Featured art for revised D&D 5e spells to improve them is called “Spellcaster” by ncorva, CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
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Due to the sheer girth of the spell section of the PHB (and later Xanathar’s Guide to Everything), there are some spells that are duds. A spell may be a dud if it’s too circumstantial or just bad compared to other options. I think it’s a healthy exercise to put on our game designer caps and consider how to improve underpowered spells without making them too powerful. The trick is to merely tweak them so they may be more effective or versatile and therefore chosen more often. I enjoy a game with many viable options, so this is a fun exercise for me. I also want to make upcasting more viable (upcasting means you cast a spell with a higher-level spell slot than what it requires to cast the spell).
Improved Dungeons and Dragons Spells
Here is a handful of spells that I believe are bad. I’ve expounded on how I would improve them. I know these ideas will complicate an average D&D campaign, but I am willing to confront that dilemma if it means more spells will be viable for spellcasters.
Aganazzar’s Scorcher Improved
Earth Tremor Improved
Elemental Bane Improved
Ice Knife Improved
Ice Storm Improved
Jump Improved
Lightning Arrow Improved
Melf’s Acid Arrow Improved
Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm Improved
Witch Bolt Improved
Living Document
I’ll continue updating this list as I consider other underwhelming spells and how I would improve them, so please come back in a while to see the updated list.
Witch Bolt D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Witch Bolt Improved |
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1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action Make a ranged spell attack against a creature you can see. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 lightning damage. On your turn, you can use your action to deal 1d12 lightning damage to the target again. When you use your action this way, the damage increases for each consecutive turn that you’ve used your action this way, adding 1d12 per turn to a maximum number of dice (d12’s) equal to the level of the slot used to cast the spell, so long as the target is within range. For example, if you cast this spell and use your action every turn to deal the damage again, the second round of damage will be 2d12, and the third will be 3d12 (assuming your spell slot was high enough for the increased damage output). At Higher Levels: The range increases by 5 feet and the maximum ramped damage increased by 1d12 for each slot level above 1st. |
I reworked the spell’s damage to ramp up. First, upcasting will not increase the initial damage of the spell, but it will instead increase the range by five feet per spell level above 1st level. The upcast range is important for making the spell more difficult for enemies to end by moving away. I also increased the base range by five feet as a slight buff to the spell at level one.
The damage is going to increase each turn by 1d12 to a maximum number of dice (d12’s) equal to the level of the spell slot used to cast the spell. When maximum damage is reached, the damage remains at maximum damage until the spell ends.
For example, the spell begins with 1d12. If a second-level spell slot is used to cast the spell, the first turn will deal 1d12 lightning damage, and the second turn will deal 2d12 lightning damage. It will then remain at a maximum of 2d12 (since a second-level spell slot was used) until the spell ends. If a fifth-level spell slot is used, the maximum damage will be 5d12 instead, and that damage will be reached on the fifth turn and on subsequent turns until the spell ends.
This change is necessary because I’ve seen many players initially pick this spell because it sounds so awesome, only to find that it often fails, the concentration isn’t worth it, the damage isn’t great, and enemies can move out of its range or line of sight to end the spell. With this update, I’d give Witch Bolt a second look for prolonged battles where I don’t want to use too many spell slots. If you feel the same way, try it and let me know how it goes.
Earth Tremor D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Earth Tremor Improved |
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1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action You cause a tremor in the ground within range. Each creature other than you in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage, is knocked prone, and can’t take reactions until the start of their next turn. If the ground in that area is loose earth or stone, it becomes difficult terrain until cleared, with each 5-foot-diameter portion requiring at least 1 minute to clear by hand. 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. |
With my change, creatures that fall prone can’t take reactions until the start of their next turn. All other effects remain the same.
Everything about the original spell is mediocre. This added effect creates more opportunities for the spell to shine.
Jump D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Jump Improved |
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1st-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action You touch a creature. The creature’s jump distance is tripled until the spell ends. Fall damage up to 20 feet deals no damage to this creature. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd or higher, the jump height and fall damage immunity increases by five feet per spell slot level. |
I lengthened the duration to ten minutes. The spell now prevents fall damage up to twenty feet. Upcasting will increase jump height and fall damage immunity by five feet each. I want this spell to be to Feather Fall what Dispel Magic is to Counterspell; a spell that costs an action but has a similar (but ultimately better) effect than its counterpart.
Melf’s Acid Arrow D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Melf’s Acid Arrow Improved |
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2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action A shimmering green arrow streaks toward a target within range and bursts in a spray of acid. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 4d4 acid damage immediately. The acid damage will occur again at the end of the target’s next turn, but with one less d4 of acid damage rolled. The damage continues to occur and diminish at the end of the target’s turn by 1d4 until the dice drops to 0d4, then it deals no more damage. On a miss, the arrow splashes the target with acid for half as much of the initial damage, and the spell ends with no further effects. The target of the spell can use its action to make a Medicine check against your spell save DC. On a success, the target successfully cleanses or neutralizes the acid, ending the spell. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d4 for each spell slot two levels above 2nd. |
I reworked the damage to last for more turns while dealing decreased damage each turn. Initial damage will be 4d4 acid damage, followed by 3d4 acid damage on the creature’s next turn. The next creature’s turn deals 2d4, and so on until the number of dice drops to zero and deals no more damage.
Upcasting increases the initial damage by 1d4 for every two levels above level two that the casting spell slot is. This inherently increases the residual damage, too. You can’t stack multiple instances of the spell, but you can reset it by recasting.
For example, Acid Arrow cast at 4th level would have initial damage of 5d4 acid damage and would last for one more turn than the version of the spell at 2nd level that started with 4d4.
Since the spell is based on an attack instead of a saving throw, I figured it’d be best to provide a way to end it early. This makes it similar to the spell Tasha’s Caustic Brew in that it can end early if the enemy chooses to invest their action economy to do so. I believe a Medicine check as an action is suitable to ending the residual acid damage.
I make this change because the spell’s mediocre damage deters casters from investing in acid damage, and I think acid is neat. This spell was also pretty scary in the old Baldur’s Gate PC games, so I want to do it justice.
Aganazzar’s Scorcher D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Aganazzar’s Scorcher Improved |
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2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action A line of roaring flame 30 feet long and 5 feet wide emanates from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 fire 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 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd. |
I increased the fire damage to 4d8 to set this spell apart as being stronger than 1st-level spells but weaker than 3rd-level spells.
Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm Improved |
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2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action A flurry of magic snowballs erupts from a point you choose within range. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, a creature that fails the saving throw has its movement speed reduced by 15 feet until the end of its next turn. 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. |
I added movement speed reduction of fifteen feet to each affected creature after a failed Dex save until the end of their next turn. I also increased the area to a ten-foot radius. There should be more cold spells that slow down enemies. This spell’s damage and AOE is mediocre for a second-level spell, so it needs the update.
Elemental Bane D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Elemental Bane Improved |
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4th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action Choose one creature you can see within range, and choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be affected by the spell for its duration. The first time each turn the affected target takes damage of the chosen type, the target takes an extra 2d6 damage of that type. Moreover, the target loses any resistance to that damage type until the spell ends. You can switch between targets as a bonus action. A creature that passes their saving throw cannot be targeted again for the duration of the spell. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th or 6th level, the duration becomes 8 hours. At 7th or 8th level, the duration becomes 24 hours. At 9th level, the duration becomes 24 hours without concentration. |
I’m essentially reworking this to be like a super Hunter’s Mark or Hex (without removing the saving throw per target). Casting time is now a bonus action and duration is now one hour. You can switch the target as bonus action. If a target passes their saving throw against this spell, they cannot be targeted by it again for the duration, but you can continue concentrating on this spell and selecting new targets as a bonus action. Upcasting will increase the spell’s duration. I threw in the 9th level ‘no concentration’ detail because it’s cool.
I make this change because concentration plus an action is a heavy price to pay for a spell that initially does nothing and grants the target a saving throw. As the spell is now, most parties aren’t large enough to take advantage of this spell to deal crazy damage; even in a large party, there’s no guarantee that they’ll all be using the same elemental damage. You could argue that the spell is mainly useful for removing resistances, and that’s a fine argument, but I’d rather focus on the damage amplification. By the way, Elemental Bane works well with other spells that deal damage on more than one turn without requiring concentration to do so. Spells that would do well in this combination include Acid Arrow and Vitriolic Sphere.
Ice Storm D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Ice Storm Improved |
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3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
A hail of rock-hard ice pounds to the ground in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Each creature in the cylinder must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage and 4d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Hailstones turn the storm’s area of effect into difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the bludgeoning damage increases by 1d8 and the cylinder’s height increases by 5 feet for each spell slot level above 3rd. |
I merely reduced it to a 3rd level spell. Upcasting additionally increases the cylinder’s height by five feet. I make these changes because Ice Storm does less damage and controls the battlefield less than 3rd level spells, so I don’t know why it was published as a 4th level spell. I reduced the bludgeoning damage to 1d8 so the damage scales the same.
Ice Storm should shine as something between a Fireball or Sleet Storm. It marries the two concepts with AOE damage and battlefield control, meeting in the middle instead of committing to more damage (Fireball) or extensive control (Sleet Storm). It also is instantaneous and requires no concentration.
Lightning Arrow D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Lightning Arrow Improved |
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3rd-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action The next time you make a ranged weapon attack during the spell’s duration, the weapon’s ammunition, or the weapon itself if it’s a thrown weapon, transforms into a bolt of lightning. Make the attack roll as normal, The target takes 4d8 lightning damage on a hit, or half as much damage on a miss, instead of the weapon’s normal damage. On a hit, the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn. Whether you hit or miss, each creature within 10 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. Each of these creatures takes 2d8 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, a creature that fails its saving throw cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn. The piece of ammunition or weapon then returns to its normal form. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage for both effects of the spell increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd. |
I added an effect that prevents reactions. The target and nearby creatures that fail their Dex saves can’t take reactions until the start of their next turn (similar to the effect of Shocking Grasp). This is a good change because it gives the spell utility instead of merely being mediocre damage. In addition to dealing damage, you also provide cover fire so your ally can retreat without using an action to disengage.
Ice Knife D&D 5e Spell Improved
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Ice Knife Improved |
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2nd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action You create a shard of ice and fling it at one creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 piercing damage. Hit or miss, the shard then explodes. The target and each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 cold damage and reduce their speed by 5 feet until the end of their next turn. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the cold damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st. |
I added a movement reduction effect to the cold damage. Creatures who fail their Dex saves also have their movement speeds reduced by five feet until the end of their next turn. There should be more cold spells that slow down enemies. This spell’s damage is mediocre, so it needs an added effect.
That’s all for now! If you think my ideas are balanced and you’d like to try them, please comment on this article so I can hear about it. The same goes for anyone who thinks my ideas are imbalanced; I welcome feedback!
What spells did we neglect that could use an overhaul? Which spells on our list do you think are fine as published?
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Acid arrow’s rework is good at level 2 and 3 spell slots but above that the scaling is way to high. You effectively increase this spell’s damage by it’ initial dmg + 1d4 every level. Just upcasting from 2nd to 3rd level increases it’s damage from 10d4 to 15d4
I see your point. Let me take a look:
A Fireball at third level can deal an average of about 25 fire damage in an area. This Acid Arrow revision can deal an average of 37 damage to a single target at third level, but it takes five rounds to do so. However, it does become a lot of damage at higher levels compared to spells like Blight that use a Con save instead of a more-reliable attack roll.
Alright, so it needs to be scaled back a bit. I think I need to reduce the initial damage or reduce the rate of scaling (or both). I’m leaning toward scaling it every two levels above second level instead of every level. Doing so would mean the damage remains unchanged at third level, increases to average 37 damage at fourth level over five rounds, about 52 damage over six rounds at sixth level, and so on.
What do you think of this fix? Is that too much for its scaling even though it’s delayed damage?
Maybe it should also allow the target to use its action to end the spell, or use an action to make a Medicine check agains the spellcasting DC.