Two New Spells: Snakes!
Many, many years ago, I had a stable of AD&D characters. The chief among them was the dwarf fighter/thief Lord Korbok, about whom I’ve written here. Another character of mine that saw play up until the late-80s was a high cleric named Morgaf. His claim to fame was his gauntlets of ogre power and magic hammer. Morgaf made it to about 7th or 8th level as a cleric. He was as likely to wade into melee as he was cast a spell. One of Morgaf’s favorite spells was sticks to snakes, especially against an enemy archer. A quiver full of arrows suddenly holding a bit more than a half dozen snakes (about 35% of them venomous) tended to spoil the enemy archer’s aim.
For some reason, 5E D&D doesn’t include sticks to snakes in the Player’s Handbook. The spell might appear in one of the many additional books published for 5E, but, if so, I don’t own that book. So, here’s my 5E version of the classic AD&D cleric spell plus a new spell.
And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? Or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? (The Gospel According to St. Luke 11:11-12)
Sticks to Snakes
1st-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a small piece of bark and several snake scales)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
By means of this spell, you change one stick or stick-like wooden object that you can see within range into a constrictor snake. As long as you concentrate, you can use a bonus action to verbally command the snake to move and attack on your turn. If you don’t issue any commands to the snake, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. If your concentration is broken, the snake does not disappear. Instead, it is no longer under your control, and it will act as the DM determines. Regardless, the snake reverts to its original form 1 minute after you transmuted it or when it is dropped to 0 hit points.
The stick or stick-like object you target cannot be larger than a javelin and it must be nonmagical. If the stick or stick-like object is in the possession of a creature, that creature is permitted a Will save. If successful, the spell has no effect. Otherwise, the snake moves immediately into a space adjacent to the creature.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target an additional stick or stick-like wooden object for each slot level above 1st. Roll 1d6 for each object transmuted. On a 5-6, the spell transmutes the object into a giant poisonous snake instead of a constrictor snake.
Venomous Banquet
3rd-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a snake’s fang)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Choose a point you can see within range when you cast this spell. An amount of food sufficient to sustain three humanoids or one steed within 15 feet of the point you chose transmutes into either a swarm of poisonous snakes or a swarm of scorpions (use swarm of poisonous snakes statistics for both, but the swarm of scorpions has no swim speed). A swarm created by this spell reverts to its original form when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.
The summoned swarm is friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the swarm, which has its own turns. The swarm obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to the swarm, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell with certain higher-level spell slots, you cause more swarms to appear: two swarms with a 5th-level slot, four swarms with an 7th-level slot, and six swarms with a 9th-level slot.
