Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is a new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook that sends players off to a magical university. As is to be expected from a book that focuses on spellcasters, Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos adds several new spells to the game, one of which has already caused a stir in the fanbase, due to both how strong it is and how it might represent a growing power creep within the game.
It's common for tabletop RPGs to have elements that are overpowered, as the developers were unable to predict how players would combine certain abilities and situations to their advantage. D&D is no exception, as it has faced rules exploits throughout the history of the game. Even the relatively well-balanced fifth edition had issues at launch, such as conjure woodland beings almost ruining the game, due to how it could spawn eight polymorph-spamming pixies. These kinds of issues often force groups to come up with their own homebrew rules to patch the issues in the game before the developers have a chance to address it themselves, either through errata or through an updated rerelease of the core rulebook.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is centered around the eponymous university, which itself is split into five different D&D colleges. It's fitting then, that the book would include five new spells, with each one being a favorite of their respective colleges. There are some spells in Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos that will be incredibly useful to adventurers who have already graduated from school and are currently exploring dungeons, as they offer some amazing benefits in combat.
The wither and bloom spell is named after Witherbloom, which is one of the five colleges of D&D's Strixhaven University. Wither and bloom is a second-level necromancy spell that can be taken by Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards. The spell creates a 10ft sphere that forces a Constitution saving throw to all creatures within the radius that are chosen by the caster. A failed save results in 2d6 necrotic damage, or half on a successful save. The caster can then designate another creature within the range of the spell and allow it to roll one of its unspent hit dice for healing, along with hit points equal to the spellcaster's ability modifier. The wither and bloom spell can be cast at a higher level, in order to deal more damage and let targets spend more hit dice.
The combined healing and damage of wither and bloom makes it an incredibly useful spell when things are going badly in combat. If an ally has been downed in melee combat, then wither and bloom can both damage the enemy, and bring them back from death's door. This can turn into a combination of a damaging spell and healing word, thanks to its long range. The necromancers in D&D can also potentially make use of their Grim Harvest ability to heal themselves, assuming wither and bloom kills the target. The spell is also useful in fast-paced adventures, where players cannot stop to take short rests, so they can at least spend their hit dice using the spell without them going to waste.
There are a number of abilities and spells in D&D that influence movement, such as haste and longstrider. There are also spells that can cause characters to teleport from one place to another. Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos has added a potent new teleportation spell to the game, as it affects both ally and enemy alike. The spell in question is vortex warp, which is a second-level D&D conjuration spell that can be taken by Artificers, Sorcerers, and Wizards. Vortex warp can teleport one creature within 90ft to another unoccupied space within range. It's possible to resist the spell through a Consitution saving throw, or the target can let themselves be moved.
The reason vortex warp is so good is due to how well it manipulates the battlefield. If the enemy has archers that are a safe distance away, then the Barbarian can be sent right next to them. If the enemy mage has surrounded themself with a wall of flames, then bring them straight into melee range. This spell's ability to move units feels like something out of the fourth edition of D&D and is great for dealing with glass cannon units that try to hide at the edge of the battlefield. The spell can also be used to ground flying units, in order to bring them into melee range.
The silvery barbs spell has already caused controversy, as information about its effects was revealed before the release of Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. Fans have been suggesting that it's too strong for its level, as well as making the shield spell redundant. There is some truth to this, as silvery barbs is definitely an overpowered spell for its level, but it doesn't quite remove the need for shield, as the latter at least offers immunity from magic missiles. Silvery barbs is a first-level enchantment spell that can be cast using a reaction. It's used in response to another creature succeeding on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. The effect of silvery barb causes the creature to roll again and take the lower number, possibly resulting in a failure. The caster can then designate another creature within range and give it advantage on one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, but it must be used within the next minute.
It's easy to see why the silvery barbs spell is overpowered in D&D. The silvery barbs spell is like a stronger version of the Wild Magic Sorcerer's Tides of Fortune class feature, especially as it's tied to spell slots and can be done once per round. The ability to force disadvantage on any one check used by an opponent is strong enough on its own, especially when saving throws are involved, but giving an ally an advantage on most checks for a minute is too much. Wizards of the Coasts need to errata this spell and fast. The best way would be to remove the advantage element altogether, raising its level, or add a restriction that means that each enemy can only be affected by one silvery barbs spell per day. This will stop spellcasters from spamming silvery barbs during boss encounters and turning them into joke fights.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos will be released on December 7, 2021.
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