Interrupting spells [house]

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I like the old rules, sometimes. I'm not going to try to go back to THAC0 or have a character class called "Elf", but there are gems in there.

I was reminded recently that in the old D&D game, if you interrupted a spell caster that was it: no spell, and you can cross it off your list for the day buddy. Concentration check? Nope, not in these rules.

That seemed okay to me, but I know the d20 gamers would get all upset that I'd nerfed the casters...

How about, a house rule whereby, if a caster is damaged, grappled or similarly interrupted during casting they fail to cast the spell - but they can make a Concentration check to keep it available for later?
This way, casters are still vulnerable at higher levels, but if they're skillful they get to retain their spells while they get away from that pesky mundane goon.

Yay? Nay?

[olelia]

Soooo...your saying the 50th level wizard that gets critted for 1 damage by the commoner who just chucked a stone and got lucky with a crit just lost the spell for 1 round regardless if he makes his concentration check?

[Ceiling009]

Yes. I sort of like that. That wizard shouldn't have been in the way of the stone in the first place.

[Matthew]

I agree. The problem with this idea is that Rounds in 1e/2e were simultaneously resolved, rather than occuring one after the other, so it's going to be an imperfect model. That Commoner would have a good chance of disrupting a Level 9 Spell, but less chance of disrupting a Level 1 Spell.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Archmage Nagash the Merciless: [arcanely] Klaataa incantum mysteri -
Commoners: [throw stones]
Archmage Nagash the Merciless: [annoyed] - er, mysterium... Oi! Who threw that? [resorts to wand of fireball]

[boomwolf]

Yes. I sort of like that. That wizard shouldn't have been in the way of the stone in the first place.

that lvl 50 wizard should be able to incinerate the entire city with an instant action, if you judge by power per level.

even a 10th level wizard should be able to completely ignore stones and light harm. but heavy damage makes spells frizzle a lot.

[olelia]

Archmage Nagash the Merciless: [arcanely] Klaataa incantum mysteri -
Commoners: [throw stones]
Archmage Nagash the Merciless: [annoyed] - er, mysterium... Oi! Who threw that? [resorts to wand of fireball]

Archamge Nagash the Merciless: Realizes that the one round he wasted he just let the enemy caster squeeze in a feeblemind
Enemy Wizard: PWNT

[Katasi]

I like this rule actually, but I think it should be something more like If he makes the Concetration check he fails to cast the spell, but still maintains it in memory and/or magical energy. Unless he manages to get a check result of X over the required check result.

I'd say make X either 5 or 10, I'm leaning toward 5. What do you guys think?

[Pronounceable]

If you're feeling nostalgic, try implementing adnd spellcasting and see how it goes.

A spell changes the caster's initiative count. A spell with 5 speed cast at initiative count 18 goes off at count 13 next round, changing the caster's initiative. Of course, you'd have to come up with speeds for all spells. But corners can be cut: standard actions 5, full rounds 10.

I don't think this was actually used very much, but I've always liked it.

[Triaxx]

This was actually a fairly important tactic in the Baldur's Gate games. I'd love to see it brought back for 3.5.

But I'd prefer they loose it for a period of time, say an hour?

Otherwise you end up with:

Casts timestop.
Interrupted.
Casts timestop.
Interrupted.

And eventually, you interrupt the DM's respiration in anger.

[Ceiling009]

that lvl 50 wizard should be able to incinerate the entire city with an instant action, if you judge by power per level.

even a 10th level wizard should be able to completely ignore stones and light harm. but heavy damage makes spells frizzle a lot.

That's the point, if he were a level 50 wizard... he would have been casting that spell from high above, probably invisible, so that within moments that entire village would have been incinerated... but... he got hit with that rock. Spell Fizzle. Gotta cast it again. Maybe you should walk away, and you know do this spell in the air, while invisible; yeah.

I mean, it's good thing, cause a lot of cheese starts to happen with casters...

[olelia]

I just used the level 50 wizard for example,regardless if it was an extreme example, what I'm trying to say though is that it almost makes counterspelling ineffective since you can just have 1st level sorcerers that have improved invisibility cast on them by higher level wizards and bam...thats gonna take the casters out for a while.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I like this rule actually, but I think it should be something more like If he makes the Concetration check he fails to cast the spell, but still maintains it in memory and/or magical energy. Unless he manages to get a check result of X over the required check result.

I'd say make X either 5 or 10, I'm leaning toward 5. What do you guys think?

So, if the wizard passes the check by X (however much that is), she gets to cast the spell despite being hit?

Hmmm... not a bad idea. If I was going to adopt that I'd like to make X quite high. Maybe even DC x 2.
See, if we don't make it a high number, the wizard just gets to make a Concentration check at a slightly higher DC in order to get her spell off, and if she fails that, she might even get to keep the spell even though she doesn't cast it. My point being that having the "I manage to cast my spell" DC at just 5 over the RAW isn't really enough of a change to warrant doing a whole house rule for.

[Katasi]

So, if the wizard passes the check by X (however much that is), she gets to cast the spell despite being hit?

Hmmm... not a bad idea. If I was going to adopt that I'd like to make X quite high. Maybe even DC x 2.
See, if we don't make it a high number, the wizard just gets to make a Concentration check at a slightly higher DC in order to get her spell off, and if she fails that, she might even get to keep the spell even though she doesn't cast it. My point being that having the "I manage to cast my spell" DC at just 5 over the RAW isn't really enough of a change to warrant doing a whole house rule for.

Hmm, true. DC x2 sounds pretty fair. I would go more than that though.