Level
4th
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
120 ft.
Components
V, S
Duration
Concentration
1 Minute
School
Illusion
Attack/Save
WIS Save
Damage/Effect
Psychic
You tap into the nightmares of a creature you can see within range and create an illusion of its deepest fears, visible only to that creature. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 4d10 Psychic damage and has Disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls for the duration. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage, and the spell ends.
For the duration, the target makes a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a failed save, it takes the Psychic damage again. On a successful save, the spell ends.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above 4.
Thank you for fixing this spell to do damage on the first failed save (and even half damage on a success to boot)!
You gotta love death by psychological trauma. I would love to use this spell to bring an enemy to the brink of death, but then finish them off with vicious mockery.
The other subtle power of this spell is that as long as you maintain concentration and the target fails the saving throw, you don't have to use an Action or Bonus Action to cause the subsequent damage. Cast this on an enemy and do whatever you want on subsequent turns.
Insane that they made that one X-men scene where Xavier makes Magneto relive his trauma into a spell.
This can be devastating if paired with Bestow Curse cast by another spellcaster to impose disadvantage on Wisdom Saves.
Also, no longer dependent on the frightened condition.
I feel trickery domain cleric should have had access to this.
Never understood why Warlock doesn't have this and Phantasmal Force.
I mean once you go past low-damage ones like vicious mockery and phantasmal force, it's less psychological trauma, and more 'tearing their mind apart with your magic'.
But that's just a nitpick.