New Spells: Flash and Corona
This content can now be found at its most updated version in The Elements and Beyond, a free 246-page compendium that you can download right here, filled with 23 subclasses, 8 spellcasting feats, 134 spells, 213 spell variants, 85 monsters, 30 magic items, 4 races plus 12 new subraces each with racial feats, and even more goodies for both players and DMs!
Art Credit: http://www.artofmtg.com/art/fell-mighty/
There's a lot of light spells in 5th edition, but gaps still remain, especially if you want a light spell that actually generates light! With a plethora of options at higher levels (dawn, sunburst, sunbeam, wall of light, etc.) and plenty of cantrips that generate light, there are surprisingly few good options for lower level characters who feel like guiding bolt might not be enough for them. Today's two evocations hope to bridge that lower-level gap a bit.
Sometimes there's no good replacement for just shining a bright light in the bad guy's face to momentarily blind them. Flash is a common staple of fantasy magic, and now it can be a staple of your game too. This spell shares some thematic space with color spray, but it also has many key differences about the way it works. Color spray is used to subdue foes while fighting others nearby, and thus it breaks on damage but can last much longer. Flash doesn’t break on damage — in fact blinded enemies grant advantage to attackers — but instead it only lasts 1 round, and only affects those within 5 feet of the caster. While some spellcasters will have a hard time getting flash off in some scenarios without risking blinding an ally or two, as an evocation spell it works well with the Evocation wizard’s spell-sculpting feature, since a successful saving throw causes no effects.
Corona, on the other hand, surrounds you in a more constant ring of light, burning your enemies like a glorious radiant sun. Clerics and paladins always have weaker options for area damage, and this spell is no exception, but careful use (such as casting before a fight) can make this little spell go a long way. Normally paladins only gain access to significant area damage when they reach 5th-level spell slots and reach destructive wave — however that spell is a fair bit stronger even for its level than corona. Corona’s short range makes it dangerous for any combatant to make good use of, but because it deals damage regardless of weapon power, a cleric or paladin who builds to focus on survivability and spellcasting power will be able to slay enemies en masse using the spell without having to make weapon attacks at all. Since a paladin (and some cleric domains with heavy armor) can easily reach 20 AC by the time they have access to this spell (without counting class features, racial abilities, or magic items), it was balanced under the assumption that it isn’t actually too easy to interrupt in most cases.
