Minor house rule opinions

[Sir Chuckles]

Just finish a campaign, decided to run RHoD.
Last campaign, one of my players is very obviously learning op-fu at a far greater speed than the rest of the party. He is aiming to run a Druid Summoner with Greenbound Summoning.
To not restrict his concept but still reduce the overall power, how does this change to Greenbound Summoning seem:
Change to Metamagic Feat, +1 CL adjustment.

I'm debating if it should be a +2 CL adjustment, or if I should add a prerequisite, such as Augmented Summoning.

This is mostly because the one player still doesn't know how to add his to-hit bonus up (After nearly 6 years of playing), and another is fixated on 8 Strength Weapon Finesse Monks. The first has directly stated that he cannot be bothered to change that, and disagrees with the Stormwind Fallacy. The second is slowly learning, especially after the last campaign meant that he was the buff sponge, who was still moderately ineffective after said buffs.

[heavyfuel]

Just finish a campaign, decided to run RHoD.
Last campaign, one of my players is very obviously learning op-fu at a far greater speed than the rest of the party. He aiming to run a Druid Summoner.
To not restrict his concept but still reduce the overall power, how does this change to Greenbound Summoning seem:
Change to Metamagic Feat, +1 CL adjustment.

I'm debating if it should be a +2 CL adjustment, or if I should add a prerequisite, such as Augmented Summoning.

I'd go for a combo of both last options. +2 Spell level AND Augment Summoning. That means that the optimal level for it would be lv6, but by then he wants Natural Spell. He could technically get it at 3, but probably won't be able to use it by then.

[Skevvix]

The DM that was running the group when I had a Greenbound Druid had it as a +2 meta as well. It seemed to work well for us. Made my power level at low ECLs scale better to the group, and when it did finally come online, it wasn't such a breaker.

[Vhaidara]

I second increasing it to +2. Don't really see a reason to make Augmented Summoning a prereq, since he'll take that anyways, so it shouldn't matter.

[Sir Chuckles]

I second increasing it to +2. Don't really see a reason to make Augmented Summoning a prereq, since he'll take that anyways, so it shouldn't matter.

Funnily enough, he didn't. He and the fourth and final player (Who is playing a scythe-wielding Warblade) made their characters shortly after the conclusion of the previous campaign.
He took Greenbound Summoning, Silent Spell, and... well I forget the third.

Though in the quick PvP playtest between the Warblade and the Druid, the Druid won without a scratch, losing only his Fleshraker animal companion.
Thank you, I'll likely make it a +2, taking into consideration Red Hand of Doom is advertised as reaching to 10th level.

[Vhaidara]

Well, depending on starting level. If you make Greenbound a +2, there's no point in getting it until 6 (where druid's don't get a feat, they get Natural Spell), since you won't be able to apply it to anything until 5. And if you're summoning, and can't use Greenbound, why wouldn't you grab Augmented?

[Sir Chuckles]

Well, depending on starting level. If you make Greenbound a +2, there's no point in getting it until 6 (where druid's don't get a feat, they get Natural Spell), since you won't be able to apply it to anything until 5. And if you're summoning, and can't use Greenbound, why wouldn't you grab Augmented?

I asked him, he made a mistake that I didn't catch at 4am when I looked over his sheet.
He had already taken Natural Spell. It is starting level 5.

And, as I was typing this, he changed to Spell Focus (Conj), Augmented Summoning, and Greenbound. So it's all good.

[heavyfuel]

I second increasing it to +2. Don't really see a reason to make Augmented Summoning a prereq, since he'll take that anyways, so it shouldn't matter.

Ahh, I think I see the problem. I totally thought you guys were talking about the MoF feat Augment Summoning. Had forgotten the one in the PHB had the same name (I confusing it with Imbued Summoning)

Yeah, it kinda of renders the feat pre-req useless. So maybe +2 and Greater SF:Conjuration? I'm still very much in favor of the feat tax, given that Greenbound Summoning can really end any encounter against land-bound creatures.

[Thanatosia]

I can't verify the identity or voracity, but here someone claiming to be the author of the feat says it was originally intended to be a +2 spell level metamagic feat, but it got omited in the print version.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?128424-What-have-i-missed-about-Greenbound-Summoning/page5

I don't see any reason to add extra feat taxes to it, as a +2 Metamagic feat, it seems kinda balanced to me (baring the usual metamagic reduction cheese that breaks all metamagic).


given that Greenbound Summoning can really end any encounter against land-bound creatures
With a +2 spell level adjustment, you can't use green summoning until lv3 spells. By spell level 3, you already have access to flight and ranged attacks, so ground-bound creatures are kind of obsolete anyways.

[Sir Chuckles]

Ahh, I think I see the problem. I totally thought you guys were talking about the MoF feat Augment Summoning. Had forgotten the one in the PHB had the same name (I confusing it with Imbued Summoning)

Yeah, it kinda of renders the feat pre-req useless. So maybe +2 and Greater SF:Conjuration? I'm still very much in favor of the feat tax, given that Greenbound Summoning can really end any encounter against land-bound creatures.

This may be a factor early on in RHoD, but later on it ups it heavily on the Dragons and hordes, which is alright, since the other two players are likely to focus on ranged combat.

[Coidzor]

Yeah, at least Augment Summoning is a useful feat to chain to Greenbound, Ashbound, or Rashemi Elemental Summoning. Making it have Augment Summoning as a prereq so it can't just be picked up casually and slapping on a +2 spell slot level component seems enough.

Forcing yet another nigh-useless feat on top of what's necessary to get or sidestep to get Augment Summoning seems like it's a bit too much.