New Spells: Obliteration Beam & Variants
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!
“Subtlety is overrated, and smithereens can’t disagree.”
Links: PDF | D&D Beyond: Obliteration Beam, Glacial Tide, Thunderstorm Tornado
Art Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/smattila/art/Beam-17025607
Sometimes you want to plan an elaborate scheme using your most powerful spells to catch the bad guy in a complex magical combination that makes you feel clever. Other times you just want to fire a giant laser. Well, The Elements & Beyond has you covered.
Today’s preview is Obliteration Beam, a 9th-level spell that evokes a giant laser. You can think of obliteration beam as the alternative to meteor swarm, the same way lightning bolt is the alternative to fireball. It has some key differences, though. Force damage and radiant damage are both less commonly resisted than fire damage and lightning damage, which is part of why unlike those 3rd-level spells, obliteration beam actually does less damage than meteor swarm. Another reason, of course, is that the beam doesn’t just deal damage, but also pushes, knocks prone, and sheds light. Of course you may find that a 500-foot long energy blast is more difficult to avoid causing collateral damage with than the spheres of meteor swarm, but if the objects in the blast survive the average 121 damage, at least they won’t be lit on fire!
This preview also contains two of the spell variants for obliteration beam that will be included in the spell variants section of The Elements & Beyond, Glacial Tide and Thunderstorm Tornado. These two spells each offer some slight variations on the spell’s normal effects and damage types, and like any spell variant you treat them as if they were their own individual spell for learning, preparing, and casting. Glacial tide happens to be a Hydromancy spell, meaning it appears on the list of spells for the Hydromancer feat and for a handful of other mechanics, but it still counts as a conjuration spell as well. Similarly, thunderstorm tornado is an Aeromancy spell, and appears on the spell list for the Aeromancer feat.
Links: PDF | D&D Beyond: Obliteration Beam, Glacial Tide, Thunderstorm Tornado
