The player wants a spell that would work with their Transmutation Wizard. Originally he wanted to turn them to solid gold, but after telling them we would base it off of Flesh to Stone he changed his mind. Now, it is a control spell to remove the enemy from initiative and slowly damage them. I based it off of Otiluke's Resilient Sphere and am looking for some balancing suggestions.
*Edit to better highlight the differences between the versions*
I currently have a few versions of the spell: v1.0 Basic no Scaling. v1.1 Scaling in Damage. v1.2 Scaling in Number of Targets.
v2.0 Changes how damage is done v2.1 and v2.2 similar scaling methods to v1.1 and v1.2
Version 1.0
LEVEL
4th
CASTING TIME
1 Action
RANGE/AREA
30 ft
COMPONENTS
V, S, M *
DURATION
Concentration 1 Minute
SCHOOL
Transmutation
ATTACK/SAVE
CON Save
DAMAGE/EFFECT
Fire
Melting ten gold coins when you cast this spell, you encase a creature of Large size or smaller within range in a shell made of hot gold. An unwilling creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure the creature is encased for the duration and is Incapacitated, Blinded, and Deafened.
The shell has an AC of 11 and 5d8+20 hp. The spell ends when you lose concentration or the gold shell's hp is reduced to 0.
At the beginning of the creature's turn the hot golden shell deals 1d8 fire damage to both itself and the creature encased within.
* - (two hemispherical pieces of gold which the spell consumes (10gp value))
Version 2.0
LEVEL
4th
CASTING TIME
1 Action
RANGE/AREA
30 ft
COMPONENTS
V, S, M *
DURATION
Concentration 1 Minute
SCHOOL
Transmutation
ATTACK/SAVE
CON Save
DAMAGE/EFFECT
Fire
Melting ten gold coins when you cast this spell, you encase a creature of Large size or smaller within range in a shell made of hot gold. An unwilling creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure the creature is encased for the duration and is Incapacitated, Blinded, and Deafened.
The shell has an AC of 11 and 5d8+20 hp. The spell ends when you lose concentration or the gold shell's hp is reduced to 0.
Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause the golden shell to deal 1d8 fire damage to both itself and the creature.
* - (two hemispherical pieces of gold which the spell consumes (10gp value))
Version 1.1
LEVEL
4th
CASTING TIME
1 Action
RANGE/AREA
30 ft
COMPONENTS
V, S, M *
DURATION
Concentration 1 Minute
SCHOOL
Transmutation
ATTACK/SAVE
CON Save
DAMAGE/EFFECT
Fire
Melting ten gold coins when you cast this spell, you encase a creature of Large size or smaller within range in a shell made of hot gold. An unwilling creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure the creature is encased for the duration and is Incapacitated, Blinded, and Deafened.
The shell has an AC of 11 and 5d8+20 hp. The spell ends when you lose concentration or the gold shell's hp is reduced to 0.
At the beginning of the creature's turn the hot golden shell deals 1d8 fire damage to both itself and the creature encased within.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the shell gains an additional 2d8+5 hp and the fire damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.
* - (two hemispherical pieces of gold which the spell consumes (10gp value))
Version 1.1
LEVEL
4th
CASTING TIME
1 Action
RANGE/AREA
30 ft
COMPONENTS
V, S, M *
DURATION
Concentration 1 Minute
SCHOOL
Transmutation
ATTACK/SAVE
CON Save
DAMAGE/EFFECT
Fire
Melting ten gold coins when you cast this spell, you encase a creature of Large size or smaller within range in a shell made of hot gold. An unwilling creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure the creature is encased for the duration and is Incapacitated, Blinded, and Deafened.
The shell has an AC of 11 and 5d8+20 hp. The spell ends when you lose concentration or the gold shell's hp is reduced to 0.
At the beginning of the creature's turn the hot golden shell deals 1d8 fire damage to both itself and the creature encased within.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for every two slot levels above 4th. For every additional creature targeted, an additional golden sphere of 10gp must be consumed.
* - (two hemispherical pieces of gold which the spell consumes (10gp value))
An alternate ability for the spell could be to leave the target petrified. Most things that petrify a target turn them to stone, but the condition states that the subject could be turned into any solid inanimate substance. Gold fits this quite nicely. You could also have text like this to make the spell have that same flare you wanted in your previous editions:
"The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure the creature is petrified for the duration. While petrified in this way, the creature does not have resistance to fire damage.
Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to deal 1d8 fire damage to the petrified creature. The spell ends early if the creature takes a total of 20 or more fire damage."
For reference (this is listed in the tooltip for the petrified as well), here is what the petrified usually entails.
A petrified creature is transformed, along with any nonmagical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance (usually stone). Its weight increases by a factor of ten, and it ceases aging.
The creature is incapacitated, can’t move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings.
This spell is more powerful than Mental Prison, let alone Resilient Sphere. I don't know what exactly your PC is after, but if all they want to do is take a target out of play, I'd homebrew Maximilian's Earthen Grasp to have scaling, as follows (SL is Spell Level):
The squeezing damage is SLd6.
The hand can grab objects in addition to creatures. Its carrying capacity is calculated as though it had Strength 30 and Powerful Build, so 900 pounds for a Medium hand, 1800 for a Large hand, and 3600 for a Huge hand (see below).
The hand can be made bigger with higher spell levels: Large at SL 4 and Huge at SL 6. This increases the hand's grabbing range to 10 and 15 feet, respectively.
At SL3, a creature smaller than the hand that's restrained by it can be swallowed by it, much like with a giant toad: they're enveloped by the hand, which has no internal light source, so ordinarily they'll be functionally blinded (although this is just genuine, nonmagical darkness), and there's no air inside the hand. While trapped inside the creature has total cover between it and everything outside the hand. As an action, the caster can - instead of dealing the squeeze damage - have the hand regurgitate the imprisoned creature. It is deposited prone in a space of the caster's choice within the hand's reach. A creature inside the hand is not released when the hand is moved.
Note that the spell only working on 1 creature at a time is still the case - having a creature inside it makes the hand unable to grasp anything else.
At SL5, the hand can be controlled as a bonus action, not just an action.
This spell is more powerful than Mental Prison, let alone Resilient Sphere.
I disagree on this point. The spell OP posted has no effect on a successful save and even failing a save with the scaling indicated for V2.1 (using a 6th level slot for comparison with Mental Prison), it will deal 3d8 damage/turn, but doing so reduces the duration of the spell. The average duration of the spell if the caster chooses to deal damage each turn is 5-6 turns. This doesn't include enemies attempting to damage the shell (which is still beneficial to the party, making them waste their actions to free their comrade). This spell requiring a Constitution save also means that it's likely never to affect strong melee enemies that a party member might want to remove from the equation. Mental Prison deals 5d10 damage on a successful save. So even if a boss wants to use legendary resistance to avoid the spell, they're still taking 5d10 psychic damage, which is a damage type very few creatures can resist. That's if the target succeeds. If they fail, they are stuck in that prison and take an additional 10d10 if they try to leave or even if they are forced to leave by an effect like, oh I dunno, the Gust cantrip. But that's why Mental Prison is a 6th level spell and not 4th like OP's. Also, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is impenetrable except by Disintegrate, a 6th level spell. Making this less useful as a protective option and marginally more reliable as an offensive one.
I like the idea of reskinning Maximilian's Earthen Grasp. Reskinning other spells can be a great way to make them feel original; not sure if OP wants to try to redefine the description so it aligns with their current spell though.
Creature is restrained, blinded, deafened and takes 1d8 damage each round with no save? Great 6th level spell, minimum.
You want to restrain, blind and deafen someone at 4th level, they get a save to end the spell early every round, at the end of their turn. Strength Check, DC same as spell.
But throw in an additional 3d8 of damage when they fail the first Con save, to make up for this escape route.
After some more thought on the spell, I would suggest to OP that if they want the spell to remain as close to the way it is now, they should remove the blinded and deafened conditions because they have little to no bearing on the spell's performance.
A blinded creature must use it's action to make a perception check in combat. Since it is unable to take actions, however, that text is irrelevant. The only text used by the blinded condition is the text referring to advantage/disadvantage on attack rolls. But because the shell must be attacked before the creature (because the shell completely covers the creature and therefore grants the creature total cover), that text is also not important; A creature that cannot be directly targeted by attacks or spells will never be negatively affected by an opponent with advantage on their attack rolls.
A deafened creature similarly must use an action to make a perception check, therefore the condition doesn't need to be included because they cannot take actions.
Hypnotic Pattern is a 3rd level spell that incapacitates multiple targets (no upper limit of targets either) and does not allow future saves. Even considering this though, this spell is effectively identical to Banishment, another 4th level spell, except that it also deals some damage and can be destroyed physically or dispelled with Dispel Magic. All this said, I think if the spell remains as it is, it should remain at 1d8 damage rather than scale damage with spell level. Text should also be added stating that the target has resistance to all damage and when the target takes damage, the shell takes the same amount (similar to the Damage Transfer ability of a Rug of Smothering).
After some more thought on the spell, I would suggest to OP that if they want the spell to remain as close to the way it is now, they should remove the blinded and deafened conditions because they have little to no bearing on the spell's performance.
So simply looking at the Conditions for Blinded and Deafened you are correct. However, things like Bardic Inspiration or a Gnoll Pack Leader's Incite Rampage do in fact require the target to HEAR the ability in order to receive the benefit of it. So there is that. (And there are sight based abilities as well).
The shell should probably have set hit points, and calling it Midas' Touch and not making it a touch spell doesn't feel right.
Making it Touch and also having the save be Constitution would almost make this spell useless IMO. Thematically yes, it should be Touch. However, I didn't think it would balance very well.
All this said, I think if the spell remains as it is, it should remain at 1d8 damage rather than scale damage with spell level. Text should also be added stating that the target has resistance to all damage and when the target takes damage, the shell takes the same amount (similar to the Damage Transfer ability of a Rug of Smothering).
I can agree with you on the fact of reducing the damage and not scaling, that one didn't quite sit well with me either. I think we will make this a solid 4th level spell and not include scaling. However, I don't quite understand the power difference between doing the Damage Transfer versus the Shell having an AC and Hit Points.
I think I'm leaning more towards Version 2.0 at this point. It doesn't include scaling and the damage is tied to the caster's BA versus just happening.
When I crafted this spell I figured the fact that it was a Con Save would balance the single save factor. I also figured the Conditions were balanced by the fact the spell could be ended in so many ways (break Concentration of caster, destroy shell, Dispel Magic). The damage is negligible at base casting but could break a caster's Concentration potentially, along with quickening the end of the spell.
Reskinning and flavoring spell is something I do pretty often. I don't Homebrew spells very often, in fact this is only the 4th one I've attempted, so although we could reskin Flesh to Stone or Earthen Grasp etc the player and I really wanted to create something his Transmutation Wizard could put their name on.
Thanks for the feedback so far, it was def helped me narrow down the final version. I think I'm gonna run some testing for it and see how it plays out and we will tweak the spell as we use it/I get more feedback!
After some more thought on the spell, I would suggest to OP that if they want the spell to remain as close to the way it is now, they should remove the blinded and deafened conditions because they have little to no bearing on the spell's performance.
So simply looking at the Conditions for Blinded and Deafened you are correct. However, things like Bardic Inspiration or a Gnoll Pack Leader's Incite Rampage do in fact require the target to HEAR the ability in order to receive the benefit of it. So there is that. (And there are sight based abilities as well).
I'd like to just bring attention to my first comment regarding Midas' Touch. If you replace the conditions with the petrified condition, it would fit the flavor very well and still count as blinded and deafened since it is unaware of its surroundings.
But I think you're doing a great job working the feedback so far into your creation so as long as you like the end result I think it's a win!
The player wants a spell that would work with their Transmutation Wizard. Originally he wanted to turn them to solid gold, but after telling them we would base it off of Flesh to Stone he changed his mind. Now, it is a control spell to remove the enemy from initiative and slowly damage them. I based it off of Otiluke's Resilient Sphere and am looking for some balancing suggestions.
*Edit to better highlight the differences between the versions*
I currently have a few versions of the spell:
v1.0 Basic no Scaling.
v1.1 Scaling in Damage.
v1.2 Scaling in Number of Targets.
v2.0 Changes how damage is done
v2.1 and v2.2 similar scaling methods to v1.1 and v1.2
The shell should probably have set hit points, and calling it Midas' Touch and not making it a touch spell doesn't feel right.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
An alternate ability for the spell could be to leave the target petrified. Most things that petrify a target turn them to stone, but the condition states that the subject could be turned into any solid inanimate substance. Gold fits this quite nicely.
You could also have text like this to make the spell have that same flare you wanted in your previous editions:
"The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure the creature is petrified for the duration. While petrified in this way, the creature does not have resistance to fire damage.
Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to deal 1d8 fire damage to the petrified creature. The spell ends early if the creature takes a total of 20 or more fire damage."
For reference (this is listed in the tooltip for the petrified as well), here is what the petrified usually entails.
Hope this helps with any future iterations of the brew!
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
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This spell is more powerful than Mental Prison, let alone Resilient Sphere. I don't know what exactly your PC is after, but if all they want to do is take a target out of play, I'd homebrew Maximilian's Earthen Grasp to have scaling, as follows (SL is Spell Level):
I disagree on this point. The spell OP posted has no effect on a successful save and even failing a save with the scaling indicated for V2.1 (using a 6th level slot for comparison with Mental Prison), it will deal 3d8 damage/turn, but doing so reduces the duration of the spell. The average duration of the spell if the caster chooses to deal damage each turn is 5-6 turns. This doesn't include enemies attempting to damage the shell (which is still beneficial to the party, making them waste their actions to free their comrade). This spell requiring a Constitution save also means that it's likely never to affect strong melee enemies that a party member might want to remove from the equation.
Mental Prison deals 5d10 damage on a successful save. So even if a boss wants to use legendary resistance to avoid the spell, they're still taking 5d10 psychic damage, which is a damage type very few creatures can resist. That's if the target succeeds. If they fail, they are stuck in that prison and take an additional 10d10 if they try to leave or even if they are forced to leave by an effect like, oh I dunno, the Gust cantrip.
But that's why Mental Prison is a 6th level spell and not 4th like OP's.
Also, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is impenetrable except by Disintegrate, a 6th level spell. Making this less useful as a protective option and marginally more reliable as an offensive one.
I like the idea of reskinning Maximilian's Earthen Grasp. Reskinning other spells can be a great way to make them feel original; not sure if OP wants to try to redefine the description so it aligns with their current spell though.
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
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Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Backgrounds | Feats | Races | Subclasses
Creature is restrained, blinded, deafened and takes 1d8 damage each round with no save? Great 6th level spell, minimum.
You want to restrain, blind and deafen someone at 4th level, they get a save to end the spell early every round, at the end of their turn. Strength Check, DC same as spell.
But throw in an additional 3d8 of damage when they fail the first Con save, to make up for this escape route.
After some more thought on the spell, I would suggest to OP that if they want the spell to remain as close to the way it is now, they should remove the blinded and deafened conditions because they have little to no bearing on the spell's performance.
Hypnotic Pattern is a 3rd level spell that incapacitates multiple targets (no upper limit of targets either) and does not allow future saves. Even considering this though, this spell is effectively identical to Banishment, another 4th level spell, except that it also deals some damage and can be destroyed physically or dispelled with Dispel Magic.
All this said, I think if the spell remains as it is, it should remain at 1d8 damage rather than scale damage with spell level. Text should also be added stating that the target has resistance to all damage and when the target takes damage, the shell takes the same amount (similar to the Damage Transfer ability of a Rug of Smothering).
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
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So simply looking at the Conditions for Blinded and Deafened you are correct. However, things like Bardic Inspiration or a Gnoll Pack Leader's Incite Rampage do in fact require the target to HEAR the ability in order to receive the benefit of it. So there is that. (And there are sight based abilities as well).
Making it Touch and also having the save be Constitution would almost make this spell useless IMO. Thematically yes, it should be Touch. However, I didn't think it would balance very well.
I can agree with you on the fact of reducing the damage and not scaling, that one didn't quite sit well with me either. I think we will make this a solid 4th level spell and not include scaling. However, I don't quite understand the power difference between doing the Damage Transfer versus the Shell having an AC and Hit Points.
I think I'm leaning more towards Version 2.0 at this point. It doesn't include scaling and the damage is tied to the caster's BA versus just happening.
When I crafted this spell I figured the fact that it was a Con Save would balance the single save factor. I also figured the Conditions were balanced by the fact the spell could be ended in so many ways (break Concentration of caster, destroy shell, Dispel Magic). The damage is negligible at base casting but could break a caster's Concentration potentially, along with quickening the end of the spell.
Reskinning and flavoring spell is something I do pretty often. I don't Homebrew spells very often, in fact this is only the 4th one I've attempted, so although we could reskin Flesh to Stone or Earthen Grasp etc the player and I really wanted to create something his Transmutation Wizard could put their name on.
Thanks for the feedback so far, it was def helped me narrow down the final version. I think I'm gonna run some testing for it and see how it plays out and we will tweak the spell as we use it/I get more feedback!
I'd like to just bring attention to my first comment regarding Midas' Touch. If you replace the conditions with the petrified condition, it would fit the flavor very well and still count as blinded and deafened since it is unaware of its surroundings.
But I think you're doing a great job working the feedback so far into your creation so as long as you like the end result I think it's a win!
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
General homebrew links
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Backgrounds | Feats | Races | Subclasses