Spells That Don't Suck

Spells

Black Ice

Conjuration cantrip

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Frostbite

You cause a patch of nearly transparent ice to form on ground that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, the magic ice fills a 5-foot square. Any creature on the ice's space when you cast the spell must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 cold damage and fall prone. A creature must also make the saving throw when it moves onto the ice's space for the first time on a turn or ends its turn atop it.

This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Blade Burst

Conjuration cantrip

• Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (5-foot radius)
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Sword Burst

You conjure a ring of blades that slash or stab at your foes. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take your choice of 1d6 slashing or 1d6 piercing damage.

This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Brilliance

3rd-level evocation

• Classes: Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 hour
• Replaces: Daylight

A 60-foot-radius sphere of light spreads out from a point you choose within range. The sphere is bright light and sheds dim light for an additional 60 feet. It is not sunlight.

If you chose a point on an object you are holding or one that isn't being worn or carried, the light shines from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the affected object with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the light.

If any of this spell's area overlaps with an area of darkness created by a spell of its own level or lower, or an equivalent magical effect, the spell or effect that created the darkness is dispelled.

Burst of Flame

2nd-level conjuration

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

You summon up a fiery explosion, creating light, heat, or smoke. You may conjure the explosion at any point within 60 feet, but it will have added effect if you conjure it atop an existing nonmagical flame (extinguishing up to a 5' cube of flame). Choose one of the following effects.

• Light: You create a shower of sparks, blinding onlookers. Every creature in a 10-foot radius must make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of your next turn. If you target an existing flame, the radius is 20 feet.
• Heat: You conjure a blast of intense heat, causing every creature in a 10-foot radius to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure they take 3d6 fire damage, or half as much on a successful save. If you target an existing flame, the damage increases to 4d6.
• Smoke: You create a 15-foot-radius cloud of thick, oily smoke. It spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. If you target an existing flame, the radius is 30 feet. The cloud lasts for 1 minute or until dispersed by a strong breeze.

Captivate

2nd-level enchantment

• Classes: Bard, Warlock
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (60 foot radius)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 minute
• Replaces: Enthrall

You enact a performance laced with subtle magic, your gestures and voice causing others to focus on you to the exclusion of all else. Creatures of your choice within range must make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you. If you or your companions are fighting a creature, it has advantage on the save. While charmed by you in this way, a creature has disadvantage on Dexterity (Initiative) rolls as well as Wisdom (Perception) checks made to perceive any creature other than you until the spell ends or until the target can no longer see or hear you. Additionally, if a creature rolls initiative while affected by this spell, its speed is reduced by 10 feet and it cannot take reactions until after its first turn ends. The spell ends if you are incapacitated or you can no longer speak. Creatures do not realize that you used magic to influence them.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the duration increases by 1 minute and the radius increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 2nd.

Cold Snap

2nd-level evocation

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 ft (5 ft radius)
• Components: S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Snilloc's Snowball Swarm

With a snap of your fingers a swirling burst of freezing wind erupts at a point you choose within range. Each creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d8 cold damage and becomes stuck in the ice, reducing their movement speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. On a success, the target takes half as much damage and is not stuck in ice.

The ground in the area is covered with slick ice and snow, making it difficult terrain 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 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.

Death Ray

7th-level necromancy

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

You send a blast of negative energy at a creature you can see within range. Make a spell attack roll, dealing 8d10+30 necrotic damage on a hit, or half as much on a miss. If the target is a humanoid and dies within 1 minute of being damaged by this spell, they rise at the start of your next turn as a zombie that is permanently under your control.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d10 for each level above 7th.

Deflect

1st-level abjuration

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round
• Replaces: Shield

A transparent sphere of arcane force appears, averting incoming attacks. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus to AC, to a maximum of 21 AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take no damage from magic missile.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the bonus to AC (and the maximum AC) increases by 1 for every two slot levels above 1st (for example, when cast with a 5th level spell slot, you have a a +7 bonus to AC, to a maximum of 23 AC).

Detect Hazards

2nd-level divination

• Classes: Cleric, Druid, Ranger
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, 10 minutes
• Replaces: Find Traps

You sense the presence of any trap within range. A trap, for the purpose of this spell, includes any object, terrain, or magic that would inflict a sudden or unexpected effect you consider harmful or undesirable. Thus, the spell would sense an area affected by the alarm spell, a glyph of warding, a hidden pit trap, or a natural sinkhole, but not a creature lying in ambush.

The spell reveals the general presence and vague direction of a trap within its 120-foot range, but not its specific location. If you come within 15 feet of the trap, you detect its presence exactly, and any ability checks you or your companions make to examine it are made with advantage.

The spell is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

Detect Otherworldly Influence

1st-level divination (ritual)

• Classes: Cleric, Paladin
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, 10 minutes
• Replaces: Detect Evil and Good

You sense the presence of unnatural or extraplanar creatures. The spell reveals the existence of any aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead within 30 feet of you, as well as their locations. You also have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Insight) checks against such creatures. The spell is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

Draining Bolt

Necromancy cantrip

• Classes: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Sapping Sting

You sap the vitality of one creature you can see in range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, it takes 1d8 necrotic damage and has disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. This spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Dust Cyclone

2nd-level conjuration

• Classes: Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet (5 foot radius)
• Components: V, S, M (a pinch of dust)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Dust Devil

Choose a target point on the ground that you can see within range. A small cyclone whips up at the target point with a radius of 5 feet and a height of 30 feet.

Any creature that starts its turn within the radius of the dust cyclone or enters its radius for the first time during its turn must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d12 bludgeoning damage and is pushed 5 feet away from the center. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't pushed.

As a bonus action, you can move the dust cyclone up to 30 feet in any direction. The first time you pass the dust cyclone's radius through a creature, that creature must make the saving throw against the dust cyclone’s damage and is pushed out of its way on failure. You can continue to move the dust cyclone, but its strength is exhausted until the end of your turn and subsequent creatures are unaffected by it passing through them.

If the dust cyclone moves over sand, dust, loose dirt, or small gravel, it sucks up the material and heavily obscures its radius until the start of your next turn.

Earth Leash

2nd-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 300 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a tiny orange flag)
• Duration: 1 minute
• Replaces: Earthbind

You point at one creature you can see within range, and send a lashing tentacle of earth to haul them to the ground. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or immediately fall prone. Its flying speed (if any) is reduced to 0 feet for the spell’s duration, and a flying creature falls even if it has hover. An airborne creature takes normal falling damage up to a maximum of 4d6 points of bludgeoning damage. A creature that makes the saving throw suffers no effects.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the number of targets increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd, and the maximum damage increases by 1d6 for each level above 2nd.

Enkindle

2nd-level transmutation

• Classes: Bard, Druid
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (an unlit candle)
• Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
• Replaces: Heat Metal

You choose a Medium or smaller object not being worn within range, and cause it to rapidly heat to unbearable temperatures. If the object is metal or otherwise not flammable, it glows white-hot; if it is flammable, it is engulfed in flame but not destroyed. If a creature is holding the object, they make a Constitution saving throw at the start of each of their turns, taking 2d4 fire damage on a failure and suffering disadvantage on any ability checks or attack rolls using the item. If they succeed on the saving throw, they take half as much damage and suffer no other effects.

If you maintain concentration for the full 1-minute duration, a non-magical item is melted, reduced to ash, or otherwise destroyed.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 2nd.

Expulsion

4th-level abjuration

• Classes: Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (an item the target abhors)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Banishment

You brandish a repellent item at a creature you can see within range and attempt to expel them from this plane. The target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, they are partly wrenched off their current plane. For the duration, they become incapacitated and gain resistance to all damage.

The target makes another Charisma save at the end of each of their turns, ending the spell on a success. Creatures on their home plane continue making saves for the duration. Extraplanar creatures failing their second Charisma save disappear from their current plane entirely. Extraplanar creatures failing the third Charisma save are banished back to their home plane and stop attempting saving throws. If you maintain concentration for the full duration, this banishment becomes permanent.

A target that returns reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 4th.

False Death

3rd-level necromancy

• Classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a pinch of graveyard dirt)
• Duration: 8 hours
• Replaces: Feign Death

You touch a willing creature, charging it with necrotic magic and allowing it to mimic death. The target gains 10 temporary hit points for the duration.

As an action, or as a reaction to being hit with an attack or taking damage, the target can appear dead to all outward inspection and to spells used to determine the target's status. If the target breathes, its respiration is undetectable.

While in this false state, the target drops prone, can see and hear normally, and has resistance to all damage except psychic damage. The false state ends if the target moves or takes an action, bonus action or reaction.

The spell ends once the target has left the false state. Additionally, you can use an action to touch the target and dismiss the spell.

If the target is diseased or poisoned when you cast the spell, or becomes diseased or poisoned while under the spell's effect, the disease and poison have no effect until the spell ends.

Fiery Blade

2nd-level evocation

• Classes: Druid
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (one flake of dried chili pepper)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Flame Blade

You evoke a fiery blade in your free hand. The blade is similar in size and shape to a scimitar, and it lasts for the duration. It counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient, and provides bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

It deals 2d6 fire damage on a hit and has the finesse, light, and thrown properties (range 20/60). If you hit a flammable creature or object, it ignites, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns until a creature uses its action to douse the flames on itself or another creature.

If you drop the weapon or throw it, it dissipates at the end of the turn. Thereafter, while the spell persists, you can use a bonus action to cause the blade to reappear in your hand.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the blade's damage increases by 1d6 and the ignite damage by 1d6 for every two slot levels above 2nd.

Fiery Quiver

3rd-level Transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 10 minutes
• Replaces: Flame Arrows

You enchant a quiver of ammunition with a fiery boon. When a creature is damaged by ammunition drawn from the quiver, they take an extra 2d6 fire damage. Only one piece of ammunition can be affected at a time, and the spell ends after 6 pieces of ammunition have been used. The spell also ends if you cast it again while unused ammunition remains.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the number of pieces of ammunition you can affect with this spell increases by one for each slot level above 3rd.

Form of Fire

6th-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
• Replaces: Investiture of Flame

You become elemental fire, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:

• You are immune to fire damage.
• You can move through the space of other creatures and ignore difficult terrain. The first time on your turn you enter the space of another creature, it takes 1d6 fire damage.
• If a creature within 5 feet hits you with a melee attack, it takes 1d6 fire damage.
• You can use your action to create a line of fire 30 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction of your choice. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 6d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• During your turn, if you roll fire damage, you can maximize one die of the fire damage dealt.

Form of Ice

6th-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
• Replaces: Investiture of Ice

You freeze over, taking on a form of elemental ice. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:

• You are immune to cold damage.
• You can move across difficult terrain created by ice or snow without spending extra movement.
• The ground in a 10-foot radius around you is icy and is difficult terrain for creatures other than you. The radius moves with you.
• You can use your action to create a 30-foot cone of freezing wind extending from your outstretched hand in a direction you choose. Each creature in the cone must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails its save against this effect has its speed halved until the start of your next turn.
• During your turn, if you roll cold damage, you gain temporary hit points equal to one die rolled (your choice).

Form of Stone

6th-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
• Replaces: Investiture of Stone

You become made of stone. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
• You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without spending extra movement. You can move through solid earth or stone as if it was air and without destabilizing it, but you can't end your movement there. If you do so, you are ejected to the nearest unoccupied space, this spell ends, and you are stunned until the end of your next turn.
• You can use your action to call spikes of stone to raise from the ground. All creatures of your choice within 15 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Their space becomes difficult terrain either way.

Form of Water

6th-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You become a surge of elemental water. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
• You can move through the space of other creatures and ignore difficult terrain; the first time you move through a Large or smaller creature, it must pass a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
• You can use your action to unleash a blast of water 15 feet long and 5 feet wide extending from you in a direction your choice. Each creature in the line must make a Strength saving throw. A creature takes 5d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone on a failed save, or half as much and isn't knocked prone on a successful one.

Form of Wind

6th-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
• Replaces: Investiture of Wind

You become a gust of elemental wind. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:

• You have a flying speed of 60 feet.
• You can move through and occupy the space of other creatures, and you ignore difficult terrain.
• You are invisible.
• You can use your action to unleash a powerful blast of wind in a 30 foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a Strength saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage is knocked 15 feet away from you on a failed save, or takes half as much damage and isn't knocked backward on a successful one.

Fortune

2nd-level abjuration

• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when a creature you can see within 60 feet fails with an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Silvery Barbs (in part)

You magically reshape causality for the triggering creature, positively influencing its efforts. The triggering creature must reroll the d20 and use the higher roll.

Frost Shuriken

1st-level conjuration

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: S, M (a palmful of water and a piece of iron)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Ice Knife

You form a bladed disk of ice and throw it at one creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage + 2d8 cold damage. The shuriken then explodes (whether you hit or miss). Each other creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d8 cold damage.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the cold damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Ghost Lights

Evocation cantrip

• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a bit of tungsten or hickory, or a firefly)
• Duration: 10 minutes
• Replaces: Dancing Lights

You create up to four small lights within range that hover in the air for the duration. Each light may appear as you wish (torch, lantern, glowing orb, etc.) and can be colored as you like. Whichever form you choose, each light sheds dim light in a 15-foot radius.

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the lights up to 60 feet to a new space within range. A light must be within 30 feet of another light created by this spell, and a light winks out if it exceeds the spell's range. If you cast this spell again, any current lights you created with this spell instantly wink out.

Ghost Touch

Necromancy cantrip

• Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round
• Replaces: Chill Touch

You create an intangible, cadaverous hand that latches onto a creature within range, assailing its life force. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and it can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn.

If you hit an undead target, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the end of your next turn.

This spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Grave Call

Necromancy cantrip

• Classes: Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a small bell or chime)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Toll the Dead

You gesture at one creature within range while ringing a chime to announce their doom. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or suffer 1d8 necrotic damage. If they are below half their maximum hit points, the damage increases to 1d12.

This spell's damage increases by one die when you reach 5th level (2d8 or 2d12), 11th level (3d8 or 3d12), and 17th level (4d8 or 4d12).

Great Wave

8th-level conjuration

• Classes: Druid
• Casting Time: At least 1 action (see below)
• Range: Sight
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 6 rounds
• Replaces: Tsunami

You create a giant, overwhelming wave at a point you choose within range, summoning a 50 foot long, 50 foot high, 10 foot thick wall of water. You can increase the casting time when casting the spell up to a maximum of 6 rounds; each round increases the wall's size by 50 feet in length and height, and 10 feet in thickness (up to a maximum of 300 feet long, 300 feet high, and 50 feet thick).

The wall lasts for the duration.When the wall appears, each creature within its area must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 6d10 bludgeoning damage, or half as much damage on a successful save.

At the start of each of your turns after the wall appears, the wall, along with any creatures in it, moves 50 feet along the ground in a direction of your choice. Any Huge or smaller creature inside the wall or whose space the wall enters when it moves must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 5d10 bludgeoning damage. A creature can take this damage only once per round. At the end of the turn, the wall's height is reduced by 50 feet, and the damage creatures take from the spell on subsequent rounds is reduced by 1d10. When the wall reaches 0 feet in height, the spell ends.

A creature caught in the wall can move by swimming. Because of the force of the wave, though, the creature must make a successful Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC in order to move at all. If it fails the check, it can't move. A creature that moves out of the area falls to the ground.

Hailstorm

4th-level conjuration

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 300 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a piece of onion and a droplet of water)
• Duration: 1 round
• Replaces: Ice Storm

Balls of ice slam to the ground in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range for the duration. The balls of ice turn the storm's area of effect into difficult terrain. Creatures starting their turn in the cylinder must make a Dexterity saving throw. They take 5d4 bludgeoning damage and 5d4 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the bludgeoning and cold damage each increase by 1d4 for each slot level above 4th. Additionally, the radius and height increase by 5 feet for each slot level above 4th.

Holy Fire

5th-level evocation

• Classes: Cleric
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a pinch of ash from burnt incense)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Flame Strike

A column of holy fire roars down from the heavens to smite your foes, striking all creatures within a 40-foot high, 10-foot radius cylinder. When you cast this spell, choose if it deals radiant damage, fire damage, or both. All creatures within the cylinder must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d8 damage of the chosen type (4d8 of each type if both were selected) on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Targets gain no benefit from cover for this saving throw.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d8 (or 1d8 of each type) for each two slot levels above 5th.

Imbue Element

3rd-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Ranger, Paladin
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration (1 hour)
• Replaces: Elemental Weapon

You touch a melee weapon and enhance it with elemental power. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, or lightning. For the duration, the weapon deals 1d6 bonus damage per hit, and the weapon's base damage is of the chosen type. In addition, once per round after a creature takes damage from the weapon, they suffer an effect based on the damage type chosen:

• Acid: The target takes 2d4 acid damage at the end of their next turn.
• Cold: The target's movement speed is reduced by half.
• Fire: The target takes 1d6 additional fire damage.
• Lightning: The target can't take reactions until the end of their next turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th or 6th level, the bonus damage increases to 2d6. When you use a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the bonus damage increases to 3d6.

Inflict Disease

5th-level necromancy

• Classes: Cleric, Druid
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Contagion

Your touch inflicts disease. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, the target is afflicted with one of the diseases listed below (your choice). The spell has no effect on constructs, undead, or creatures immune to disease. The disease is magical, and can only be cured by the heal spell or equivalent magic.

At the end of each of the target’s turns, they must make another Constitution saving throw. If they succeed on the saving throw, they suffer no effects from the disease until the end of their next turn. When the target has succeeded on three of these saving throws, they are no longer diseased. When they have failed on three of these saving throws, the disease sets in, and lasts for 7 days unless treated by an appropriate means. Once the target has either three successes or three failures on these saving throws, they stop making saves for this spell.

• Muscle Weakness. The creature's arms become unbearably weak. They have disadvantage on Strength checks, Strength saving throws, and attack rolls that use Strength. Their attacks using Strength deal half damage.
• Trembling Spasms. The creature is overcome with terrible tremors. They have disadvantage on Dexterity checks, Dexterity saving throws, and attack rolls that use Dexterity. Their attacks using Dexterity do half damage.
• Skinslough. The creature's skin becomes paper-thin and causes agonizing pain when it tears. They have disadvantage on Constitution checks and Constitution saving throws, except those caused by this spell. In addition, when the creature takes damage, its movement speed is reduced to 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
• Mindrot. The creature becomes disoriented and confused. The creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Intelligence saving throws, and cannot tell friend from foe in combat.
• Fire-eyes Fever. The creature's eyes turn milky white and are searingly painful. They have disadvantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws, and are blinded.
• Flesh Rot. The creature’s flesh decays. They have disadvantage on Charisma checks and Charisma saving throws, and take 5 additional points of damage when they suffer bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Lashing Vine

2nd-level conjuration

• Classes: Druid, Ranger
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 minute
• Replaces: Grasping Vine

You cause a magical vine to burst forth from the ground, wall, or ceiling in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range. The vine has an AC and hit points equal to your spell save DC, and the spell ends if you cast it again while a vine remains. When you cast this spell, and then as a bonus action on each of your turns until the spell ends, you can direct the vine to pull a large or smaller creature within 30 feet of it that you can see. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be pulled 20 feet directly toward the vine.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the range and distance the vine can pull a creature increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 2nd. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the vine can attempt to pull huge or smaller creatures.

Life Drain

3rd-level necromancy

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Vampiric Touch

You send tendrils of necrotic energy out, sucking the life essence from your foes. Select up to three creatures within range. Make a ranged spell attack against each of them, dealing 3d6 necrotic damage on a hit. You regain hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each two slot levels above 3rd.

Lightning Leash

Evocation cantrip

• Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (30 feet)
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round
• Replaces: Lightning Lure

You create a whip of crackling electricity, and arc it outwards at a creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet. Make a melee spell attack. If it hits, the target takes 1d6 lightning damage, and is ensnared by the lightning leash. Until the start of your next turn, as a reaction if the enemy moves outside this spell's range, you can yank on the leash. The target must make a Strength saving throw or take 1d6 lightning damage and have their movement reduced by half. Once they are outside of the spell's range, the leash dissipates.

Both damage rolls increase by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Lightning Tendril

1st-level evocation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self (20 feet)
• Components: V, S, M (a twig from a tree that has been struck by lightning)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Witch Bolt

Crackling beams of blue energy leap from your hands. For the duration of the spell, as an action, you can direct them toward a creature within range, dealing 1d12 lightning damage to that creature.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 3rd- or 4th-level spell slot, the damage increases to 2d12 and the range increases to 30 feet. When you cast it using a 5th- or 6th-level spell slot, the damage increases to 3d12 and the range increases to 60 feet. When you cast it using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases to 4d12 and the range increases to 120 feet.

Manipulate Earth

Transmutation cantrip

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Varies
• Replaces: Mold Earth

You mold earth you can see within range, causing it to twist and buckle to your command, selecting one of the following effects:

• You can move a 5-foot cube of loose dirt or soil, excavate and move it along the ground to another unoccupied space within 5 feet.
• You can carve small, simple shapes into dirt or stone, change its color, or similar minor effects.
• You can turn a 5-foot square of earth or stone into difficult terrain for 1 hour. You can create up to three patches of difficult terrain this way; if you create additional patches the first created patch returns to normal terrain.

Manipulate Fire

Transmutation cantrip

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round
• Replaces: Control Flames

You control fire you can see within range, causing it to bend to your command, selecting one of the following effects:

• One creature of your choice within range has resistance to fire damage until the start of your next turn.
• You can spark, douse, or spread fire in a 5 foot-cube, so long as there is fuel that can be ignited within the area.
• You can control the brightness (halving or doubling it), color (turning the flames to any color of your choice), or shape of fire (forming simple shapes or forms) within a 5-foot cube for 10 minutes.

Manipulate Water

Transmutation cantrip

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Varies
• Replaces: Shape Water

You shape water you can see within range, causing it to move and shape at to your command, selecting one of the following effects:

• You can move or direct the flow of a 5-foot cube of water in direction, but the water will collapse back to following the flow of gravity at the start of your next turn unless you concentrate on keeping it in place.
• You can form the water into shapes or cause it to animate. This change lasts for 1 minute.
• You can change the color or opacity of water in a 5-foot cube. This change lasts for 1 hour.
• You can freeze up to a 5-foot cube of water or thaw up to a 5-foot cube of ice. The water unfreezes or refreezes naturally based on the environmental conditions (usually taking an hour or more to melt or freeze, unless in extreme conditions).

Manipulate Wind

Transmutation cantrip

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round
• Replaces: Gust

You produce a gust of wind within range, causing it to surge and swirl at your command, selecting one of the following effects:

• The next ranged weapon attack against a creature of your choice within range has disadvantage.
• One creature of your choice within range must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet or knocked prone (your choice).
• You can increase the next jump made by a creature of your choice within range by 5 feet.
• You manipulate the wind in a minor way, such as pushing a light object up to 10 feet, rustling plants, slamming doors, or similar effects. These aren't powerful enough to move creatures or deal damage.

Martial Steel Wind Strike

5th-level conjuration

• Classes: Ranger, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (30-foot radius)
• Components: V, S, M (a melee weapon you are proficient with worth at least 1 cp)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Steel Wind Strike

You flourish a weapon you are proficient with used in the casting and then vanish to strike like the wind. Choose up to five creatures you can see within range. Make a melee weapon attack against each target. On a hit, a target takes 6d10 damage of the weapon's damage type.

You can then teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of one of the targets you hit or missed.

Minor Drain

1st-level necromancy

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Ray of Sickness (in part)

You send a pulse of necrotic energy towards a target, sucking its life essence away. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 necrotic damage, and you gain half the damage dealt as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points fade at the end of your next turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Misfortune

2nd-level abjuration

• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when a creature you can see within 60 feet succeeds with an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Silvery Barbs (in part)

You magically reshape causality for the triggering creature, negatively influencing its efforts. The triggering creature must reroll the d20 and use the lower roll.

Necromantic Infusion

3rd-level necromancy

• Classes: Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, M (a handful of bone chips)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Negative Energy Flood (in part)

You open a conduit to a plane of death, infusing one creature you can see within range with a jolt of negative energy. A living target must make a Constitution saving throw, suffering 5d8 necrotic damage on a failure or half as much on a success. An undead target receives 5d8 temporary hit points. While it has these temporary hit points, all its attacks have advantage.

Necromantic Storm

5th-level necromancy

• Classes: Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, M (tattered black silk)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Negative Energy Flood (in part)

You tear a rift to a plane of death, summoning forth a flood of negative energy. Choose a point within 60 feet to open the rift. All non-undead creatures within 10 feet must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 6d8 necrotic damage on a failure or half as much on a success. If a creature is killed by this spell, the blast spreads, affecting a 10-foot radius around that creature as well. A creature cannot be damaged twice by the spell, and the spell ends after damaging 10 creatures.

If a humanoid dies from this spell, they rise as a zombie at the start of your next turn and attack the closest living creature. You can assert control over the zombies by casting animate dead as if you were reasserting control over zombies created with that spell. Statistics for a zombie are in the Monster Manual. At the DM's discretion, other creature types may rise as different undead.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell with a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the maximum number of creatures affected increases by 2 for each slot level above 5th.

Oakenhide

2nd-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Ranger
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 minute
• Replaces: Barkskin

You magically encase your body in a hard shell of bark. You gain 6 temporary hit points at the start each of your turns, and while you have these temporary hit points, you can calculate your armor class as 15 + your Dexterity modifier (maximum 2).

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, your AC increases by 1 for each two slot levels above 2nd. The temporary hit points increase by 3 for each slot level above 2nd.

Petrify

6th-level transmutation

• Classes: Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a pinch of chalk, water, and dirt)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 3 rounds
• Replaces: Flesh to Stone

You attempt to petrify a creature that you can see within range. If the target's body is made of flesh, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified; otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained.

A creature restrained by this spell must make another Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves against this spell three times, the spell ends; if it fails its save, it is petrified.

The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.

If the creature is physically broken while petrified, it suffers from similar damage if it reverts to its original state.

Shatter Mind

8th-level transmutation

• Classes: Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Feeblemind

You blast the mind of a creature that you can see within range, attempting to shatter its intellect and personality. The target takes 4d6 psychic damage and must make an Intelligence saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature's Intelligence and Charisma scores become 1. They can only take the most instinctive actions, such as fighting with unarmed strikes or natural weapons, or running away in a straight line. They can't cast spells, activate magic items, understand language, use weapons or tools, or communicate in any way. They can understand when another creature means them harm.

After 1 day has passed, a creature can reattempt its saving throw, ending the spell on a success. Every time they fail the saving throw, they add one additional day onto the time interval before they can reattempt their save.

The spell can also be ended by greater restoration, heal, or wish.

Siphon Life

3rd-level necromancy

• Classes: Cleric, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Life Transference

You gesture at two creatures within range, redirecting the life force from one to heal another within range. One creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that you can see must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 4d8 damage, which can't be reduced in any way, and another creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of your target regains an equivalent number of hit points.

A creature can willingly fail this save.

The spell has no effect on constructs or undead.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd.

Spectral Champion

3rd-level necromancy

• Classes: Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Spirit Shroud

You summon a large, ghostly entity which envelops you, aiding your attacks and making its own, striking down your foes. The entity is incorporeal and invulnerable. Choose a damage type when you cast this spell: cold, necrotic, or radiant. All damage dealt by this spell is of that type.

For the duration of the spell, your weapons are wreathed in ethereal light, dealing 1d4 extra damage on every hit; any creature that takes this damage can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn. In addition, when you cast this spell and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can command the entity to attack one target within 10 feet; it uses your spell attack modifier and deals 2d8 damage on a hit. A creature hit by the entity must make a Wisdom saving throw or have its speed reduced to 0.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the the damage dealt by the host increases by 1d8 for each level above 3rd.

Spreadshot

3rd-level conjuration

• Classes: Ranger
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (60-foot cone)
• Components: V, S, M (a nonmagical thrown weapon or nonmagical piece of ammunition)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Conjure Barrage

You touch the material component used in the spell's casting, multiplying the projectiles when thrown or shot. Make a single ranged attack roll with the weapon. Each creature within range takes 4d8 damage on a hit, or half as much damage on a miss. The damage type is the same as that of the weapon or ammunition used as a component.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd.

Stinging Insects

Conjuration cantrip

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (six sugar crystals)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Infestation

You cause a cloud of biting, stinging insects to appear near one creature you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On failure, it takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 poison damage and moves 5 feet in a direction of your choice. The creature doesn't move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a fire or a pit.

The spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4+2d4), 11th level (3d4+3d4), and 17th level (4d4+4d4).

Stormcloud

4th-level evocation

• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 150 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
• Replaces: Storm Sphere

A 20-foot-radius sphere charged with crackling lightning and rumbling shockwaves appears centered on a point you choose within range. The sphere remains for the spell's duration; at the beginning of each of your turns, you can move the sphere up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured, difficult terrain. Creatures inside the sphere are deafened; creatures within 30 feet of the sphere have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to listen.

Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to direct a lightning strike from the sphere's center at one creature you choose within 60 feet of the center. Make a ranged spell attack. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is in the sphere. On a hit, the target takes 4d8 lightning damage.

After this lightning strike, each creature in the sphere must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 thunder damage, or half as much damage on a successful save.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage for each of its effects increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.

Touch of Filth

2nd-level transmutation

• Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a piece of rotting food)
• Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
• Replaces: Ray of Sickness (in part)

You envelop your hand in a vile miasma. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 poison damage and is poisoned. At the end of each of their turns, they can make a Constitution saving throw, ending the poison on a success. Until the spell ends, you can make this attack again on each of your turns as an action.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

Thunder Burst

Evocation cantrip

• Classes: Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (5-foot radius)
• Components: S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Replaces: Thunderclap

You create a burst of cracking sound that can be heard up to 100 feet away. All other creatures within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 thunder damage and be deafened until the end of their next turn.

The spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Unbridled Fury

2nd-level enchantment

• Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
• Replaces: Crown of Madness

You plant an unquenchable rage in the mind of one humanoid you can see within range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you, their eyes glowing with a fiery light. When you cast the spell, or as an action on subsequent turns, you may activate this rage.

If their rage is activated, at the beginning of the target's turn, they must move up to their speed towards the closest other creature and use their action to make 1 melee attack against them. If their rage is not activated or they cannot reach another creature, the target may take their turn as normal. Regardless, they may attempt a Wisdom saving throw at the end of their turn, ending the spell on a success.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the target makes 2 attacks if they possess an ability that would normally allow them to make more than one attack on their turn.

Unearth Legend

5th-level divination (ritual)

• Classes: Bard, Cleric, Wizard
• Casting Time: 10 minutes
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (rare gems worth at least 250 gp, which the spell consumes, and a jeweled notebook worth at least 200 gp)
• Duration: 1 week
• Replaces: Legend Lore

You contact an otherwordly entity, offering it the gems used in the spell's casting in exchange for the history of a person, place, or object. The entity tells you everything it knows about the subject (typically well-known lore or widely-told stories).

After it is contacted, the entity researches the subject for up to 1 week. Its discoveries appear as writing in the jeweled notebook. It might learn obscure myths, forgotten legends, or even lost secrets. The more information you possess when you cast the spell, the faster and more detailed the results will be. The entity may not understand the information it finds, and so might impart unsolved riddles, confusing poems, or other puzzling communications. Once the entity has conveyed everything it can discover, the spell ends.

Unerring Sentry

4th-level conjuration

• Classes: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a dog collar)
• Duration: 8 hours
• Replaces: Faithful Hound

You conjure an arcane sentry in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. It can take any form you wish, but is obviously magical in nature, and is always Small or Medium. It lasts for the duration, until you dismiss it, until you move 100 feet from it, or until you cast the spell again.

When you cast the spell, designate any number of creatures you can see as the sentry's allies. The sentry is invisible to everyone except its allies, and if any other creature of CR 1/4 or higher comes within 60 feet of it, it calls out an alarm. It can see invisible creatures, see into the Ethereal Plane, and cannot be deceived by illusions.

As an action on your turn, you may direct the sentry to attack a target you can see within 100 feet of its original location. It can move up to 30 feet, and then makes a melee attack with your spell attack modifier. On a hit, it deals 4d8 force damage. If you are incapacitated, unconscious, or otherwise unable to direct the sentry, then at the end of your turn it attacks the nearest creature of CR 1/4 or higher that is not its ally.

Wayfinding

5th-level divination

• Classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid
• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a pendulum worth 50 gp and a mirror worth 50 gp)
• Duration: 24 hours
• Replaces: Find the Path

You name a specific location on the same plane of existence, receiving supernatural knowledge regarding the way between you and the destination. If the destination moves to another plane, the spell fails.

When you cast the spell, choose one of the following options, the effects of which last for the duration of the spell.While the spell lasts, you can end one option as an action to gain the benefits of a different one.

Dowsing. The pendulum tugs in a direction with increasing urgency as you near your destination, informing you of its distance and direction.

Ascertainment. Whenever you are presented with a choice of paths along the way to the destination, the pendulum points towards the shortest and most direct route (ignoring safety).

Forecast. The mirror displays images of the next 30 miles on the path to the destination, granting a general awareness of natural hazards or obstacles, such as decaying bridges or cliffs.

Appendix 1: Replacements

Appendix 2: Design Notes

We don't have design notes for spells written by KibblesTasty, but broadly like everything he did with them.

Earthbind

Replaced With: Earth Leash

Earthbind was just miserably situational. Earth Leash is still pretty situational, but gets a little damage to improve its primary use case, and can be upcast against multiple targets. Has any effect at all against non-flying targets now, too.

Elemental Weapon

Replaced With: Imbue Element

Elemental Weapon's very weak; its primary benefit is simulating a magic weapon, but in most games, that's just not needed. So instead it gets a small damage buff, and rider effects according to the element chosen. (Also, thunder's much stronger than the other types, so it's removed).

Enthrall

Replaced With: Captivate

• Captivation on creatures within range over the entire duration
• Visual and auditory captivation
• Added initiative disadvantage, movement speed reduction and no reactions
• Added duration and radius increase with upcasting
• Clarified creatures are unaware of magical influence (essentially the opposite of Friends)

Faithful Hound

Replaced With: Unerring Sentry

Rather than try to make it a useful combat spell (which there are plenty of options for, including Arcane Hand at a similar level), we tried to make it better at its situational use case. So basically the only changes are:

• You can designate allies (which fixes the weird password thing)
• It can move within a 100' radius of the original cast location, and requires your action to attack if you're awake.

Feeblemind

Replaced With: Shatter Mind.

Absolutely needed a rename for sensitivity reasons, and might as well clean the mechanics up while we're at it.

• Renamed
• Range reduction (minor, enables counterspell)
• Save time reduced (to make it possible, albeit painful, to wait for natural recovery)
• Clarified what it means to have 1 Int (Ooze-grade intelligence)

Feign Death

Replaced With: False Death

The original's role is so specific that it's basically just a plot spell. Buffed it into a bit of a higher-level False Life with added utility for the spell's original functions.

• 10 temp hp
• Reaction allows in-combat use
• Clarified breathing
• Removed incapacitation, spell just ends if target takes an action etc.
• This allows them to continue to concentrate on a spell (!)
• Removed blindness
• Can act normally, ending the spell - enabling in-combat psychological surprises

Find the Path

Replaced With: Wayfinding

Find the Path is a plot spell, but a particularly tedious one. We made it a little more applicable (can now find ships, vehicles, etc.), and gave its detailed functions a level of interactivity. Also removed the requirement to have an item from the location, which in practice made it only usable with the DM's advance planning for it.

Find Traps

Replaced With: Detect Hazards

Find traps is garbage, just utterly useless. It doesn't tell you where the traps are, it's instantaneous, and it doesn't even work on half of what you'd want it to.

• duration from Instantaneous to Concentration (10m)
• gives exact location within 15 feet
• grants advantage on checks to investigate
• blocked by the usual stuff
• buffed to apply to natural hazards as well

Finger of Death

Replaced With: Death Ray

• Increased damage (from 61.5 to 74, vs. disintegrate's 85.5 upcast). Still less than disintegrate, but does half on a miss.
• Changed to an attack roll (but still half damage on miss).
• Fixed weirdness about zombification so being a PC doesn't save you
• Gave it great upcasting

Flame Blade

Replaced With: Fiery Blade

Flame Blade is famously garbage - it just doesn't work for any build. But Shadow-Blade-alikes are a fairly good template to use.

• More light
• Grants proficiency
• Thrown & reappear, akin to Shadow Blade
• Damage over time now with control properties

Flame Arrows

Replaced With: Fiery Quiver

Flame Arrows is very, very weak; Hex will outperform it almost every time. Fiery Quiver doubles the rate the damage comes out (though it cuts the duration down to compensate).

Flame Strike

Replaced With: Holy Fire

Flame Strike's not terrible, but it's consistently underwhelming. This just buffs the damage until it's acceptable, and adds a rider about cover inspired by Sacred Flame.

Flesh to Stone

Replaced With: Petrify

The base Flesh to Stone is underwhelming. A 6th-level slot to inflict restrained is a very high price; with 3 rounds until petrification, it almost never triggers. We debated lots of different versions, and landed on the most conservative, just buffing it until it's worth using.

• Failing by 5 or more is instant petrify (consistent mechanics with medusas)
• Restrained after 1 failure, petrified after another
• Concentration changed to 3 rounds as it's decided by then

Force Cage

Replaced With: Confinement

Force Cage has the same problem as Wall of Force; it's absolute and doesn't have any options for counterplay. So we also made it breakable.

Frostbite

Replaced With: Black Ice

Frostbite's perfectly fine, actually, but its effect made more sense for Sapping Sting/Draining Bolt.

Grasping Vine

Replaced With: Lashing Vine

Grasping vine is awful. It's a 4th-level spell, with concentration, that arguably underperforms many 1st-levels.

• 4th to 2nd level, for all that is holy, this was worse than Entangle RAW
• Removed concentration, 1 minute duration remains (actually allowing the combo of this + Spike Growth)
• Can only grab Large or smaller creatures
• Vine has AC and HP for counterplay, now that concentration is gone
• Added upcasting

Heat Metal

Replaced With: Enkindle

This one's probably had the most polarizing feedback (aside from Deflect). Heat Metal's obviously overpowered, particularly with the cook-and-book strategy. Disarming opponents is also frequently crippling.

• Affects any object, not just metal ones.
• No longer affects armor.
• Damage halved.
• No longer costs bonus action to use.
• Creatures can make a Con save to ignore the disadvantage.

Ice Knife

Replaced With: Frost Shuriken

Ice Knife requires two rolls for full effect - attack roll and Dex save. In practice it winds up just being super low damage. Frost Shuriken fixes that by giving the primary target full damage.

• Primary target takes full damage after the attack roll.
• Piercing damage reduced, cold damage increased.

Ice Storm

Replaced With: Hailstorm

Mostly this got a damage buff so it doesn't underwhelm quite so hard, but also got a relatively-unique AoE scaling for upcast, to help distinguish it from fireball.

• Buffed Damage
• Added AHL AoE scaling

Infestation

Replaced With: Stinging Insects

The original isn't terrible, just a little underwhelming. Strong save, weak damage, and random movement is fiddly to adjudicate and hard to use.

• Buffed damage from 1d6 poison to 2d4 poison/piercing
• Made movement non-random

Legend Lore

Replaced With: Unearth Legend

The original spell here was very limited, and very annoying for a DM. Unless you know in advance your players are planning to cast LL, you'll just sound dopey trying to improvise a poem or riddle on the spot.

• No longer requires target to be "of legendary importance"
• Allows ritual casting
• Returns information slowly over a week, which probably gives the DM enough time to push the big reveal to next week's session and write a poem for it

Life Transference

Replaced With: Siphon Life The original's quite niche, and consequently very rarely taken. It's very difficult to use unless your wizard has a reliable way to recover the health, and logically, it's not clear why the caster's health is worth twice as much for somebody else.

• Removed 2x healing for 1x damage (never made sense)
• Target other creatures except constructs or undead

Lightning Lure

Replaced With: Lightning Leash

Kept the conceptual idea of a tether made of lightning, but the base spell's mechanics were just a total failure - didn't work at all. Its secondary effect is fairly potent for a cantrip, but costs a reaction to compensate.

Negative Energy Flood

Replaced with: Necromantic Infusion and Necromantic Storm

The base spell does three things, and does them all badly. We split off the "buff an undead" function, and rewrote the rest as what a spell named "Negative Energy Flood" ought to be, an AoE nuke that makes zombies.

Polymorph

Replaced With: Animal Transformation

Polymorph was just pretty obviously too strong. Polymorphing allies into Giant Apes was extremely disruptive, and if the enemy couldn't break your concentration, just produced a giant wall of meat to chop through.

• Changed save from Wis to Cha (buff)
• Allow a save every turn to recover from baleful polymorph (nerf)
• Capped CR at spell level or character level, whichever's lower (big nerf)

Pyrotechnics

Replaced With: Burst of Flame

Pyrotechnics is a weird one - it's a 2nd-level spell that more-or-less replicates three first-level spells, and is massively constrained by the need to cast it on an existing fire. We preserved its multi-use nature, but freed it from the fire dependence; instead, it's a little underwhelming power-wise but very good if you have a fire to work with.

Ray of Sickness

Replaced With: Minor Drain & Touch of Filth

Ray of Sickness is one of those spells that sucks because it's a hybrid spell. It's bad at damage and bad at control; it's almost always a better choice to pick which is more important and cast a better spell for that purpose. So we split it in two, creating a 1st-level necromantic damage spell (critical for necromancy wizards) and a 2nd-level high-risk, high-reward poison spell.

Sapping Sting

Replaced With: Draining Bolt

Disadvantage is more thematic for the spell than prone was.

Shield

Replaced With: Deflect

Shield's fine for its primary use case (keeping a squishy caster from getting blendered), but is incredibly disruptive when it gets combined with heavy armor or other high-AC builds. We tested a lot of options, and landed on the simplest one. Also, upcasting is fun.

• Capped AC boost at 21 AC.
• Granted (bad) upscaling.

Silvery Barbs

Replaced With: Fortune & Misfortune

Silvery Barbs was entirely, vastly overpowered, and probably the most-banned spell in the game as a result.

• Split into two distinct functions, both of which were bumped up a level.

Spirit Shroud

Replaced With: Spectral Champion

Spirit Shroud never needed to exist; it was basically a mild rework to Spirit Guardians to make it suitable for paladins (but it failed, so the spell sucked). We opted for a bigger redesign to better fill its role as an offensive equivalent to SG's defensive aura.

• Small bonus damage on every hit
• Use a BA to have a spirit attack and slow one target.

Storm Sphere

Replaced With: Stormcloud

Storm Sphere's a spell that's fine, but it's a hybrid spell (in this case, AoE & ongoing-single-target). Most hybrid spells suffer because they're a little crap at both individual functions, so you generally decide what you want to do more and pick a more-focused spell for that. This primarily got a damage buff, but then also got some (beautifully thematic if I say so myself) mechanical changes to help distinguish itself from its main competitor, Sickening Radiance.

• Added ability to move the sphere
• Took away the initial damage; replaced it with lightning damage for the bolt's target and thunder damage for folks in the sphere.
• Added deafened condition because it really should have it.

Sword Burst

Replaced With: Blade Burst

Very small change here - there's no good reason for the spell to do force damage. It's literally swords.

Thunderclap

Replaced With: Thunder Burst

Fairly weak damage for what it was, but mostly this one's a language cleanup and making it more consistent with other spells.

• Language update and range now self, 5 foot radius like sword burst (corrects silly questions, there's a reason TCoE updated SCAG)
• Damage increase
• Niche rider: deafened until the end of its next turn

Tiny Hut

Replaced With: Arcane Shelter

Broadly, Tiny Hut works fine for guaranteeing a safe rest, but is too tempting for parties to try and set up cheesy fights where it gets used as invincible cover. So the changes attempt to preserve its role while making it much harder to use in combat.

• Fails if there's not enough space (so you can't block a passageway)
• Changed from evocation to abjuration
• 10 minute cast time instead of 1m (reduces cheese)
• Projectiles can't pass through (no archers sitting inside)
• Moving through costs 25' (no darting out, attacking, darting back in)
• Made it fully translucent instead of one-way visible (so you're sacrificing good information about what's happening outside)
• Doesn't forbid Large creatures (large PC rules will happen at some point)

Toll the Dead

Replaced With: Grave Calling

Toll the Dead's virtually always at full power for d12 damage, which is a little too strong.

• d12 damage when target's below half hp, instead of full hp.

Tsunami

Replaced With: Great Wave

Tsunami was basically "narrative destruction" - now this is both usable in combat and more flexible overall.

• Any direction along the ground instead "away from you"
• Variable cast time and size

Vampiric Touch

Replaced With: Life Drain

This is one of the biggest changes, basically a total rewrite. Vampiric Touch is an iconic spell, but 5E's version is frankly terrible; it's only usable if you're out of spell slots and slap-fighting a weak enemy. Life Drain's a pretty brutal health drain as long as there are enough targets available. Get your Palpatine on.

Wall of Force

Replaced With: Arcane Wall

Wall of Force is too good. It'd debateably be too good at 8th- or 9th-level; the issue is there's just no ability to counterplay it, at all. So we made it breakable.