Talk:Denial (5e Spell)

Death ward is a 4th level touch range abjuration spell with a touch range, meaning that you can cast it on your tank and send him to go not die (for 8 hours).

Denial is a second level necromancy with a range of self that you can't really cast while in combat, and lasts significantly shorter. It was made to be a "worse" version of death ward for a lower level character.

The benefit itself needs to be made "worse" then. Particular effects are expected to be introduced at particular levels. Marasmusine (talk) 11:44, 4 May 2015 (MDT)

On just the particular effects at particular levels argument, this effect is introduced at level 0 by the half orc ability both spells are modeled after.

As far as making the effect "worse", i did not include the instantaneous death prevention from Death ward. If you have 8 health and take 16 damage you still die because you are "killed outright" (at least that's how i read that rule). i did think about having it go to 0HP and stable instead of 1HP, and decided on the 1HP. Bradles (talk)

I also suggest a duration of "Concentration, up to 1 minute" (or 10 minutes, whatever's best for you: 10 rounds is 1 minute) per the standards in the PHB. Marasmusine (talk) 11:51, 4 May 2015 (MDT)

I did not include concentration because Death Ward did not include concentration. You can stick the caster with an arrow or two while he's casting if you don't want the spell to go off. It's 10 rounds instead of 1 minute because you add 5 rounds/level later. Bradles (talk)

I've generalized the casting time and duration per the categories in the PHB but keeping in spirit with your original. 1 minute casting time and 10 minute duration means you cast it preemptively before one battle. Marasmusine (talk) 02:17, 17 May 2015 (MDT)

It seems the reduction to the effect has been removed? It simply states it functions as death ward, with a reduced duration and an increased casting time.

As part of the "don't die" mechanic of the spell, both existing instances of this effect don't occur until far later levels (deathward at 7th, and relentless rage at 11th). The half orc gains this at level 1 for racial power reasons, where as when applied to other races these effects occur later to ensure balance among them as well as not to detract from the individuality of the half-orc as a race.

Adding concentration as a duration would go a long way to bringing it in line as a resource intensive spell (concentration is the most valuable resource a caster has, next to spell slots, and is arguably the biggest balancing restriction available), and concentration is heavily filtered through 2nd-level spells in order to keep their balance in check. This could really benefit from that.

Another issue is that this spell can now stack -with- Death Ward. If you really desired to keep it as is, effect wise, I would suggest adding in a disclaimer that disavows it being usable in conjunction with Death Ward.--Kahz (talk) 02:17, 9 October 2016 (MDT)

Although it's not my spell, it's been left like this for months, I edited in your ideas, Kahz. I still somewhat doubt the spell's balance, even now, but at least it's a mere "somewhat," I suppose. — Guy (talk | edits) 10:22, 10 March 2017 (UTC)