I have a whole document full of different elemental spells from a campaign I ran awhile back, so you’ll likely see a good number more installments in this series in the future. This selection seemed relevant this week, because movement was a recurring theme in the Air spells. The spells of Vacuum I had also fit into this category, so we have a double header today.
Spells can be particularly hard to balance, as there are a lot of different mechanics to consider. Level of the spell, material requirements, concentration, action economy, and actual effects/damage are all things I think about. And it isn’t just these factors for a single spell on its own, but how any homebrew spell stacks up against all of the other spells in a book.
We want to create fun and exciting new ways to interact with our worlds that are powerful enough to be viable choices for players. At the same time, they can’t be so strong that they create a scenario where picking anything else becomes disadvantageous, homogenizing spell book variety.
All this is to say, it’s easy to overlook balance concerns even for longtime players and DMs, so I always welcome any feedback on my content. Especially with posts like this, I am always considering ways to balance out mechanics while adding variety to people’s playbooks.
Spells of Air
Tornado Leap
3rd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: <V, S>
- Duration: Instantaneous
After drawing in the surrounding air, you quickly release it to make a grand leap to another space up to 30 feet away. You must not be restrained to cast this spell, but this leap is not part of your movement, and does not provoke opportunity attacks. You release sharp gusts of air at your take off and landing points, dealing 4d6 slashing damage to any creature within 5 feet of where you begin or end the jump.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the jump distance increases by 10 feet and the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
Downburst
3rd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 90 feet
- Components: <V, S, M (three eagle feathers)>
- Duration: Instantaneous
You pull a strong gust of air down from above, centered on a space you can see within range. When you cast the spell you may choose one of the following intensities for the wind, which determine how concentrated the blast of air is and the effects on the surrounding area.
Wide: All creatures within 20 feet of the targeted point must attempt a Strength saving throw, on a failure they take 6d6 bludgeoning damage and are pushed 5 feet away from the center of the burst. Creatures take half as much damage and are not pushed on a success.
Focused: All creatures within 10 feet of the targeted point must attempt a Strength saving throw, on a failure they take 7d6 bludgeoning damage and are pushed 10 feet away from the center of the burst. Creatures take half as much damage and are only pushed 5 feet away on a success. Flying creatures that fail the save are also knocked prone.
Pinpoint: The creature in the targeted space must attempt a Strength saving throw, on a failure they take 8d6 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone. The creature takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone on a success.
Tailwind
3rd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: <V, S, M (a small bird charm worth at least 50gp)>
- Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours
For the duration you redirect the winds around you to provide a boost to your travel speed. Any creatures or vehicles traveling within a 50 foot radius of you can travel an additional mile for every hour spent traveling. If it is a water or air vehicle, it can travel 2 additional miles instead.
Wind Cushion
2nd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: <V, S, M (a ball of sheep’s wool)>
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You create a dome of turbulent air occupying a 5-foot square in range. This air repels anything that attempts to enter it.
A creature that moves into the cushion on their turn can be propelled up to 30 feet in a direction of their choice, including vertically.
A creature falling onto the cushion from a height greater than 10 feet is not propelled, but instead takes no fall damage, and is deposited safely into a space adjacent to the cushion.
Large or larger creatures are unaffected by the cushion, and pass through its space as if the space were empty.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you may place one additional cushion for each slot level above 2nd. Any additional cushions after the first do not need to be placed when you initially cast the spell, but can be placed as an action any time afterward while you maintain concentration on the spell.
Spells of Vacuum
Vacuum Rush
2nd-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: <V, S>
- Duration: Instantaneous
Choose a spot you can see in range. You rush forward in a straight line to that spot, creating a forceful pull in your wake. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. All creatures within 10 feet of your line of movement must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or be pulled up to 10 feet towards the nearest space in that line of movement.
Returning Rift
4th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: <V, S>
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You step out of the square you are currently occupying, leaving behind an invisible rift in space keyed to you. When the spell ends, you are instantly returned to the location of the initial cast. If the magic is dispelled by an effect such as Dispel Magic, you do not return to the location of the initial cast.
If you are holding or grappling a creature or object your size or smaller at the time the spell ends, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be returned back with you.
Conjure Sphere of Annihilation
7th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: <V, S, M (A needle suspended in a glass bubble)>
- Duration: 1 hour
You rip a hole in the the planes, creating your own Sphere of Annihilation at a point you choose in range. This functions the same as the item of the same name with the following exceptions:
- You do not need to make ability checks to control the sphere, and control of the sphere cannot be taken from you.
- When you move the sphere, it moves a distance equal to 5 times your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum 5 feet)
- While you are in control of the sphere the save DC to avoid the sphere is equal to your spell save DC.
Other posts in this series: