D&D (2024) What spells should be dropped?

[Shardstone]

The spell lists have all just become super bloated. The top spells haven't changed much since 5e launched, so all the bloat is coming at the bottom end, with tons of repetition and niche spells. I agree that I would love to see data from DnDBeyond on how often each spell gets selected, let alone used. I suspect that almost all the ones that I listed would be very, very low on such a list.

As well, the more bloated the spell lists grow, the more difficult it is to balance them.

Personally, I think the top spells should be cut off or broken up into more bottom spells. I think a more "niche spell selection," which could lead to more creative play with different spells, is better for my taste personally than a lot of OP spells that have to be picked.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

They have, do you forget that sorcerer can use whole Arcane list now?

I'm fully expecting true polymorph to become: "You turn into one of three generic templates for an hour"

And lose the entire become a monster and become permanent parts.

 

[tetrasodium]

Auto scaling cantrips not linked to equipment: -all- of them. Characters shouldn't have their primary attack a thing completely disregarding the GM's role in giving out treasure.

 

[Scott Christian]

None

 

[Nadan]

Auto scaling cantrips not linked to equipment: -all- of them. Characters shouldn't have their primary attack a thing completely disregarding the GM's role in giving out treasure.

...what? Are you talking about 4e?

 

[tetrasodium]

...what? Are you talking about 4e?

No. I "This spell's damage increases by 1dN when you reach 5th level (2dN), 11th level (3dN), and 17th level (4dN)."

It's not like cantrips including that kind of scaling are unusual.

editL It's like starter gear growing into a flametongue or whatever

 

[Yaarel]

I would keep them but make them rituals. ...

Make as rituals but you must be this level to cast it. ...

Some of these should be rituals in my opinion. ...

Ritual is a great design space.

Many concepts that make bad spells, actually make great rituals.

I want to see 5e develop the ritual design space, separately from spell design space.

For example, any character can attempt to perform a ritual. A ritual can use an Ability Check to perform successfully.

The school of a ritual might correlate with a skill.

School of Ritual (Skill)
• Abjuration (Medicine)
• Conjuration (Arcana)
• Divination (Religion: Celestial or Fey)
• Evocation (Nature)
• Enchantment (Insight)
• Illusion (Deception)
• Necromancy (Religion: Fiend or Shadow)
• Transmutation (Survival: Earth, Plant, or Animal)

The more difficult a ritual, the higher the DC. There might also be a hard character level prerequisite, so certain high-level rituals are unperformable until a character reaches a certain level.

A successful Ability Check means one performed a ritual correctly.

Interestingly, a critical failure during a ritual can mean something goes wrong. This trope of forbidden magic harming inexperienced dabblers is something D&D 5e doesnt explore. But a ritual design place is a great place for these tropes.



A ritual can be anything, for anything, with any kind of requirement to perform successfully. A ritual can be for something routine, like lighting magical streetlamps in a city, or can be obscure like that one time one really needs a Hallucenary Terrain (LOL!).

While some spell effects also have a ritual with a similar effect, spells are not rituals. There can be many rituals that are not spells.

If a spell mentions a corresponding ritual, it can also mention the DC necessary to perform the ritual successfully. Any character can try to perform the ritual, whether a Wizard or a Fighter.

Rituals are a great magic item that DMs can hand out as treasure. The obscure ones can be flavorful. Some rituals might even be useful.



Many things that are currently spells are things a caster will never prepare. But if rituals are separate from spells, then there are many spells that are terrible spells but fantastic rituals.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Rope trick and Leomunds Tiny Hut of course.

Leomund's Tiny Hut would be fine if it was like previous editions' versions. Protects you only from extreme weather, not from enemies.

 

[MGibster]

It worked just fine in the TSR days.

I'm not opposed to the spell in principle and fully acknowledge that it worked just fine back in the TSR days. I think it worked just fine under 3rd edition as well. In 2nd edition, when you failed your saving roll you regarded the caster as a trusted friend or ally to be defended. In 5th edition, failing a save means you treat the caster as a friendly acquaintance. I don't know about anyone else, but there's not much I'm willing to do for a friendly acquaintance that I wouldn't do for someone I didn't know. I just really, really dislike the 5th edition's version of the spell and would like it to be a bit more useful.

 

[James Gasik]

No. I "This spell's damage increases by 1dN when you reach 5th level (2dN), 11th level (3dN), and 17th level (4dN)."

It's not like cantrips including that kind of scaling are unusual.

editL It's like starter gear growing into a flametongue or whatever

Is this really different than Rogues getting an extra d6 Sneak Attack every off level or Fighters getting Extra Attacks?