Feats to learn spells, plus new spells for various elements

[weaseldust]

Sorcerers and Warlocks have few enough spells that it might be worth taking a feat to get more. Since draconic Sorcerers in particular can suffer from not having enough damaging spells for their element, I focused on adding some. It's worth noting, though, that learning damaging spells from a feat lets you spend your usual spells known on interesting utility spells.

The three feats are experiments in different ways of learning new spells. The first is a full feat that grants 5, the second is a half feat that grants one but improves it, and the third is a Wish-like power that lets you replicate low level spells when you really need them. Let me know which you think works best.

All new spells are added to the Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard lists. Starred spells are new and are detailed at the bottom. Commentary is in green.


Feat: Elemental Intuition

Requires knowledge of a cantrip that deals damage of the type you choose.

Choose one of the lists below, sorted by elemental damage type. As soon as you have spell slots sufficient to cast a spell on the list, you may choose to learn it. Thereafter, you always have it prepared and it does not count against the number of spells you can learn or prepare.

Fire: Burning Hands, Pyrotechnics, Fireball, Wall of Fire, Immolation

Acid: Caustic Grasp*, Melf's Acid Arrow, Disposal*, Vitriolic Sphere, Scar Eyes*

Lightning: Plasmatic Tentacles*, Levitate, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bond*, Discharge*

Poison: Ray of Sickness, Protection from Poison, Stinking Cloud, Giant Insect, Cloudkill

Cold: Ice Knife, Snowfall*, Sleet Storm, Ice Storm, Cone of Cold

Dragonmarks give you three spells, a cantrip, and the equivalent of three extra spell slots. I think 5 spells, no cantrip, and no extra slots is fair in comparison. The intention is that the feats appeal most to sorcerers, because extra spells are a bigger deal for them (and because the dragon sorcerer wants spells that deal elemental damage of a particular type). Tempest Clerics might go for the lightning spells, but they will need to learn Shocking Grasp somehow first. Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters might appreciate some of the spells and will have feats to burn, but they don't need damaging spells as much as full casters.


Feat: Elemental Investiture

Requires at least one level 6 spell slot and knowledge of a cantrip that deals damage of the type you choose.

Your charisma, intelligence, or wisdom score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. Choose one damage type and note the spell listed against it. You always have the named spell prepared and it does not count against the number of spells you can know or prepare. Further, you may cast it as a bonus action, it has a maximum duration of 1 hour, and you cannot lose concentration on it by taking damage.

Fire: Investiture of Flame

Acid: Caustic Vestment*

Lightning: Fulminous Vestment*

Poison: Foul Vestment*

Cold: Investiture of Ice

"Investiture of Acid/Lightning/Poison" sounded odd, so I altered the names a bit. The intention is that, if you see your character as having a particular tie to one element, you can always show it off at big moments.


Feat: Limited Wish

Requires at least one level 5 spell slot.

You may use a spell slot of level 5 or higher to cast any level 1 or level 2 spell on your class's spell list. Once you have used this ability, you may not do so again until you have completed a long or short rest.

I wouldn't want to make a Limited Wish spell because it might end up as a no-brainer for e.g. Sorcerers. Also, if you make it level 5 or lower, it can be spammed by Warlocks, but if you make it level 6 or higher, it can be used by a Warlock at most once per day.

Spoiler: New Spells

Show

Caustic Grasp
Level 1 Transmutation
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Components: V, S

You cause your grip to blister and bind to the flesh of your enemy. With a free hand, which may be the hand you use for the somatic component, you make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet which is of a size category no larger than your own. If you hit, you successfully grapple it and deal it 2d6 acid damage. Until the spell ends, you and the grappled creature have disadvantage on attack rolls against each other.

For as long as the spell lasts, at the start of each of its turns, the target must make an athletics or acrobatics check against your spell save DC to escape the grapple. If it succeeds, the spell ends, but if it fails, it takes another 2d6 acid damage.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 2 or higher, the initial and continuing damage increases by d6 for each level above 1.

This is meant to be balanced against Plasmatic Tentacles below. It forces you to get up close, so I added disadvantage on melee attacks, which makes sense anyway. Unlike Plasmataic Tentacles, it doesn't require concentration, but it also ends as soon as the target makes a save. The damage is a bit lower than for Plasmatic Tentacles because you can deal it even while maintaining a grapple.


Plasmatic Tentacles
Level 1 Evocation
Casting time: 1 bonus action
Duration: Concentration (1 minute)
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a piece of luminescent octopus)

You create a pair of tentacles formed from arcing electricity. For the duration, you may use an action to allow each tentacle to make a melee spell attack against any creature within 10 feet, dealing d8 lightning damage on a hit.

When you hit a creature that is Medium or smaller, you may choose for it to be grappled by that tentacle. A creature may be grappled by only one tentacle at a time. A grappled creature may make an athletics or acrobatics check against your spell save DC at the start of each turn to escape. For as long as a creature is grappled by one of your arms, at the start of your turn you may cause it to be released or to be moved to any point within 10 feet of you. You cannot attack with a tentacle that is grappling a creature.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 2 or higher, you create an additional tentacle for every level above 1, to a maximum of 8.

This will scale unusually well for blue dragon Sorcerers, but not so much for others, though being able to grapple eight people is always fun. Other aspects are discussed under Caustic Grasp above.


Snowfall
Level 2 Conjuration
Casting time: 1 minute
Duration: 8 hours
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of icing sugar)

You conjure an unnatural covering of snow on every surface within 100 feet of a point within range. It perfectly records footprints, and objects that are moved from underneath it leave a visible bald patch. The snow does not damage objects or surfaces it touches and it does not melt except when the spell ends, when it is removed from the affected area, or when it is targeted with a spell of higher level that deals fire damage. It otherwise appears to be ordinary snow.

For the duration of the spell, as long as any snow remains, you may use an action to cause disturbed regions of the snowfall to gradually revert to their original condition, undoing one change at a time. For instance, if two creatures have walked the same path, the footprints of the second creature will disappear on your first command, revealing the footprints of the first creature.

This is very much for investigation. I tried to add one utility spell on each elemental list.


Disposal
Level 3 Conjuration
Casting time: 1 minute
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (bone from the jaw of a raven, vulture, feral dog, or pig)

You cause any number of dead creatures within range to vanish without trace. Blood, hair, and other remains belonging to those creatures also vanish, as do their scents and any indentations in the ground or any other surface caused by their bodies.

The idea is that the bodies are being magically digested, hence the odd material component.


Lightning Bond
Level 4 Evocation
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Concentration (1 minute)
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (two enlinked brass rings worth 20 GP each)

You target two creatures you can see within range and join them by a line of coruscating lightning. They must be within 60 feet of each other and the spell ends as soon as they are 60 feet or more apart. Each creature is pulled 10 feet towards the other, or until they are adjacent. They both must then make a constitution save. If they fail, they take 6d6 lightning damage, reduced by d6 for every 10 feet between them.

For the duration of the spell, the targets' movement is halved and, at the start of each of their turns, they must make a constitution save, taking 6d6 lightning damage on a failure (reduced by d6 for every 10 feet between them). Any creature passing through the beam connecting them may make a strength save. If they fail (or choose not to make the save), they take 6d6 lightning damage, and they replace whichever of the targets is farthest from them, so that the beam now connects them with the other target and the creature they replace is freed from the effects of the spell.

For the duration, you may use a bonus action to have the beam pull the two creatures closer together. Each must succeed on a strength save or be pulled 10 feet towards the other, or until they are adjacent.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 5 or higher, the maximum distance between the targets increases by 10 feet, and the maximum damage increases by d6, for each level above 4.

I aimed to add spells for each element that allow for both control and damage, just as Wall of Fire does. The damage from this is potentially quite high, but can be mitigated or ended early by many opponents.


Discharge
Level 5 Abjuration
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: Self (60-foot radius)
Components: S, M (a copper lightning rod)

You cause ambient electrical energy to discharge itself through creatures of your choice. You may choose any number of creatures within range to be affected by the spell. They must make a constitution save, taking 6d8 lightning damage on a failure or half as much on a success. You may also choose any number of creatures, including yourself, to be excluded by the effect. Until the end of the same round you cast the spell, and for d3 subsequent rounds, whenever a creature that you chose to be excluded would take lightning damage while in the affected area, it may choose to transfer the damage to a creature that was affected by the spell and is also in the affected area.

When you cast this spell from a slot of level 6 or higher, the damage increases by d8 for each level above 5.

The damage from this isn't great, but it can be used as a defensive measure as much as an offensive one. It can also allow you to intensify the effects of, say, Lightning Bolt by making sure you hit some of your allies, who can then transfer the damage to others.


Scar Eyes
Level 5 Transmutation
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: 60 feet
Components: S, M (a tear shed by the target, which the spell consumes, and a beaker of fuming acid)

You target a creature you can see within range, which must succeed on a constitution save or have its eyes instantly scarred by your magic. A creature with scarred eyes has disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks depending on sight. Scarred eyes take 2 weeks of rest to heal, and they can also be healed by any spell that ends blindness or restores lost body parts.

Further, the target must make a constitution save at the start of each of its subsequent turns. If it fails three times before it has succeeded three times, it is permanently blinded. The blindness can only be cured by a spell that ends blindness or restores lost body parts.

Of course, this doesn't accomplish any more in combat than the 2nd-level Blindness/Deafness, except that the target can't repeat their save. But it's intended for out-of-combat use as much as anything else. Permanently blinding an important NPC can make them dependent on you, especially if your party also has the spells to cure them.


Caustic Vestment
Level 6 Transmutation
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Concentration (10 minutes)
Range: Self
Components: S, V

Your skin shimmers under a haze of acrid steam and you gain the ability to destroy physical matter with a touch. For the duration:

• You are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons
• You gain a burrow speed of 20 feet through any inanimate, solid medium, leaving an impassable scar in the material behind you
• You can use an action to destroy any non-magical object you touch, so long as it is no larger than a cubic foot, or to destroy a cubic foot of an inanimate, non-magical substance you touch
• Any melee attack you make deals an additional 2d4 acid damage on a hit

Foul Vestment
Level 6 Transmutation
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Concentration (1 minute)
Range: Self
Components: S, V

Poison runs in your veins, your teeth and nails drip venom, and your entire body is noxious to touch. For the duration:

• You are immune to poison damage, necrotic damage, the poisoned condition, and disease
• Whenever a creature hits you with a melee attack, it must make a constitution save. If it fails, it takes 2d12 poison damage and is poisoned for the next minute; if it succeeds, it takes half as much damage and is not poisoned
• You may use an action to permanently foul any vessel or body of liquid that fits in a 100ft cube. Whenever a creature drinks or is submersed in the liquid for the first time, it must succeed on a constitution save or become poisoned for 24 hours. A perception check against your spell save DC reveals that the liquid is poisoned.

Fulminous Vestment
Casting time: 1 action
Duration: Concentration (1 minute)
Range: Self
Components: S, V

You rise from the ground surrounded by writhing filaments of lightning. For the duration:

• You have a fly speed of 30 feet and can hover
• Attacks against you using weapons that contain metal are made with disadvantage
• You may use an action to deal 2d6 lightning damage to every creature or object within 10 feet that is made of metal or is touching a metal object