Spell Subtypes[edit]
The eight schools of magic in 5th edition go a long way toward being able to categorize magic. However, in many situations they are often not granular enough to be able to help you when making a rules call in certain situations: What if a water spell gets thrown at a fire elemental, for example? This is where spell subtypes come in.
A spell's subtype in this variant rule is written in parentheses next to its school, and serves to further subdivide a spell than what the umbrella spell schools can offer. A spell's subtype is largely for categorical purposes. By sorting spells into these categories, other effects can interact with a breadth of related spells by calling them out by subtype instead of by naming every single one. This both makes it easier to write concise language and enables broad-scale buffs, debuffs, or other interactions that would not be mechanically possible.
A spell is allowed to have multiple subtypes, or no subtypes at all. As an example, transmute coins is a purely Transmutation spell that does not cleanly fit into any subtype: so it has none.
Putting Subtypes Onto a Spell Page[edit]
Adding subtypes to a page you desire is as simple as adding categories to the bottom of the page. Each subtype listed below uses its own category, which uses the following format: [[Category:<Subtype Name Here> Subtype]]
Fire spells involve the creation, manipulation, or application of fire, which includes both open flames and invisible heat. Fire spells include:
| Spell Level |
Fire Spells
|
| Cantrip |
control flames, create bonfire, fire bolt
|
| 1st |
burning hands, searing smite
|
| 2nd |
Aganazzar's scorcher, continual flame, dragon's breath, flame blade, flaming sphere, heat metal, pyrotechnics, scorching ray
|
| 3rd |
glyph of warding, fireball, flame arrows, Melf's minute meteors
|
| 4th |
conjure minor elementals, elemental bane, fire shield, wall of fire
|
| 5th |
flame strike, immolation
|
| 6th |
investiture of flame
|
| 7th |
delayed blast fireball, fire storm
|
| 8th |
incendiary cloud
|
| 9th |
meteor swarm
|
Homebrew Fire Spells[edit]
Water spells involve the creation, manipulation, or application of water, be it in its solid, liquid, or even gaseous state. A Water spell that overlaps with Fire and/or Air generally creates or manipulates steam, fog, and clouds; while a Water spell that overlaps with Cold generally creates or manipulates ice and snow. Water spells include:
| Spell Level |
Water Spells
|
| Cantrip |
shape water, frostbite
|
| 1st |
create or destroy water, fog cloud, ice knife
|
| 2nd |
Snilloc's snowball swarm
|
| 3rd |
create food and water, gaseous form, maelstrom, sleet storm, tidal wave, wall of water, water breathing, water walk
|
| 4th |
control water, watery sphere
|
| 5th |
'
|
| 6th |
'
|
| 7th |
simulacrum
|
| 8th |
control weather, tsunami
|
| 9th |
storm of vengeance
|
Homebrew Water Spells[edit]
Earth spells involve the creation, manipulation, or application of earth, which includes soil, sand, gravel, stone, and many other minerals. Earth spells include:
Homebrew Earth Spells[edit]
Air spells involve the creation, manipulation, or application of air, wind, or most sorts of gas. Air frequently overlaps with Water when it comes to creating clouds and fog, but Air alone is capable of blowing it away. Air spells include:
| Spell Level |
Air Spells
|
| Cantrip |
gust, poison spray
|
| 1st |
fog cloud, zephyr strike
|
| 2nd |
dust devil, gust of wind, skywrite, warding wind
|
| 3rd |
fly, stinking cloud, wind wall
|
| 4th |
storm sphere
|
| 5th |
cloudkill, control winds, steel wind strike
|
| 6th |
investiture of wind, wind walk
|
| 7th |
whirlwind
|
| 8th |
control weather
|
| 9th |
storm of vengeance
|
Homebrew Air Spells[edit]
Cold spells directly channel cold energy, and typically deal cold damage. Cold and Water overlap very frequently, coming together to create snow- and ice-based magics. Cold spells include:
Homebrew Cold Spells[edit]
Lightning[edit]
Lightning spells involve the creation, manipulation, or application of lightning and electricity. Lightning spells include:
Homebrew Lightning Spells[edit]
Sonic spells create or destroy sound, and typically deal thunder damage. Sonic spells include:
Homebrew Sonic Spells[edit]
Creation[edit]
Creation spells spawn new creatures or objects using magic as opposed to summoning existing objects from other places. Creatures and objects spawned with Creation spells can be permanent, but most are temporary. Creation spells include:
Homebrew Creation Spells[edit]
Summon spells summon creatures or objects from other places to your location. Summon spells are differentiated from Creation spells by the fact that they do not create new matter, only transport existing matter from another place. Summon spells overlap with Dimension when the spell in question brings something from another plane of existence. Summon spells include:
Homebrew Summon Spells[edit]
Teleportation[edit]
Teleportation spells involve instantaneous travel from one point to another on the same plane: If a spell crosses planar boundaries, it falls into the Dimension category instead. Teleportation spells include:
Homebrew Teleportation Spells[edit]
Dimension[edit]
Dimension spells allow access or travel between planes or demiplanes. A Dimension spell that allows you to bring something from another plane to you is also a Summon spell. Dimension spells include:
Homebrew Dimension Spells[edit]
Ward spells protect an affected creature, object, or area from intrusion. The Ward subtype's domain includes personal shields and area protection. Archetypical examples of this kind of magic include shield and guards and wards. Ward spells include:
| Spell Level |
Ward Spells
|
| Cantrip |
'
|
| 1st |
absorb elements, alarm, protection from evil and good, sanctuary, shield, shield of faith
|
| 2nd |
arcane lock, gentle repose, warding wind, zone of truth
|
| 3rd |
glyph of warding, protection from energy, magic circle, spirit guardians, tiny hut
|
| 4th |
fire shield, guardian of faith, private sanctum, resilient sphere
|
| 5th |
antilife shell, dispel evil and good, hallow
|
| 6th |
druid grove, forbiddance, globe of invulnerability, guards and wards, primordial ward
|
| 7th |
symbol, temple of the gods
|
| 8th |
antimagic field, antipathy/sympathy, holy aura
|
| 9th |
invulnerability
|
Homebrew Ward Spells[edit]
Hold is the converse to Ward: While Ward keeps stuff out, Hold keeps stuff in, by restricting or reducing movement. Archetypical examples of this kind of magic include hold person and imprisonment. Hold spells include:
Homebrew Hold Spells[edit]
Infusion[edit]
Infusion spells apply magical effects to physical equipment, most often armor or weapons. All kinds of buff spells, most notably the smite series, are included in this category. Infusion spells include:
Homebrew Infusion Spells[edit]
Life spells restore hit points, and many also make it easier to prevent or outright negate death. Life spells include:
| Spell Level |
Heal Spells
|
| Cantrip |
spare the dying
|
| 1st |
cure wounds, goodberry, healing word
|
| 2nd |
aid, healing spirit, prayer of healing
|
| 3rd |
beacon of hope, life transference, mass healing word, revivify
|
| 4th |
death ward
|
| 5th |
mass cure wounds, raise dead, reincarnate
|
| 6th |
heal
|
| 7th |
regenerate, resurrection
|
| 8th |
'
|
| 9th |
power word heal, true resurrection
|
Homebrew Life Spells[edit]
Light spells emit light. Light spells are typically able to meddle with darkness, or negate invisibility. Light spells that invoke the power of the sun, a celestial body, almost always overlap with Space magic. Prismatic spells, such as color spray and prismatic spray, also fall into this subtype. Light spells include:
| Spell Level |
Light Spells
|
| Cantrip |
dancing lights, light, produce flame
|
| 1st |
color spray, faerie fire, guiding bolt
|
| 2nd |
continual flame, moonbeam
|
| 3rd |
daylight
|
| 4th |
fire shield, sickening radiance
|
| 5th |
dawn, hallow, holy weapon, wall of light
|
| 6th |
sunbeam
|
| 7th |
crown of stars, prismatic spray
|
| 8th |
holy aura, sunburst
|
| 9th |
prismatic wall
|
Homebrew Light Spells[edit]
Shadow or Dark spells dim or nullify light, or channel shadow energy to drain life, create false objects, and obscure the senses.
Homebrew Shadow Spells[edit]
Space spells draw power from or evoke celestial objects and phenomena, the most common of which are the sun, moon, and stars. Gravity manipulation mimicks the power of planetary bodies, and thus also falls into this subtype. Space spells include:
Homebrew Space Spells[edit]
Time spells manipulate time. This usually filters down as an effect that allows one to take extra turns or actions; increase one's movement speed; grant a bonus to AC or Dexterity; or the inverse of any of these. Time spells include:
Homebrew Time Spells[edit]
Positive[edit]
Positive spells channel the energies of the Positive Energy Plane, and almost exclusively deal radiant damage. Positive energy is known for its extremely potent healing, and many high-level healing magics are often Positive spells. Positive spells include:
Homebrew Positive Spells[edit]
Negative[edit]
Negative spells channel the energies of the Negative Energy Plane, and almost exclusively deal necrotic damage. Undead have affinity for and often use negative energy. Negative spells include:
Homebrew Negative Spells[edit]
Words of Power[edit]
A Word of Power is the mightiest form of magic a creature can cast. Words of Power are fundamental aspects of the universe given voice, and as such are all extremely potent high-level magic. Deities can grant their clerics a greatly diluted version of this kind of magic, in the form of Divine Words. Words of Power include:
Homebrew Words of Power[edit]
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