

Doom

Rank	Effect
1	Doomed. You make death saving throws with disadvantage.
2	Malaise. You make all Charisma and Constitution saving throws and ability checks with disadvantage.
3	Apathy. You can’t benefit from advantage on any attack rolls or ability checks.
4	Frailty. You lose all resistance to all damage types.
5	Abandon. Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 10 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action and can't use reactions until the start of your next turn.
6	Demise. You die.

Just for you. This is what I'm working on for my table

 

[BookTenTiger]

Harsh Condition

Poison

Rank	Effect
1	Poisoned. You have disadvantage on all ability checks and attack rolls. You can't benefit from a long rest if you are poisoned when the long rest ends.
2	Sickened. You have disadvantage on all Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws. You also make Constitution saves to maintain concentration with disadvantage.
3	Affliction. When you deal damage or regain hit points, roll all dice twice, taking the lowest result.
4	Wracking. You are vulnerable to all damage and you have disadvantage on Dexterity and Strength saving throws.
5	Pestilence. Your speed becomes 10 feet. Any creature that ends a rest within 15 feet of you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of poison. The target can make the save again after each hour. For each save failed, the creature gains another level of poison.
6	Bout. You die.

Fright

Rank	Effect
1	Frightened. You have disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of your fear is within line of sight and you can't willingly move closer to it.
2	Fear. You can’t maintain Concentration on a spell or any feature while the source of your fear is within line of sight.
3	Panic. While the source of your fear is within line of sight, you can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents you from moving. If there's nowhere to move, you can use the Dodge action.
4	Torpor. While the source of your fear is within line of sight, creatures other than the source of your fear are invisible to you while beyond 5 feet of you.
5	Forfeit. While the source of your fear is within line of sight, vou must make a DC10 Wisdom save at the start of your turn or your speed becomes 0 and you are incapacitated until the start of your next turn.
6	Shock. You die.

Doom

Rank	Effect
1	Doomed. You make death saving throws with disadvantage.
2	Malaise. You make all Charisma and Constitution saving throws and ability checks with disadvantage.
3	Apathy. You can’t benefit from advantage on any attack rolls or ability checks.
4	Frailty. You lose all resistance to all damage types.
5	Abandon. Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 10 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action and can't use reactions until the start of your next turn.
6	Demise. You die.

Just for you. This is what I'm working on for my table

These are so cool!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Let's try a rewrite of the classic:

Fireball

3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur)
Duration: Instantaneous

A bright streak flashes from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into an explosion of flame. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target that fails its saving throw is pushed 20 feet away from the blast knocked prone and is burning until it or any other creature takes an action to douse the flame. If the target is pushed in blocking terrain such as a wall, it is incapacited until the end of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the target is not pushed.

The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried and any fragile object in the blast is destroyed.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the radius of the spell increases by 5 feet for each slot level above 3rd.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Oh man, this would also be a cool opportunity to throw in environmental effects, like walls, fire, rough terrain, etc.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Oh man, this would also be a cool opportunity to throw in environmental effects, like walls, fire, rough terrain, etc.

Exact, throw a wall of stone in a semi-circle then drop a fireball to make sur the critters have their skull smashed on the wall!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Another classic, from my BG runs back in the day.

Melf's Acid Arrow

2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (powdered rhubarb leaf and an adder's stomach)
Duration: Instantaneous

A shimmering green arrow streaks toward a target within range and bursts in a spray of acid. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target is corroded until the end of its next turn and takes acid damage equal to your spellcasting ability bonus (minimum 1) and the start of its turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the duration is extended by 1 round for each slot level above 2nd.