Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
Burning Desperation allows a caster of any level to exchange life force for an extra spell slot. This can only be used if the caster is completely out of usable spell slots for to cast the spell they'd like to cast (i.e. if they want to cast a 5th level spell, but have a 6th level spell slot available, they cannot use Burning Desperation.)
- Once per day, as a bonus action, a caster can choose to use burning desperation to exchange one of their hit dice for a spell slot of first level. They can exchange more hit dice for higher level spell slots if they choose to (i.e. a 3rd level spell slot would cost them 3 hit dice.)
- The spell slot must be used during the same turn as the caster used burning desperation.
- They must roll a DC 10 constitution saving throw. If they fail, they receive one point of exhaustion for each level of the spell slot they received. If they succeed, they take a single point of exhaustion.
- Upon use, they also take 1d8 necrotic damage per level of the spell they cast, (i.e. if they cast a 3rd level spell, they'll take 3d8 necrotic damage.) and their hit point maximum is lowered by the amount of damage they take until they have completed a long rest, (i.e. if they take 15 damage, their hit point maximum is lowered by 15.)
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Posted Nov 17, 2021Hey, I saw your tiktok on this feat and I thought I'd take a gander, and I've come to realize that even non-casters can also pick up this feat. Aasimar, tieflings, and characters with magic initiate or features that allow characters to cast a spell without expending a spell slot can take this feat, but would only gain situational benefits and more often would result in some jank. I would recommend updating the prerequisite to require the spellcasting or pact magic feature. I also think this feat can pose some issues at higher levels, where more consistent healing sources exist without hit die, so they can be freely expended to gain spell slots that aren't available until 8 levels later. The chance to die to exhaustion immediately is a probability in these cases, but any caster that needs to seriously consider risking their life for a powerful spell slot probably already has a high CON to pass concentration checks. I absolutely love last-stand kind of maneuvers with high risk, high reward, so it was a blast to read through this. I think you did a fantastic job of laying down the foundation of what that would be like for casters.
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Posted Nov 18, 2021Maybe the Con save should be a DC of 10 + the level of the spell used. As worded most casters with a con proficiency would pass this really easily, and it would make sense for it to be more difficult to use a 9th lvl spell than a 1st. Love the backlash though!