Five Major Spell Nerfs & Buffs in Dungeons and Dragons 2024

We look at our list of top five nerfs, and top five buffs that spells got in the 2024 PHB.

TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Spiritual Weapon
04:04 - Forcecage
06:48 - Counterspell
12:15 - Conjure Animals
15:02 - Conjure Woodland Beings
17:50 - True Strike
21:10 - Conjure Minor Elementals
26:16 - Witch Bolt
28:15 - Sleep
33:21 - Divine Favor
34:52 - Final Thoughts

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[WereLink]

I would've loved having a contested spellcasting modifier test for counterspell. Basically a mental version of grappling mechanics.

[TheRealOfficialGator]

The true nerf is the nerf to dungeon masters who have to wait an extra 3 months before they can start planning their next campaign

[Shaderox]

I kinda like the direction they were going with for new Counterspell, although, i think instead of a Con save (man, I've used a lot of Con save spells recently and they just about never lands because everything and everyone is good or decent at con saves), I think a better thing in terms of both mechanics & flavor would be for it to be a contested check between the caster & counterspeller using their own spellcasting modifiers with a bonus for the level of spellslot used for each of the spells. now THAT is a wizard duel.

[ryadinstormblessed]

16:58 "The Monster Manual being a resource for Players is always problematic."
As a DM, I kind of agree with this. But as a Player, one of the things I love most about Wildshape is diving through the MM to find fun new options for Beasts I can use. And while the new PHB includes more low-level Beast options for Wildshape to use, even JCraw mentioned in the release video that Circle of the Moon Druids will still need to dive into the MM for their higher CR options. The only way I could see getting around this is if there were a Beastly Wildshapers and Polymorphers Supplement that just provides every single Beast option available for those features.

[daniellmarsden]

I think it was 4th edition that had counterspell use opposing arcana checks to see if the spell was countered or not. That always felt very flavorful to me. Like a contest of skill and knowledge to see if you could disrupt their spellcasting.

[gyarados]

Another plus for True Strike; the way some of the Weapon Mastery options are worded, you can use them with this cantrip, making it another reason for a caster to think about the Fighter dip.

[guamae]

I feel like the limiting factor on Spiritual Weapon was how slow it was... Now that it's concentration, they should have made it faster 🤷

[antihero]

-“I hate blue decks.”
-Immediately recalls the story of his sorcerer saving everyone with a well-timed counterspell, displaying the value of blue decks 😂

[laglord]

The last game I played a wizard in became exhaustingly counterpsell focused. Many of the main baddies were high level casters, often working in groups. More than a than a few combats I was so shut down by counterspell, then having my counterpell of their counterpell counterpelled. I would sometimes just have to almost give up on actually directly doing anything with my turn. I ended up just trying to time it so I could burn their reactions at the moment for my team to have some kind of opening.

I had my revenge in the end though. I took Metamagic Initiate solely for Subtle Spell, using it to shut down the BBEG's 1st round casting of Time Stop. Did I use my level 9 spell slot for counterpell? Yes. Was that fulfilling on its own? No. Was the DM's expression, after months of wasted actions, worth it? YES.

[RJWdevelopment]

I do like how much there are now obvious two-character combos sprinkled throughout the new rules. encouraging cooperation and creativity is always a welcome improvement.

[luc]

So i know this would be a *ton* more work. but as far as Spell Duels, I wish there were more spells that just countered each other. Like how Darkness counters Light, but Daylight counters Darkness and Shield counters Magic Missile. So I think it would be so cool if there were more spells like that so you would really be dueling with spells rather than just casting counter spell. and maybe Counter Spell would be a Class Feature where if you had the countering spell prepared you could cast it as a reaction or something.

Haven't thought a lot about it but its a really cool image in my head.

[benjaminmalisheski]

Rule as written the simulacrum loop is not fixed. Simulacrums can still cast wish to emulate the effects of the simulacrum spell - which is technically not casting simulacrum. This is a bad faith reading and most DMs would probably shut it down but I thought I should mention it

[BLynn]

Colby's Valor Bard video #180 is to show the problem with the Conjure Minor Elementals spell.

[Shaderox]

*Looks at Spirit Shroud that's the exact same thing as new Conjure Minor Elementals but half the damage and a 4th the scaling
yeah... i think something somewhere got mixed up

[stefanavic]

"Being countered by Blue in MTG is not fun."
On the other hand being thrashed by a Green creature that's been pumped +10 +10 is an entirely pleasant experience.

Stay strong my Blue siblings.

[Baily]

I think Hunger of Hadar also deserves a spot here. Actual scaling, blinded inside the area while people on the outside can see in (if they have darkvision). However, he 2014 was a bit ambiguous in its wording, so maybe some tables were already running it this was, in regards to to the darkness thing.

[matthewhelmers]

Valor bard with two levels of warlock for EB, 9th level slot for Foresight and 8th level upcast CME. Use an elf with Elven Accuracy for more shenanigans!
I loved that both Chris and Colby said "here's the build, last time I'm using this spell".

[GreeneLighte]

Conjure Minor Elementals was very obviously supposed to be "1 d8 for every 2 levels of upcast" and somebody just accidentally switched the numbers around to "2 d8 for every 1 level of upcast".

[krimlon]

Something I saw brought up that might lessen the nerfing of counterspell. Is the wording that the caster does not lose a spell slot. It appears that monsters and villains no longer have spell slots, but have uses per day of spells. So if they cast a spell and it is countered they still lose their use, but if they counter a PCs spell then that pc does not lose the slot.

[StriderZessei]

Shout out to my personal favorite: Mirror Image! Now, you only roll for the images if you are getting hit, instead of them possibly getting destroyed by something that would never have hit you.