Spells: Codified Themes

[Tyloris]

This open source homebrew document, in addition to containing a wide variety of spells to make non-fire damage builds more viable, codifies spell "elements" (fire, cold, force, wind, water, etc.), ensuring that spells that share those elements share specific themes: https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-MW5r6wBJTW_lOU6gLyU

Some examples:

Cold Cold spells deal less than other types of spells, often using d8 damage dice they tend to debuff the target, slowing them, restraining them, or leaving difficult terrain. They most often feature Constitution saves. Force Force damage brings the ultimate in consistency, with most spells offering no save or attack roll, but consequently dealing only moderate but consistent damage with d4s. Lightning Highly volitile damage spells, these often feature d12s with high variance, and sometimes come with powerful status effects, shocking targets or even stunning them, they come in a mix of Constitution and Dexterity saving throws.

Should we include some/all of these spells, and/or change existing spells so that they conform to these themes?

[Tyloris]

Of particular note is the inclusion of a "psuedo-condition" for lightning damage.

Shocked Shocked is a pseudo condition used in many Lightning spells that stuns a target until the start of their next turn. This effectively means they cannot take reactions, are incapacitated (interrupting some effects such as concentration), automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saves, and attacks against them have advantage.

This is a very powerful condition, but far less powerful than stunning them until the end of the turn, which also makes them lose their action.

Shocked will always be described inline (as "shocking the target, stunning them until the start of the next turn").

This reminds me of another pseudo-condition, "chilled," which reduces the movement speed of targets damaged by certain cold spells and effects. It could be something we bring back in.