Not specific to D&D Beyond, but thought the people here would have some valuable feedback. Still figuring out formatting, so it's all in plain text. The mechanics are based on an effect a friend produced using the Spherecaster homebrew.
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Success or failure, you regain 2 hit points. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force it to repeat the saving throw.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 and the amount of hit points restored increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd.
I'm still figuring out the damage and level, but I feel that 2nd level is reasonable. I've compared it to a couple of evocation spells' damage and think that the healing makes up for the lower damage output. My only worry is that it might be too powerful if used right.
I think the repeated damage on failing successive saves is a really powerful effect for a 2nd level spell. My suggested changes would be to reduce their speed to keep the flavor of sapping energy from them to heal yourself and slowing them down in the process. See below:
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from them. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if they pass or fail, you heal half the amount of necrotic damage dealt. Additionally, if the target fails their saving throw, their speed is reduced to 0. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the spell early if they succeed.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
I think the repeated damage on failing successive saves is a really powerful effect for a 2nd level spell. My suggested changes would be to reduce their speed to keep the flavor of sapping energy from them to heal yourself and slowing them down in the process. See below:
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from them. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if they pass or fail, you heal half the amount of necrotic damage dealt. Additionally, if the target fails their saving throw, their speed is reduced to 0. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the spell early if they succeed.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
Spell Lists. Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
I love this change. I think the movement speed reduction is great, and fits with the theme, however do you think it could be possible and still balanced to have the target repeat the save if it moves? The repeated saves on movement were one of the spell's main mechanics so I'd like to keep it if possible, but it does seem difficult to balance.
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if the target secceeds or fails, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force the target to repeat the saving throw.
Alternatively it could be that the target takes no damage on a successful save. There's a few options for balance, such as changing the amount of damage dealt/healed or allowing the target to end the spell on a success. I'm considering changing the damage to 2d4, with an extra 1d4 per slot level above 2nd, or perhaps increasing the spell level to 3rd.
Another way to do it would be to change it from a heal effect to a temporary hit points effect. "Regardless of if the target succeeds or fails, you gain temporary hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. When the target succeeds in making its save, the temporary hit points disappear."
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if the target secceeds or fails, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force the target to repeat the saving throw.
Alternatively it could be that the target takes no damage on a successful save. There's a few options for balance, such as changing the amount of damage dealt/healed or allowing the target to end the spell on a success. I'm considering changing the damage to 2d4, with an extra 1d4 per slot level above 2nd, or perhaps increasing the spell level to 3rd.
I think dropping the damage dice would be good if you want repeated damage on the saving throw!
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if the target secceeds or fails, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force the target to repeat the saving throw.
Alternatively it could be that the target takes no damage on a successful save. There's a few options for balance, such as changing the amount of damage dealt/healed or allowing the target to end the spell on a success. I'm considering changing the damage to 2d4, with an extra 1d4 per slot level above 2nd, or perhaps increasing the spell level to 3rd.
I think dropping the damage dice would be good if you want repeated damage on the saving throw!
Great. How much damage do you think would be reasonable? I'm leaning more towards 2d4 as it gives players a more consistent amount of healing
Tasha's Caustic Brew is a good one to compare it to. 1st level spell, 30 foot line attack, concentration up to 1 minute, Dex save or take 2d4 damage, then repeat every turn until you lose concentration or they spend an action removing the acid.
Yours has the same range, but only affects one person.
Same 1 minute concentration limit
And the creature can try to avoid the effect on both in different ways. With Tasha's they have to waste an action to end it. With yours they can choose not to move instead. Still very strong, but similarly harsh.
The big difference in strength is that Tasha's can be avoided entirely with a save. Yours always deals damage as long as you concentrate, you can heal from the damage, and they can't ever do anything to completely end the effect.
If a successful save in a subsequent turn ended the effect, it would be more in line with lower level spells, and I think higher damage would be fine. If they can't ever end it, and their only option is to stand still or get hit, then maybe 2d4 is better. It would still take some testing.
Okay, I think I've figured out a relatively balanced version.
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if the target succeeds or fails, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force it to repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.
Spell Lists. Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
The target can now end the effect on a successful save. I found out that the reason the original effect was so powerful was because my friend used 4 spell points to cast it, the Spherecaster's equivalent of a 4th-level spell. I think I'm happy with this iteration but will definitely take the time to playtest it. Thanks for the advice
That looks pretty good. I don't think I'd have any problem allowing that in my games, and looks like a fun new way to interact with enemies. You might want to specify that a failed save on subsequent rounds deals the damage and heals the caster again. It's implied, but that might make it more obvious. Just an idea. Good luck with the new spell!
Another way to do it would be to change it from a heal effect to a temporary hit points effect. "Regardless of if the target succeeds or fails, you gain temporary hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. When the target succeeds in making its save, the temporary hit points disappear."
Hm, I like the idea, and temp. HP should definitely be more utilised, but I think that regaining HP fits the spell's theme better. Thanks for the suggestion tho
I have a few more homebrew things to post, but I'll make a new post for each. What's this site's concesus on posting material from sourcebooks? I ask because the homebrew class I want to share is pretty much just a modified Paladin, with their features inverted.
Nevermind, I found the rules on homebrew. Still unsure if my Antipaladin will be okay to post. All of their features are unique, but as stated earlier, are just modified/inverted Paladin features.
Nevermind, I found the rules on homebrew. Still unsure if my Antipaladin will be okay to post. All of their features are unique, but as stated earlier, are just modified/inverted Paladin features.
The Paladin class is a part of the basic rules, so making an altered version of it should be fine. Do note that there is no way to make a fully new class with D&D Beyond's built-in homebrewer.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Nevermind, I found the rules on homebrew. Still unsure if my Antipaladin will be okay to post. All of their features are unique, but as stated earlier, are just modified/inverted Paladin features.
The Paladin class is a part of the basic rules, so making an altered version of it should be fine. Do note that there is no way to make a fully new class with D&D Beyond's built-in homebrewer.
Okay, thanks. I'm just looking for feedback on the class, I don't plan to publish it anyway
By and large I like this spell, it has a unique flavor to it. As a critique I can't think of any other spells (maybe geas counts???) that have a similar mechanic of requiring a subsequent saving throw for additional effects on the creature taking some sort of action.
I think the last version with the reduced damage and requiring the caster to use their reaction seems pretty balanced though and a fun sort of spell.
By and large I like this spell, it has a unique flavor to it. As a critique I can't think of any other spells (maybe geas counts???) that have a similar mechanic of requiring a subsequent saving throw for additional effects on the creature taking some sort of action.
I think the last version with the reduced damage and requiring the caster to use their reaction seems pretty balanced though and a fun sort of spell.
Thanks for the reply. I'm unsure why there aren't more spells like it, it seems like a fun mechanic to explore
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Not specific to D&D Beyond, but thought the people here would have some valuable feedback. Still figuring out formatting, so it's all in plain text. The mechanics are based on an effect a friend produced using the Spherecaster homebrew.
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Success or failure, you regain 2 hit points. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force it to repeat the saving throw.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 and the amount of hit points restored increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd.
Spell Lists. Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
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I'm still figuring out the damage and level, but I feel that 2nd level is reasonable. I've compared it to a couple of evocation spells' damage and think that the healing makes up for the lower damage output. My only worry is that it might be too powerful if used right.
[REDACTED]
I think the repeated damage on failing successive saves is a really powerful effect for a 2nd level spell. My suggested changes would be to reduce their speed to keep the flavor of sapping energy from them to heal yourself and slowing them down in the process. See below:
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from them. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if they pass or fail, you heal half the amount of necrotic damage dealt. Additionally, if the target fails their saving throw, their speed is reduced to 0. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the spell early if they succeed.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
Spell Lists. Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
I love this change. I think the movement speed reduction is great, and fits with the theme, however do you think it could be possible and still balanced to have the target repeat the save if it moves? The repeated saves on movement were one of the spell's main mechanics so I'd like to keep it if possible, but it does seem difficult to balance.
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How's this?
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if the target secceeds or fails, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force the target to repeat the saving throw.
Alternatively it could be that the target takes no damage on a successful save. There's a few options for balance, such as changing the amount of damage dealt/healed or allowing the target to end the spell on a success. I'm considering changing the damage to 2d4, with an extra 1d4 per slot level above 2nd, or perhaps increasing the spell level to 3rd.
[REDACTED]
Another way to do it would be to change it from a heal effect to a temporary hit points effect. "Regardless of if the target succeeds or fails, you gain temporary hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. When the target succeeds in making its save, the temporary hit points disappear."
I think dropping the damage dice would be good if you want repeated damage on the saving throw!
Great. How much damage do you think would be reasonable? I'm leaning more towards 2d4 as it gives players a more consistent amount of healing
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2d4 sounds good I think, you can always test it out in like a one-shot or something like that, and tweak from there.
Tasha's Caustic Brew is a good one to compare it to. 1st level spell, 30 foot line attack, concentration up to 1 minute, Dex save or take 2d4 damage, then repeat every turn until you lose concentration or they spend an action removing the acid.
Yours has the same range, but only affects one person.
Same 1 minute concentration limit
And the creature can try to avoid the effect on both in different ways. With Tasha's they have to waste an action to end it. With yours they can choose not to move instead. Still very strong, but similarly harsh.
The big difference in strength is that Tasha's can be avoided entirely with a save. Yours always deals damage as long as you concentrate, you can heal from the damage, and they can't ever do anything to completely end the effect.
If a successful save in a subsequent turn ended the effect, it would be more in line with lower level spells, and I think higher damage would be fine. If they can't ever end it, and their only option is to stand still or get hit, then maybe 2d4 is better. It would still take some testing.
Okay, I think I've figured out a relatively balanced version.
Jim's Necrotic Cage
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Dark, swirling mist emerges around a creature you can see within range, sapping the life force from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regardless of if the target succeeds or fails, you regain a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage taken. For the duration, if the target moves during its turn, you can use your reaction to force it to repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.
Spell Lists. Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
The target can now end the effect on a successful save. I found out that the reason the original effect was so powerful was because my friend used 4 spell points to cast it, the Spherecaster's equivalent of a 4th-level spell. I think I'm happy with this iteration but will definitely take the time to playtest it. Thanks for the advice
[REDACTED]
That looks pretty good. I don't think I'd have any problem allowing that in my games, and looks like a fun new way to interact with enemies. You might want to specify that a failed save on subsequent rounds deals the damage and heals the caster again. It's implied, but that might make it more obvious. Just an idea. Good luck with the new spell!
Thanks 👍
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Hm, I like the idea, and temp. HP should definitely be more utilised, but I think that regaining HP fits the spell's theme better. Thanks for the suggestion tho
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I have a few more homebrew things to post, but I'll make a new post for each. What's this site's concesus on posting material from sourcebooks? I ask because the homebrew class I want to share is pretty much just a modified Paladin, with their features inverted.
[REDACTED]
Nevermind, I found the rules on homebrew. Still unsure if my Antipaladin will be okay to post. All of their features are unique, but as stated earlier, are just modified/inverted Paladin features.
[REDACTED]
The Paladin class is a part of the basic rules, so making an altered version of it should be fine. Do note that there is no way to make a fully new class with D&D Beyond's built-in homebrewer.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Okay, thanks. I'm just looking for feedback on the class, I don't plan to publish it anyway
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By and large I like this spell, it has a unique flavor to it. As a critique I can't think of any other spells (maybe geas counts???) that have a similar mechanic of requiring a subsequent saving throw for additional effects on the creature taking some sort of action.
I think the last version with the reduced damage and requiring the caster to use their reaction seems pretty balanced though and a fun sort of spell.
Thanks for the reply. I'm unsure why there aren't more spells like it, it seems like a fun mechanic to explore
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