Spells Archives - Tribality

Leomund’s Tiny Problem

Brandes Stoddard — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 02:04:19 +0000

Today I want to talk about Leomund’s tiny hut, which for brevity I’ll be calling LTH for the rest of this post. 5e is the first edition in which this spell has shown up highly exploitable, so I’m going to start with some history and end with a spread of solutions. It’s cool if LTH isn’t a problem in your group, but I’ll get to why it is one for other groups. AD&D 1e (Sorry, not hunting through OD&D right […]

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Kevin’s Spellbook: Mending

Kevin Victor Rae — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 15:10:00 +0000

Here in the final glimpse into my spellbook, we will look at Mending. This versatile and often overlooked cantrip has likely the greatest implications for real-world applications. Destroying stuff is very easy, repairing them can be very difficult, but Mending changes that equation. Let’s take a look at some clever uses of the spell. Mending the Mundane Mending allows you to repair a single break or tear in an object with the limits of only mending something that is no […]

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Kevin’s Spellbook: Mage Hand

Kevin Victor Rae — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:10:46 +0000

*poof* Welcome back, ye seekers of the mysteries of the universe! This week we are going to take a look at a mage’s best friend, Mage Hand. This versatile cantrip is one of the most useful utility cantrips in the game, so much so that the Arcane Trickster rogue subclass has it as one of its key features. So what makes this cantrip so good? A-Mage-Ing In a world filled with traps waiting for triggers and potions that need pinching, […]

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Kevin’s Spellbook: Major Image

Kevin Victor Rae — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 21:39:38 +0000

Hello, students of the arcane! Today we will look at one of my favorite spells, Major Image. Illusions offer players a powerful way to manipulate the game world. A well-crafted illusion can be the pivotal moment in a game, distracting the villain at just the right time, or convincing a majordomo to allow the party to have an audience with the King. Life is an Illusion Major Image is a 3rd level spell that is available to Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, […]

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The Magic Aquatic: Five Spells

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 12:00:33 +0000

Over in Harbinger of Doom, I wrote a collection of six spells developed by underwater peoples, intended for Under the Seas of Vodari. In this article, I’ve created five more, tilted more toward utility than combat. Many thanks to Shawn Ellsworth for initial concepts on all but the first of these spells. Kharaste’s Bitter Prison 4th-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You attempt to encase a creature that […]

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Creating a Magic System, P2

Jesse Cohoon — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:00:46 +0000

A roleplaying magic system can be a pretty cut and dry thing: a spell list, damage, area of effect, and so on, but if done correctly, it can do so much more. Properly done, a magic system can be used to deepen the setting’s theme and background, informing the players and DM about the world, the peoples, and cultures. All “magic” systems rely on manipulating reality through the use of magic power, “special effects,” technology, innate abilities, or mutations to […]

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Creating a magic system for your game P1

Jesse Cohoon — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:00:39 +0000

A roleplaying magic system can be a pretty cut and dry thing: a spell list, damage, area of effect and so on, but if done correctly it can do so much more. Properly done, a magic system can be used to deepen the setting’s theme and background, informing the players and DM about the world, the peoples, and cultures. All “magic” systems rely on manipulating reality through the use of magic power, special effects, technology+, innate abilities, or mutations to […]

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Four Spells for Eldritch Knights

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 13:00:39 +0000

I’ve been thinking about the 4e swordmage class lately, and particularly how it both is and isn’t translated into the 5e Eldritch Knight fighter, Bladesinger wizard, and other weapon-and-arcane-casting classes (Valor bards, Pact of the Blade ‘locks, and Arcane Trickster rogues). The core point is that swordmages are defenders with a side of striker, while 5e’s fighting casters don’t have a lot of spells to improve their defender gameplay. They have spells to defend themselves (shield springs to mind), but […]

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Deep Magic: Time Magic Review

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:00:03 +0000

Today I’m digging into Deep Magic: Time Magic for 5e, by Carlos Ovalle, from Kobold Press. Tribality received a free review copy, which to my delight landed in my inbox. As the title signals, this is a PDF of time-magic-related content: subclasses, spells, and we’ll see what else. While this is a review, I’m still more about analyzing design than any other factors that go into conventional reviewing. Format The document is 7 pages of game content, plus seven more […]

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Xanathar’s Guide Breakdown, Part Ten

Brandes Stoddard — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 13:00:36 +0000

I’m plowing back into Chapter Three: Spells of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything this week. I got through the Fs last week, so let’s see what I can get done before I have to click “Publish” this week. Also, many thanks to the alert reader who pointed out my error on danse macabre – it does indeed play nice with the Necromancy feature Undead Thralls. Barbarians and Bards | Clerics, Druids, and Fighters | Monks and Paladins | Rangers and Rogues | Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards | Backstory and Feats | Rules Clarifications […]

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