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Creating your very own customDungeons & Dragonsspell can be extremely rewarding for veteran DM’s and players alike. But, what does the process look like in the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide? The new DM’s Guide actually offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to making magic of your own.
Of course, there are always a lot of pitfalls to avoid when it comes to homebrewing in D&D. Between proper balancing and making sure damage or healing done feels fair, the process can prove tricky. So, here’s everything you need to know to craft a brand-new spell using the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide.
What Does The Spell Do?
This may seem obvious, but thefirst thing you need to determinewhen making a new spell is to ask yourself,‘What does this spell do?’Here are a fewquestions you should ask yourselfright out of the gate.
Answering these questions will help give youthe basic building blocks of a spell.Jot down a few bullet points on your spell’s effects before proceeding.
Keep in mind it’s also important thatthe spell’s purpose shouldn’t be too specific. For example, if the spell’s only use is totarget one specific type of monster, ordiffuse a certain kind of trap, then its use isprobably too limited.
You likely won’t get your players interested in learning a spell like this if there are too few chances to actually use it in play.
How To Create Spell Rules
After you’ve figured out exactly what you want the spell to do,it’s time tocraft the spell’s ruleset. This coverseverything a player or a DM will needin orderto run the spellduring a campaign. Here arethe basic rulesyou’ll want tomake sure you have covered.
Description
Spell Level
Select a level for the spellranging from level one to level nine. Themore powerfulthe spell,the higher the level. Keep in mind that someclasses like paladinor ranger can only cast spells up to level five, so keep that in mind when designing your spell for a specific class.
Casting Time
This is howlong it takesfor the userto cast the spell. For rituals ormore powerfulspells, considerextending the duration. For morecombat-focused spells, typically, you’ll want to make the casting time eitheran Action or Bonus Action.
Range
Considerthe distanceat whichsomeone can castthis spell.Melee combatspells, for example, would havea range labeled ‘Touch.‘Ranged combat spells like Fireball have a range of 150 feet. Consider atwhat rangeyour spellwould be effectivefor the caster.
Components
Every spell has, at the bare minimum,a verbal orsomaticcomponent. This means that the usermust either speak an incantationoruse their handsor parts of their body to cast.
Other spells also havematerial components, orphysical objectsthatthey must haveto cast the spell. These provide fun flavor or a cost barrier to entry for casting higher-level spells (more on this below).
Duration
This ishow long the spell lastsonce it’s been cast. If your spell tracks certain creatures, you might want to consider a longer duration so that the player can follow the trail of their target.
Alternatively,combat spellsareusually ‘Instantaneous,‘meaning they work the second they’re cast.
These arethe miscellaneous rules of the spelland will dictatehow the spell is used in combat or roleplay. This is also where you’lllist the damage or healingdone by the spell.
Higher-Levels
Consider howyour spell might changeif castat a higher level. Most of the time, this meansupping either the damage dice rolledorthe amount of healingachieved by the spell.
Classes
Not every spell can work for every class.Consider the effects of the spelland howthey identify with each class.
As a rule of thumb,sorcerers and wizards, for example,should notbe able tocast healing spells.
Concentration
Some spells requirethe user to maintainconcentration.If the spell’s effects continue for some time and are extremely powerful,consider making your spell require concentration.
Concentrationoften applies to transformative spellsor spells whoseduration is beyond instantaneous.
School Of Magic
You’ll also want toconsider what School of Magicyour spell belongs to. Depending on the spell’s abilities, you’ll want to ensure thatthe description of your spellmatches theappropriate School of Magic. There areeight schoolsin total.
If you’re having troubledetermining what elements need to be consideredfor your spell, or what school of magic your spell belongs to,consult a similar spell from the Player’s Handbook.
For example, if your spell allows you to magically create poison darts and fling them through the air, consult the ruleset for a similar spelllike Magic Missileor Melf’s Acid Arrow for inspiration.
How To Balance The Spell
Once you’ve answered the above questions and written out the ruleset for the spell, you’re ready to start balancing. Themost important elementof balancing a rulesetis being certain that the ruleset is balanced andfairfor bothplayers and DMs.Here are some general balancing questions you should ask yourself when making your ruleset.
If you’renot sure of the answersto the above questions, there’s one surefire way to find out.Playtest the spell.The best way to find out if something is working or not is totry it in your campaign. You can alwaystweak it later if it’s not.
Determine Damage And Healing
Once you feel thatthe overall effects of the spell are balanced, you should thendetermine how much damageor healingyour spell does. Generally speaking, when it comes tobalancing these numbers, you shouldbase it on the spell’s level.The 2024 DM’s Guide offers thebelow balancing tablefor reference.
1d10
1d6
1
2d10
2d6
2
3d10
3d6
3
5d10
6d6
4
6d10
7d6
5
7d10
8d6
6
10d10
11d6
7
11d10
12d6
8
12d10
13d6
9
15d10
16d6
Beyond the above though,you should also considerwhether thespell would be more balancedbyrolling multiple dice of lower valuerather than one high-level dice like a d10 or d12. This tends toaverage out your damage rollsso that they’re less destructive. The same goes for healing spells as well.
How To Make The Spell Unique
Now that you’ve written your ruleset, balanced your spell, and determined its overall use,the last stepis tomake your spell unique.This is the fun part, andyou shouldn’t overlook this step.Consider the followingto make your spell a special creation all its own!
What To Do
Naming Conventions
Lots of spells have fun and unique names in D&D! ensure the name feels flavorful and conjures an immediate idea of what the spell does. If your player character is making up the spell-in universe, consider adding the character’s name to it as is the convention for spells like ‘Tasha’s Hideous Laughter.’
Visual Description
When you fill in the description of the spell, make sure you’re using visual adjectives and cues to bring the spell to life. Don’t just list damage or rules. Have fun with it.
Material Components
One of the best ways to flavor a spell is with Material Components. If you want to balance your spell to make it more difficult to use, consider a Material Component with a cost prerequisite. This is something like a diamond worth 500 gp. Or, you can just add fun flavor here. For example, a spell like Grease requires a stick of butter to cast, which can make for fun roleplay at the table.
