A History of Magic: Evocation Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Evocation

The Subschools of Evocation: Air, Earth, Fire, Force, Water.

Air: Those who focus on the elemental powers of air most directly express their power through applications of lightning and thunder.

Earth: Geomantic practices are rarely considered among those discussing evocation. The earth-based magics of evocation seeming dwarfed by the physical conjurations or manipulations of transmuters. Even among evokers, the flash of pyromancers or even aero and hydromancers is enough to overwhelm the geomancer. However, the practice persists even outside that required to generate raw force energy. Generally geomantic power is manipulated slowly and subtly, like any influence of the stone from which it is drawn. However, it also has the potential to generate potent effects over such fundamental forces as gravity.

Fire: The stereotypical evoker focuses on fire, though this is by no means the only focus within the tradition. One of the benefits of the influence of the sub-school, however, is the ranging applications that have been discovered for what might otherwise be dismissed as a purely destructive energy. For example, pyromantic evokers are the source of the ubiquitous light spell and regularly create dizzying pyrotechnic displays for events and celebrations.

Force: While the pyromancer is the stereotype, the prototypical evoker is far more balanced in their use of elemental energies. At the core of their practice they bring these energies together to generate raw magical energy such as that discharged freely in magic missile. More controlled applications of such telekinetic manipulation are the various forms of levitation and flight, including feather fall.

Water: The clearest expression of hydromantic evocation is through the use of cold.

Selected Spells:

Force Pulse
Evocation cantrip (force)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 Feet
Components: V, S, M (a quartz chip)
Duration: Instantaneous
You create a glowing bolt of magical force. Make an attack roll against a creature of your choice that you can see within range. This dart deals 1d8+1 force damage to its target.
This spell's damage increases by 1d8+1 when you reach 5th level (2d8+2), 11th level (3d8+3), and 17th level (4d8+4).

Jolt

Evocation cantrip (air)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 15 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You release a small electrical charge towards your target. You make a ranged spell attack with disadvantage against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 lightning damage and can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.

This spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Proto-Flame Bolt

Evocation cantrip (fire)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (an obsidian splinter)

Duration: Instantaneous

You hurl a mote of fire at a creature or object within range. You suffer 2d8 fire damage and make a ranged spell attack against a target. On a hit, the target takes the same fire damage. A flammable object hit by this spell ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.

This spell's damage increases by 2d8 when you reach 5th level (4d8), 11th level (6d8), and 17th level (8d8).

Invocation of Fire

1st-level evocation (fire)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a ruby worth 50 gp)

Duration: Instantaneous

A space near you blossoms into an explosion of flame with a low roar. Any creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a dexterity saving throw. A target takes 1d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the radius increases by 5 feet for each slot level above 1st. The caster may choose to constrain the area, however, increasing the damage by 1d6 for each 5 feet of radius sacrificed.

Next: The History of Abjuration

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These were some of the first spells I created for this series. Designed to show the sort of “early magic” feel that I’m trying to get to. These are unrefined, playing heavily to the strengths of the school that created them at the risks and costs most likely to that school; extra damage to enemies at danger of lack of control and self-harm. They’re all low level, the concept being that these pioneers had to start somewhere. The first wizardly fire spell the caster survived long enough to write down was unlikely to be a fully formed fireball. The inspirations and connections for each of these should be pretty clear, even without a name like proto-(existing spell). I’ve seriously considered changing that a number of times, but the story in my head is that our intrepid researcher found this cantrip simply listed as “flame bolt” in some truly ancient spellbooks. Unable to put an origin to it, and self-effacing when it comes to magical discovery, they chose a more direct naming convention. In my imagination most of these probably weren’t even actually fully formed spells when discovered so much as energy calculations that a modern wizard, presented with separate from the rest of a spell, could rattle off.