I'm having trouble figuring out what level this spell should be. Anyone have any thoughts?
Cone of Force
Level: ?
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range/Area: 30 ft. cone
Components: V,S
Duration: Instantaneous
School: Evocation
Attack/Save: CON Save
Damage/Effect: Force
A wave of force springs from your outstretched hand. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target takes any damage and is size large or smaller, it is pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of ? level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above ?.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
It is similar to burning hands, but I thought the push + knockdown might bump it up some. It also has double the area.
It's also very similar to Thunderwave, but with more area (though a cone rather than a cube), plus the pushback is more difficult to resist, and it has the prone effect as well.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
I'd up the dice just a hair (to 3d4 or, just maybe, 2d8) and make it 2nd level. That probably means that it would be a pretty strong 2nd-level spell as-is.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
So it's a slightly larger thunderwave with less damage, but it also knocks targets prone, and does the non-damaging effects even if they fail the save, plus doesn't make an arbitrarily loud noise and is a less commonly resisted damage type?
Definitely needs to be at least 3rd level, or be altered to function along the same paradigm as other spells in the game (i.e. you save or you have bad stuff happen, not you save and bad stuff still happens).
So it's a slightly larger thunderwave with less damage, but it also knocks targets prone, and does the non-damaging effects even if they fail the save, plus doesn't make an arbitrarily loud noise and is a less commonly resisted damage type?
Definitely needs to be at least 3rd level, or be altered to function along the same paradigm as other spells in the game (i.e. you save or you have bad stuff happen, not you save and bad stuff still happens).
Well, in the unlikely event you have resistance to Force damage, the bad stuff doesn't happen. So, maybe 3rd level as-is, or 2nd level if I alter it so a save negates the knockback/knockdown?
Well, in the unlikely event you have resistance to Force damage, the bad stuff doesn't happen. So, maybe 3rd level as-is, or 2nd level if I alter it so a save negates the knockback/knockdown?
As worded, it would take the even more unlikely immunity to force damage to prevent the bad stuff from happening. But yes, if you make the spell follow the example set by other spells in the game so that the save prevents the bad stuff if the target succeeds at it, the spell could be fairly treated as 2nd level.
Well, in the unlikely event you have resistance to Force damage, the bad stuff doesn't happen. So, maybe 3rd level as-is, or 2nd level if I alter it so a save negates the knockback/knockdown?
As worded, it would take the even more unlikely immunity to force damage to prevent the bad stuff from happening. But yes, if you make the spell follow the example set by other spells in the game so that the save prevents the bad stuff if the target succeeds at it, the spell could be fairly treated as 2nd level.
Resistance + a successful save would result in no damage and thus no bad stuff. But, thinking about it, there's no reason to make the bad stuff so difficult to avoid. So, here's the revised version:
Cone of Force
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range/Area: 30 ft. cone
Components: V,S
Duration: Instantaneous
School: Evocation
Attack/Save: CON Save
Damage/Effect: Force
A wave of force springs from your outstretched hand. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target fails its saving throw and is size large or smaller, it is pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.
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.
Resistance + a successful save would result in no damage and thus no bad stuff.
That's not true. Resistance reduces the damage by half, and passing the saving throw reduces the damage by half, but these two halves do not make a whole, they leave a quarter.
Specific example for clarity: if 10 damage is rolled, a successful save or resistance would reduce that damage to 5 (half of 10). Both would reduce it to 2, not 0 (half of 10 for passing the save = 5, and half of that for having resistance = 2.5, rounded down because that's what the D&D rules say to do when not explicitly told otherwise).
Resistance + a successful save would result in no damage and thus no bad stuff.
That's not true. Resistance reduces the damage by half, and passing the saving throw reduces the damage by half, but these two halves do not make a whole, they leave a quarter.
Specific example for clarity: if 10 damage is rolled, a successful save or resistance would reduce that damage to 5 (half of 10). Both would reduce it to 2, not 0 (half of 10 for passing the save = 5, and half of that for having resistance = 2.5, rounded down because that's what the D&D rules say to do when not explicitly told otherwise).
Huh. I don't know why I had it in my head that resistance meant half damage on a failed save, no damage on a successful one. A holdover from a previous edition, perhaps?
Huh. I don't know why I had it in my head that resistance meant half damage on a failed save, no damage on a successful one. A holdover from a previous edition, perhaps?
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
I think the 30ft Cone part is a bit much, as that's a pretty big range. Cone of Cold and Prismatic Spray are 5th/7th respectively with 60ft cones, the only 30ft cone I see is Fear which doesn't do damage. The two other damaging cone spells Burning Hands and Color Spray are level 1 and only 15 ft cones.
I'm not saying it would grossly make this out of balance or anything, it just seems like a slight anomaly.
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I'm having trouble figuring out what level this spell should be. Anyone have any thoughts?
Cone of Force
Level: ?
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range/Area: 30 ft. cone
Components: V,S
Duration: Instantaneous
School: Evocation
Attack/Save: CON Save
Damage/Effect: Force
A wave of force springs from your outstretched hand. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target takes any damage and is size large or smaller, it is pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of ? level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above ?.
The spell is very similar to burning hands. I would go for 1st level, however, if you up the damage just a tad I could see 2nd level as well.
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
It is similar to burning hands, but I thought the push + knockdown might bump it up some. It also has double the area.
It's also very similar to Thunderwave, but with more area (though a cone rather than a cube), plus the pushback is more difficult to resist, and it has the prone effect as well.
I take it that you like everything but just need a level?
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
I'd up the dice just a hair (to 3d4 or, just maybe, 2d8) and make it 2nd level. That probably means that it would be a pretty strong 2nd-level spell as-is.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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So it's a slightly larger thunderwave with less damage, but it also knocks targets prone, and does the non-damaging effects even if they fail the save, plus doesn't make an arbitrarily loud noise and is a less commonly resisted damage type?
Definitely needs to be at least 3rd level, or be altered to function along the same paradigm as other spells in the game (i.e. you save or you have bad stuff happen, not you save and bad stuff still happens).
Cone of Force
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range/Area: 30 ft. cone
Components: V,S
Duration: Instantaneous
School: Evocation
Attack/Save: CON Save
Damage/Effect: Force
A wave of force springs from your outstretched hand. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target fails its saving throw and is size large or smaller, it is pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.
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.
That's not true. Resistance reduces the damage by half, and passing the saving throw reduces the damage by half, but these two halves do not make a whole, they leave a quarter.
Specific example for clarity: if 10 damage is rolled, a successful save or resistance would reduce that damage to 5 (half of 10). Both would reduce it to 2, not 0 (half of 10 for passing the save = 5, and half of that for having resistance = 2.5, rounded down because that's what the D&D rules say to do when not explicitly told otherwise).
The spell's now officially published. Thanks to everyone for the input.
There's no force damage associated with the spell.
Tooltips | Snippet Code | How to Homebrew on D&D Beyond | Subclass Guide | Feature Roadmap
Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
I think the 30ft Cone part is a bit much, as that's a pretty big range. Cone of Cold and Prismatic Spray are 5th/7th respectively with 60ft cones, the only 30ft cone I see is Fear which doesn't do damage. The two other damaging cone spells Burning Hands and Color Spray are level 1 and only 15 ft cones.
I'm not saying it would grossly make this out of balance or anything, it just seems like a slight anomaly.
How do you get a one-armed goblin out of a tree?
Wave!