How Spell Augments Work
Spell augments allow a spellcaster who learns a spell to change an aspect of the spell to better fit their needs or particular play style. This acts as a benefit to the restriction of not being able to change out their spells like a spellcaster who has access to their entire spell list and prepares their spells at the end of a long rest. Narratively, this can make the caster truly skilled in their craft, showing that they know the spell well enough to even change it safely and frequently.
Listed below are the classes and subclasses within the Player's Handbook that can benefit from spell augments:
- Bard
- Fighter (Eldritch Knight)
- Monk (Way of the Four Elements)
- Ranger
- Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
- Sorcerer
- Warlock
When you learn a 1st-level spell or higher through the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature or you learn an elemental discipline as a Way of Four Elements Monk that allows you to cast a spell, you can choose one spell augment to apply to that spell. You cannot apply more than one spell augment to a single spell, unless otherwise noted. You can change the spell augment on a spell you know when you would normally regain the resources to cast that spell. For example, when you finish a long rest for a spell learned through Spellcasting or a short rest for a spell learned through Pact Magic or a spell you can cast with an elemental discipline.
If a spell augment has prerequisites, you must meet them to apply it. You can apply a spell augment at the same time you meet the prerequisites for it. A level prerequisite refers to your level in the class you have the Spellcasting, Pact Magic, or Disciple of the Elements feature. Some spell augments refer to your proficiency bonus (PB) in their descriptions.
Multiclassing. You determine your level to meet a level prerequisite on a spell augment by adding all your levels in classes of which you have the Spellcasting, Pact Magic, or Disciple of the Elements feature.
For example, if you are a bard 5/fighter 2/paladin 3, you are considered 5th level for the purposes of meeting the level prerequisite for a spell augment. However, when you reach level 11 and choose to take your next level in fighter, taking the Eldritch Knight Martial Archetype, you are now 8th level for the purposes of meeting the level prerequisite.
Variant: Spell Augmented Cantrips
If approved by the DM, spell augments can be allowed on cantrips and not just spells of 1st-level or higher. In this case, it would also be the DM's choice of which spell augments are allowed on cantrips and if spell augmented cantrips are exclusive to "spells known" casters or all casters.
Additional Spells from Class Options
In some D&D 5E material, certain subclass and class features grant extra spells known or the ability to cast spells like Shadow Arts from the Way of Shadow Monk,PHB Spirit Session from the College of Spirits,VRGR Eldritch Invocations like Armor of Shadows or Misty Visions,PHB Psionic Spells from the Aberrant Mind Sorcerous Origin,TCoE the Ranger's Optional Class Feature Primal Awareness,TCoEetc.
In those cases, it is up to the DM to determine if they are allowed to gain the benefits of a spell augment. The point that you get the spells from a source that is not a spellcasting ability or their flexibility with the extra spells known may drive them to not allow spell augments on them (like Psionic Spells or Spirit Session), or if it is a major part of the option in question, the DM may allow spell augments on them since they're important to the option's identity (like Shadow Arts or Spirit Session). Ask your DM to determine such cases.
Slight Spell Rework
The following spells have a similar casting time of: 1 reaction, which you take when... within ## feet of you...:
- CounterspellPHB
- Feather FallPHB
- Hellish RebukePHB
- Silvery BarbsSCC
- Soul CageXGtE
These spells and other spells with a similar casting time need to be changed to work correctly (or as "correctly" as they can) with the Extending Augment and the Metamagic Option: Distant Spell.
Apply the following change to the listed spells and similar spells: The distance listed in the casting time is changed to "within the spell's range."
As written, if you apply the Extending Augment or the Metamagic Option: Distant Spell to Counterspell or Soul Cage, the range increases but the 60 feet listed in the casting time does not change. This is different than Feather Fall which states "choose up to five falling creatures within range" which would allow you to choose creatures up to 120 feet away, BUT to take the reaction there has to be you or a creature within 60 feet of you that falls. These strange cases should not be an issue with the change proposed above.
What About So-and-So Class Option?
Ultimately, this homebrew is meant to apply to spell casters that operate on "spells known" rather than "prepared spells." There are some cases where this may be exploited based on homebrew content or there are strange cases with official material like the wizard. See below for my take on it. Ultimately who can use Spell Augments is up to the DM.
Wizards are in a strange gray area when it comes to the known vs prepared casters as they prepare spells from a limited amount of spells known in their spellbook(s). The "simple" answer here is that I wouldn't allow them to use spell augments since they are already very good at the spellcasting role and would take away from the Sorcerer IMO. However, a good middle ground could be giving spell scrolls written by prepared casters to gain the benefits of a predetermined spell augment, or if the wizard takes the time and money to apply a spell augment to a spell after seeing someone cast said spell with a spell augment. That's the option I would consider for a wizard in my game.
Non-Official Options. For the homebrew or third-party content, it only applies to "spells known" casters, like the Blood Hunter has the subclass option Order of the Profane Soul with spells known making them able to use spell augments.
Homebrew Class Reworks. For any changes made to official classes or subclasses like KibblesTasty's Artificer/Inventor that uses Spells Known, they could use spell augments. Conversely, the Alternate Ranger made by LaserLlama uses Spells Prepared, no longer qualifying for the use of spell augments.
Spell Augments
Accelerated Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with a casting time of 1 minute or longer
The casting time for this spell is halved, to a minimum casting time of 30 seconds. If the spell has multiple casting times such as the plant growth spell, this only applies to the casting times that are 1 minute or higher.
Bestowing Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with "range: self" or "range self (area)" and cannot be a spell with a casting time of 1 reaction
When you cast this spell, you can choose the range to be the spells normal range or a range equal to 5 times your PB targeting a willing creature within range.
The target creature is considered "you" when referring to the spell's effects. If the spell requires concentration, you are the one that needs to concentrate on this spell. This spell uses your spell attack bonus and spell save DC if needed.
Blood Tax Augment
Prerequisite: 11th level, A spell with a material component
When you cast this spell, you can lose hit points to cast it without providing material components, losing 1 hit point for every 5 gp the material is worth (minimum of 1 hit point).
If you are reduced to 0 hit points because of this while casting the spell, the spell fails and has no effect but you do not expend the spell slot used to cast the spell.
Bypassing Augment
Prerequisite: 11th-level, a spell that inflicts a condition
When this spell would affect a creature immune to the spell's inflicted condition, you ignore its immunity to the condition. If this spell has a saving throw against the condition, the creature normally immune has advantage on the save.
Cautious Augment
Prerequisite: A spell that forces targets to make a saving throw against the effects of the spell
When you cast this spell, choose a number of creatures up to your PB. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its first saving throw against the spell.
Condensed Augment
Prerequisite: 3rd level, a 2nd-level spell or higher with an area of effect shaped as a cone, cube, cylinder, line, or sphere, isn't a range of self, and deals damage or inflicts a condition
You can cast this spell at its lowest level with a spell slot one level lower than the spell level. When you cast the spell this way, it can only target one creature that you can see within range instead of affecting multiple creatures in an area.
You can still cast the spell this way with higher level spell slots, following the At Higher Levels text in the spell description as if the spell was originally one level lower.
For example, the ice storm spell casted with this spell augment with a 3rd level spell slot would deal 4d8 bludgeoning and 4d6 cold damage to one target and would not leave any difficult terrain since there is no area of effect.
Copper Pincher Augment
Prerequisite: 5th level, a spell that has a material component with a monetary value
The monetary value of the material component of this spell is halved to a minimum of 1 copper piece.
Elusive Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with verbal and somatic components
When you cast this spell, you cast it without the spells verbal component or somatic component (you choose when you apply this spell augment).
Exhaustive Augment
Prerequisite: 5th level, a spell of 2nd-level or higher
You can cast this spell at its lowest level with a spell slot one level lower than the spell level. After casting this spell this way, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC equals 15 + the spells level) or suffer one level of exhaustion.
Extending Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with a range of 5 feet or higher
The range of this spell is doubled.
Folding / Unfolding Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with an area of effect shaped as a cube that is larger than 5 feet on a side or a line
When you cast this spell, you can change the affected area's shape from a line into a cube or a cube into a line.
If the spell is normally a Cube area, you can change it into a 5 feet wide line that originates from you and has a length of a number of feet equal to 30 times the level you cast the spell.
If this spell is normally a Line area, you can change it into a cube that appears within a number of feet of you equal to 30 times your PB. The length of the cube is a number of feet equal to 10 + 10 times the level you cast the spell.
Malleable Augment
Prerequisite: 17th-level, no spell you know has this augment
Choose one spell augment that can apply to this spell other than Malleable Augment. That spell augment applies to this spell as well. Once on each of your turns, you can change the chosen augment with another that can apply to this spell (no action required) while you are not incapacitated. You lose any benefits from the previously applied spell augment immediately after you change to a new spell augment.
Non-Lethal Augment
Prerequisite: A spell that deals damage
When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with this spell, you can choose to knock the creature out, having them fall unconscious and stable instead of dying instantly.
Parting Shot Augment
Prerequisite: 5th level
Before or after casting this spell, you can move up to a number of feet equal to 5 times half your PB (round down).
Parting Shot Augment+
Prerequisite: 5th level, no spell you know has this augment
Before or after casting this spell, you can teleport to an unoccupied space that you can see within a number of feet of you equal to 5 times half your PB (round down).
How Does This Interact With X?
I've tried to have the spell augments apply to as many spells as I could. I also know it's inevitable of a strange or unknown interaction with a spell and a spell augment whether that be an official spell or a homebrew spell. In that case there is the classic "up to your DM's ruling" answer within D&D 5E.
Penetrating Augment
Prerequisite: 11th level, a spell that deals damage
When this spell would affect a creature that has resistance to the damage dealt, you ignore the target's damage resistance.
When this spell would affect a creature that has immunity to the damage dealt, you ignore the creature's immunity to this spells damage and treat them as if they have resistance to the spells damage.
A creature only suffers one of this spell augments listed effects. Meaning a creature immune to the spells damage is only treated as having resistance to the spell's damage. You do not also get to ignore the creature's "treated" resistance.
Pulling / Pushing Augment
Prerequisite: A spell that deals damage or imposes a saving throw on a creature
The first time you hit a creature with this spell attack or a creature fails its first saving throw against this spell, you can choose to pull the target toward you or push the target away from you a number of feet equal to 5 times the level you cast the spell. If a spell has both a spell attack and an imposed saving throw, this spell augment applies to both instances.
If the spell already causes the target to be pushed away or pulled towards you, this distance is added to the existing one.
Reaching Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with a range of touch
When you cast this spell, you can choose the range to be the spells normal range or a range equal to 10 times your PB.
Rebuking Augment
Prerequisite: 7th level, a spell with an instantaneous duration and a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action
This spell gains an additional casting time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to being damaged by a creature within the spell's range that you can see
When you cast the spell this way, only the creature that triggered the spell is affected by it.
Repeated Augment
Prerequisite: 11th level, a spell with an instantaneous duration, a casting time of 1 action, and a spell of a level equal to or lower than your PB minus 1
When you cast this spell, you can change the duration from the spells normal duration or a duration of concentration, up to 1 minute. When you change the spells duration this way, apply these changes to its spell description:
- You can cause the effect of the spell again as your action on any turn until the spell ends.
- If this spell has a section of it that starts with At Higher Levels. then it no longer has this benefit.
This is Just Like X Metamagic!
The entire concept of Spell Augments and even specific Spell Augment Options are based off of the Sorcerer's Metamagic options. While this could feel like it is stepping on their toes, the Sorcerer has access to Spell Augments and can apply Metamagic on top of it, further leaning in on the idea that they can meld their spells, almost as if they are constantly applying metamagic to it and only using Sorcery Points to further their innate magic. And while some Spell Augment Options like the Extending Augment and Cautious Augment are mechanically identical to Metamagic Options, most of the spell augments pulling from metamagic effects are toned down and I've been pondering on reworking the Metamagic Options, but I would need to figure this out first to make the reworked Metamagic Options better than these.
Siphoning Augment
Prerequisite: 5th level, A spell that requires concentration
When you cast this spell, you can choose to treat it as if you cast it with a spell slot of one level higher than the spells level. If you do, for the spell's duration, you lose a number of hit points equal to 3 times the spell's level.
Note: You are losing hit point because of this spell augment, not taking damage This means you do not make concentration checks because of this loss of hit points.
Striking Augment
Prerequisite: 11th level, Extra Attack or Thirsting Blade feature, a spell that involves an attack roll
When you take the Attack action, you can do one of the following in place of one of your attacks:
- Cast this spell. If this spell would affect multiple targets when cast, it can only affect one creature of your choice until the start of your next turn
- Use the spell effect within the spell to make an attack roll that normally requires an Action or a Bonus Action to do.
Notes: Transmuted Augment
Below are some points I believe would be brought up with Transmuted Augment. In reference to the Metamagic Option: Transmuted Spell, see the other note "This is Just Like X Metamagic!"
Poison is in All Three Damage Categories. Yes. Poison is in all three categories. The damage type is heavily resisted and full ignored by creatures in D&D 5E. If someone really wants to play a poison-based spellcaster I say "why not." And the only spells that solely deal poison damage that could be changed to any other listed on are ray of sickness and cloudkill so nothing to worry there. If this still isn't enough then you can simply keep poison in only one of the damage categories determined by the DM (most likely elemental but my personal choice is to have it in the physical section).
Why Can't I Change To Force Damage? Creatures rarely have resistance or immunity to force damage. If it were allowed in Transmuted Augment I feel as if it could be heavily exploited at early levels which is why force can only be changed from, not changed to. If the DM allows it to be added to the earlier version of the , I would recommend it be in the Cryptic category. Later on you can take Transmuted Augment+ to gain access to all the magic damage types for a single spell.
Spells with Random Damage. Spells such as fire shield, chromatic orb, or prismatic spray have multiple damage types. In those instances, the note of "one damage type in this spell's description" should cover this. You can change the fire in fire shield to acid but that would still leave you with fire resistance which doesn't make sense anymore. Work with the DM about cases like this. But for chromatic orb or prismatic spray that simply deal damage with the affected aspect of the spell, only that damage type is changed, so one of the random effects can be changed to increase the chances of the damage type you want, like changing the "Red" in prismatic spray to acid if you like that more.
Variant Rule: "Proper" Saves. Some saving throws won't make as much sense if you change the damage type, such as a Strength save against a psychic damage arms of hadar spell. If the DM allows, the change in damage type may also cause a change in the saving throw imposed by the spell (if any). See below what the saving throw would be:
- Acid = Dexterity
- Cold = Constitution
- Fire = Dexterity
- Necrotic = Constitution
- Lightning = Dexterity (I would say Constitution but that is a whole other topic to cover)
- Poison = Constitution
- Psychic = Intelligence
- Radiant = Dexterity, Constitution, or Wisdom
- Thunder = Strength or Constitution
- Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing = Ask your DM
Transmuted Augment
Prerequisite: A spell that deals damage
When you apply this spell augment, you can change one damage type in this spell's description to another one listed in the same Category, which you can find in the Transmuted Augment table. If the damage of the spell was originally force damage, you can change it to one of the damage types in the Cryptic damage category.
Transmuted Augment
| Category | Damage Types |
|---|---|
| Cryptic | necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant |
| Elemental | acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, thunder |
| Physical | bludgeoning, piercing, poison, slashing |
Transmuted Augment+
Prerequisite: 11th level, A spell that deals damage and no spell you know has this augment
When you cast this spell, you can change any damage type in the spell's description to any damage type that isn't bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. If a spell has multiple damage types, they cannot share the same type.
For example, a meteor swarm spell can change its fire and bludgeoning damage to force and lightning or radiant and fire, but it cannot be changed to radiant and radiant damage.
Unstable Augment
Prerequisite: 5th level, A spell of 1st-level or higher
When you cast this spell, you can choose to treat it as if you cast it with a spell slot one level higher than the spells level. If you do, you roll on the Wild Magic table after the spell is cast.
Widening Augment
Prerequisite: A spell with an area of effect shaped as a cone, cube, cylinder, line, sphere, square
The area of effect of this spell increases in size. This increase depends on the type of Area of Effect created by the spell, which you can find in the Widening Augment table.
Widening Augment
| Area of Effect | Size Increase |
|---|---|
| Cone | Number of feet equal to 5 times your PB |
| Cube | Number of feet equal to 5 times your PB |
| Cylinder | Radius increases by a number of feet equal to 5 times your PB or the Height increases by a number of feet equal to 10 times your PB (your choice when you cast the spell) |
| Line | Length increases by a number of feet equal to 10 times your PB or the Width increases by a number of feet equal to 5 times your PB (your choice when you cast the spell) |
| Sphere or Circle | Radius increases by a number of feet equal to 5 times your PB |
| Square | Number of feet equal to 5 times your PB |
ButtFace12's
Spell Augments
Truly know your spells and take that knowledge to meld them to your liking! About two dozen spell augments to apply to spells you learn to make up for your limited spells available as a Bard, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, and certain subclass options with spellcasting capabilities.
Inspiration from the Sorcerer's Metamagic, the Metamagic Feats of 3.5E, and a personal desire as both a player and DM to give "spells known" casters an edge over "spells prepared" casters.
Check out my take on the ranger in
ButtFace12's Ranger Rework on GMBinder!
Artists Credit:
Cover Art: Camryd by Zora Weir-Gertzog
Page 2: Cryomancer by Kai Wright
Page 3: Althazaar Cinderstone: The Human Warlock by Ebony Bodenbender
Page 4: Flute by Rashed AlAkroka
Page 5: Hour of Devastation - Magic the Gathering by Greg Rutkowski
Back Cover Art: MAGIC GIRL 2 by terry wei
