As part of the the recent Deep Magic, Volume 2 Kickstarter campaign, backers were able to submit spells for possible inclusion in the book. We had over 900 spells submitted to us! Our judges had to narrow that down to only 60 spells to include in the book (that’s the number of backer spell “slots” unlocked through stretch goals during the Kickstarter campaign).

Our tireless judges had their work cut out for them, and narrowing down to the final 60 wasn’t easy. We posted the full list of winners in a Kickstarter update yesterday.

Here’s a look at the judges’ favorites from that list of winning spells. Please note: These spells have not yet been edited or playtested.

Victoria Jaczko

Doomed. I like simple mechanics that do something new. The gimmick of an illusion that doles out psychic damage because you’re convinced that missed hits are getting through is an interesting niche, and it has interesting utility in battles where the party’s having trouble with a high AC critter.

Doomed

2nd-Level Illusion | Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (crow feather)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Style: Doom
You convince a creature you can see within range that it cannot escape impending doom. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target believes any attacks that miss it actually hit. The target suffers 1d6 psychic damage from each missed attack. If the creature takes damage from this spell a second or subsequent time in a given round, it can make another Wisdom saving throw to end the effect.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

Jeff Lee

Wings of retribution has a gripping visual effect and provides a powerful combat ability with clean, easy mechanics.

Wings of Retribution

3rd-Level Evocation | Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round

Style: Saint
Wings of light grow from your back. You can fly up to 60 feet to an unoccupied square.  Your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

At the end of this movement, every enemy in a 10-foot radius of you must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 6d6 radiant damage and is knocked prone. On a success, the target takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone.

At higher levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage is increased by 2d6 radiant damage and the radius enlarges by 5 feet for each two slot levels above 3rd.

Sebastian Rombach

Goob’s Inconvenient Gathering is evocative of Katamari Damacy, I think. That game where you roll an adhesive ball around and everything sticks to it?

As a spell it has so much potential for fun encounters that can spiral out in unforeseen ways. I do love a good pun, and I think the most memorable spells feel organic to the wizard who designed them, rather than the spell’s designer. I think about how so many mainstays of the game came about because folks like Luke Gygax and others came up with them while actually playing. Goob’s has that chaotic energy that comes about in my own games. I can definitely see some player coming up with those, to the chagrin of the GM.

Goob’s Inconvenient Gathering

4th-Level Transmutation | Bard, Druid, Sorcerer

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Style: Fey Magic
Target a creature of your choice that you can see within range. Small loose objects (i.e. rocks, grass, branches, etc.) within 10 feet of it are magically attracted to the target’s body/form. The target moves at half speed and gains disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws.

Brian Suskind

I love items and spells that are powered by the life force of the user, so blood shards is right up my alley. I like that in this spell you take a die of necrotic damage in order to empower your melee attacks with a bonus damage die of the same type.

Blood Shards

5th-Level Necromancy | Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a drop of the caster’s blood)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Style: Pestilent
You use the power of your own blood to cause vile, corrupted harm to your foes at a cost to yourself. When you use this spell, you choose to deal to yourself 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, or 1d10 necrotic damage. Until the spell ends, any melee attack you make causes extra necrotic damage adding the die that was selected when casting.