Turning Misty step into a reaction to dodge spells/attacks

Question

My wizard player wants to create a spell. I want to let him do it, as they are nearing the end of the current campaign and I think its a cool way to spend character downtime to research and create a spell.

His idea was to create an upgraded version of Misty Step: "Instant Step", which he could cast as a reaction to dodge a spell or attack, and teleport away at the same time.

Obviously it would be way too powerful for him to just completely dodge something guaranteed AND teleport when its not his turn. So I thought of maybe using some of the mechanics of Shield or Counterspell, which give you a chance to negate a spell/attack, but not guaranteed. This is what I've come up with:

Instant Step

4th level Conjuration

Casting Time: Reaction

Range: Self

Components: V,S

Duration: Instantaneous

Your Arcane awareness allows you to avoid an incoming spell or attack. In response to the trigger, you have a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Calculate damage taken (if any), and then teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see.

To make it a little less powerful, I made it so that unlike Shield, this only lasts for one trigger, not until the start of your next turn. And it only works for spells with attack rolls or Dex saving throws. So you're still vulnerable to spells causing Wis saves.

I haven't created much homebrew before, so I'm interested to hear others' opinions. Is it still too powerful? Too nerfed? Should it be higher level? Should it be bonus to all saving throws? Should I make the player roll to hit a DC to dodge the spell, like counterspell?

Answer 1

Comparing it to Misty Escape & Blessing of the Raven Queen

Misty Escape is a class ability granted to warlocks with the Archfey patron at 6th level. It says:

Starting at 6th level, you can vanish in a puff of mist in response to harm. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Thematically, it is similar that in response to an attack you are protected and can move somewhere else. Specifically, it is similar to what you propose in that it can be used as an reaction in response to an attack and permits you a limited teleport. However, you take full damage from the initial attack and are protected from subsequent attacks, unlike your Instant Step. While you are invisible until the start of your next turn, that doesn't mean you are Hidden and so effectively you have disadvantage to be attacked with the added bonus that you might not be noticed.

Blessing of the Raven Queen is a race (species) ability granted to Shadar-Kai at character creation. It says:

As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.

Thematically, it is similar that you are protected (after 3rd level) and can move somewhere else. Specifically, it is similar to what you propose in that it permits you a limited teleport. However, it is a bonus action used on your turn and not in response to a specific attack, and it gives you resistance rather than the chance that an attack will miss.

Considering how these two other abilities are worded and what you are trying to achieve, I would recommend the following to bring your proposal more in line with them:

Instant Step
Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are targeted by an attack or an effect that forces you to make a Dexterity saving throw
Range: Self
Components: V,S
Duration: Instantaneous
Your Arcane awareness allows you to attempt to avoid an incoming spell or attack. In response to the trigger but before damage or other effects are applied, you may force the attacker to reroll the attack and take the lower of the two rolls, or you may reroll a Dexterity save and then take the higher of the two rolls. Apply damage or other effects (if any), and then teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Because of the sudden change in your position, attacks on you are made with disadvantage and your Dexterity saves are made with advantage until the start of your next turn.

Having brought your spell more-or-less in line with the other two abilities, we can estimate what level it should be. Neither of the other abilities are spells, but we can have our standard of comparison be uses per day. Misty escape is first obtained by warlocks at 6th level (when their spells are all cast at 3rd level). Since it is recovered on short or long rests, if an adventuring day follows the DMG (84) suggestion, typically it could be used about three times a day. A wizard, in comparison, has access to three third level slots at 6th level, and potentially a fourth if they dedicate their arcane recovery to that level.

While Shadar-Kai get their Blessing of the Raven Queen at character creation, it does not have its damage-reduction properties until 3rd level, at which point it may be used twice per day. By the time they are 6th level, it may be used three times per day.

Thus, by equating your Instant Escape with two other features that may be used about three times per day, and knowing that a Wizard will have about three 3rd level slots per day, I would suggest 3rd level for the revised version of your spell. If you wish to retain your description of the spell in which a potential protective ability is only in response to a single attack or spell and not until the start of your next turn, 2nd level would be more appropriate.

Answer 2

This is awful.

It is just a nerfed shield, with a bit of movement tacked on. How much value do you get from moving 30ft as a reaction? Certainly not 3 additional levels worth of spells.

Maybe it means you are out of range of a few follow up attacks, but shield protects you from those anyway which this doesn't.

Maybe make this a level 2 spell, but I probably wouldn't take it. I would still prefer shield even if this was 1st let. What you really need to do is have this as a spell that completely avoids whatever the triggering effect is by teleporting you away. This way it can get you out of an aoe or spell effect which it sounds like what your player is after. That might be worth a 4th level spell.

Answer 3

Looks OK to playtest, needs some technical clarifications

Power

This effect seems strong but relatively balanced. Shield just costs a first level slot, and Misty Step a second level one, so you add the cost of an extra level for combining both of them in one action. But these also are two of the best spells in the game, in my expereince, both among the most picked ones on their spell level out of all the spells.

This also acts as a stand-in for Absorb Elements. That is another 1st level spell that is very good, more useful really than the 3rd level Protection from Energy, and you can get a very similar effect of likely resisting damage (or with the right features, entirely avoiding it) from an area spell as a reaction. So in total you now already have four levels worth of great spells, all rolled into one. It is very flexible, and flexibility has a power all of its own.

You probably still would prepare shield, in addition, as it is so cheap on level one (it likely is in the running for best spell in the game, next to Counterspell), but this one can save you several preparation slots, and those also always are valuable.

There also can be situations, where teleporting away is not really needed (for example, after getting fireballed in a dungeon environment, there may be no good place to avoid another fireball), although in most cases where someone got up close and personal to hit you, you probably do want to teleport away -- and doing this after the benefit of Shield with a reaction before the opponent gets to make the rest of their attacks can be very powerful. That is only applies to the first attack may not matter then, as you are not in reach any more for the follow-on attacks, and can try to pick a space they will not be able to reach.

I would playtest this -- I cannot think of a directly comparable existing effect, which means how this plays out in practice can turn out to be a surprise. If this was available to my wizard, I would pick this to see how it works out in practice.

Clarifications

Firstly, spells that can be cast as a reaction need to provide detail on what can trigger that reaction. For example, Shield says

Casting time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack or targeted by the magic missile spell

or Feather Fall says

Casting time: 1 reaction, which you take when you or a creature within 60 feet of you falls

So just "1 Reaction" will not work. Looking at your background information and description, it sounds as if the following might be what you have in mind:

Casting time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack or have to make a Dexterity saving throw

Shield is very special, in that its reaction allows you to retroactively avoiding the trigger. Normally, reactions resolve after the trigger has been resolved, which would not work here. Your spell is meant to work the same way. I would probably also reword the the section about damage, to say

"You take damage from the attack if it hits you, and the effect that causes the saving throw is resolved using your improved Dexterity, then you teleport ..."

There may be effects that require a Dexterity saving throw that have different consequences than just damage. For example, sleet storm lets you fall prone.

Answer 4

Definitely worth playtesting

You asked if it is too powerful or too nerfed. I think it is worth testing as it is. If I were a player, I would certainly be interested in trying it out. I'm not sure its so powerful that I would take it every time, or use it in every situation, and that's a good thing.

Regarding the level, 4th is a good level to start with. That makes it really pretty expensive; however, it has the benefit that the character prepares it, and then gets to choose whether to use the slot.

Review with the player

See what your player thinks. Like I mentioned above, ideally you want it to seem useful enough that the player wants to use it, but not so powerful that the player thinks it overshadows any alternative, every single time.

If the player wants it to be slightly different, you can probably reasonably accommodate the request.

Then playtest

Just try it. It's hard to see how it could be so overpowered as to completely break an adventure. At most, it will make an encounter or two easier.

Let the player know ahead of time it might need tuning. After trying it a few times, discuss with the player and adjust if needed.