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I'm bored of all those nice low level spells that become useless at medium and high levels, so I created this rule for my game: spell DC is 10 + (level/2) + stat bonus (int, wis, cha, as class).
There are just few spells that need some change for game balance, and are less than spells that are never used because the original rules.
Opinions?
I'm bored of all those nice low level spells that become useless at medium and high levels, so I created this rule for my game: spell DC is 10 + (level/2) + stat bonus (int, wis, cha, as class).
There are just few spells that need some change for game balance, and are less than spells that are never used because the original rules.Opinions?
Terrible idea.
You've now made every single spell a given spellcaster has available, especially debuffs, as powerful as his highest level spell with regard to DC. Low level encounters are now a push over and the caster's resources have been extended an enormous amount.
Effectively you have heightened every spell to a caster's max level slot.
If you want lower level spells you like to be useful even at high levels there is already a mechanic to do so - heighten spell.
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I'm bored of all those nice low level spells that become useless at medium and high levels, so I created this rule for my game: spell DC is 10 + (level/2) + stat bonus (int, wis, cha, as class).
There are just few spells that need some change for game balance, and are less than spells that are never used because the original rules.Opinions?
I've done this before. It is the same basic mechanic that all monsters use for their special ability save DCs, so naturally it works very well when used with PCs. I think it also makes sense from a thematic perspective, as a more skilled spellcaster (in this case with a higher level) will have a more potent spell.
It will give a modest boost to most spellcasters due to expanding their options a bit, since there are some pretty descent low level spells that rely on saving throws (spells like colorspray, hideous laughter, charm person, doom, sanctuary, etc).
Besides simplicity, the biggest pro to using this method is it actually helps the underdog spellcasters more than it does the traditional titans like cleric, druid, and wizard.
Bards (and other partial casters) can keep decent saving throw DCs despite their inhibited spell growth.
Sorcerers essentially get more options to their tragically limited selection because their spells don't become super useless (since even at high levels your spells like hideous laughter or slow will still be relevant), allowing them to spread themselves out beyond spells that are purely for combat applications.
It also provides what I feel is a slightly more balanced spell progression from an aesthetic perspective. Most spellcasters will increase their save DCs by +1 on even levels, while acquiring their new spells on high levels. So for a wizard, your progression would look like this.
1st: DC 10 + Int, 1st level spells
2nd: DC 11 + Int, 1st level spells
3rd: DC 11 + Int, 2nd level spells
4th: DC 12 + Int, 2nd level spells
5th: DC 12 + Int, 3rd level spells
6th: DC 13 + Int, 3rd level spells
7th: DC 13 + Int, 4th level spells
8th: DC 14 + Int, 4th level spells
9th: DC 14 + Int, 5th level spells
10th: DC 15 + Int, 5th level spells
Etc...
This also starts you out with a slightly reduced save DC (-5%) but ends with a slightly higher DC (+5%), which works for me.
EDIT: Peter's complaints above are one of the reasons I love psionics. Psionics are balanced, and your powers never become obsolete as a natural part of the system.
False, a low level spell is not powerful as an high level one. If some spell became too powerful I can add a HD limit like sleep or erase it (but there are far more spells that now are useful).
In this way a caster can use a 1st level spell against an high CR monster, but the effect will be not so strong.
I don't have any problem in augmenting the spells of a caster. Since I don't use spells that unbalance game I can handle this easily.
In a low level encounter a caster doesn't even need to act (melee do their stuffs), and he can use his highest level spells for the real threat. So, a caster bores during low level encounter to give max during serious one, while non caster almost every time can give the best.
I'm playing this way with a magus, a oracle and a witch and I got no problem.
Why this should be bad?
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I'm not exactly sure why your seeing this problem, between the Heighten Spell feat which was mentioned and the fact a lot of low level spells have secondary effects or don't require saves at all to be effective I'm curious what made you think this kind of house ruling was something your group needed. especially when you start playing it smarter and using spells that focus on enemy weaknesses and using other meta-magic to buff them up as well.
Have they been complaining about this kind of thing?
I'm not exactly sure why your seeing this problem, between the Heighten Spell feat which was mentioned and the fact a lot of low level spells have secondary effects or don't require saves at all to be effective I'm curious what made you think this kind of house ruling was something your group needed. especially when you start playing it smarter and using spells that focus on enemy weaknesses and using other meta-magic to buff them up as well.
Have they been complaining about this kind of thing?
The obvious answer is because with the exception of a very, very, veeeery small selection of spells, Heighten Spell is not worthwhile. The simplest reason is because high level spells are just better. So not only do the lower level spells fall to the wayside of the superior high level spells, but their saving throw DCs end up so low that even if you didn't want to waste your biggest guns on something and wanted to go with a less powerful effect, the save DC is too low to make them useful at all.
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Yeah, but like list some examples or something. Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Scorching Ray and so forth all work just fine. Buff spells also inhabit a very large majority of the lower level spells and obviously don't care. Ill Omen doesn't even allow for a save at all...
So what actual useful spells are being an issue is my question?
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Yeah, but like list some examples or something. Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Scorching Ray and so forth all work just fine. Buff spells also inhabit a very large majority of the lower level spells and obviously don't care. Ill Omen doesn't even allow for a save at all...
So what actual useful spells are being an issue is my question?
In the book, where it says "save negates" or "save partial". Those spells. Pretty much all of them. Stuff like charm person, colorspray, hideous laughter, ray of enfeeblement, web, glitterdust, blindness/deafness, ghoul touch, command, sanctuary, etc.
Virtually anything on the Bard spell list beyond buffs...
Adepts would benefit heavily as well, since their save DCs would actually remain somewhat relevant despite the low cap on their spell levels, even at exceptionally high levels.
The problem is that: I have hundreds of spells that are never used. A lot of paladin and ranger spells give ST negate. What?! A lot of low level wizard spells become useless in few levels, so every caster got always the same low level spells. Boring.
We'r playing this way and there'r no problems with game balance (the problem that we could have with a caster begins with 5th level spells, because some are broken, but I solved this).
I got similar problem for metamagic feats. They are seldom used, but when money comes everyone buy a rod of (empower, maximize, rapid casting, etc).
So I decided to use this houserule.
Every metamagic feat requires the caster to sacrifice a slot or prepared spell of the same value of the feat level increase.
Ok, better if I do an example ;)
Empower spell. In order to cast an empowered spell a mage have to sacrifice a prepared spell or an open spell slot of 2nd level or higher. He doesn't have to prepare the empowered spell before, nor he spend more time to cast. Same with a spontaneous caster. The original spell level + the spell level required by the feats can't be higher than the higher spell slot you can cast (so an empowered fireball can be cast by a 9th level wizard or 10th level sorcerer).
That's all. Some feats need a change (very few) but it works. Now casters can use metamagic feats and don't bother on gear but on their build. This also boost the damage dealing of casters that was too weak.
Consider that now I'm searching for a game style more plausible and less gear dependant, so it's not mandatory to buy the "+X cloak or resistance" and so on (no insane augment of stats, etc).
I'm bored of all those nice low level spells that become useless at medium and high levels, so I created this rule for my game: spell DC is 10 + (level/2) + stat bonus (int, wis, cha, as class).
There are just few spells that need some change for game balance, and are less than spells that are never used because the original rules.Opinions?
While I know this thread is old, I can tell you that in my heavily "modded" game I have chosen to use quite a few variants and this is the exact same formula I use too.
My argument was that when Merlin and Elminster chose to cast magic missile at you it should hit like a truck, even though it was only a level one spell.
I considered changing the DC to simply 10+casting mod and then introducing an item spellcasters can wield that provides an enhancement bonus to spell DCs. Like a +2 rod that gives +2 to spell DCs. Given, that does nerf the higher level spells but also buffs the lower level spells, too.