As part of the Seas of Vodari project, I’m creating new spells for nautical adventures. Thinking back to 3.x, I recall a lot of highly-specialized spells that were okay for wizards, but so situational that any Spells Known class can’t justify taking them. My goal, then, is to create sea- and sailing-themed spells that you want to use even in the depths of a dungeon.
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Coral Grasp
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1
action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1
minute
You conjure coral that grows around a creature’s leg or other body part. Choose a creature within range that you can see. The target must roll a Strength saving throw; on a failed saving throw it suffers 4d6 poison damage and its speed is reduced to 0. On a success, it suffers half damage and no additional effect. At the end of each of its turns, the target can choose to suffer 2d6 poison damage and roll a new Strength saving throw. On a successful saving throw, the spell ends.
On any turn during the spell’s duration, you can grow more coral on the target as an action. The target rolls a Strength saving throw; on a failed saving throw it suffers 4d6 poison damage, it is restrained, and the poison damage it suffers for attempting a Strength saving throw at the end of its turn increases by 2d6. On a success, it suffers half damage and no further effect (its speed remains 0).
Loose Cannon
4th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1
action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (a fragment of
metal taken from a cannon, and a broken bone)
Duration: Instantaneous
On a ship, an unsecured cannon is one of the most dangerous things possible. Make a ranged spell attack against one creature, or an object or portion of an object no larger than a 5-foot cube, within range. On a hit, the target takes 7d6 force damage. Choose a horizontal direction at random, and make a ranged spell attack against the first creature or solid object within 90 feet of your initial target. On a hit, that creature or object takes 7d6 force damage. Repeat this ricochet two more times.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.
Major Mending
2nd-level transmutation
(ritual)
Casting Time: 1
action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (fragments of an
eggshell)
Duration: Instantaneous
This spell repairs major structural damage to objects and heals constructs. It is a favored way to restore ships that have been severely damaged in battle, especially when they can’t be taken to a drydock. The object or construct that you touch regains the lesser of 20 hit points or half of its total hit points.
Ruined text usually can’t be restored with this spell. A burned page that receives major mending is intact, but blank or illegible.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the healing increases by 10 for each slot level above 2nd.
Tides of Doom
6th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a vial of
ichor)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1
minute
Ruinous gouts of acid spew forth from your hands. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d6 acid damage on a failed saving throw, or half damage on a success. On later rounds during this spell’s duration, you can create another cone of acid, and the damage it deals increases by 1d6 for each additional time you’ve used this action.
Design Notes
I really struggled with this – my imagination wanted to feed me overly-specialized ideas. Maybe I’ll try to write those up at some point, like floating sanctum – a spell that makes your ship into a kind of private sanctum and lets you meld into the main mast during combat. There should absolutely be spells that increase a ship’s cargo capacity and make it bigger inside than out, and I’m not just saying that because I like The Magicians.
I owe a whole lot to my wonderful wife for listening to the design I had in mind for major mending and offering the less complicated version you see above. She also came up with the idea for loose cannon, and I just adapted that into mechanics I thought would work.
As you see in coral grasp and tides of ruin, I wanted to experiment with spells that become a new at-will that you might want to use, but don’t have to use. I like most of the existing spells that do that, like moonbeam and call lightning. I also wanted to try having those spells get better as you keep using them. Tides of ruin is on par for a 5th-level multi-target spell, and gradually gets better as you keep using it. Maybe you think of that as the tide coming in, in the same way that coral grasp is about coral growing to cover a target.
You can now buy Under the Seas of Vodari in PDF!
Under the Seas of Vodari is a 300-page book that provides 5E/Fifth Edition material for both gamemasters and players to dive into a world full of action and adventure set beneath the waves of Vodari or your own campaign world. This book is a follow-up to The Seas of Vodari, a setting book filled with swashbuckling action and magical adventure. Dive into your first adventure today!