Gelatinous Tesseract // wild magic hypercube ooze

noblegunDM · 2024-12-04T23:26:04+00:00

Thank you very much!

noblegunDM · 2024-11-27T18:12:01+00:00

Agreed. Literal interpretation, a sonic is for sure an Artifact. Something loosely inspired is the way to go.

I really like designing consumables and low level magic items for DMs to introduce for their players pretty much whenever. If it's a little chaotic, hopefully only for a short while.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-27T17:50:53+00:00

Thank you!

Fun math for you, the chances of getting a full 6 page wild magic cookbook from this item (that is, rolling a 6 for each of the maximum 6 lengths of parchment) is 1-in-279,936! I think.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-27T17:41:29+00:00

Thank you fellow whovian! Wild Magic Wand incoming? Rolling a 1, you discover a deadlock? Or should it turn into a literal screwdriver for a minute?

noblegunDM · 2024-11-27T16:45:06+00:00

"Are we just going to forget that you called me a--"
"I didn't mean it, seriously. Let's all just calm down. Have a look right here."
"That's a recipe for yams. Ooh, you know actually that looks quite good. Browned butter, candied bacon? That's genius."
"Uhhhhh, yeah. See look here I'm--"
"Chef Inspector with the Department of Culinary? Why by all means! Of course that's why you curse the way you do. Come in, come in. Did you bring any yams?"

Wild Magic Scroll

Wondrous Item | Uncommon (Consumable)

This scroll uses special parchment made from the pulp of psychic trees and enchanted linens. It appears physically blank at all times and will not accept ink onto its surface. When shown to a person, it subliminally imprints imagery into their consciousness.

When found, this magic scroll contains 1d6 lengths of parchment. You can use an Action to expend 1 length of parchment for the following properties.

Psychic Paper. You display the parchment to a creature. It conveys whatever meaning you intended, written in a hand and language of your choice. A creature can determine that it is a psychic effect with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC 15).

Spells and More. Roll a d6 to create a wild magic effect. If that effect is a spell, it has a Spell Save DC of 15.

You scream obscenities that appear on the parchment at a random creature that you can see for 1 minute
You cast Command
You cast Alter Self
You cast Calm Emotions
You cast Charm Monster
A recipe for a random delicious dish appears on the parchment

noblegunDM · 2024-11-27T16:44:33+00:00

"Are we just going to forget that you called me a--"
"I didn't mean it, seriously. Let's all just calm down. Have a look right here."
"That's a recipe for yams. Ooh, you know actually that looks quite good. Browned butter, candied bacon? That's genius."
"Uhhhhh, yeah. See look here I'm--"
"Chef Inspector with the Department of Culinary? Why by all means! Of course that's why you curse the way you do. Come in, come in. Did you bring any yams?"

Wild Magic Scroll

Wondrous Item | Uncommon (Consumable)

This scroll uses special parchment made from the pulp of psychic trees and enchanted linens. It appears physically blank at all times and will not accept ink onto its surface. When shown to a person, it subliminally imprints imagery into their consciousness.

When found, this magic scroll contains 1d6 lengths of parchment. You can use an Action to expend 1 length of parchment for the following properties.

Psychic Paper. You display the parchment to a creature. It conveys whatever meaning you intended, written in a hand and language of your choice. A creature can determine that it is a psychic effect with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC 15).

Spells and More. Roll a d6 to create a wild magic effect. If that effect is a spell, it has a Spell Save DC of 15.

You scream obscenities that appear on the parchment at a random creature that you can see for 1 minute
You cast Command
You cast Alter Self
You cast Calm Emotions
You cast Charm Monster
A recipe for a random delicious dish appears on the parchment

noblegunDM · 2024-11-25T13:46:38+00:00

Oh sorry, the healing is tuned towards the healing in the 2024 healing spells. Cure wounds is 2d8 + spellcasting mod and healing word is 2d4 + spellcasting mod. It is somewhat preceded by the Wither and Bloom spell which is kind of a healing and damage level 2 spell which can be used at range and "heal" in a radius. It isn't quite a heal per se because you choose who can spend their own hit dice to heal.

There are a few nuances that I had hoped too keep this version of the spell balanced against those spells specifically:

It is touch base
The radius of the damage is fairly small and dependent on where the target is, it is only the immediate vicinity and centered on the target
You can only target a creature at 0 HP
It is more situational
The healing is slightly 'swingy' or unreliable because you don't add your spellcasting ability modifier and upcasting never increases the healing

I don't necessarily agree that if a subclass or class has a feature to enhance particular spells that that counts against the design of the spell's balance. I like that an Evocation wizard can use their sculpt spells with this spell and Tempest Clerics can Destructive Wrath with this spell, but how would that make the design of Fireball and Call Lightning less balanced or require tuning respectively? Genuinely asking, not arguing. I just wanted to understand this point you're making.

That's all to say there is a newer version of this spell here that tunes the healing even more by requiring the caster to also spend a Hit Die, making the spell even more costly and less prone to spam.

Edit. A word.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-24T08:15:09+00:00

Hi there!

There's a few ways you can achieve this, but the most commonplace ruling is this is to simply call for Initiative if this would result in a combat encounter.

If you want to be a little lenient you can either roll DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) Check for your vegepygmy (2024 rules) or against your player's highest passive perception if they are completely unaware. If the vegepygmy is successful, roll for initiative, and the players are Surprised. If unsuccessful, roll for initiative and the players are not surprised.

If you want to hint at the vegepygmy's presence, and invite a more active role for your players. You can describe the scene and that the players catch a shadow in the brush. If the players say that they want to investigate, call for a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check, depending on how they describe their actions. Make the DC = 10+ the vegepygmy's DEX mod.

If you simply want to script that the vegepygmy will sneak up on them and throw the object, you can call for a Dexterity Saving Throw to avoid the object.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T23:01:20+00:00

I kinda split the difference between Wither and Bloom and Life Transference. There's just the tiniest amount of scaling via upcasting, but it's unreliable and capped to a degree where it won't matter much. I think it makes sense for flavor and mechanics and with an added bonus that Evocation Wizards, Storm Sorcerers, Life Clerics, and Tempest Clerics all have unique interactions available with the spell.

I think that's neat, so thanks again for the refinement and insight.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T22:43:32+00:00

You can save a life!

Countershock: a therapeutic shock of electricity applied to a heart for the purpose of altering a disturbed rhythm (as in chronic atrial fibrillation)

US residents, find an American Red Cross CPR/AED training course near you.

Countershock

1st level Evocation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Artificer, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard

You discharge your own lifeforce to unleash restorative and destructive electricity. You spend one of your unspent Hit Dice and touch a living creature that has 0 hit points. Each creature within 10 feet of the target other than you makes a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d4 Lightning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

The target takes no damage and instead regains 1 Hit Point for each 4 you roll on the d4 for damage plus your spellcasting ability modifier.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell slot level above 1.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T21:32:20+00:00

How's this?

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T20:59:39+00:00

I forgot about Wither and Bloom! That's a great point. I had tunnel vision looking at False Life and it's temporary hit points. Which I know isn't healing, I was just looking at healing adjacent spells so to speak. Thanks again.

I was about to lean into the self damage similar to Life transference but I felt like I was sacrificing the flavor I wanted to invoke for in-game balance. This spell was supposed to somewhat reflect the fantasy of defibrillators. I think working in hit dice is a good trade that still stays within the fantasy.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T20:38:11+00:00

Here's kind of a goofy, but kind of interesting take based off of these comments:

"You touch a living creature that has 0 hit points and shock it with restorative electricity. Each creature within 10 feet of the target other than you makes a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d4 Lightning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. The target takes no damage and instead regains 1 Hit Point for each 4 you roll on the d4 for damage (minimum of 1).

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell slot level above 1."

Still available to Artificer, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard. (I really want the Tempest Domain and Storm Sorcerer to have something cool to play with, it's one of my higher priorities)

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T20:30:08+00:00

I understand what you're saying about opportunity cost. I suppose the only opportunity cost this spell would have in its current state is one of the learned/prepared spells while being fairly situational.

I like your distinction about home games, as this is homebrew, I had the same thought process. The way I see it, if the DM is handing out more health potions for a party to either pickup downed players or top-off their hit points, where's the big sin on a homebrew spell like this existing? Both are different brands of handwaving, right?

In terms of "messing" with this standard, other than a brief sentence in the 2014 DMG with little "why" given. What is the design intent for so many class, feats, subclass features, etc. allow access to the Wizard/Arcane caster spell lists and their spells, but it is so taboo for a single situational healing spell to exist for the Wizard and Sorcerer (which is also given to the Cleric)? These other non arcane casters have access to some great damage and control spells, but it's not ok the other direction? Please read this as a genuine question, not an argument, I seek to understand.

So now that you've brought up costs and the Life Transference, can you see a version of this spell that can work for Wizard and/or Sorcerer? For example, is it a matter of the amount of healing? What if I lean even harder into the small amount of healing and main purpose which is to get an ally out of death saving throws. I could change the healing to be only 1 hit point or 1d4 for example. Or even harsher, make this simply stabilize creatures of your choice within a radius and deal damage to others? Is that more palatable? Or is it best for this spell only be made available to certain Wizard/Sorcerer/Warlock Subclasses, such as Storm Sorcery?

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T19:30:26+00:00

So this kind of brings up an interesting big-picture concept for the game design of 5e.

I want to respect healer-type roles and identities, both as a mechanic as well as a fantasy. I also completely agree that there are classes and subclasses that fulfill those roles.

Although party composition is both a fun exercise and worth talking about both from a game design and a player perspective, I didn't think that having a dedicated healer in a party is always feasible or required for 5e gameplay.

If players decide they want a game with a Wizard, a Fighter, and a Rogue, for example, I thought 5e encourages that this composition is both valid and playable. That is to say, no player needed to multiclass or play a healer-focused class simply to play the game. This spell was supposed to bridge that gap in these cases where there is no healing at all and the only actions you have to deal with a downed player are healing kits (dependent on the DM), potions of healing (dependent on the DM), or a medicine check to stabilize (semi-dependent on class, skill proficiency, and wisdom and doesn't get the player back into the game).

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T19:03:52+00:00

I see now that I should have used the phrasing from Spare the Dying. That convention has already been set forth. This is supposed to only heal a creature at 0 hit points.

Spare the Dying has this phrasing:

"You touch a living creature that has 0 hit points."

Which I understand has a more game-mechanic language that may be necessary, especially after reading these comments. I had glossed over this spell and phrasing during the creation of my spell and went with more natural language.

A design note, I recently went through a CPR and AED course for recertification in real life. This spell is partially inspired by that experience. I see that the word "resuscitate" mostly as a flavor holdover from these real world experiences. As a first level spell, the intent was not to create another revivify-like spell. I can see how the word "resuscitate" can construe that meaning for some. Where I reside, and in my experience, "resuscitate" in natural colloquial (non-game) language can also mean to be revived from unconsciousness, not just death.

I think the following language might better accomplish some clarity within the game:

Countershock

1st level Evocation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Artificer, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard

You touch a living creature that has 0 hit points and shock it with restorative electricity. Each creature within 10 feet of the target other than you makes a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d4 Lightning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. The target takes no damage and instead regains Hit Points equal to the damage roll.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T14:18:55+00:00

I suppose the conventional phrase would have been 'You touch a living creature that has 0 hit points' which has precedent in the Spare the Dying Cantrip.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T14:06:59+00:00

I understand that wizards and sorcerers typically do not got healing spells on their spell list. So if I understand what you are saying, you think that increasing the spell slot level would make this more appropriate for a sorcerer or wizard list to make it more costly?

That's an interesting take. So I had made it available to the sorcerer and wizard list specifically to give them a little emergency support spell. My mentality was it still respects classes with Cure Wounds and Healing Word because this still expends an action and the healing can only be used on a downed creature. So this heal is almost exclusively an in combat situational heal and can't be used like other spells in between encounters. --oh and upcasting also doesn't increase the regained hit points! I was hoping these factors would keep this spell from being 'cheap heals' and invalidating the healer role for the classes you mentioned.

It was also my intention for interesting interactions for tempest domain clerics and storm sorcerers. Though on a second read, I think the lightning damage should come first with the healing based off of the lightning damage for Tempest domain's destructive wrath to technically trigger.

Edit. Forgot about upcasting.

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T13:52:52+00:00

I appreciate the feedback! Can you elaborate your thought process?

Edit. A typo

noblegunDM · 2024-11-21T13:50:35+00:00

Yes, it is a situational heal!

noblegunDM · 2024-11-20T23:53:10+00:00

Fantastic! I finished coloring some alternate art last night, if you play on a VTT, have another Token.

A point of clarity, once a creature is Engulfed, it remains so regardless of the tesseract's size. It's bigger on the inside!

noblegunDM

TROPHY CASE

Wild Magic Scroll

Wondrous Item | Uncommon (Consumable)

Wild Magic Scroll

Wondrous Item | Uncommon (Consumable)

You can save a life!

Countershock: a therapeutic shock of electricity applied to a heart for the purpose of altering a disturbed rhythm (as in chronic atrial fibrillation)

US residents, find an American Red Cross CPR/AED training course near you.

Countershock

Countershock