Since the 5th Edition ruleset premiered, Wizards has kept a strictly conservative approach with new content regarding classes, features, feats, and even spells. Granted there are many delicate matters to consider when building a new concept or feature such as ensuring that it does make other classes or features inadequate or seem to duplicate something that already exists within the game. In the past editions, Wizards has made new features only to rescind them or add new features made the DM and the player feel that the options should have been there all along. All of these are find and excusable, we as consumers want a good product and we encourage Wizards to make a good product. Only it’s has been 2 years since the edition has been released and the only thing we have to a semblance of new content is the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide and the Elemental Evil Supplement with some additional archetypes and new spells. Various adventure modules have included new monsters and magic items to help fill the treasure trove of dungeons.

Wizards have rules for creating spells in the Dungeon Master’s Guide which could some tinkering still but that is something of a different matter altogether. There are some spells from previous editions that have yet to return that have left some veteran fans clamoring and hoping for a modernized update of these spells. Though I imagine that there are plenty of attempts and rewrites if you look hard enough on the Internet.

There are a few spells that I personally enjoyed from the past and some new spells I have crafted, some of these are spells that NPCs in the campaign setting are capable of performing. Others are spells that sat in the dark corners of my mind waiting to be brought to life.

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Mordenkainen’s Disjunction 
9th-level abjuration (Wizard only)

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Component: V
Duration: Instantaneous

All magical effects and magic items within a 40-foot radius sphere become disjoined and stripped of their magical energy (ending the effect as a dispel magic spell does).

You can also make a DC 20 ability check using your spellcasting ability to disjoin an antimagic field. If the antimagic field is not destroyed, any items within it are not disjoined.

Artifacts are subject to disjunction, though you must make a DC 25 ability check using your spellcasting ability to affect it. Additionally, if you do destroy an artifact using this spell, you must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw or permanently lose all spellcasting abilities. (These features and abilities cannot be restored the wish spell.)

Author’s Note: In older editions of D&D, there was a need for a spell that could dispel everything and anything. It was extremely powerful, it could rip apart mortal magic into ribbons but at the same time prove to affect the most powerful of antimagic countermeasures or even artifacts. But destroying antimagic fields and even artifacts was serious business and could have serious consequences. Rightfully so this spell has the possibility of losing the caster’s spellcasting abilities permanently on an artifact. While 5e’s Dispel Magic can be raised to 9th-level to counter any spell at 9th level and under, I thought to myself and believed that we still need a dispelling effect that could more than any dispel magic and do what antimagic field could not do. This spell remains largely unchanged from its original concept and 3.5 Edition counterpart, though I believed that the ability check for the antimagic field and the artifact seemed more progressive than the old-fashioned nature of percentiles but I could be wrong. It’s a powerful spell with an equally dangerous backlash. 

Black Blade of Disaster
9th-level conjuration (Sorcerer, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

You create a black sword-shaped planar rift within range. It lasts for the duration.

When the sword appears, you can make a melee spell attack against a target of your choice within 5 feet of the sword. On a hit, the target takes 5d10 + your spellcasting modifier in force damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is disintegrated.

If the sword scores a critical hit, the target succumbs to the planar forces and is treated as if hit by the disintegrate spell.

The blade can pass through magical barriers of equal spell level or lower, it cannot penetrate dead magic areas and antimagic fields.

Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to move the sword up to 20 feet to a spot you can see and repeat this attack against the same target or a different one.

Author’s Note: One of my favorite spells, when I read the Year of Rogue Dragon series, was this very spell cast by a former Chosen of Mystra turned lich named Sammaster. The powerful lich had used this spell several times throughout the series, launching it at his foes with deadly arcane accuracy. It even slew a silver dragon with minimal effort from the powerful wizard. An iconic NPC from Soladis had frequently utilized this spell, due to the change in the 5th edition power level, I doubt this same NPC would be as abusive with the spell compared to the past but I loved the idea of weapons conjured by magic. I kept a lot of its power consistent to the original version but modified and updated the wording to fit 5th edition jargon.

Murder of Crows
2nd-level conjuration (Druid, Warlock, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30-foot cone)
Components: V, S, M (a black crow or raven feather)
Duration:Instantaneous

You conjure a swarm of ravens from your hands. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, creatures who failed their saving throws grant advantage on attack rolls made against them until the end of your next turn.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd-level or higher, the piercing damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.

Blood Magic: You may expend 2 hit dice and take damage equal to its result to change the damage from the spell to fire, poison, or necrotic. Whenever you cast this spell at a higher level, you must expend an additional hit dice for every two spell levels you increase this spell.

Author’s Note: Partially inspired by Bioshock Infinite, but also inspired by a warlock character I played several years ago back in 3rd edition. I envisioned this character who had made a dark pact with a fey that reminiscently was a witch-like entity but with ravens. Many of the character’s motifs were ravens or crows and I tried to describe the spells using such symbolism, this spell has been modified in multiple iterations and forms. I wanted to downplay the spell a bit more due my reluctance to make it too powerful for 5th edition. Additionally, this spell has a unique feature called Blood Magic. I have been playing around with a Blood Magic concept both in spells and ways to empower existing spells. I might do an article on my Blood Magic concept later this month since it’s October and it thematically fits for Halloween.

Dreams of Agathys
4th-level illusion (Warlock)

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a cup of water in a golden goblet worth 250 gp)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

You create a terrain of a frozen and barren wasteland, phantoms from the realm come to haunt and taunt a target within range. The phantasms assail the target as ice begins to form over their form, draining them of their sanity and reason. The target at the start if its turns for the duration must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 2d8 psychic damage and 2d8 cold damage and becomes restrained. On a successful save, the target only takes half as much damage and does not become restrained.

Author’s Note: This was a spell I recently worked on that tried to deal with the unique heritage of the Agathys and Hadar line of Warlock spells. Agathys is a layer of the D&D equivalent of Tartarus, it’s a frozen world full of agony and devoid of light and sound. I wanted a spell that channeled the spirits that were tormented and in agony to spread the pain to an unfortunate victim in the warlock’s path. A spell that mentally drains you of your sanity while at the same time leaves the residual coldness from the eerie world.

Thanks for reading along and I hope you found these spells insightful and fun. Please like, comment, and share. If you want to stay up to date with me, please follow our Facebook and Twitter page. We have an Instagram for behind the scenes Team BAJA D&D goodies and boardgaming fun. If you want to help us out, please click on our donate button. If you want to contact me for inquiries, email me at archmage@deathbymage.com. Thanks again and we’ll see you soon!