More Spell Streamlining

Last week I wrote about streamlining an existing spell to match its vibes. Vibe players and DMs start with the fiction and expect the rules to back up their impressions of how things work. When players talk about the rules getting out of the way, they're describing what happens when the vibe and the mechanics match up.

This week, let's look at how we can use the existing elements of 5e to preserve a spell's function while making it work much faster and more efficiently.

Take a look at flaming sphere. I've always loved this spell. When I play an arcane caster, I love the idea of conjuring a thing that does stuff for you. It feels very wizardly to magic up a servant and set it to work, whether its mopping your tower or blasting your enemies to cinders.

Here's the current D&D 5.5 text:

Flaming Sphere

Level 2 Conjuration (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Casting Time: Action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, M (a ball of wax)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You create a 5-foot-diameter sphere of fire in an unoccupied space on the ground within range. It lasts for the duration. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of the sphere makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 Fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

As a Bonus Action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet, rolling it along the ground. If you move the sphere into a creature’s space, that creature makes the save against the sphere, and the sphere stops moving for the turn.

When you move the sphere, you can direct it over barriers up to 5 feet tall and jump it across pits up to 10 feet wide. Flammable objects that aren’t being worn or carried start burning if touched by the sphere, and it sheds Bright Light in a 20-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 20 feet.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot level above 2

There's a lot going on here, but I think we can trim a lot without losing anything.

First, let's focus on what makes this spell fun: You get to summon a burning sphere and use it to control an area and bash your opponents. It's like a mini-summoning spell.

There's a few areas where I dislike this spell's mechanics:

• Concentration and bonus actions. We don't need two limiters on using this spell. Concentration already limits how many spells you can run at once. Further limiting the spell by taxing your bonus action is overkill. We should use one or other other mechanic. In this case, I vote we dump bonus actions. What a surprise!

• Movement. The sphere specifies it must stay on the ground, but then includes some exceptions that allow it to sort of fly. That's overly specific. Let's just let it fly and make everything simpler and the spell more versatile.

• Light. The flaming sphere sheds light, which I guess makes sense for a fire spell. I don't think it's a very useful aspect of it, as a 2nd-level slot is a steep price to pay for a mobile torch. That aspect adds more rules we need to wade through and doesn't make the spell all that more interesting or fun.

• Saving throws. I really hate that the spell's damage is gated behind a saving throw. That triggers a lot of die rolling, which is annoying because we have to remember to trigger that roll at the end of each creature's turn.

• There's also a design philosophy here that I don't like. This spell needs to embrace the awesome. If I manage to drop a flaming sphere in a mob of enemies, let me roast them. The saving throw serves to slow down game and give me a chance to feel less excited about using a spell well. Let's reward good play and switch to auto damage.

• Last but not least, fire. We already have burning hands and scorching ray at low levels. We don't need another fire spell for creatures to ignore. I like the idea of a necromancer conjuring a spooky ghost, so let's go with that flavor.

Here's my revised version:

Necrotic Mote

Level 2 Necromancy

Casting Time: Action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You call forth a shade of death that looms over your enemies, sapping their life force. It is a 5-foot-diameter sphere of swirling, enraged spirits that appears in an unoccupied space within range and blocks movement. At the end of each of your turns creatures within 5 feet of the sphere take 1d6 necrotic damage.

Once during your turn, you can move the shade up to 30 feet. It can move both horizontally and vertically. When its movement ends, or in place of its movement, pick a creature within 5 feet of the sphere. That creature takes 1d6 necrotic damage.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot level above 2.

This revised version aims to streamline the spell while sticking with the idea of a conjured object that buzzes around the battlefield and spreads havoc. Its damage is reduced, but in return it deals automatic damage. That damage spikes against one target based on its movement.

The damage also applies at the end of your turn, resolving the spell's effects on one turn rather than spreading the action out across multiple turns. Finally, the sphere can fly around. You can send it zooming above a mob of foes, another upgrade that makes up for its reduced damage ceiling.

Ideally, this design matches the vibe, offers clear rules, and speed up play by deleting details that didn't support the spell's core concept.

Bonus Design Observation

Note the phrasing at the end of the first paragraph:

At the end of each of your turns creatures within 5 feet of the sphere take 1d6 necrotic damage.

We could just as easily say this, with the same net effect:

At the end of your turn creatures within 5 feet of the sphere take 1d6 necrotic damage.

It's more concise and has the same net effect. So, why the extra words?

Players tend to read spells in a very step-by-step manner. Years of playing games have taught them to read and execute a spell like a recipe. If you use the second approach, be prepared to answer this question a LOT: "Does the sphere damage creatures on the turn I cast it, or every one of my turns for its duration?"

The singular "turn" can read as one turn for the spell's duration. Many spells do one thing when you cast them, then do something similar for their duration. Kind of like this:

Do EFFECT A when you cast

WHILE duration > 0, keep doing EFFECT B

Generally speaking, spells are written to tell you what happens when you cast them, then what happens while the spell persists.

Sometimes, like in this case, the line can be blurry when A and B are the same or similar. Things that happen on the turn when you cast the spell and keep happening for the duration need a little more of a spotlight on them. Therefore, adding the few extra words helps keep things clear.