Hi there... I'm creating a new spell called Delving. The intent of this spell is to use touch and concentration to delve a creature and determine whether that creature is affected or inflicted by an outside source. This includes diseases and poisons, but also applies to enchantments, charms, transformation or even curses. Using this spell would tell the caster whether a creature was under the influence of one or more of the above sources, and with a successful skill check (probably Arcane) you could determine what sort of affliction. My current thinking is that a DC 15 would determine poison or disease, DC 20 would determine enchantment or a curse, and beating that requirement by 5 or more would tell you specifically what poison, disease, curse, or enchantment was afflicting the creature (at the DM's discretion).
I'm thinking it has a range of touch, requires concentration, and that unwilling targets will be able to defy the Delving with a contest of wills - i.e., get a Wisdom saving throw.
My question is this: What level should this spell be? Cantrip seems far too easy, and 1st or 2nd seem circumstantial. Your thoughts?
It should be a 1st level spell, similar to Detect Magic and Detect Poison and Disease and Detect Good and Evil, since it largely replicates the effects of all three of those spells but with further constraints / limitations. However, if you are still requiring a skill check, why make it a spell at all? Why not just let a character diagnose a charm / curse / whatever with an Arcana check that surpasses the DC of the original effect?
Good points! The skill check is largely there to identify the effect specifically, so yeah, probably wouldn't need a check to tell what genre the disease/curse/enchantment is, only to narrow it down and say specifics about it. "Oh, this poor creature is afflicted with lycanthropy... it hasn't taken too much root in him, however, so he's probably only recently been corrupted!" Or, "Yup, I was right, Joe... You've been cursed. Probably why you've been missing so much in battle. It seems pretty strong... I don't think Mitzi's remove curse spell is gonna do it. You might need a Greater Restoration for this."
There’s already a 1st-level spell that can identify poisons and diseases, it’s conveniently called detect poison and disease, and it just automatically reveals what exact poison or disease is detected. So you probably could skip that part of Delving and just focus more on the enchantments and curses, and I would throw in possessions too since stuff like ghosts and some fiends can possess other creatures.
If it were me, I would make the DC to determine whatever is afflicting the creature = 10 + the level of the spell enchanting the target creature, or 10 + the CR of the creature that is possessing the target, or in the case of anything that doesn’t fit either category (like some curses) I’d make it a flat DC 15. If you did that, my gut instinct is to make it a 2nd-level Divination spell. But that’s what playtesting is for.
If you make the casting time 1 minute, the duration could be Instantaneous and the spell will still require concentration to cast because the casting time would be longer than 1 action. That’s how I would do it at any rate.
Hi there... I'm creating a new spell called Delving. The intent of this spell is to use touch and concentration to delve a creature and determine whether that creature is affected or inflicted by an outside source. This includes diseases and poisons, but also applies to enchantments, charms, transformation or even curses. Using this spell would tell the caster whether a creature was under the influence of one or more of the above sources, and with a successful skill check (probably Arcane) you could determine what sort of affliction. My current thinking is that a DC 15 would determine poison or disease, DC 20 would determine enchantment or a curse, and beating that requirement by 5 or more would tell you specifically what poison, disease, curse, or enchantment was afflicting the creature (at the DM's discretion).
I'm thinking it has a range of touch, requires concentration, and that unwilling targets will be able to defy the Delving with a contest of wills - i.e., get a Wisdom saving throw.
My question is this: What level should this spell be? Cantrip seems far too easy, and 1st or 2nd seem circumstantial. Your thoughts?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/1913761-delving
It should be a 1st level spell, similar to Detect Magic and Detect Poison and Disease and Detect Good and Evil, since it largely replicates the effects of all three of those spells but with further constraints / limitations. However, if you are still requiring a skill check, why make it a spell at all? Why not just let a character diagnose a charm / curse / whatever with an Arcana check that surpasses the DC of the original effect?
Good points! The skill check is largely there to identify the effect specifically, so yeah, probably wouldn't need a check to tell what genre the disease/curse/enchantment is, only to narrow it down and say specifics about it. "Oh, this poor creature is afflicted with lycanthropy... it hasn't taken too much root in him, however, so he's probably only recently been corrupted!"
Or, "Yup, I was right, Joe... You've been cursed. Probably why you've been missing so much in battle. It seems pretty strong... I don't think Mitzi's remove curse spell is gonna do it. You might need a Greater Restoration for this."
1st level, but you can upcast it to reduce the DCs?
There’s already a 1st-level spell that can identify poisons and diseases, it’s conveniently called detect poison and disease, and it just automatically reveals what exact poison or disease is detected. So you probably could skip that part of Delving and just focus more on the enchantments and curses, and I would throw in possessions too since stuff like ghosts and some fiends can possess other creatures.
If it were me, I would make the DC to determine whatever is afflicting the creature = 10 + the level of the spell enchanting the target creature, or 10 + the CR of the creature that is possessing the target, or in the case of anything that doesn’t fit either category (like some curses) I’d make it a flat DC 15. If you did that, my gut instinct is to make it a 2nd-level Divination spell. But that’s what playtesting is for.
If you make the casting time 1 minute, the duration could be Instantaneous and the spell will still require concentration to cast because the casting time would be longer than 1 action. That’s how I would do it at any rate.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting