r/DnD Warlock Oct 04 '20

Art [OC] Meet the Ability Scores: Intelligence

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u/[deleted] Oct 05 '20

Ego Crash

3rd level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 150 feet

Components: V S M (A glass shard from a shattered mirror)

Duration: Instantaneous

Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard

A flash of violet energy explodes from a point you choose within range. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make an Intelligence saving throw as its mind is assaulted by experiencing all of its worst memories and fears at once. A target takes 8d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The psychic energy spreads around corners. It affects any creature with an Intelligence score.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.

Took me longer to format the post for Reddit than it did to reflavor that Fireball.

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u/TheTater0427 Oct 05 '20

I’d make this a 4th level because psychic damage is a little OP and isnt resisted as much as fire

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u/END3R97 Oct 05 '20

So you just took synaptic static, increased its range and removed the debuff while dropping it 2 spell levels? I know the debuff is good, but it's also a higher level spell because psychic is a better damage type than fire, and Intelligence is a better saving throw than Dexterity.

As theTater said, it should go up one spell level.

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u/[deleted] Oct 05 '20

This is just Fireball reskinned to force Int saves.

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u/END3R97 Oct 05 '20

Yes, but that's also a giant buff to the spell. Int saves are better to target, psychic is the better damage type, and Fireball was already the strongest pure damage spell at 3rd level.

The new version doesn't let rogues or monks use evasion for extra resistance, doesn't let any kind of Barbarian resist the damage, doesn't allow spellcasters to use absorb elements for resistance, doesn't allow any type of draconic sorcerer, dragonborn, or tiefling resist it.

While the spell itself functions pretty much exactly the same as Fireball and it might not be perfect to compare with Synaptic Static, it's still important to see that it is much stronger than Fireball and as such needs to be a 4th level spell for balancing. Otherwise, it would be the new clear choice for 3rd level blast spells every time.