DeWitt's Elemental Variants

You tap deep into the elemental nature of your arcane abilities and are able to summon a variant of yourself made of a given element.

As an action, you can summon an elemental variant of yourself within range of a given element type based on the type of gem you use as the spell's base. Acid uses an emerald, Cold uses a sapphire, Fire uses a ruby, Lightning uses a yellow diamond, Poison uses green quartz, and Thunder uses a diamond. The gem flies out of your hands to the spot chosen and dissolves before reforming into a copy of yourself made of the specified element.

When summoned, any creature within 5ft of the summoned variant must make a Dexterity saving throw equal to the caster's spell DC or take 2d6 of the specified damage type, half as much on a success.

As a bonus action, the caster can command the variant to move up to the caster's base walking speed and/or cast a cantrip specific to the chosen damage type. Acid Splash for Acid, Ray of Frost for Cold, Fire Bolt for Fire, Shocking Grasp for Lightning, Poison Spray for Poison, and Thunderclap for Thunder. These cantrips scale based on the level at which the Elemental Variant spell is cast. Casting the Elemental Variant spell at 5th level is equivalent to the cantrip damage of a 5th level caster, casting the Elemental Variant spell at 7th level is equivalent to the cantrip damage of an 11th level caster, and casting the Elemental Variant spell at 9th level is equivalent to the cantrip damage of a 17th level caster.

The variant has HP equal to 10 times the level the spell at which it is cast and an AC of 14. Any time the variant is attacked with a melee weapon, any creature within 5ft of the variant takes 2d6 of the specified elemental damage. When the variant's HP is reduced to 0 it detonates into an explosion of the specified damage type. Each creature within a 10ft radius sphere of the detonation point must make a Dexterity saving throw equal to the caster's spell DC or take 8d6 of the elemental damage type chosen, half as much on a success. The element then reforms into the gem used for the casting on the spot of the detonation.

As a bonus action, the caster may choose to end the spell and detonate the variant, resulting in an explosion as described above.

At HIgher Levels: When this spell is cast at 6th level or higher, the initial damage when cast and the detonation damage increases by 1d6 for each spell level above 5th. The damage for attacking the variant increases to 3d6 when cast at 7th level and to 4d6 when cast at 9th level.