Melf's Minute Meteors

• Level: 3rd-level
• School: Evocation
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (niter, sulfur, and pine tar formed into a bead)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Description

Melf's Minute Meteors allows the caster to create tiny, flaming spheres of magical energy that orbit around them. These meteors can be hurled at enemies, dealing both fire damage and explosive impact.

Effects:

• Creating Meteors:

  • When you cast the spell, you create six tiny meteors that float in your space and orbit you for the spell's duration.

• Launching Meteors:

  • As a bonus action, you can expend one or two of the meteors, sending them streaking toward a point or points you choose within 120 feet. Each meteor explodes upon reaching its destination.
  • When a meteor reaches its target, it explodes. Each creature within 5 feet of the point of impact must make a Dexterity saving throw.

• Damage:

  • A creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  • The damage is applied individually for each meteor that hits a target, allowing multiple meteors to strike the same or different targets within range.

Strategic Applications:

• Area of Effect Damage:

  • Melf's Minute Meteors is effective for dealing damage to multiple enemies, particularly those grouped together. The small explosion radius makes it useful for targeting clusters of weaker foes.

• Persistent Threat:

  • The meteors persist for the spell's duration, allowing you to continuously launch them each round as a bonus action, providing consistent damage output over time.

• Flexible Targeting:

  • The ability to launch one or two meteors per bonus action gives you flexibility in targeting. You can focus on a single powerful enemy or spread the damage across multiple weaker ones.

• Synergy with Movement Control:

  • Combining this spell with other spells or effects that restrain or group enemies (such as Web or Entangle) can maximize the effectiveness of the meteors by ensuring more enemies are caught in the blast.

Limitations:

• Concentration:

  • The spell requires concentration, so it can be disrupted if the caster takes damage or casts another concentration spell.

• Small Explosion Radius:

  • The 5-foot radius of each meteor's explosion is relatively small, meaning that it requires precise targeting to affect multiple creatures.

• Limited Meteors:

  • You only have six meteors to use, so while the damage is reliable, it is finite within the spell's duration.

Notes:

• Roleplaying Opportunities:

  • The visual of small, fiery meteors orbiting the caster adds a dramatic flair to combat encounters. It can be a signature spell for characters who want to show off their evocation prowess.

• Synergy with Other Spells:

  • Use this spell in conjunction with crowd control effects to maximize the number of enemies hit by each meteor. Spells like Hold Person or Sleep can keep enemies within the small blast radius.

• Ideal For:

  • Melf's Minute Meteors is ideal for spellcasters who want to maintain pressure on enemies over several rounds. It suits wizards and sorcerers who focus on sustained, versatile damage output.

Higher Levels:

• Scaling:
  • When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the number of meteors created increases by two for each slot level above 3rd.