I Ported 74 Spells from AD&D to 5e (So You Don’t Have To)

Hello! I am an avid D&D player and a filthy min-maxer have a passion for making unique builds and exploring the rules. I also happened to stumble across an old AD&D book named WIZARD SPELL COMPENDIUM, in all of its 4 volumes glory. I was fascinated by its contents and decided that some of these spells deserved a place in 5e.

I will now write down my findings, how I did this, why I did this and all the details. If you don't want to read that, just skip to the blue links below~

How does an AD&D book read like to a 5e player?

Not very well, turns out. They have very different systems, THACO, dweomers, and all sorts of things I just had to glaze my eye over and ignore. Also, lot of the spells are made for very specific purposes (Protection from Birds drew a giggle out of me), or didn't age well (Summon Equine Beings only lets you summon unicorns if you're female). Those were the most interesting bits I learned from it, and how the ancients (Some of them who might still be here?) played D&D.

Why those 74?

The 4 volumes together have over 1000 pages, and I had to handpick the ones I thought fit 5e, filled a niche that was not in the game yet, or strengthened archetypes/flavors that needed some love (Necromancers being a big one). I don't need to explain why "Protection from Gases, 5' Radius" didn't make the cut.

How close are these spells to their AD&D counterparts?My main goal going into these was to keep as much as I could, while also keeping it balanced. Some levels were changed, the damages were almost entirely redone to fit 5e, and some of these cut effects or added completely new ones, but always with the goal of keeping the spirit of the original. Some of these are still underpowered, maybe some of these are still overpowered (haha, 20d10 go brr), but porting, much like translating a language, is not just a copy-paste process, and changes had to be made.

Where is Sticks to Snakes?

Not in this book. I too was sorely disappointed.

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And here are the spells~

Cantrips:

Gloom

1st level:

Adhesion

Blacksteel

Detho's Delirium

Drenal's Amok Needles

Erase

Fumble

Healing Dream

Mouse

Suric's Swift Perusal

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2nd level:

Agra's Ambush

Augment Undead

Babble

Bowgentle's Fleeting Journey

Breathsense

Feather Foot

Fool's Speech

Seal Mouth

Tumble

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3rd level:

Acid Lash

Airsphere

Alamir's Fundamental Breakdown

Arachnophobia

Basilisk Gaze

Chant

Comfort

Delay Death

Flashburst

Glassee

Multi-Lock

Otiluke's Force Umbrella

Scalding Spout

Tenser's Deadly Strike

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4th level:

Agitate Wounds

Blackmantle

Bubble Breath

Despair

Lightning Cloak

Sandstorm

There/Not There

Turn Pebble to Boulder

Wind Blade

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5th level:

Belsham's Mace

Death Spider

Discord

Enchanted Mirrors

Fallion's Fabulous Fireball

Fleshshiver

Gambler's Luck

Jaggar's Strengthened Bastion

Lightning Curtain

Nystul's Radiant Arch

Rip

Sacremon's Acrid Wit

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6th Level

Barrier Reaver

Brainkill

Brightsong

Dead Man's Eyes

Flame of Justice

Great Shout

Imbue Undead

Teleport Other

Thultaun's Thrust

Undead Regeneration

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7th level:

Nerve Dance

Strahd's Malefic Meld

Surelife

Temporal Eye

Trick

Water Form

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8th level:

Finding the Center

Temporary Resurrection

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9th level:Combine

Mycontil's Last Resort

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I hope you enjoy them! Making them was a huge chore, but knowing others will use this in their games makes it all worth it.

If you have feedback on any of them, positive or negative, feel free to comment.