Tidal Burst

You conjure a small sphere of swirling water, densely packed with aquatic energy, and launch it toward a point you can see within range. Upon impact, the sphere explodes into a sudden surge of water, battering creatures and objects in the area. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage and is pushed 5 feet away from the center of the blast. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed.

The water briefly remains in the area, soaking the ground and creating difficult terrain until the start of your next turn.

How It Works and Mechanics:

1. Range and Targeting: The spell has a range of 60 feet, allowing you to launch the water sphere at a point within line of sight.
2. Area of Effect: The sphere explodes into a 10-foot-radius area (a 20-foot diameter), affecting all creatures and objects within that range.
3. Damage and Push: On a failed Dexterity saving throw, creatures take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and are pushed 5 feet away from the center. On a successful save, they take half damage and are not pushed.
4. Difficult Terrain: After the explosion, the area within the sphere becomes slick and waterlogged, creating difficult terrain until the start of your next turn.
5. Object Interaction: Small, unsecured objects within the sphere are thrown 10 feet away from the center. Larger objects may shift slightly depending on their size and weight.
6. Environmental Interaction: The water from the sphere interacts with its surroundings. If cast in arid areas, it temporarily dampens the ground, while in icy regions, it may freeze, creating slippery terrain (DM discretion).
7. Saving Throw: The Dexterity saving throw is made against your spell save DC. Creatures with water-based elemental resistance or traits might take reduced or no damage (DM discretion).
8. Blast Power: The force of the explosion can extinguish small, non-magical flames in the area of effect, such as torches or campfires.
9. Non-Lethal Variant: The spell can be cast to deal non-lethal damage, useful for incapacitating rather than killing targets.
10. Underwater Usage: When cast underwater, the spell’s effects are amplified. The blast radius increases by 5 feet, and damage is increased by 1d6 due to the force of the surrounding water.
11. Combining Spells: If used in combination with cold spells, the water from Tidal Burst can freeze, creating additional effects such as slippery surfaces or frozen barriers.
12. Effect on Flying Creatures: Flying creatures affected by the blast must make an additional Dexterity saving throw to maintain their flight, or else be knocked prone or sent crashing down.
13. Drenching Effect: Creatures hit by the spell are soaked, which could interact with certain spells or conditions, such as lightning-based attacks dealing extra damage.
14. Sound and Visual Effect: The spell creates the sound of crashing waves upon impact, and the sphere glows faintly blue until it detonates.
15. Stealth Impact: The spell may alert nearby creatures due to the loud sound of the blast, making stealth difficult in certain scenarios.
16. Magic Resistance: Creatures with magical resistance have advantage on the saving throw, as per the standard rules for spells.
17. Environmental Flow: When cast in natural bodies of water, the sphere pulls in surrounding water, potentially draining shallow pools or streams as part of its formation.
18. Spell Range Interaction: Spells that extend or reduce range can affect how far you can launch the sphere, potentially doubling the distance or halving it.
19. Elemental Affinity: Creatures with a water or cold affinity may have resistance to the effects of the spell, while those with fire affinity may be particularly vulnerable.
20. Destructive Potential: The force of the blast can crack weaker materials such as glass or clay, shattering them on impact.
21. Temporary Water Source: The spell can be used to generate temporary fresh water in survival scenarios, though it disappears shortly after the terrain returns to normal.
22. Terrain Modifiers: Depending on the terrain (sand, mud, forest, etc.), the water from the spell may affect the environment differently, such as turning sand to mud or dousing small flames.
23. Cold Climate Effect: When cast in freezing conditions, the lingering water may freeze into ice, potentially creating difficult terrain that lasts longer than normal.
24. Spell Efficiency: If cast on an already waterlogged area, such as a swamp, the difficult terrain effect may persist for an additional turn, though without additional damage.
25. Somatic and Verbal Precision: The somatic components of this spell require fluid hand movements to represent the flowing nature of water, while the verbal component imitates the sound of rushing waves.