What is the best way to add new spells to the wizard or cleric lists? There are lots of spells for D&D out there, but I’m curious if there is a best (or good) way to translate the effects or determine the level of a new spell, and if there is anyone who has out together a list of additional spells… So I don’t have to do the work myself, of course.
What is the best way to add new spells to the wizard or cleric lists?
What is the best way to add new spells to the wizard or cleric lists?
#WizardWeek !
Starting a week from Monday?
exactly!
Anyway. You can just eyeball the level i think.
It’s important that the spell description is vague and still exact enough. Like a citizen of the dungeon world would describe the spell effect.
There’s generally no reason to add new spells to the game, since the Cleric and Wizard lists are already big enough and neither needs more versatility – if you add more spells, you’re essentially handing them even more moves they can pick from when everyone else only has 20.
That said, if you want to do it anyway:
1) don’t give the Wizard/Cleric any spells that replace or replicate stuff that other classes can do. No Knock or Find Traps for example.
2) don’t give the Wizard/Cleric anything that make them good at stuff they’re not good at, i.e. Tenser’s Transformation or Divine Power.
3) remember that every new Cleric spell you add to the game is a spell the Cleric can take straight off the bat, since unlike the Wizard he doesn’t need to put them in his spellbook.
4) remember that every new spell you add to your game is potentially eating into the niche of a class you haven’t added to your game yet (if you get new players or someone dies and wants to come back as something else).
5) I’d generally avoid giving either any more damage spells, since dealing damage is supposed to be the Fighter’s niche, not the casters’.
amazing Post Alex Norris !
To add to Alex Norris ‘s post: for the Wizard, given the Ritual move and existing spells, what can’t they already do? So why more spells?
well sometimes you just feel like you want some effects more reliably. Like a Wall spell.
As Alex Norris said, “remember that every new Cleric spell you add to the game is a spell the Cleric can take straight off the bat, since unlike the Wizard he doesn’t need to put them in his spellbook.”
To reflect this in our game sessions, the cleric who wants knew spells has to replace existing ones of the same level to keep the “balance” (I know, I know, balance is not relevant, but I like to think it is 😉 )
I like adding new spells.
If the spell is something I feel needs to be core, I’d add it to the appropriate spell sheet and replace something that’s already there.
If the spell is specific to a character (their adventures or where they are) I’d just write it on a notecard and hand it to them. One more spell isn’t a big difference.