So I had an idea to implement some elemental status effects into my Moster Hunter-esque dnd campaign and was wondering if y'all could give me some feedback and balancing advice. These effects are applied when damage of the type is dealt and the creature fails a saving throw. Casters can apply them with the help of a feat and marshals can use special oils to coat their weapons.   (ps. would also appreciate some help coming up with ideas for the poison effect) 

Fire - Scorched → The target has disadvantage on concentration checks

Cold -  Chilled → The target’s speed is reduced by 5 feet and it cannot dash

Lightning - Conduction →  The target drops any metal objects they are holding

Poison - Toxified → 

Acid - Corroded → nonmagical armour worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armour is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

Radiant - Flash → the target suffers the blinded condition for 1 round

Necrotic - Necrosis→ Healing received is reduced by 1d4

Thunder - Concussed → The creature suffers the deafened condition for 1 round

Psychic - Psyshock → The target suffers disadvantage on it’s next attack roll for 1 round

An effect becomes intense under the following conditions:

• An attack that causes a status rolls a natural 20
• A saving throw against a spell effect that causes a status rolls a natural 1
• An attack or spell effect that causes a status rolls max damage

Intense effects include:

Fire - Intense Scorch → The target suffers 1d6 fire damage per round for 1 minute. It can take an action to put out the flames with a DC 15 constitution saving throw*

Cold - Intense hill → The target’s movement speed is halved and it suffers disadvantage on dexterity saving throws*

Lightning - Intense Conduction → Target suffers the stunned condition for 1 round*

Poison - Intense Intoxication → The target suffers the poisoned condition for 1d4 rounds*

Acid - Intense Corrosion → Any metal armour the target is currently wearing is broken and provides no benefit until it is repaired

Radiant - Intense Flash → The target suffers the blinding condition for 1 minute

Necrotic - Intense Necrosis → Target cannot regain hitpoints until they take a long rest

Thunder - Intense Concussion → The target suffers disadvantage on attack rolls for 1 minute*

Psychic - Intense Psyshock → The target suffers the paralyzed condition for 1 round

*Intense effects are placed on a creature in addition to the basic effects. 

I think "on taking damage of that type and failing a saving throw" is too often. If you think about most other status effects in the game, they'll generally require your action and/or a whole spell slot, and that's often without doing any damage. 

As is,  I think this would make cantrips with riders (like Shocking Grasp's "target cannot take reactions" rider) overpowered, as now they would also convey a status effect, rider, AND damage all for no resource cost. 

Maybe you could turn the application of these status effects to something like the magical equivalent of a grapple: a character casts a spell with a certain damage type, but has the option to forego damage to apply the status effect, which they then have a contested skill roll with the target to see if the effect is successfully applied. You as the DM would determine which skills they would roll for which status effect, but you'd probably want to have at least two for each, just like how Grapple can be beaten ether by Athletics or Acrobatics. 

Point one: I'd cause an intense effect if a certain amount of damage or higher is dealt, such as 3 or 4 times the character's level or monster's CR. I'd also not apply any effect at all if the damage is insignificant (less than the monster's CR or PC's level).

Point two: For minor poison damage, I'd poison the target for 1 round.

Point three: Before applying an effect, I'd call for a Constitution saving throw. Some of these effects are game-breaking if a save is not called for. For some of these effects (such as being Blinded for a full minute or having Disadvantage on attack rolls for that long), I'd say to allow the target to repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on a success.

I think the biggest effect would be to make cantrips overpowered since they do all these damage types without a resource cost. In addition, AoE spells of the related type also get much stronger. Imagine hitting the party with a fireball and then taking down the wizard whose spells all have disadvantage on concentration saves? Does every creature then have to make both a dex save and a con save doubling the number of dice rolled for each creature?

Firebolt becomes much more powerful.

However, if you add a save for each of these conditions then you have doubled the dice rolled each turn and either the DM or a player must look up the relevant constitution save and then roll it. Overall, it seems to me, that it would slow the game much more than it is worth.

Finally, some of the status effects mimic those already provided by specific cantrips. Vicious Mockery is already a mediocre cantrip and it gains nothing since the psychic condition is exactly what the cantrip does anyway. However, Synaptic Static - a psychic fireball gets to impose significant additional status effects.

So, sorry, but I don't think it would really work that well.

Thanks for all the feedback.

CharlesThePlant: I'm thinking that to lower the complexity only one status effect can be applied in a turn and they don't stack.

The point about cantrips is a good one. I think that cantrips won't be able to apply status effects to keep them from becoming too broken.

The main problem I see with the magical grapple idea is that in later levels of play it probably won't be worth it to completely forgo the damage of a spell in order to apply a status effect. While some of the effects are really strong it's hard to apply the intense effects.

Panda_wat I want the intense effects to be really rare but the idea of it not applying on a low damage roll might help to minimise drag.

I'm definitely gonna use that.

That's a good idea but it might slow down gameplay with lots of rolls.

David42 Once again cantrips will not be able to apply effects.

That's a very good point about the saves.

Yet another good point. Might try change some of the effects. 

Once again thank you for all the feedback. Much appreciated.

What are the status effects, such as frightened?

I do not mean this as a criticism we have all had ideas that sound great in our heads - then we put them in a game and its totally broken / takes too long / over complicates fights. 

A lot of the effects you have listed are incredibly powerful and complicated to keep track of. 

If you want this to work I would reduce all this down to a residual elemental effect - disadvantage on 1 round - simple not game breaking and can make it 2 rounds on a crit. 

I mean conditions, not status effects.

This sounds extremely cool, and I want to see it make it into the game without overcomplicating and bogging it down!

For Poison, Poisoned is the obvious option!

I would drop the 2-tier approach. I think it might be too difficult to track, and as others have said, it might be inclined to slow things down. I also agree that these are powerful, perhaps too much so for freebies.

Might I suggest linking these to a consumable/rechargable item, such as a magical arcane focus, which gives them 2-3 charges per day to make use of this ability, or a stone rune which crumbles when used. This would make it more in-keeping with the martials, who have expendable oils to use for them.

Quote from Pink_Parade >>

So I had an idea to implement some elemental status effects into my Moster Hunter-esque dnd campaign and was wondering if y'all could give me some feedback and balancing advice. These effects are applied when damage of the type is dealt and the creature fails a saving throw. Casters can apply them with the help of a feat and marshals can use special oils to coat their weapons.   (ps. would also appreciate some help coming up with ideas for the poison effect) 

Fire - Scorched → The target has disadvantage on concentration checks

Cold -  Chilled → The target’s speed is reduced by 5 feet and it cannot dash

Lightning - Conduction →  The target drops any metal objects they are holding

Poison - Toxified → 

Acid - Corroded → nonmagical armour worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armour is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.

Radiant - Flash → the target suffers the blinded condition for 1 round

Necrotic - Necrosis→ Healing received is reduced by 1d4

Thunder - Concussed → The creature suffers the deafened condition for 1 round

Psychic - Psyshock → The target suffers disadvantage on it’s next attack roll for 1 round

 

An effect becomes intense under the following conditions:

• An attack that causes a status rolls a natural 20
• A saving throw against a spell effect that causes a status rolls a natural 1
• An attack or spell effect that causes a status rolls max damage

Intense effects include:

 

Fire - Intense Scorch → The target suffers 1d6 fire damage per round for 1 minute. It can take an action to put out the flames with a DC 15 constitution saving throw*

Cold - Intense hill → The target’s movement speed is halved and it suffers disadvantage on dexterity saving throws*

Lightning - Intense Conduction → Target suffers the stunned condition for 1 round*

Poison - Intense Intoxication → The target suffers the poisoned condition for 1d4 rounds*

Acid - Intense Corrosion → Any metal armour the target is currently wearing is broken and provides no benefit until it is repaired

Radiant - Intense Flash → The target suffers the blinding condition for 1 minute

Necrotic - Intense Necrosis → Target cannot regain hitpoints until they take a long rest

Thunder - Intense Concussion → The target suffers disadvantage on attack rolls for 1 minute*

Psychic - Intense Psyshock → The target suffers the paralyzed condition for 1 round

 

*Intense effects are placed on a creature in addition to the basic effects.