Ramza00
2014-02-08, 08:25 PM
Just throwing some ideas about caster balance around inspired by a previous thread by fax celestials
Goal
Make non casters far more mobile. They are going to be moving around the battle a lot, furthermore they are able to harass the spellcasters far more than normal, finally they are "threatening" during the encounter stating round 1.
Make casters less mobile. They lose their move action if they want to cast their highest level spell in battle. Furthermore they will have increased risk of concentration checks causing their spells to fail. Finally their best spells can’t be used during the 1st round of battle, but they can be used in round 2+. This reduces the agency of casters in the first round while still allowing casters lots of agency during subsequent rounds (but at greater risk to themselves)
Make these houserules fun to play, we are giving something for free to the non casters to make them better. For the casters they get a free feat or some other tradeoff so it doesn’t seem like these houserules are designed just to nerf them
Plan to achieve this
All Classes
Every class gets free feats, specifically at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. These feats must be selected from a list approved by a DM and are not general feats. The list will only consist of low powered feats that focus on any of these three options
Out of combat feats, things such as skill focus, item creation feats, darkstalker, etc.
Defensive combat focus such as iron will, lighting reflexes, combat expertise, etc
Low powered combat options that give you more flexibility but not necessary more power, such as reserve feats.
Full Speed Progression Casters (Casters who get 9th level spells by level 20, wizard, psion, cleric, druid, etc)
Full Speed Progression Casters, take a caster level penalty if they “rush spells” by casting spells with casting times less than 6 seconds (1 round), if a spellcaster “rushes a spell” he takes a -4 caster level penalty to said spell. Thus you are taking a caster level penalty if you cast any spell with spell casting times of 1 full round action, 1 standard action, 1 move action, or 1 swift/immediate action. Since this is a caster level penalty and not a loss, practiced spellcaster does not remove the penalty for “rushing spells.”
Spells with casting times of 6 seconds or greater (1 round or longer) or were purposefully slowed down so they will take 6 seconds by taking more time to cast do not suffer any caster level penalty. Thus spells such as summon monster or raise dead are not affected by “rushing spells” since it takes 6 seconds or longer to cast such spells.
Spells have a minimum caster level necessary to succeed, if you do not meet the minimum caster level for the spell the spell automatically fails. The minimum caster level of spell is equal to (spell level*2-1). Thus 1st level spells have minimum required caster level of 1, 2nd level spells require caster level of 3, 3rd level spells require caster level 5…9th level spells require caster level of 17, etc.
Remember a lower level caster level means less numerical effects of a spell (less range, duration, damage, often bonuses, harder to penetrate sr, etc).
The metamagic feat rapid spell besides its normal effect also removes the caster level penalty for a "rush spell", but your spells are treated as 1 level lower if you use rapid spell as a normal metamagic, or you are spending gold if you get metamagic rods of rapid spell.
Spells that focus on direct damage get buffed. If a spell normally does damage in terms of d6s it now does damage in terms of d10s (fireball), if a spell does damage in terms of d4s it now does damage in terms of d8s (magic missile), if a spell does damage in terms of d8s it now does damage in terms of d12s (combust). Thus if a spellcaster rushes a spell he does damage almost as high as the old spellcaster would have done, if the spellcaster spends 1 round casting the spell he now gets more damage.
Non-Spellcasters are classes that do not get spellcasting (fighter, barbarian, warblade, crusader, swordsage, totemist, incarnate, etc.)
These classes get a feat called “extra move action” for free at level 1. Each round these classes get an extra move action, thus not counting swift/immediate actions they have these options.
1 full round action+1 move action
1 standard action +2 move actions
3 move actions.
If a non spellcating class ever multiclasses with a full spellcasting class, you lose this extra move action feat automatically, nor can you get “extra move action” as a feat from another source.
Hybrid Spellcasters are spellcasters who do not get 9th level spells (bard, duskblade, paladin, ranger, etc) or are classes that have something that is like spellcasting but are tier 3 or lower.
These classes may take the feat called “extra move action,” but they must use one of their precious feats slots to do so.
These classes do not take a caster level penalty for rushing a spell.
Goal
Make non casters far more mobile. They are going to be moving around the battle a lot, furthermore they are able to harass the spellcasters far more than normal, finally they are "threatening" during the encounter stating round 1.
Make casters less mobile. They lose their move action if they want to cast their highest level spell in battle. Furthermore they will have increased risk of concentration checks causing their spells to fail. Finally their best spells can’t be used during the 1st round of battle, but they can be used in round 2+. This reduces the agency of casters in the first round while still allowing casters lots of agency during subsequent rounds (but at greater risk to themselves)
Make these houserules fun to play, we are giving something for free to the non casters to make them better. For the casters they get a free feat or some other tradeoff so it doesn’t seem like these houserules are designed just to nerf them
Plan to achieve this
All Classes
Every class gets free feats, specifically at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. These feats must be selected from a list approved by a DM and are not general feats. The list will only consist of low powered feats that focus on any of these three options
Out of combat feats, things such as skill focus, item creation feats, darkstalker, etc.
Defensive combat focus such as iron will, lighting reflexes, combat expertise, etc
Low powered combat options that give you more flexibility but not necessary more power, such as reserve feats.
Full Speed Progression Casters (Casters who get 9th level spells by level 20, wizard, psion, cleric, druid, etc)
Full Speed Progression Casters, take a caster level penalty if they “rush spells” by casting spells with casting times less than 6 seconds (1 round), if a spellcaster “rushes a spell” he takes a -4 caster level penalty to said spell. Thus you are taking a caster level penalty if you cast any spell with spell casting times of 1 full round action, 1 standard action, 1 move action, or 1 swift/immediate action. Since this is a caster level penalty and not a loss, practiced spellcaster does not remove the penalty for “rushing spells.”
Spells with casting times of 6 seconds or greater (1 round or longer) or were purposefully slowed down so they will take 6 seconds by taking more time to cast do not suffer any caster level penalty. Thus spells such as summon monster or raise dead are not affected by “rushing spells” since it takes 6 seconds or longer to cast such spells.
Spells have a minimum caster level necessary to succeed, if you do not meet the minimum caster level for the spell the spell automatically fails. The minimum caster level of spell is equal to (spell level*2-1). Thus 1st level spells have minimum required caster level of 1, 2nd level spells require caster level of 3, 3rd level spells require caster level 5…9th level spells require caster level of 17, etc.
Remember a lower level caster level means less numerical effects of a spell (less range, duration, damage, often bonuses, harder to penetrate sr, etc).
The metamagic feat rapid spell besides its normal effect also removes the caster level penalty for a "rush spell", but your spells are treated as 1 level lower if you use rapid spell as a normal metamagic, or you are spending gold if you get metamagic rods of rapid spell.
Spells that focus on direct damage get buffed. If a spell normally does damage in terms of d6s it now does damage in terms of d10s (fireball), if a spell does damage in terms of d4s it now does damage in terms of d8s (magic missile), if a spell does damage in terms of d8s it now does damage in terms of d12s (combust). Thus if a spellcaster rushes a spell he does damage almost as high as the old spellcaster would have done, if the spellcaster spends 1 round casting the spell he now gets more damage.
Non-Spellcasters are classes that do not get spellcasting (fighter, barbarian, warblade, crusader, swordsage, totemist, incarnate, etc.)
These classes get a feat called “extra move action” for free at level 1. Each round these classes get an extra move action, thus not counting swift/immediate actions they have these options.
1 full round action+1 move action
1 standard action +2 move actions
3 move actions.
If a non spellcating class ever multiclasses with a full spellcasting class, you lose this extra move action feat automatically, nor can you get “extra move action” as a feat from another source.
Hybrid Spellcasters are spellcasters who do not get 9th level spells (bard, duskblade, paladin, ranger, etc) or are classes that have something that is like spellcasting but are tier 3 or lower.
These classes may take the feat called “extra move action,” but they must use one of their precious feats slots to do so.
These classes do not take a caster level penalty for rushing a spell.