D&D 5E What Level Should This Spell Be? (Artificer, Homebrew)

[Fanaelialae]

As written, I'd put it at 2nd. It's very niche, having no effect against non-attuned magic items. So I'd say it's weaker than something like counterspell or dispel magic.

If it could suppress the benefits of non-attuned items as well, I'd put it at 3rd.

 

[CleverNickName]

I'd make this second level, and I'd add elements to it. It is very conditional, so it needs a little more oomph.

DISRUPTION BEAM
2nd level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Target: a creature within range
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
Classes: Artificer, Wizard

A beam of crackling green energy springs from your arcane focus toward a creature within range and disrupts the flow of magic in the items that creature carries. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target must make a Chrisma saving throw for each magical item they possess.

On a failed saving throw the magic of the item is limited. If it is currently attuned, the wielder loses attunement to the item and can't begin attuning to it again until the duration expires. If the item is not currently attuned, the magic of the item is suppressed until the end of the duration.

At Higher Levels.
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level, the duration is 1 hour. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or 5th level, the duration is 8 hours and the target must make an additional charisma saving throw or they will lose concentration if currently utilizing it. When you use a spell slot of 6th or 7th level, the duration is 24 hours and they must make the saving throw to maintain concentration. When you use a spell slot of 8th or 9th level the duration is permanent until dispelled and they must make the saving throw to maintain concentration, and that saving throw is at disadvantage.

Woah, thanks for all the feedback!

I don't want to require both an attack roll and a save throw (or even multiple save throws, for higher level casting)...that seems like an unnecessary amount of rolling. And I don't want to have to track time limits on the items, either--I'm usually overwhelmed just keeping track of hit points and initiative. There's nothing wrong with these things, they're just not something I enjoy doing in the game.

But I agree that this is more like a 2nd level spell, since it does no permanent harm and doesn't inflict damage. And I do like the idea of being able to upcast this spell; I'm just not sure how to go about adding it in. It might be better to just write a "Greater" version of it, making it a 5th or 6th level spell, that causes the target to lose attunement to all magic items (including Legendaries).

Could it do anything other than cancel attunement? Enemies with attuned items that matter seem extremely rare in my experience. Or is your expectation that this spell will be used against the PCs?

Artificers are very common in my campaign, and there's an Artificer's Guild that is about to "go rogue" and become a major villain faction later in the game. Since artificers comparatively have lots of attunement slots, a non-lethal spell that could break magic item attunement seemed like a good weapon to use against them. Well, maybe 'weapon' is too strong of a word....more like a tool to put in the PC's toolbox, so to speak. I wanted a spell that would help our party of heroes bring these renegade artificers to justice.

 

[ad_hoc]

I would have it suppress all magic items on the target except artifacts and make it 3rd level.

Dispel Magic but for items.

Also 10 minutes concentration.

It is still quite niche.

As written it isn't worth the action no matter the level.

1 action, they get a saving throw, and if they have an important item it might be affected.

Better to just hold person or whatever.

 

[bedir than]

Having it as a second level spell means wizards are learning to do this before they're attuning to items

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's not a wizard spell.

 

[cbwjm]

It's not a wizard spell.

they've added wizard as a class that can select it.

 

[AnotherGuy]

@CleverNickName have you gone Intelligence save due to Artificer as opposed to Charisma save which is the stat for attunement? Just curious why you made that switch.

 

[Krachek]

Is it meant to target the PCs?
I don’t see much use targeting usual monsters.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Rogue Artificers apparently. Which means you don't want it to be an INT save, since artificers have good INT saves.

Make it a DEX or WIS save.

 

[CleverNickName]

Honestly? I went with Int because I feel like it's under-utilized in the game. I could talk myself into using Int in a number of ways (it's the main spellcasting stat for arcanists, it's a high save for artificers, etc) but in truth, I want to add more Int and Str saves into the game with every chance I get.