Clars' Lost 2nd-Level Spells

This document presents a selection of lost spells from older editions of the game, updating them for use in 5E.

Most of the spells presented here are from AD&D 2e and D&D 3.5 Core Rules, but a few are them are from supplements such as the Wizards's and Priest's Spell Compendium (2e) and Spell Compendium (3.5).

Decastaff

2nd-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M ( a splinter of wood)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Classes: Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard

You evoke energy to form a brilliant beam that resembles a staff in your hand. It counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. When you attack with it you can use your spellcasting ability modifier instead of Strength for your attack and damage rolls and it deals 1d8 force damage on a hit. It also has the reach and two-handed property.

On a hit, you regain hit points equal to half the amount of force damage dealt. The spell ends if you drop the decastaff.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for every two slot levels above 2nd.

Desecrate

2nd-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 50 feet
• Components: V, S, M (A vial of unholy water and 25 gp worth (5 pounds) of silver dust, all of which must be sprinkled around the area)
• Duration: 24 hours
• Classes: Cleric

You imbue a 20-foot radius sphere with negative energy. Any undead in this area have advantage on their saving throws. If the area includes an altar to your god, or a desecrated altar to an enemy god, then any undead in the area also gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. If an undead creature is animated, created, conjured, or summoned in the area, it gains temporary hit points equal to its Hit Dice as soon as it appears.

Fire Trap

2nd-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 10 minutes
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (A half-pound of gold dust (cost 25 gp) sprinkled on the warded object.)
• Duration: Until dispelled or triggered
• Classes: Artificer, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard

You touch an object that can be opened and closed to protect it against intrusion. When opened, the trap erupts with magical energy in a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on the object. The sphere spreads around corners. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d4 fire damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one.

You can use the fire trapped object without discharging it, as can any individual to whom the object was specifically attuned when cast. Attuning a fire trapped object to an individual usually involves setting a password that you can share with friends.

The trap is hard to detect and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4 for each slot level above 2nd.

Ghoul Touch

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a small scrap of cloth taken from clothing worn by a ghoul, or a pinch of earth from a ghoul's lair.)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

Your hand is imbued with negative energy. Make a melee spell attack against a creature. On a hit, it is paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the spell ends.

While it is paralyzed, the target exudes a carrion stench that causes any creature (except you) that starts it’s turn within 10 ft of the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature becomes poisoned for the duration of the spell. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the spell ends.

Undeads and constructs are immune to this spell.

Glitterdust

2nd-level conjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 100 feet
• Components: V, S, M (Ground mica)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Classes: Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

A cloud of golden particles covers everyone and everything in a 10-foot-radius sphere. Creatures must succeed a Dexterity saving throw or be blinded for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, a target can make a Dexterity saving throw. On a success, the spell ends.

In addition, an affected creature or object can't benefit from being invisible for the duration of the spell and have disadvantage on Dexterity (stealth) checks.

Hold Beast

2nd-level enchantment

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a small, straight piece of wood)
• Duration: Concentraion, up to 1 minute
• Classes: Druid, Ranger

Choose a beast that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the spell ends on the target.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional beast for each slot level above 2nd. The beasts must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.

Knight's Move

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round
• Classes: Cleric, Paladin

You inspire divine celerity to up to three creatures of your choice within range, which glow with yellow nimbus of light. The targets’ speed increases by 30 feet until the end of your next turn and they can immediately use their reactions to move up to their speed.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

Lion's Charge

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V
• Duration: 1 round
• Classes: Ranger

With a roar, you propel yourself forward to maul your foes with fury. Your speed increases by 20 feet and if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line before taking the attack action with a melee weapon, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. These effects end at the end of your turn.

Magic Fang

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
• Classes: Druid, Ranger

You touch a creature. Until the spell ends, that creature’s natural weapons and unarmed strikes become magic weapons with a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the bonus increases to +2. When you use a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the bonus increases to +3.

Needlestorm

2nd-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (30-foot cone)
• Components: V, S, M (a spine from a needle-bearing tree or plant)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Druid

You create a deadly barrage of needles that spray out in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d12 piercing damage and have its speed reduced by 10 feet until it regains at least 1 hit point. On a successful save, a target takes half damage and its speed isn’t reduced.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 2nd.

Poison Dart

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You conjure a dart of pure poison and hurl it at a creature you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d12 poison damage and must succeed a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the start of your next turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d12 for each slot level above 2nd.

Protection from Normal Missiles

2nd-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (A piece of shell from a tortoise or a turtle)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
• Classes: Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard

The touched creature has resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from Ranged Weapon Attacks for the duration of the spell. In addition, attacks against the target made with non-magical ranged weapons have disadvantage.

Remove Fear

2nd-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 hour
• Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin

Until the spell ends, the creature is immune to being frightened.

Resurgence

2nd-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin

You inspire a creature that you can see within range to free itself from an ongoing effect against which it failed a saving throw. The target immediately makes a new saving throw with advantage against the effect, possibly ending it.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

Spectral Hand

2nd-level necromancy

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a dagger)
• Duration: 1 minute
• Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

A floating spectral hand shaped with your vital force appears in your space next to you, allowing you to augment to range of your spell. When you cast this spell, you inflict yourself 1d4 slashing damage with the dagger used as a material component. The hand is a tiny object with an AC of 15 and hit points equal to your half your hit point maximum.

For the duration of the spell, when you use a spell cast a spell with a range of touch or use an action to make a melee spell attack, the range of the spell is raised to 60 feet as the spectral hand moves to touch the target of the spell or effect.

Once the hand delivers a spell or melee spell attack, it immediately returns in your space and float by your side.

Tree Shape

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (the leaf of a tree)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours
• Classes: Druid, Ranger

By means of this spell, you are able to assume the form of a Large living tree or shrub or a Large dead tree trunk with a small number of limbs. The closest inspection cannot reveal that the tree in question is actually a magically concealed creature. To all normal tests you are, in fact, a tree or shrub, although a detect magic spell reveals a faint transmutation on the tree. While in tree form, you can observe all that transpires around you just as if you were in your normal form, you keep your statistics and you gain 10 temporary hit points until the spell ends.

Vocalize

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: S, M (a tiny bell with no clapper)
• Duration: 10 minutes
• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You do not need to provide vocal components to cast spells for the duration.

Warp Wood

2nd-level transmutation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Druid

You target up to five non-magical wooden objects of Medium size or smaller or sections of wood no more than 5 feet in any dimension in a 20-foot-radius sphere and form them into any shape that suits your purpose. So, for example, you could shape a log into a weapon, idol, or coffer, or make a small passage through a wall, as long as the wall is less than 5 feet thick. You could also shape a wooden door or its frame to seal the door shut. A weapon targeted by this spell becomes useless.

If an object is held by a creature in the spell’s area, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid the warping energy of the spell. On a success, the target’s object isn’t warped.

Whispering Wind

2nd-level transmutation (ritual)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 12 miles
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 hour
• Classes: Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard

You send a message or sound on the wind to a designated spot. The whispering wind travels to a specific location within range that is familiar to you, provided that it can find a way to the location. A whispering wind is as gentle and unnoticed as a zephyr until it reaches the location. It then delivers its whisper-quiet message or other sound. Note that the message is delivered regardless of whether anyone is present to hear it. The wind then dissipates.