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snafuy
2019-05-05, 12:25 PM
Feedback requested for game balance, aesthetics, or other suggestions.
Edit: major overhaul based on feedback so far. Daze & Touch of Fatigue changed to 1st-level.

Imported Spells:

Flare
Evocation cantrip (Bard, Light Domain, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell creates a burst of bright light (30 feet) at a point within range. If you target a creature, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it has a -2 penalty on attack rolls and ability checks based on sight until the start of your next turn. Creatures with light sensitivity make the save at disadvantage; creatures immune to blindness are unaffected by this spell.
When you reach 11th level, the spell can create two flares, each targeting a different creature.
(Rewritten to be more like the original. Is it worthwhile compared to Frostbite?)


Summon Instrument
Conjuration cantrip (Bard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration up to 1 hour

This spell creates one tiny or small handheld musical instrument of your choice in your hands. It is typical for its type, but it will play only for you. When the spell ends, the instrument vanishes.
When you reach 11th level, you can maintain the spell without concentration, but if you cast it again the previous instrument vanishes.
(Yes, you can use it as a focus.)


Virtue
Abjuration cantrip (Cleric, Druid)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour

You touch a willing creature, granting it temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus, until you cast this spell again or the duration ends.
(Weak like the original, but at-will makes it useful against persistent slow damage.)

*****

Like Create Water or Detect Poison, many 3E cantrips translate better as 1st level spells in 5E.

Daze
1st level Enchantment (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: S, M (a pinch of wool)
Duration: 1 round

This spell clouds the mind of a creature within range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is incapacitated, and makes no voluntary movement or vocalization, until the spell ends. Affected wing-borne creatures safely glide 60 feet downward on their turn. A dazed subject is not stunned, so attackers get no special advantage against it.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target an additional creature for each slot level above 1st.
(Is this worth a 1st level slot, or does it need improvement?)


Disrupt Undead
1st-level Necromancy (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You make a ranged spell attack with a ray of radiant energy. On a hit, the target takes 5d6 radiant damage if it is undead.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can produce an additional ray (each targeting a different creature) for each slot level above 1st.
(Different from the original, because balancing an undead-only damage cantrip would be difficult. At-will 2d6 per tier might be a fair compromise most of the time, but terribly overpowered in Ravenloft or other undead-heavy settings.)


Lullaby
1st level Enchantment (Bard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration up to 1 hour

You direct imperceptible soothing vibrations at a point within range. Creatures in a 20 foot radius of that point must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they become drowsy and inattentive until the spell ends, gaining disadvantage on Perception checks, disadvantage on saving throws against sleep effects, and a -5 penalty to Passive Perception. This spell is considered a sleep effect.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the radius increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 1st.
(Way too niche to be an at-will, therefore strengthen it to 1st level value.)



Touch of Fatigue
1st-level Necromancy (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a drop of sweat)
Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

You channel weakening energy through your touch. If the target has less than 2 levels of exhaustion, it must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it has Level 2 exhaustion until the spell ends.
An affected creature may use its action to make a Constitution saving throw, removing a level of exhaustion from the spell each time it succeeds.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target two creatures within your reach.
(The effect is weaker than Hideous Laughter, so it should be correspondingly more difficult to shake off.)

*****

Omitted Spells:

Arcane Mark: too minor, partly covered by Prestidigitation.
Cure Minor Wounds: unworkable for at-will game balance.
Ghost Sound: superseded by Minor Illusion.
Inflict Minor Wounds: superseded by Toll the Dead et al.
Know Direction: too minor, would need additional capabilities.
Open/Close: too minor, partly covered by Mage Hand & Thaumaturgy.
Read Magic: no longer used.

JNAProductions
2019-05-05, 02:03 PM
Touch of Fatigue is WAY too good. Even with its limitations.

Rest looks fine.

Kane0
2019-05-05, 06:28 PM
You could just make Touch of Fatigue a 1st level spell, Touch range Con save or gain 1 level of Exhaustion.
Lullaby funnily enough wouldn't help you land a Sleep spell, since there is no save involved.

JNAProductions
2019-05-05, 06:30 PM
For reference, one level of Exhaustion gives disadvantage on ALL ability checks.

I would never give Exhaustion to a cantrip. Pretty much ever. As a first level spell it could work, but I'd DEFINITELY cap the level of Exhaustion it can reach.

R.Shackleford
2019-05-05, 06:34 PM
Feedback requested for game balance, aesthetics, or other suggestions.

Imported Spells:

Daze
Enchantment cantrip (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of wool)
Duration: 1 round

This spell clouds the mind of a humanoid within range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it has a -2 penalty to its attack rolls, ability checks, and spellcasting saving throw DCs (if any) until the spell ends. This spell is considered a charm effect.
The spell's range increases by 10 feet when you reach 5th level (40), 11th level (50), and 17th level (60).
(At-will incapacitation is too strong, so instead we just debuff.)


Flare
Evocation cantrip (Light Domain Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell creates a burst of bright light (30 feet) at a point within range. If you target a creature, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks based on sight until the start of your next turn. This spell is considered a blinding effect.
The spell's range and light burst increase by 10 feet when you reach 5th level (40), 11th level (50), and 17th level (60).
(Stronger debuff than Vicious Mockery, but does no damage.)


Summon Instrument
Conjuration cantrip (Bard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration up to 1 hour

This spell creates one tiny or small handheld musical instrument of your choice in your hands. It is typical for its type, but it will play only for you. When the spell ends, the instrument vanishes.
(Yes, you can use it as a focus, at least for non-concentration spells.)


Touch of Fatigue
Necromancy cantrip (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a drop of sweat)
Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute

You channel weakening energy through your touch. If the target has no levels of exhaustion, it must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it gains a level of exhaustion until the spell ends. The creature may make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
(Edit: reduced from 2 to 1, is that balanced or too weak now?)


Virtue
Abjuration cantrip (Cleric, Druid)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour

You touch a willing creature, granting it 1 temporary hit point, until you cast this spell again or the duration ends.
The spell's temporary hit points increase by 1 when you reach 5th level (2), 11th level (3), and 17th level (4).
(How does this compare to cantrip buffs like Resistance?)

*****

Some 3E cantrips become 1st level spells in 5E (e.g. Create Water).

Disrupt Undead
1st-level Necromancy (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You make a ranged spell attack with a ray of radiant energy. On a hit, the target takes 5d6 radiant damage if it is undead.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can produce an additional ray (each targeting a different creature) for each slot level above 1st.


Lullaby
1st level Enchantment (Bard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration up to 1 hour

You direct imperceptible soothing vibrations at a point within range. Creatures in a 20 foot radius of that point must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they become drowsy and inattentive until the spell ends, gaining disadvantage on Perception checks, disadvantage on saving throws against sleep effects, and a -5 penalty to Passive Perception. This spell is considered a sleep effect.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the radius increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 1st.

*****

Omitted Spells:

Arcane Mark: too minor, partly covered by Prestidigitation.
Cure Minor Wounds: unworkable for at-will game balance.
Ghost Sound: superseded by Minor Illusion.
Inflict Minor Wounds: superseded by Toll the Dead et al.
Know Direction: too minor, would need additional capabilities.
Open/Close: too minor, partly covered by Mage Hand & Thaumaturgy.
Read Magic: no longer used.

Daze: 5e doesn't work with fiddly numbers. It would need to be disadvantage in some way. Or grant advantage when forcing a creature to make a saving throw. I think the caster would need to pick one option, at most, to apply the penalty to the target. This seems more like a first level spell if it applies to all three. Actually, cutting words seems to have taken its place.

Flare: Is already in the game as warding flare. Your flare seems a bit strong compared to it. Again, this cantrip does a lot.

Touch of fatigue: Is too powerful for a cantrip as it could insta kill something at max HP. Also, the mechanics used seem closer to leveled spells. Besides the exhaustion system is bonkers in 5e. Chill Touch feels like a cantrip you could base this off from.

Virtue: I don't see people using this. It's balanced well enough, but... Idk.

snafuy
2019-05-05, 06:46 PM
(Edit: LOL, a bunch of replies came in while I was writing this.)

None of the existing 5E cantrips are pure debuffs. The closest are damage spells with a secondary effect (1 round or less). So the design space for a multi-round debuff cantrip is hard to figure out.

Comparing damage-focused spells, a cantrip is roughly equal to a 1st level spell by 11th level, and usually superior at 17th level. Examples: Acid Splash vs Burning Hands, Chill Touch vs Chromatic Orb, Ray of Frost vs Ray of Sickness.

Touch of Fatigue is definitely weaker than Tasha's Hideous Laughter. Note that it doesn't stack with previous levels of exhaustion (just like the 3E version).

snafuy
2019-05-05, 07:08 PM
Daze: 5e doesn't work with fiddly numbers. It would need to be disadvantage in some way. Or grant advantage when forcing a creature to make a saving throw. I think the caster would need to pick one option, at most, to apply the penalty to the target. This seems more like a first level spell if it applies to all three. Actually, cutting words seems to have taken its place.
There are other spells in 5E that apply numerical penalties/boosts to rolls instead of dis/advantage. Examples: Bane, Bless, Enlarge/Reduce.
But thinking about it more, yeah, Daze should move up to a 1st level spell so that it can apply a full 1 round shutdown like it does in 3E. Maybe also Touch of Fatigue.



Flare: Is already in the game as warding flare. Your flare seems a bit strong compared to it. Again, this cantrip does a lot.
Not really the same. Warding Flare debuffs 1 attack as a reaction, guaranteed. Flare uses an action and has a save. I think Vicious Mockery/Frostbite is a closer comparison. How much of the value is in the damage vs the debuff?



Virtue: I don't see people using this. It's balanced well enough, but... Idk.
True.

R.Shackleford
2019-05-05, 08:46 PM
(Edit: LOL, a bunch of replies came in while I was writing this.)

None of the existing 5E cantrips are pure debuffs. The closest are damage spells with a secondary effect (1 round or less). So the design space for a multi-round debuff cantrip is hard to figure out.



That's kind of the point of 5e cantrips.

Pure debuffs are leveled spells.


Edit: 5e was meant to have faster combat, purely debuff cantrips drag out combat. That's why they put damage with the debuff cantrips.

Frostbite might be my favorite cantrip ever.