Hi! You've posted in the Homebrew section for the Pathfinder card game.
Various things that are pertinent here:
- it allows for significantly more pre-buffing. If you have a caster with Effortless Concentration, they can cast a buff spell, effortlessly concentrate, cast another buff spell, use actions to concentrate, cast a third buff spell, use actions to concentrate, and then walk slowly to wherever it is that they're supposed to be next (or possibly get carried by a mount or something). They can keep that up indefinitely. The classic summoner with a witch archetype can set up a total of 5 concentration-length spells and keep them all up indefinitely (presumably while they and their eidolon are trundled along in a cart or something). As long as they're willing to spend the entire adventuring day in a concentration-driven meditation fugue, they can keep those things going all day long. "all your highest spell slots spent on buff spells that are day-long rather than minute-long" is highly likely to be a more effective combat contribution than "standard caster out of the box"... and a much mroe boring playstyle.
- Effortless Concentration + Indestructibility. Unless they catch you sleeping, you're straight-up immune to very nearly everything.
Those are the two most significant things I spot. I'm sure there's more. Like... do you *really* want to let the character walk around all day in Avatar Form/Elemental Embodied/Nature Incarnate? I suspect that that might be a bit unbalancing.
Now, this is all highest-level stuff, but I'd bet there are lower-level things that are similarly problematic. Perhaps a nice little combo of standard invisibility for yourself, heightened invisibility and haste for a martial friend?
To encourage creative out-of-combat use of spells, I am thinking about changing the duration of all non-instantaneous/permanent spells to "concentration + [whatever the normal duration is]".
By 'concentration', you are meaning 'Sustained', yes?
Also, this is probably still the wrong forum. It is homebrew of some variety, but I am not entirely sure which edition.
This is awkward, but flagged to be moved to Homebrew, given that this is basically a custom sub-system. 3rd times the charm?
To say something substantive, I do have a question. When you say, "Concentration+ [whatever the normal duration is]" do you mean that you don't have to use concentrate actions until the spell would normally have timed out anyway, then have the option to concentrate to extend the spell?
If so why not just make it a custom meta magic action triggered by a spells duration elapsing? That would neatly contain everything important about it, and make it very easy to paste into/delete from your game. It would also make it possible to create a custom script for a VTT to make this happen without fiddling with or "recasting" a spell every turn. That can be cumbersome if the GM has to refresh slots each turn to make it work.
Otherwise, it sounds like a fine idea. If a caster pushes themselves too far, they will end up fatiguing themselves. I like the idea of a caster being able to push themselves to extend the duration of their spells at times of great need or some such. At the same time, I would definitely charge a feat for the privilege. Though this could be offset in some other way in your games as you mentioned.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
At the very least, I would add a note that 10 minutes of doing so will fatigue a character and prevent further sustaining until they've rested.
This would mean that a single spell would at most last 10 minutes, unless it already last longer by default. That is strong! But nearly as unbalancing as potentially just casting a single instance of your top level spells and using them all day.
With a 10 minute time limit (BTW, this is basically already in the 2E rules) as the GM you can control how much use they get out of the spell by saying "oh hey, the next thing is more than 10 minutes away you will lose the spell effect and be fatigued".
This is perhaps meant for Pathfinder first edition, given the mention of concentration is this duration-like respect, full round actions, and SLA (spell like abilities).
This is perhaps meant for Pathfinder first edition, given the mention of concentration is this duration-like respect, full round actions, and SLA (spell like abilities).
You are probably correct, but I think my suggestion is still valid.
Limit the amount of time you can concentrate on a spell to 10 minutes before the exertion is too much and can't be continued. It still prevents one spell from being used all day, which I think is important.