Wild Shape & Polymorph Effects (Druids and Spells): When you transform via a polymorph or Wild Shape effect, you do not assume the hit points and hit dice of the creature you transform into. Further, any damage taken while you're transformed in this way are deducted from your hit points.
Why: Prevents abuse of polymorph effects as a massive and recurring HP buffer, particularly in the case of Circle of the Moon Druids.
Create Undead: Create Undead has been replaced with Animate Dead as written below.
Why: Create Undead rendered redundant.
Simulacrum: Simulacrums cannot cast spells above the 5th level.
Why: Simulacrums being able to self-replicate and cast high level spells such as Wish is too powerful.
Wish: Any use of Wish to do anything other than cast a level 8 spell or lower is explicitly subject to DM arbitration. Though Wish can cast any level 8 spell or lower, the greater cast time of that spell and Wish is utilized in order to cast any spell in this way, otherwise doing so counts as having used an effect other than casting a level 8 spell or lower.
Why: Wish can be potentially abused to achieve unlimited wealth, permanent resistance in perpetuity and other game breaking effects if this limitation isn't in place, as well as creating a Simulacrum instantly.
Conjure Spells (Conjure Animals, Conjure Minor Elementals, Conjure Woodland Beings, Conjure Celestial, Conjure Elementals, etc...): These spells now have a duration of Concentration, up to 1 minute. Further, creatures summoned by these spells can take no actions on their turn other than the Dodge action, and will only defend themselves against hostile creatures unless their summoner used an Action to command them, or summon them prior to their turn.
Why: The duration of 1 hour these spells have effectively allow their users to obviate the need for melee classes and give them inordinate power through multiplied action economies for long periods of time.
Animate Dead:
Animate Dead
3rd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (a drop of blood, a piece of flesh, a pinch of bone dust and a black onyx worth 50 gp)
Duration: Instantaneous
You can create or reassert control over a total 1 CR worth of zombie, ghoul, wight, skeleton, ghost, spectre, shadow or wraith creatures from corpses and bone piles within range (The DM has that creature's game statistics). Each undead created in this way must come from a different intact corpse or set of bones as appropriate (zombies, wights and ghouls must come from corpses as an example). Any of these remains that were used by this spell but do not comprise an undead created in this way turn to dust. Corporeal undead created in this way are of the same size and shape of the remains they were created with, and turn to dust upon being destroyed. Creatures created by this spell are under your control for 24 hours or until you cast this spell again, whichever comes first (if you cast this spell and don't use it to reassert control over an undead creature you created with it, it is no longer under your control). Undead creatures controlled with this spell lose the ability to spawn new undead. On your turn, as an Action, you can mentally command any creature you made with this spell if that creature is within 60 feet of you. You decide what actions the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. A creature given orders in this way continues to follow it until its task is complete or you no longer control it.
At Higher Levels: For each spell level beyond the 3rd this spell is cast at, you create or reassert control over +1 CR worth of undead creatures, and it requires +1 extra minute to cast and +25 extra gp worth of black onyx material components.
Why: Prevents creation of overtly large necrohorde armies that invalidates the need for physical fighters.
Mirror Image:
Mirror Image:
2nd-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Effect: Three illusory duplicates of yourself appear in your space. Until the spell ends, the duplicates move with
you and mimic your actions, shifting position so it’s impossible to track which image is real. You can use your action to dismiss the illusory duplicates.
Each time a creature targets you with an attack during the spell’s duration, roll a d20 to determine whether the attack instead targets one of your duplicates as follows:
3 Duplicates: Roll 6+
2 Duplicates: Roll 8+
1 Duplicate: Roll 11+
A duplicate’s AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier. If an attack hits a duplicate, the duplicate is destroyed. A duplicate can be destroyed only by an attack that hits it. It ignores all other damage and effects. As a Bonus Action, you can make a destroyed duplicate reappear.
A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can’t see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.
Why: Mirror Image is too good without Concentration and shouldn't be an exception to the Concentration duration rule. In reciprocity, I've given the caster the ability to recover destroyed duplicates at the cost of a Bonus Action, and stopped the spell from ending when all duplicates are destroyed.
Sleep:
Sleep
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or a cricket)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Effect: This spell sends creatures into a magical slumber. Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures
this spell can affect. Creatures within 20 feet of a point you choose within range are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures). Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature affected must make a Wisdom saving throw or fall unconscious until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Subtract each creature’s hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature’s hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected.
Undead, constructs, and creatures immune to being charmed aren’t affected by this spell.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, roll an additional 4d8 for each slot level above 1st.
Why: Originally this spell was far too powerful at early levels, and too weak later on due to its lack of a saving throw, and its poor scaling.
Telekinesis:
Telekinesis
5th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Effect: You gain the ability to move or manipulate creatures or objects by thought, and form localized barriers of telekinetic force. When you cast the spell, and as your action each round for the duration, you can exert your will on one creature or object that you can see within range, subjecting it to one effect of your choice below.
If the target of the chosen effect is unwilling, you must succeed on an ability check with your spellcasting ability contested by the target’s Strength check (or the Strength check of the creature possessing an attended object. Unattended objects automatically fail) for that effect to occur. You can only Fling and Move/Crush objects that weigh 1000 pounds or less. These effects last on a target until you change that target, or until the end of your next turn.
Fling: Make a ranged weapon attack against a target with proficiency using your caster ability modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier. It has a range equal to your caster ability modifier x 10 feet and a long range equal to twice that. On a hit, the flung object or creature deals 1d6 damage for every 100 pounds it weighs (minimum 1d6, maximum 10d6) + your caster ability modifier. A creature or object hit in this way must make a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The flung object or creature also takes this damage, and ends its movement adjacent to the target, falling prone.
Move/Crush: You can move the target up to your caster ability modifier x 10 feet in any direction, including upward but not beyond the range of this spell, or you can crush it, dealing 8d6 bludgeoning damage. While this effect is active, you may have the target be restrained in your telekinetic grip. A target lifted upward is suspended in mid-air. If the target is an object you can manipulate it per the Use an Object action, or have it make an attack, using your caster ability modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for its attack and damage rolls. If that object isn’t a weapon, or if it is a weapon you don’t have proficiency with, it counts as an improvised weapon.
Shield: You can form a telekinetic shield around you or a creature or object within range that you can see. This shield grants a bonus to the target’s AC, Strength and Dexterity saves equal to your caster ability modifier (minimum 1). If an attack, spell or effect would have an effect on the target protected by your shield on a miss or successful Strength or Dexterity save (such as half damage) it instead has no effect on that target.
Casting At Higher Levels: For each spell level above the 5th this spell is cast at the following benefits apply to it:
You can target a creature or object weighing an extra 1000 pounds.
Crush damage increases by +2d6.
The range of this spell extends by 30 feet.
For every two spell levels above the 5th this spell is cast at, the Shield effect bonuses increase by +1, and you can target an additional creature or object.
Why: I didn't feel that Telekinesis as it stood appropriately defined the scope of this spell. This is a change that's more nice to have than one that significantly impacts the game or a class.