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View Full Version : Restricting Tier 1 to Spell Compendium only



Frendle
2018-03-28, 12:39 PM
I am looking for ways to reduce the OP of tier 1 classes. Would restricting spell selection to Spell Compendium only be an effective method? It seems that many/most of the OP spells are Core.

Are there Core spell lines which should not be banned, e.g. CLW line, Dispel Magic line.

Of Course Read magic, Identify, detect magic should be allowed.

Goaty14
2018-03-28, 01:16 PM
You're probably going to end up allowing a bunch of spells, at which point you're just better off banning the problem spells in the PHB, imo.

nonsi
2018-03-28, 08:05 PM
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Click the 2nd item in my sig.
I believe that at least 90% of what you'll ever need regarding spell tweaks is already there.

Cosi
2018-03-28, 09:08 PM
As always, you need to define what you mean by "the OP of tier 1 classes", and precisely how much you want to reduce it. Do you have a problem with magic in general being too good, or are you concerned more specifically with cheese like Chain Binding? Do you want to bring Wizards down to on par with Sorcerers? Bards? Fighters?

As far as it goes, I don't see any reason to do this. There are spells in the PHB that the game straight up needs to function (e.g. raise dead and all the other condition removers) and it doesn't really fix the problem (e.g. draconic polymorph still cites out to polymorph, things like spirit binding still exist). Also, it interacts stupidly with non-core casters. It's not hard for a Beguiler or Dread Necromancer to get broken core spells (for example, the Dread Necromancer straight up has planar binding on their spell list and learns it automatically), so either you extend the ban to them too (in which case those classes are hosed because they don't get spells in the Spell Compendium), or you didn't fix anything.

The thing you should keep in mind is that people like getting buffs more than they like getting nerfs, and like getting nerfs more than they like getting bans. So when you fix a balance problem, your first strategy should be to buff things that underperform, then to nerf things that overperform, then finally (and as minimally as possible) ban things. You don't really need that huge of a banlist in core. Ban the polymorph line, ban the planar binding line, and maybe put back in some replacements for people who want to be shapeshifters or demon summoners.