Sanity Check #2 - Spell Focus Items

[Helaman]

This will be one of several 'sanity checks' I'll make for proposed house rules. I am hoping you will throw in your 2 coppers. I've a pretty thick hide and can take some hard truths if you decide to dish them out.

** PEACH: Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly

I've always loved the idea of items that helped casters with tweaking magic - a beloved wand that helped in charm spells, a staff that aided the caster with fireballs etc.

Here is my attempt at it.

Spell Focus Items

Spoiler:

Using the relevant craft or forge skill, a caster can create objects that improve their spell casting ability.

To create a spell focus item that increases the casting level of one specific spell by 1, the object is treated as a +1 weapon enhancement, for a specific school of magics it is as if it were a +2 modification. For all spells, the object is as if modifying the item with a +3 weapon enhancement.

The same rules apply for items that grant a +1 to the DC of a spell or spells.

They can be combined together by factoring in the same cost. A wand of burning hands that cast at +1 to the caster level and added +1 to the DC would add cost to the item as if it were a +2 weapon.

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Also in this series
Sanity Check #1 - Encumberance

[Dominigo]

I like the idea, but I have one big question. Can the creator continue to stack up a bonus higher than +1 to a spell on a single item, or is each item limited to a +1 CL and +1 DC per spell. For instance, could I make a rod that increases the DC of Charm Person by +2 for the price of a +2 weapon? Could I make an wand that gave +1 CL for Fireball spells and +1 CL to all evocation spells (for a total of +2 CL for fireballs) for the cost of a +3 weapon? It seems like if these could stack up like this, DC's could get even more out of hand in some cases and the CL of some spells could get significantly higher than intended for a particular level. If they don't stack up like this, I could still see a lot of casters getting a +1 CL/DC of their favorite school to use as early as they can. These items would definitely be worth their value, and might even warrant an increase in price.

[Trogdar]

The only issue I can see with this is that the casting classes are already single attribute dependent. Any reasonably optimized caster is already going to have high save dc's. If you were to add a focus that increased a save dc to even one spell outside of the normal bonuses associated with leveling a caster you may run into issues. A full caster with heightened hold monster and a spell focus and associated feats would be very very difficult to save against.

[Helaman]

Yep - in retrospect I think there is something in what is being said here... that said I like the items a great deal as a concept.

Perhaps increasing the price?

+1 weapon + 1000 per spell level for one spell
+2 weapon + 3000 for one school
+3 weapon + 9000 for all spells

Does that sound closer to it? Or just allow it as spell specific items?

[Trogdar]

It's not really an issue of the focus concept being overpowered or under priced so much as it is a problem of caster checks being pretty brutal already. Even with a good save, a reasonably optimized caster has a very solid chance of melting face.

I honestly thing that primary casters need to be less single attribute dependent. If there was a good way to make that happen, then this kind of concept would fit very well inside the current system.

If, for example, sorcerers casting checks where based on charisma and spells known were based on intelligence or something, then I could see an item like this seeing a lot of use.

[Laurefindel]

I find the idea very good, but like others, I'm afraid of its impact.

I have done something similar in my games, whereas wands and staves have "pluses" like weapons, increasing spell DC and attack rolls for ranged touch attacks (wands) or melee attacks (staves).

However, that was my response for removing stat-boosting items and spell-in-a-can items from the game.

Again I'm all for the concept, which seems natural as wands, staves and rods are to casters what swords and bows are to martial characters, but the abuse-police might come knocking at your door.

'findel

[Helaman]

Yeah - the DC thing is a potential snap... I may just make wands that give +1 to hit on ray attacks and look at the cost of a feat item and cost the same for a item that gives +1 caster level to specific spells. It makes them gimmicky, desireable and fun without necessarily being o/pwred.

Good feedback

[stringburka]

If you're going to do this, you need to nerf them in some other way, maybe by removing/lowering the DC bonus based on casting stat. I could see that for wizards, that their intelligence only aids them in preparing and learning spells - while for sorcerers, their force of personality actually affects the strength of the magic involved.

[Helaman]

There is a 15 point build for the campaign and a minimum single 8 (or lower) as a dump stat... it will be nigh on impossible to get to Int 20 before level 4 (and difficult after) assuming they one shot pony the character and the game will be E7.

I'll test and see how it goes.

That said, maybe single spell and single school (but narrow range) items may be better.