Level
3rd
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
90 ft
(20 ft )
Components
V, S, M *
Duration
Concentration
1 Minute
School
Conjuration
Attack/Save
CON Save
Damage/Effect
Control
You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of yellow, nauseating gas centered on a point within range. The cloud spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. The cloud lingers in the air for the duration.
Each creature that is completely within the cloud at the start of its turn must make a Constitution saving throw against poison. On a failed save, the creature spends its action that turn retching and reeling. Creatures that don't need to breathe or are immune to poison automatically succeed on this saving throw.
A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the cloud after 4 rounds. A strong wind (at least 20 miles per hour) disperses it after 1 round.
* - (a rotten egg or several skunk cabbage leaves)
This is surprisingly useful.
The cantrip gust could conceivably disperse this 3rd level spell in 1 round.
Hear me out, what if the gas ignites or explodes when it's VERY close to fire. That would be wonderful!
There are very rare cases where it would be remotely conceivable for a cantrip to counter a 3rd level spell. This is not one of them.
Gust cantrip? I would rule 4 rounds/moderate wind. It's just a small blast that doesn't push with enough force to cause damage.
Gust of Wind (2nd level spell) would disperse it in 1 round.
No, the Gust cantrip cannot disperse a 20' radius sphere. The most it might do is move the spells effect 5' away from them.
What if the circle of the spores druid could learn this spell? Would that make logical sense?
Another spell that would've been fun on an alchemist~
A good/bad spell depending on a LOT of factors.
The good
*references for the above points can be found in [PHB] under Chapter 8: Environment - Vision and light.
what I don't like about this spell:
What changes I would like to see :
Unfortunately, as written the spell is more bad than good, although not entirely for the reasons you point out.
I think the best way to make this spell on par as a 3rd level spell is (as you suggest) to require a saving throw the first time a creature enters the cloud on a turn or if it starts its turn within the cloud. A failed save should mean the creature becomes incapacitated (can't take actions or reactions) until the start of its next turn. It still wouldn't affect creatures immune to the poisoned condition, of which there are many, but at least it would be worth something against those that weren't. As it is now, a creature can just dash through the cloud without suffering any ill effects at all, move into it and still take their action or bonus action, or move out of it and lose no more than a single action (if they fail their save).
I mean, as long as the caster's not helplessly retching at the time. Casters tend to have great Con saves, right?
Seriously if you make a utility play like gust and have the presence of mind to use it in the perfect emergency, you deserve to succeed.
No, but the second-level spell Gust of Wind could do it in 4.
Actually I think it makes sense that a creature has to be in the cloud to be affected; if you see a cloud of noxious gas hanging in place, you would absolutely hold your breath if you need to run through it. If you're in it though, then you've got prolonged exposure, and it's probably not just breathing it that's bad; if it's like tear gas then getting it in the eys and on the skin for any length of time is also bad.
The creatures effectively are incapacitated, because if you can't use your action you get no bonus action, and the most you can do is move out of the cloud while "wretching and reeling". It's essentially a spell to rob multiple enemies of an entire turn.
I like it because as with Darkness and Fog Cloud it creates an instant line of sight blocking obstruction, but one that can also rob enemies of their turn. Unlike Darkness/Fog Cloud where enemies can simply walk out of it unscathed and then act normally, if you fail the save you still lose that entire turn. Plus with some basic pushing shenanigans from an Open Hand Monk, the Crusher feat and similar, you can force enemies to start their turn within it for multiple rounds, potentially rendering enemies with lower CON completely harmless.
In fact the best way to think of the spell is as a levelled up version of Darkness, which itself is a levelled version of Fog Cloud. If your goal is only to incapacitate then there are better options, like Entangle or Hypnotic Pattern, but it's the double whammy of incapacitate and blocking line of sight that makes Stinking Cloud useful. Plus it's just a really funny spell conceptually. 😝
It has good synergy with zombies. Have an invisible necromancer delay it until the end of the round casting it as a reaction after all the zombies rush in and begin to grapple. Breaking free of a grapple requires an action and cannot be attempted if the con save fails. When party members escape the cloud the necromancer and skeletons can fight the free party members outside the cloud while the grappling zombies in the stink cloud continue to split the party.
can it be lit on fire?