New Spells: Soul Magic

The two spells for today are both examples of the half-dozen or so new Soul Magic spells that will be appearing in The Impermissicon. Soul Magic is a difficult magic to wield, even in its simplest forms. For that reason, the lowest level Soul Magic spell in The Impermissicon is the 5th-level detect souls, and the lowest level spell that actually affects souls is 6th-level. These two spells are higher level than that.

Art Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/jasontn/art/Awakening-477636240

Death’s Door is a specialized reaction spell that fills defensive, offensive, and mobility purposes with some restrictions. If your allies fall before you do, you may not find a good opportunity to cast the spell, and trying to throw yourself into harm’s way just to cast it can have great costs. And if you were hoping to use this spell to stay conscious and keep your concentration up when being targeted by enemies, you’ll note that if you don’t concentrate on death’s door, it does nothing but keep you at 1 hit point for an entire 7th-level spell slot. But when your soul is pushed to the brink, you may find this spell indispensable.

Of course, watch out for Charisma-saving throw spells like banishment, plane shift, or the new Soul Expulsion, which specializes in targeting loose souls like ghosts, wraiths, or those being affected by certain Soul Magic spells like magic jar that allow them (or force them) to exist as souls outside their body. Despite that, Soul expulsion is a powerful combat spell against all types of creatures. In addition to offering single-target damage with a stun on a Charisma saving throw, it also blasts enemies in an area and weakens their offensive power for a round. This spell is relatively short-lasting for an 8th-level spell, but combined with the damage and the wide range, the potent debuffs easily earn its 8th-level spell slot.

PDF Link / D&D Beyond Links: Death’s Door, Soul Expulsion