Heroes’ Feast: Don’t Fill Up on the Breadsticks
Spell Level: 6
School: Conjuration
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 30 feet
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V, S, M (a gem-encrusted bowl worth at least 1,000 gp which the spell consumes)
You bring forth a great feast, including magnificent food and drink. The feast takes 1 hour to consume and disappears at the end of that time, and the beneficial effects don’t set in until this hour is over. Up to twelve other creatures can partake of the feast.
A creature that partakes of the feast gains several benefits. The creature is cured of all diseases and poison, becomes immune to poison and being frightened, and makes all Wisdom saving throws with advantage. Its hit point maximum also increases by 2d10, and it gains the same number of hit points. These benefits last for 24 hours.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Heroes’ Feast is the kitchen sink mentality for spells; just grab whatever you’ve got around and toss it together to see what comes out. Its part Aid, part Protection from Evil and Good, part Lesser Restoration, and part Protection from Poison, all with the little addition of advantage on all future Wisdom saving throws. Its a pretty sweet deal, but has a stupid little problem: it costs a grand each time to use.
Gold costs on spells can be a major problem. Some tables, by the time they’re 11th level, may have access to tens of thousands or more gold. Others might be struggling to get by with a collective thousand between them. Now one table has access to Heroes’ Feast, while the other doesn’t all due to the arbitrary nature of treasure distribution that varies massively table to table. If one table's adventuring day nets them five-thousand gold, and all is within 24 hours, Heroes’ Feast is a tiny deduction and readily available option. If a group's adventuring day is over three months with the same rewards after completion, the spell becomes nearly useless without exact knowledge and preparation. The first example and second example can even include the same number of encounters; one just happens to cost five times or more because of when each fight happens.
Beyond my issues with gold as a balance tool, Heroes’ Feast is a major boon to have. If you can afford it, the bonus ten-ish hit points paired with the rest of these effects can make a wide array of threats moot. Not only does it solve past problems with diseases and poisons, it prevents them in the future. Immunity to fear effects and advantage on Wisdom saves each come into play frequently with bigger and badder foes; this is the kind of spell you cast the night before you take on Strahd’s castle, or in the morning you decide to finally confront Tiamat.
Funny enough, this spell can be even better in the hands of the villains. Advantage on Wisdom saving throws is great, especially when your eleven favorite minions are included. Not only will those minions be immune to weird poison effects, they too will be thicker and fearless, useful traits for a minion. Consider a fun narrative parallel; while your players dine in decadence, cut to your villain in their grand dining hall toasting with their generals to their own VILLAINS’ feast!
All in all if you take Heroes’ Feast for the aesthetic or for the practical applications, you’ll probably be satisfied. If you’re at a table where gold is hard to come by, this spell may just be out of reach. If you NEED it and this is the case, work with your DM; having a once per week or month version of the cost may end up working just fine!
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