Empowered Cantrips and Simplified Spells (5e Variant Rule)
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Empowered Cantrips and Simplified Spells[edit]
This new rule greatly increases the versatility of spellcasters, by enabling them to cast their cantrips using spell slots, empowering their effects, or to simplify some of their spells, turning them into cantrips.
Empowered Cantrips[edit]
To empower a cantrip, you must spend a spell slot of 1st-level or higher to cast it. When you do so, you gain additional effects or damage, depending on the chosen cantrip. When casting a empowered cantrip, ignore any damage increase granted to that cantrip at 5th, 11th or 17th levels.
This highly increase the versatility of spellcasters. However, if you want it, you can limit the use of this feature through the implementation of the optional restrictions below:
Optional Restriction: Empowered Preparation
Using this optional rule, the spellcaster must spend one of the preparation spaces to prepare that cantrip as an empowered spell. For example, a 1st-level wizard that have the firebolt cantrip should record empowered firebolt as one of its preparations.
Empowered Cantrips List[edit]
- Empowered Acid Splash
Exactly as acid splash, but each target takes 3d6 acid damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, each target takes additional 1d6 acid damage for each slot level above 1st.
- Empowered Blade Ward
Exactly as blade ward, but its effects last for 1 minute or until you lose concentration.
At Higher Levels.No additional effects.
- Empowered Booming Blade
Exactly as booming blade, but your attack causes additional 2d8 thunder damage on a hit. If the target moves, it takes 3d8 thunder damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the primary and secondary damage increase in 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.
- Empowered Firebolt
Exactly as firebolt, but causes 3d10 fire damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the target takes additional 1d10 fire damage for each slot level above 1st.
Simplified Spells[edit]
When simplifying a spell, you are able to cast said spell without spending spell slots. When you do so, the spell has a reduction in power. Only 1st-level spells can be reduced.
This highly increase the versatility of spellcasters. However, if you want it, you can limit the use of this feature through the implementation of the optional restrictions below:
Optional Restriction: Cantripification
Using this optional rule, the spellcaster must spend one of its known cantrip spaces to choose the simplified spell.
Simplified Spells List[edit]
- Simplified Chromatic Orb
Exactly as chromatic orb, but causes 1d8 damage. This spell’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
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