Melf’s Minute Meteors: A Hunk a Hunk of Burning Rock
Spell Level: 3
School: Evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Components: V, S, M (niter, sulfur, and pine tar formed into a bead)
You create six tiny meteors in your space. They float in the air and orbit you for the spell’s duration. When you cast the spell — and as a bonus action on each of your turns thereafter — you can expend one or two of the meteors, sending them streaking toward a point or points you choose within 120 feet of you. Once a meteor reaches its destination or impacts against a solid surface, the meteor explodes. Each creature within 5 feet of the point where the meteor explodes must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the number of meteors created increases by two for each slot level above 3rd.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
There are only so many ways to make damage based effects in D&D. The basics are a save type or attack roll paired with an area of targets that deals some amount of damage in one or more types, occasionally with a condition or two tacked on. Melf’s Minute Meteors takes an interesting approach many other spells don’t: it drags out its total damage and areas hit over multiple turns, but in exchange, you get a real contender for your damage spell, even against the legendary Fireball.
The fundamental play pattern here is mixing other spells of 1st level or higher with bonus action Minute Meteors, making the impact of your average turn feel amazing. Firing off lower level options like Magic Missiles as your action while also sending out 2d6 five foot area meteors blasts feels amazing. It thrives in environments where you’re going into a series of short fights or one particularly long one; so long as you can get around 8d6 damage to more than one target with this, you’ll be glad you cast it. It not costing an action in combat too means it's something you can prep long in advance, and open up a fight with both a Fireball AND Minute Meteor. You can stretch out resources by mixing in Fire Bolts or other cantrips alongside it, and even though you aren’t spending spell slots turn after turn, will feel like you’re contributing more than just spamming cantrips alone.
Unfortunately, there are way more busted ways to deal damage past 5th level that eat your concentration. Nearly all summoning magic takes concentration and can give you huge quantities of attacks and other effects; this can’t compete in any facility with those effects if you’re the kind of player who doesn’t mind tracking a dozen or so mephits. Even against Conjure Fey, one of the far better designed and more balanced options, this will only ever represent six “attacks” for the spell level, where Conjure Fey can be potentially more and comes with a massive bulk of utility that outclasses this in nearly every department.
All things considered, though, if you aren’t one for conjuration magic, Melf’s Minute Meteors is excellent. While he may have failed miserably in his early spell creations (cough cough Acid Arrow cough cough), Melf’s Minute Meteors can be an excellent spell to supplement the evoker fantasy. If you’re in the market for good clean damaging magic, this will absolutely deliver.
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