How broken is this feat?

[torrasque666]

One of the players in my game told me of a 3rd party feat from Bastards and Bloodlines called Lost Traditions. It lets you change the spell casting stat of one of your classes. I didn't allow it at the time but I would like an opinion on how broken it could be. If i remember correctly, the spell casting stat provides both spells per day as well as DCs right?

I can obviously see how Cancer Mage shenanigans would break the game over its knee with this, and theruge builds would benefit greatly from being SAD, but other than that, how easily could this break the game?

[Kantolin]

Allowing dual-stat casters to use a single (mental) stat instead will make them more potent but still not match up to the big three. Is okay.

Allowing half-casters to swap which (mental) stat they use is also okay. A psychic warrior or bard or Ranger or Hexblade won't become unfair if they can pick their (mental) stat. (Nor would a healer nor shadowcaster, despite them technically not being half-casters, heh).

Allowing a single-stat full caster to swap which (mental) stat they use is probably okay. Worth a bit of care, but probably okay.

Allowing people to use non mental stats is almost certainly overpowered in all but the most minor of circumstances. Dexterity and Constitution give you a wide array of very potent boosts as it is, and strength is extraordinarily easy to buff.

[Crimson Wolf]

I would allow it for a mental stat but if suddenly a mage wanted to use strength to cast spells then no way in heck. It brings up one of my favorite jokes which is "I cast fist"

[sideswipe]

I would allow it for a mental stat but if suddenly a mage wanted to use strength to cast spells then no way in heck. It brings up one of my favorite jokes which is "I cast fist"

str is the only ability i cannot justify you casting from.

dex - easy, it is manipulation of the body in a sort of dance that casts the spells. like somatic components but in the tradition they are even more important.
being able to dance or whatever better lets you use slightly less magical energy to cast a spell. leaving enough magical energy to produce an extra spell. (more slots)

con - in the same way that chi energy is life energy manipulated, the magic you wield is produced or heightened by you own life energy (which would not be keyed to any mental stat but to your life force itself, con). so more natural life force = more powerful spells and more energy to produce them.

strength - ummmmmmmmmmmmm i somehow bend the winds of magic with my muscles and punch it into a spell shape?

since it is called lost tradition, the intent is that it does not act like normal spellcasting in any fluff way. just mechanics.

[The Glyphstone]

str is the only ability i cannot justify you casting from.


strength - ummmmmmmmmmmmm i somehow bend the winds of magic with my muscles and punch it into a spell shape?


That's literally how this guy does it.
http://media.animevice.com/uploads/0/8601/296969-armstrong_super.jpg


According to the wiki, it's a technique passed down though his family line, but he does magic by punching stuff.

[Zombulian]

Didn't this thread already happen like a week ago?

[gorilla-turtle]

I would not actually call the feat broken at all, at least alone. It depends entirely on the play style of the character. A strength based wizard shooting a dozen or more extra explosions a day is still considered wasting his time, at least compared to the persistent shapechange wizard still casting off of his normal mental stat, yes?

There are different ways to push stats higher than intended anyways. If someone wishes to break the game, they will probably do so, whether or not they cast with their muscles, flexibility, health, mind, spirit, or personality.

I might be most wary of a constitution based primary caster, but I fear even that very little, compared to the spells they intend to cast, or the class features they intend to access.

[Falcon X]

You mean like this Cancer Mage shenanigan: http://ihititwithmyaxe.tumblr.com/post/46007651740/breaking-d-d-3-5-the-muscle-wizard-or-how-to
Yeah, that feat can be VERY broken if you allow it to apply to physical stats. Allow it only with discretion.

The main thing about this feat is that it allows you to eliminate one stat from being necessary. It allows you to create STR based Dread Necromancers, and Intelligence based Druids.
Conceptually, this can open up worlds of roleplaying and character design opportunities.

All I have to say is: Use it with discretion. The DM MUST be allowed to keep tight reigns on a character using it to make sure it is used for flavor, not shenanigans.

[Segev]

In a planescape game in which I play a paladin, our party's Sigil-based BATTLE ACCOUNTANT is a wizard who MUST cast from Strength. Orlo Vedann CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT is a manly man who wears a pointy wizard's hat, demonstrably casts spells, and physically grapples and throws Balors out of his establishment when they get unruly. He also hires a different secretary for every day of the week. Lady Matsu (with every indication she is The Lady Matsu) is his Wednesday secretary. She deals primarily with ninja incursions.

[Necroticplague]

Didn't this thread already happen like a week ago?

More than a week, but yes, an almost-identical thread occured relatively recently.

As for the answer: unless you're using TO (like said cancer mage shenanigans), it doesn't really matter. The stats are all relatively balanced, so shuffling around which one you use only matters if you do other things. Gishes would love to have it on a physical stat, while theurges just want their two stats to match up. Simply using it to change a stat normally doesn't have much effect, it only effects power when you use it to base more things around less stats.