Maximize, why not minimize!

[ThatKreacher]

I have a question for the playground. I was wondering if you, if you were a DM, allow someone to 'minimize' a spell.
For example, a spell caster could chose to cast a spell, let's say, Fireball. Now they want to deal less damage to someone, would you allow them to 'minimize' the damage, so that they only do a limited amount of damage. They could opt to take 1's on all the d6's or lower the amount of d6's they have to roll. Does this sound fair?

[eggs]

The second one (lowering caster level) is one of the default options. Totally legit.

The prior, I'd be careful with. It's different enough from the default way things work that I'd suspect some abuses would crop up (and for an ability that's probably not going to get frequent standard use, that's a bigger deal than usual).

[Spuddles]

Casters can choose to cast their spells at a lower caster level, but no lower than the minimum level required to cast it. So 5d6 for a fireball. 1d4+1 for a magic missile.

[lsfreak]

I'd probably allow reducing damage, but it'd be case-by-case. If I had to give a general rule, it would be that it's allowed at double the normal action time, as a safeguard to help prevent abuses and under the guise that it requires more focus to stay at the barest threshold of casting the spell.

[NichG]

There's a metamagic feat in my campaign 'Illusionary Spell'. Specifically, it removes 'all mechanical effects' from a spell. You end up with something that is, more or less, an illusionary fake of the spell you're casting. This gets weird if you use 'Illusionary Invisibility' or 'Illusionary Teleport' or whatever, but its kind of sidestepped by saying that the illusion has visible flaws that more or less anyone can pick out if they're focused on it. So people think 'he's vanished! No wait, there he is...'

[molten_dragon]

I will allow players to cast spells at any caster level they choose, up to a maximum of their caster level. I realize RAW says the max is the minimum level needed to cast the spell, but I don't really see a way to abuse letting them cast it at a lower caster level than that.

[TuggyNE]

There's a metamagic feat in my campaign 'Illusionary Spell'. Specifically, it removes 'all mechanical effects' from a spell. You end up with something that is, more or less, an illusionary fake of the spell you're casting. This gets weird if you use 'Illusionary Invisibility' or 'Illusionary Teleport' or whatever, but its kind of sidestepped by saying that the illusion has visible flaws that more or less anyone can pick out if they're focused on it. So people think 'he's vanished! No wait, there he is...'

So an Invisible Spell Illusionary Spell Greater Invisibility has ... what effects? And are they different against opponents with True Seeing?

... I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Doxkid]

Complete Arcane has the option of dealing non-lethal damage with spells that do direct damage.

I believe not using the feat reduces the spells DC, but you can still choose to do non-lethal damage with a fireball.

[KillianHawkeye]

Complete Arcane has the option of dealing non-lethal damage with spells that do direct damage.

I believe not using the feat reduces the spells DC, but you can still choose to do non-lethal damage with a fireball.

Actually, page 85 of Complete Arcane states that you cannot deal nonlethal damage with normally lethal spell unless you use the Nonlethal Substitution feat or are participating in a nonlethal spell duel.

[Uncle Pine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doxkid

Complete Arcane has the option of dealing non-lethal damage with spells that do direct damage.

I believe not using the feat reduces the spells DC, but you can still choose to do non-lethal damage with a fireball.

Actually, page 85 of Complete Arcane states that you cannot deal nonlethal damage with normally lethal spell unless you use the Nonlethal Substitution feat or are participating in a nonlethal spell duel.

This. Arbitrarily deal 1 damage with each dice don't make much sense. If you are casting a fireball, it's probably because you want to kill or otherwise make your target incapable to flee/kill you. Dealing non-lethal damages is a good way not to burn to ashes a fugitive, and there's a feat that lets you do that.


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[nedz]

The Necklace of Fireballs contains a 2d6 option, which is good for clearing Webs. Low damage fireballs could also be used for this purpose, especially if PCs have Fire Res 10.

[Amphetryon]

Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved d20 systems had Feats for this, as did Kingdoms of Kalamar, IIRC. Neither are 'canon' for most 3.x games, but they're a decent starting point for balance.

[Kelb_Panthera]

CAr has rules in the spell-duel section that say a caster can "pull" a spell, causing it to do half its normal damage. There's nothing at all that says this can only be done during a duel. This can get a fireball down to 2.5d6 damage, which is around 9 damage on average. This trick can be used with any spell that deals energy damage.