Enhanced flame blade

[poolio]

Good Morning all,
I have a player that seems to favor the druid spell flame blade, so I'm trying to come up with an item that would involve that spell,
What i have so far is a large piece of charcoal that upon closer inspection is in fact chared remains of a sword handle, holding it while summing your flame blade alows for greater control over it, you may now cast flame blade as a 1st level spell but it does 2d6 instead of 3d6 (it takes less magical energy to form the blade, but with less energy it's also a bit weaker)

But i don't feel completely satisfied with this idea and I'm having a heck of a time coming up with something that isn't just add more damage,

So if any of you h a ve any ideas for this, or for other ways to alter other spells with items, I'd love to hear them :)

[Man_Over_Game]

Good Morning all,
I have a player that seems to favor the druid spell flame blade, so I'm trying to come up with an item that would involve that spell,
What i have so far is a large piece of charcoal that upon closer inspection is in fact chared remains of a sword handle, holding it while summing your flame blade alows for greater control over it, you may now cast flame blade as a 1st level spell but it does 2d6 instead of 3d6 (it takes less magical energy to form the blade, but with less energy it's also a bit weaker)

But i don't feel completely satisfied with this idea and I'm having a heck of a time coming up with something that isn't just add more damage,

So if any of you h a ve any ideas for this, or for other ways to alter other spells with items, I'd love to hear them :)

I would definitely avoid making any magic item too specific to one character or build. Find a way to make it so that it can work with multiple characters, but just happens to work best with the Druid and Flame Blade.

A few examples:

Blade Focus: When casting a Concentration spell that conjures an object you must hold (such as Flame Blade), you can choose to use this item as both the focus and conjure the object around it. Doing so causes you to have Advantage on Concentration saving throws to maintain that spell, and spells you cast this way can be cast as a Bonus action if you cast no other spells this turn.

Mind Focus: When casting a spell that conjures an object you must hold, you can choose to conjure the object around this magical item. You can control the apparatus with your mind as if you are holding it, to up to 10 feet away. (Can be usable during Wild Shape).

[Quoz]

Something that lets the spell apply in new situations or allows more options would be a good feature. Letting it take alternate forms (whip for reach, 2-handed for larger damage die, augment natural weapons in wild shape, ect) is one route I would look at.

You could also have "overcharge" modes that end the spell for a significant effect: hurling the blade for a fiery explosion (one attack on every enemy in a 30' line, with a Dex save AOE at the end) or transforming into a giant flaming shield (Provides benefits of improved cover or negates one fire-based attack)

[NaughtyTiger]

I would definitely avoid making any magic item too specific to one character or build. Find a way to make it so that it can work with multiple characters, but just happens to work best with the Druid and Flame Blade..

why? (okay, that is too short, need 10 characters)
why is making a custom/specific item for a player bad?

Something that lets the spell apply in new situations or allows more options would be a good feature. Letting it take alternate forms (whip for reach, 2-handed for larger damage die, augment natural weapons in wild shape, ect) is one route I would look at.

ooh, i like this. Flame weapon, you decide the form it takes on casting... whip 3d4, firestick 3d8 with 2-hands....

[Man_Over_Game]

why? (okay, that is too short, need 10 characters)
why is making a custom/specific item for a player bad?

I guess I should say that MAKING a custom/specific item is fine as a reward or on request, but it shouldn't be something that's "randomly" found. An item who's only use is to improve a specific playstyle should only become available because someone in the universe chose it to be that way, either as a valuable gift or an ordered design.

As to Why:

• When players are choosing to adopt specific magic items, the Druid will have no bargaining chip to trade out a weapon he doesn't want but nobody else can use.
• There is no teamwork or player interaction when it comes to magic items that only one person can use. Note that even something like the Staff of Shielding in the Lost Mines of Phandelver grants AC to whoever uses it, and is accessible to about 1/3 of all casters for the rest of its powers, and THAT's still a bit specific.
• It can break narrative when only 5% of adventurers use Flame Blade, and the party happens to stumble upon an item that's only usable with that single spell. Even something like someone stealing a magic item, or dueling for it, or simply allocating items to who best can use it, all makes for interesting player dynamics that you otherwise miss out on.
• It shows clear favoritism to the group. Now instead of the Druid gaining that item because the group decided, he gets that item because the DM decided. He took away that decision to reward a specific player.
• A more general-purpose item has more than one use. You will never be surprised by an item with a lot of restrictions, but you will be rewarded with player creativity if you make it accessible to everyone and for multiple purposes.

[NaughtyTiger]

snip

Thanks for the answer. You raise interesting points, I do not agree with all of them.

To the OP, definitely consider MOG's answer, but I disagree that these points strongly say avoid creating the item, though.

[Tanngrisnr]

Hi, OP!

A few things you and your player might find useful (not all of them to be used at once):

1. while attuned to the item Flame Blade requires no concentration;
2. the item supresses the need of concentration checks for the Flame Blade spell, while still using concentration;
3. the item extends the spell's duration from 10' to 1h;
4. item allows the player to re-evoke the blade when they lose concentration any time during the spell duration;
5. the item allows the spell to work while the druid is wildshaped, but with a reduced damage die
6. once per long rest the item allows the player to "discharge" the spell, causing and AOE similar to Thunderwave (10 ft. cube, dex save for half damage)
7. allow the balde to take different shapes, assuming different weapon properties (like Quoz said!)

[poolio]

To address some concerns, i have a couple druids in my current game, so if one doesn't want it, I'm sure the other will, they're both big flame blade users, and if they don't they can always sell it/trade it for something else, i have several npc's that would be interested.

And the allowing it's use during wild shape, that would have been a really good idea...if i didn't already alow that lol, one described it as a war horse with a flaming horn, which i was immediately on board with, i usually go with the rule of cool, so I'm thinking advantage on the concentration checks to maintain it would work out well.

I like to give my players something unique whenever the opportunity presents itself, especially when the character is of a less then optimal build, which my players offten make,

And I'd like to reiterate that if anyone has ideas for things/ways to alter other spells I'm open to ideas, could always use more of those :)

[FirstBornSon]

I would do it similar to shadow blade, when in bright light or day light you have advantage on attack rolls.

[Vorpalchicken]

To address some concerns, i have a couple druids in my current game, so if one doesn't want it, I'm sure the other will, they're both big flame blade users

You have a very unusual group.

[Man_Over_Game]

You have a very unusual group.

Druids have as much armor and AC as half of the Clerics, have access to Absorb Element and Shilellagh, have a spell list that focuses on close-medium range combat, and many of their spells either can be used while attacking (Moonbeam) or straight up enhance it (Flame Blade). This is before including the fact that some Druid subclass features (Land > Coast gets Mirror Image) improve melee combat.

A lot of people have a hard time seeing it, but Druids make decent enough melee combatants. Not quite as good as a Tempest Cleric, mind you, but they have more defensive traits than Hexblades or Arcane Tricksters, and I see those perform in melee constantly.

[OverLordOcelot]

I wouldn't bother with the item you described because it's weak;using a 1st level slot and concentration to do 2D6 damage doesn't really make a lot of sense when you can use cantrips to do D8+3 to D8+5 (shillelagh) or D10/2D10/3D10 (primal savagery). Giving up the ability to do cool druid things like spike growth, conjure animals, heat metal, and the like is the big problem with flame blade, so if I was looking to make an item to boost flame blade, I'd make it one that holds concentration on the specific spell for you. This would essentially let the druid have their flame blade as a piece of equipment instead of using up their ability to maintain the really good druid spells, and since it's only this spell you don't run into the problem of allowing the druid to stack multiple serious concentration effects.

I wouldn't worry about it being an item that's only good for one character, this ends up being true of a lot of magic items depending on party makeup. It's not uncommon that there's only one person who really cares about any particular magic item, and if you follow that 'rule' your group will never get cool things like a Staff of the Woodlands or Rod of the Pact Keeper.

[poolio]

You have a very unusual group.

You don't know the half of it partner lol

[poolio]

I wouldn't bother with the item you described because it's weak;using a 1st level slot and concentration to do 2D6 damage doesn't really make a lot of sense when you can use cantrips to do D8+3 to D8+5 (shillelagh) or D10/2D10/3D10 (primal savagery). Giving up the ability to do cool druid things like spike growth, conjure animals, heat metal, and the like is the big problem with flame blade, so if I was looking to make an item to boost flame blade, I'd make it one that holds concentration on the specific spell for you. This would essentially let the druid have their flame blade as a piece of equipment instead of using up their ability to maintain the really good druid spells, and since it's only this spell you don't run into the problem of allowing the druid to stack multiple serious concentration effects.

Ahh, yeah good point on that,
But the no longer requiring concentration idea is pretty good, going to give that a lot more thought, thanks!

[RickAsWritten]

Why not just revise the spell so that it summons an actual weapon, like Shadow Blade. Get rid of the melee spell attack part, and let it summon, specifically, a scimitar(so it can't be cheesed quite as much by multi-classes). Give it advantage in bright light or daylight instead of the self-light it generates now. It does slightly more damage than Shadow Blade, but fire is an objectively worse damage type than psychic.

[nickl_2000]

Druids have as much armor and AC as half of the Clerics, have access to Absorb Element and Shilellagh, have a spell list that focuses on close-medium range combat, and many of their spells either can be used while attacking (Moonbeam) or straight up enhance it (Flame Blade). This is before including the fact that some Druid subclass features (Land > Coast gets Mirror Image) improve melee combat.

A lot of people have a hard time seeing it, but Druids make decent enough melee combatants. Not quite as good as a Tempest Cleric, mind you, but they have more defensive traits than Hexblades or Arcane Tricksters, and I see those perform in melee constantly.

Druids would be seen as a much more viable melee class if you could buy armor made of things other than metal as a standard in the phb, instead of it being a DM call.

[Rukelnikov]

Depends on what aspect of the spell you want the item to change/improve:

Wanna make it cooler?

Let it be cast on whatever weapon you are holding, the damage of the weapon becomes that of the spell, but any other properties of the weapon are kept. A +1 Longsword, would turn into a +1 Flame Blade, a Flame Tongue Longsword would become a Flame Tongue Flame Blade, which since its a weapon could be used for the attack called for in GFB, netting you a Flame Tongue Flame Blade Green-Flame Blade! This option should maybe have the attacks be Weapon attacks instead of Spell attacks for fluff and balance reasons.

Want to improve its low damage?

Give them a Wand of Flame Blade, Max 10 Charges, recharges 1d8+1 every morning, the amount of charges spent when activating it equals the spell slot used for creating the blade. This way they can cast an 8th level version of the spell sidestepping the damage problem (not a long lived solution actually, as the game progresses 1 attack of 6d6 is only comparable to a 9th level rogue, who will probably be doing more damage because Dex and magic weapon)

Wanna make it less clunky and more friendly with most other features in the game, without allowing it to stack with your current weapon?

Let is just summon a weapon, like almost every other weapon summoning spell out there (Shillelagh, Magic Stone, Shadow Blade), this means they can use it for Attacks of Opportunity, for the extra action granted by Haste, if they multi and get Extra Attack they can get more mileage out of it, can also combine it with GFB, etc. This option could still be considered a spell attack.