Cantrip: Sparks

[Trandir]

Sparks

Evocation cantrip
Casting time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: S, M (a weapon or spellcasting focus)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

This spell can be used in one of two ways:
Sparks surge: when you hit a creature or a surface with a melee attack made by the material component used to cast this spell you can create a spark surge there. At the end of each of your turn every creature other than you in a 5 foot radius from the surge must succeed a Dex saving throw or take 1d4 fire damage. The surge sheds bright light in a 5ft radious and dim light for an additional 10 ft.

Spark line: as an Action for the rest of the turn you can drag the material component used to cast this spell on any furface to create a line that emits a couple of sparks over time. Every creature that stands on the line at the end of your turn takes 1 fire damage. The line sheads 5
ft of dim light.

Creating another surge or line extinguish the old one.

At level 5 Spark surge's damage increases by 1d4, it increases by the same ammount at level 11 and 17. At level 5 Spark line's damage increases by 1, it increases by the same ammount at level 11 and 17.

Classes: Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Cruid

I kind of like this one.

[Hellpyre]

You should state what class(es) this is intended to be available to - it matters a lot for evaluation.

That being said, this seems ludicrous at early levels and terrible later. Since Cantrips, unlike leveled spells can't be traded out easily, this is a bigger problem than it is for, say, sleep. The damage should scale better, similarly to other cantrips.

As a second point, a bonus action spell that deals damage at range as a cantrip seems a bit over the curve, even with the concentration requirement meaning it's mostly useless if your caster runs buffs.

Overall, I think it's an interesting idea, but not really suitable as a cantrip. Maybe as a 1st level spell, but, say, a blaster Draconic Sorcerer getting free bonus action elemental damage each turn for a cantrip is dangerous. Anything else would probably rather concentrate on something else past level 5 or so.

[Trandir]

You should state what class(es) this is intended to be available to - it matters a lot for evaluation.

That being said, this seems ludicrous at early levels and terrible later. Since Cantrips, unlike leveled spells can't be traded out easily, this is a bigger problem than it is for, say, sleep. The damage should scale better, similarly to other cantrips.

As a second point, a bonus action spell that deals damage at range as a cantrip seems a bit over the curve, even with the concentration requirement meaning it's mostly useless if your caster runs buffs.

Overall, I think it's an interesting idea, but not really suitable as a cantrip. Maybe as a 1st level spell, but, say, a blaster Draconic Sorcerer getting free bonus action elemental damage each turn for a cantrip is dangerous. Anything else would probably rather concentrate on something else past level 5 or so.

Oh I must have forgotten the classes, my bad I've added them.

Probably this cantrip's intent wasn't clear. You cast Sparks as a buff for your weapon/spellcasting focus and then you have to hit something with that (I added the melee attack requirement that I forgot to put in). This means that to put Spark surge on a creature you have to attack it successfully, then it becomes a DoT but it's rather risky and low damage.

I created the cantrip thinking of a wizard that strikes the ground with his stuff and sparks come out of that point. It was meant to work only if the material component hits something physically. I should have specified it and now it is. This is a melee buff not a ranged one, no fire bolt that surges sparks unfortunately. As a buff it's bonus action to cast and concentration to maintain but to place a spark surge you need to use an action to actually attack. I increased the damage by his original damage per tier as every damaging cantrip.

And no this is a cantrip. Everithing can be changed to better suit that status but this spell is a cantrip.

[Hellpyre]

Okay, with the alterations you made it is much clearer what it is intended to do. Thanks a lot for the revisions.

Comparing this to a different weapon-buffing cantrip (Shillelagh), it provides more damage, but no attendant bonus to actually hit. I think the balance is fair here, assuming it is mostly intended to be used like a cantrip should - as a way to meaningfully interact with encounters without using leveled spells. It won't be great for a gish in hard combats (since they will probably want to concentrate on a stronger buff), but in easier combats it gives them a noticable concentration buff to combine with other attacks or the SCAG cantrips.

Overall, I like it a fair bit. I probably wouldn't take it over Fire Bolt or Green Flame Blade, but I might take it in addition to a different attack effect like GFB. It's solid, but not overpowered for what it costs you.

[Trandir]

I added an immunity to spark surge damage otherwise no one will ever use this with the risk of killing yourself.