Arcana Unleashed, this year’s next Dungeons and Dragons book, is all about the game’s most valued resource – magic. Seriously, D&D wouldn’t be what it is without spellcasting. That means we’re naturally getting plenty of new spells to play with. I picked up an early review copy of the book at Gen Con, so I’ve vetted the magic menagerie early. And some of them are actually pretty good.
Here’s the best new spells for your budding Wizard, Warlock, or magic-using multiclass monstrosity.
Battle Familiar
Companion DnD classes are about to feel incredible. Battle Familiar is a second-level Conjuration spell for Druids, Warlocks, and Wizards that gives you a buffed up Familiar. It’ll cost you an action and a diamond worth 25 GP, but the rewards are more than worth it.
Your Battle Familiar always uses the same base stat block, though you can tweak it depending on whether you summon a Brute, Flyer, or Stalker. The first gets a suped-up armor class and max HP. The second uses Flyby to avoid opportunity attacks, and the third gets a special Prowl action. This allows them to move up to half their speed without triggering opportunity attacks, and then they take the Hide action.
All versions can Multiattack, making a number of Rends equal to half the spell’s level rounded down. Oh, and Rend? The attack bonus equals your spell attack modifier. That means, if you max out the relevant DnD stat and cast Battle Familiar at level six, your buddy performs three attacks with a +7 modifier. The damage is 1d8 + 3 + the spell’s level in Force damage (so, in our example, an average damage of 13.5).
On top of all this, you don’t need to concentrate on the spell, and it lasts one hour. This is Summon Beast, but better in every way. Your party mascot has never been so effective.
Fractured Awareness
At level 7, Fractured Awareness is on the expensive side. It also requires concentration, which means Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards will need to prioritize carefully. However, I think its wombo combo of effects are worth pause.
Spend an action, and you cause a creature within 120 feet to be plagued by visions. If it fails an Intelligence saving throw, it takes 12d10 psychic damage and has disadvantage on D20 tests for up to one minute. It can repeat the save at the end of every turn, but it also takes half damage if it passes the initial roll.
With an average of 66 damage, this is more effective than an appropriately upcast Fireball (albeit hitting a single target). Fractured Awareness deals one of the rarer damage types, making that damage tough to resist.
Plus, Intelligence saves are relatively uncommon – so unless your target is a brainy spellcaster, you’re likely to get your desired results. Said results are mainly debuffed attack rolls, which can be a lifesaver in dire circumstances.
Disruptive Tune
Disruptive Tune is a level-two spell for Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards. It requires concentration, which is always a downside when juggling combat options. However, I can see it being a real benefit to low-level, Support-focused characters.
It forces creatures in a 20-foot sphere to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, targets lose concentration on any spell they were maintaining, and they get disadvantage on all concentration saves for up to one minute. If you can maintain this one, it could seriously hamper a potent caster. Sorcerers and Wizards might not want to keep this one going at high levels, but I think a clever Bard could put it to great use at minimal cost.
Grave Ground
D&D is sorely lacking quality Necromancy spells, but Grave Ground takes steps to remedy this. A level-five spell for Clerics, Warlocks, and Wizards, it creates four 10-foot squares of difficult terrain in a contiguous shape of your choice. The terrain is made difficult by skeletal hands rising from the earth to grab at ankles.
If an enemy enters the space or ends its turn there, they make a Strength save, taking 6d6 necrotic damage on a failure. Until the end of its next turn, they also subtract 1d6 from damage rolls. That damage goes up by 1d6 for each level you upcast.
This is a save-or-suck that requires concentration, so it’s not a contender for the best spells of all time. However, I’m including it here because we’re so starved for Necromancy spells. A Necromancer Wizard, who can bypass resistance to necrotic damage, finally has some interesting options to work with. In their hands, this spell could make a delightful bottleneck for incoming attackers.
Reweave Fate
Reweave Fate is a level-7 Divination spell for Bards, Clerics, Warlocks, and Wizards. It’s a reaction taken when you see a creature fail a D20 test within 60 feet. Basically, you can let the target reroll with advantage. If they succeed with the new roll, they also gain 6d10 temporary HP.
The temporary HP is the clincher that makes this feel worth such an expensive spell slot. We love a spell that multitasks, and this makes for a great mix of Control and Support.
Transfix
Apparently, I love level-7 spells, because here’s another one! Transfix is an Enchantment spell for Bards, Warlocks, and Wizards that costs an action and lasts up to one minute with concentration. It forces one target within 60 feet to make a Charisma save or be charmed for the duration.
This is a special Charm, though. The charmed creature is Incapacitated, and if it’s more than five feet away from you, it can only use its movement to draw nearer by the most direct route. When it ends its turn within five feet of you, it takes 4d8 psychic damage. This movement still triggers opportunity attacks, too.
What makes this very interesting is taking damage doesn’t end the charmed condition. The only trigger that snaps your devoted out of their stupor is “moving into damaging terrain”. Before they do this, the target gets to repeat the save. This is a Charisma save, though, so a well-chosen target might still struggle to break the charm.
You can upcast for more damage, and you can spend an action to swap to another target. Transfix sounds effective, but more importantly, it just sounds fun. I love the idea of a lovesick enemy constantly walking into metaphorical rakes, Simpsons-style.
Entrancing Mirrors
This is a level-8 Illusion spell for Bards, Sorcerers ,Warlocks, and Wizards. Spend an action and your concentration, and Entrancing Mirrors forces up to three creatures to make an Intelligence save or take 7d6 psychic damage. They take half damage on a success, but you really want them to fail – because this also stuns them.
Taking three key enemies away from the action economy can quickly turn the tide of battle. They get to repeat the save at the end of their turns, but even one turn might be enough to create material advantage. Plus, that psychic damage is nothing to be sniffed at. It’s no Fireball, but the conditions make this a tantalizing alternative.
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Source: Wargamer
