Hi all. I didn't feel like raising my own thread from the dead, so I'd like to run my proposed cantrip by you all.The idea is that an illusionist could send the image of a missile toward an enemy, causing them to move out of the way (or failing that, drop for cover).
It takes an action and has a range of 30 feet. Here it is:
You wave your hand, and send an illusory bolt of fire streaking toward one creature you can see within range. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d4 psychic damage, moves 5 feet in a random direction if it can move and its speed is at least 5 feet. Roll a d4 for the direction: 1, north; 2, south; 3, east; or 4, west. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and if the direction rolled is blocked, the target doesn’t move, and falls prone.
A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can't see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.
The spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).
Some considerations:
Int saves are rarely strong, so targeting Int raises the power.
The damage is low, because psychic damage is rarely resisted.
Movement is random as opposed to controlled (such as with infestation).
Prone is a strong condition for a cantrip to impose, but it is situational and randomly imposed.
I mean, this is basically a different version of infestation, and the 1d4 seems balanced-ish vs the better save and damage type. seems fine to me.
Infestation is random, not controlled.
What might be cool and different from infestation is if they can choose NOT to dodge, they take 1d6 per level on a failure, but if they do attempt dodge (in any direction they want?) they still provoke opportunity attacks but don't take the psychic damage. It would be much more situational but still balanced I think.
Thanks! I'm a little wary of making the spell more complicated, but a reskin of infestation is more or less what I'm after. The issue, of course, being that the psychic damage + Int save make the spell considerably more powerful. It's funny how difficult it is to balance cantrips!
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Hi all. I didn't feel like raising my own thread from the dead, so I'd like to run my proposed cantrip by you all.The idea is that an illusionist could send the image of a missile toward an enemy, causing them to move out of the way (or failing that, drop for cover).
It takes an action and has a range of 30 feet. Here it is:
You wave your hand, and send an illusory bolt of fire streaking toward one creature you can see within range. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d4 psychic damage, moves 5 feet in a random direction if it can move and its speed is at least 5 feet. Roll a d4 for the direction: 1, north; 2, south; 3, east; or 4, west. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and if the direction rolled is blocked, the target doesn’t move, and falls prone.
A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can't see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.
The spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).
Some considerations:
I mean, this is basically a different version of infestation, and the 1d4 seems balanced-ish vs the better save and damage type. seems fine to me.
Infestation is random, not controlled.
What might be cool and different from infestation is if they can choose NOT to dodge, they take 1d6 per level on a failure, but if they do attempt dodge (in any direction they want?) they still provoke opportunity attacks but don't take the psychic damage. It would be much more situational but still balanced I think.
Thanks! I'm a little wary of making the spell more complicated, but a reskin of infestation is more or less what I'm after. The issue, of course, being that the psychic damage + Int save make the spell considerably more powerful. It's funny how difficult it is to balance cantrips!