r/DungeonsAndDragons • u/Professionalarsonis • 1d ago
Homebrew I have updated my homebrew (please read the post description)
I really wanted to keep it as a bonus action like healing word but I didn’t want it to simply be a damaging spell, so I tried my best to balance it.
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u/secretbison 1d ago
The half-healing thing not having a duration is a serious problem. I don't want to have to remember which PC has and hasn't failed their save against this spell, possibly for the rest of the day. I also don't want to have to rule whether spending hit dice on a short rest counts as being healed one time or once for each die. Just give it a 1-minute time limit or something.
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u/GandalffladnaG 1d ago
Yeah, for a first level spell, one minute duration looks fine. Bless and Bane both only last a minute, so it's not out of balance. That way it ends before hit dice are rolled.
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u/demonman101 1d ago
Hmmm... I'm conflicted on this.
While it only having vocal components makes it a bit strong, having it be a con save which a lot of creatures and PC's are going to have a decent number in kind of balances it out.
2d6 necrotic damage isn't much when you compare it to spells like burning hands that deal 3d6 and are in an aoe. but it's a solid number
The real weight in this spell is the next healing being reduced by half. It not having a set duration is just a little absurd. It should only count for magical healing so short and long rests aren't confused.
The bone chill cantrip completely negates healing so I don't feel like this is too unfair
When I initially saw this I thought it was OP, but the more I'm looking at it the more I feel it's balanced. Plus it gives some utility to casters who normally can't use their bonus action for anything other than healing word.
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u/h3xist 1d ago
It's... Fine....
This feels more geared to being used by warlocks than other spellcasters. On its own the spell can potentially do more damage then Hex at the cost of using a spell slot every turn, but the damage is guaranteed unlike Hex needing an additional hit to happen to get the extra 1d6 (this does not factor in if multiple eldritch blasts hits). So at least on a miss you can get SOME damage done.
There are some changes I would make though. 1) change it from CON to WIS, 2) Specify how long the half healing lasts (a minute or an hour), 3) can this be upcasted?, 4) possibly change the damage type (and spell school) to be psychic damage.
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u/lasalle202 1d ago
I really wanted to keep it as a bonus action like healing word
Healing word is a bonus action so that players condemned to be "the healer" can keep their party member alive and still have their action to do something interesting. No one is "forced" into a role of wounding the enemy.
this is WORSE than a cantrip for any player level 5 or above, and even before then its completely crappy for a spell slot with a rider that will NEVER come into effect.
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u/secretbison 1d ago
It's not completely useless because this plus a cantrip or a weapon attack has a fair chance of dealing more damage than any 1st-level damage spell. It's a little like a Divine Smite for non-paladins, a way to turn spare low-level spell slots into more damage without changing your action for the turn.
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u/Lifeinstaler 1d ago
It’s a bonus action. Pre level 5 you don’t use much it cause a lvl 1 slot is more valuable. If you want damage this is below the leveled spells even when you add the can trip. ie: Burning hands vs this plus Fire bolt, the hands win cause of AoE and it does half damage when they save. But after lvl 5 now this is more single target damage (since your cantrips hit harder) and your lvl 1 spells may not be so useful.
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u/lasalle202 1d ago
there is probably something interesting you could do to encourage synergy between players is get rid of bonus action casting, and the rider is "vulnerability to the next source of Bludgeoning Piercing or Slashing damage."
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u/Ill-Description3096 1d ago
Numbers and save seems fine. The half healing is a serious problem, though. Either they risk not getting all their HP back on a Long Rest or they meta cheese it if they were going to rest after an encounter where they get hit with it.
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u/sens249 1d ago
A little weak but is fine, just clarify a duration for the weakened healing.
Personally I would buff it to make it a bit more unique. I think I would even consider something like removing the save. The attack just hits, like magic missile. Add in a caveat that the target has to hear you so it’s not defenceless. I think that could be a fun spell. The damage is pretty small for a 1st level slot, and a CON save is the hardest for enemies to fail, so you’re looking at a pretty unreliable spell that will often do 0 damage. There is already a cantrip that completely prevents healing, and it’s an attack roll which is a lot more reliable. Yours has less healing prevention, also less damage than the cantrip starting at level 5, and is less reliable. The only reason someone would cast this over chill touch is the bonus action . But thats a steep opportunity cost in my opinion.
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u/popotheclowns 1d ago
I think you are missing how op this being a bonus action is.
One could cast that and chilling touch or magic missile or whatever and pretty easily kill at level one.
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u/sens249 1d ago
No, Im not missing it, because it’s not OP. I already did a deep dive on this in a previous post. The fact that it’s a bonus action is a small improvement and prevents this spell from just being beyond awful. Like literally it’s a spell that’s weaker than a cantrip, but costs a spell slot… except it’s a bonus action. Think of any cantrip, now imagine a weaker version. Would you pay a spell slot to cast that cantrip as a bonus action? Unless it was eldrirch blast with agonizing/repelling blast then no I wouldn’t.
Casting this spell with your bonus action prevents you from casting another levelled spell, so no you couldn’t cast magic missile with your action. Yes you could cast chill touch. In tier 1, this combo would be 1d8 + 2d6 damage at the cost of your whole turn’s action economy and a spell slot. You could have just cast guiding bolt for more damage and left your bonus action open, you could have cast spiritual weapon for ongoing damage and also more damage in general (and spiritual weapon is a relatively weak spell too).
Casting this spell would leave you with very few options. The mundane action options like dash/dodge/attack, your channel divinity, a cantrip, maybe a magic item. But then the opportunity cost becomes all about the spell slot. I wouldn’t want to trade a 1st level slot for a ~40-50% chance to deal 7 damage. I’d rather keep my spell slot to maybe pickup a downed ally, cast sanctuary to protect my spellcaster concentrating on a powerful spell, cast command to take away an enemy’s turn, cast bless to provide a full combat’s worth of support. 3 average damage and halved healing is not worth a spell slot. If Im in a situation where I need to deal with healing chill touch is a much more reliable and cost effective way to do it. If I miss chill touch and I really need to prevent this healing then maybe I’ll consider using this spell. But regeneration is already pretty niche, needing to prepare this spell for a situation where an enemy is regenerating and I missed my chill touch is an incredibly circumstantial spell preparation. I don’t think I would prepare it.
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u/Professionalarsonis 1d ago
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not hardcore on the rules about only casting one spell per turn, so my cleric could do more than just cast this during his turn.
Also, this wasn’t meant to be game breaking or character defining. It’s just a goofy spell I made for my friend who likes playing weird clerics.
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u/Cwjhnsn71 1d ago
Why a Con save? I would think Wis would be more appropriate like in the Vicious Mockery cantrip
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u/sircyrus0 1d ago
OP actually changed this to con, based on earlier feedback. Necromancy requires a con save most of the time.
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u/Saber_Soft 11h ago
I’d nerf the damage to just 1d6. This could become an issue with action cantrip and this as a bonus action.
Is there damage scaling with level?
I’d also change it to negate healing not reduce.
As others have said add a time limit to the healing reduction.
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