D&D 5E Multiple Concentration

ro · Dec 12, 2017

Inspired by 'Combo' Spells to increase action economy, bypass concentration, and trying to stop hijacking it:

What if you could concentrate on multiple spells, but their effects combined for only a limited time?

Multiple Concentration

You may concentrate on multiple spells, but their power is limited. When you cast a Concentration spell while concentrating on another spell or spells, its effects last for one round. After that first round, both spells become dormant. At the start of each of your turns for the duration of the concentration, you may choose a single concentration spell's effects to be active until the start of your next turn.

The first round of each additional concentration spell does not count against the single concentration spell limit, until it becomes dormant at the end of that first round.

If you are required to make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration, you must roll for each spell individually. Roll for them in order of spell level, highest first, adding half the spell level to the DC of the saving throw. If you succeed on one, you do not need to roll for the others. When you fail a saving throw, you lose concentration on the associated spell as normal.

jaelis · Dec 12, 2017

Why the burning desire to overcome the concentration limit? Is it that people find spellcasters underpowered compared to weapon-wielders? If not, then why try to break them? I feel like they finally did a pretty good job on the martial/caster balance, and concentration is a significant part of that.

Stalker0 · Dec 12, 2017

jaelis said:
Why the burning desire to overcome the concentration limit? Is it that people find spellcasters underpowered compared to weapon-wielders? If not, then why try to break them? I feel like they finally did a pretty good job on the martial/caster balance, and concentration is a significant part of that.

I think it’s because there are a lot of concentration spells, especially if you use xanathars. Spells get left by the wayside because a player feels other spell x is just better and already uses their concentration.

That said, I don’t think the limit should be changed. As you said, it’s a very important restriction. But I understand people’s desire to get their cake and eat it too

jaelis · Dec 12, 2017

Stalker0 said:
get their cake and eat it too

Fair enough

But then I think it should be a rule that every time you try to flex the concentration rule you have to come up with an equivalent benefit for fighter types

Like for the OP's idea, maybe you also say you can give up your extra attack (or your TWF attack) to dodge. Though really, balance aside, I think the OP is too complicated for my taste.

Jefe Bergenstein · Dec 13, 2017

jaelis said:
Why the burning desire to overcome the concentration limit? Is it that people find spellcasters underpowered compared to weapon-wielders? If not, then why try to break them? I feel like they finally did a pretty good job on the martial/caster balance, and concentration is a significant part of that.

Because 3rd edition spoiled casters rotten.

Every one of these suggestions is just to figure out a way for them to blow even more of their resources in a clutch to cement further dominance in low encounter days, which is insane. They need to be scaled back even further than 5E did.

Grakarg · Dec 13, 2017

I agree that its an important restriction. It really helps limit things and forces the players to make interesting choices.

That said, my players were REALLY excited when they found a legendary item on a defeated lich that let them break that rule. It was a ring I dubbed 'Bigby's Bauble of Bifurcated Brilliance'. The ring allowed the wearer to make concentration checks with advantage if they were concentrating on one spell, or they could maintain 2 spell at the standard check. Since it could only be worn by 1 character at a time it wasn't game breaking at all, and the effect really didn't come up that often. But I did make the player REALLY happy. (And were they pissed fighting that lich. Hey! How's he maintaining two spells?!? Muahahaha)

Bardbarian · Dec 13, 2017

Perhaps at caster level 11+ (14+ for half caster, 17+ for 1/3 caster) allowing the player to trade one attunement for concentration? I think the additional concentration should not be available from first levels meaning there is a prewgression. The 11+ limit would incentivise single class vs multiclassing for this ability, and the later levels for partial casters would represent the less focused nature of their spellcasting. Meanwhile the fighter has an extra attunment item available to them. This would not work in low magic campaigns but for most campaigns it might be a step in the right direction.

5ekyu · Dec 13, 2017

ro said:
Inspired by 'Combo' Spells to increase action economy, bypass concentration, and trying to stop hijacking it:

What if you could concentrate on multiple spells, but their effects combined for only a limited time?

Multiple Concentration

You may concentrate on multiple spells, but their power is limited. When you cast a Concentration spell while concentrating on another spell or spells, its effects last for one round. After that first round, both spells become dormant. At the start of each of your turns for the duration of the concentration, you may choose a single concentration spell's effects to be active until the start of your next turn.

The first round of each additional concentration spell does not count against the single concentration spell limit, until it becomes dormant at the end of that first round.

If you are required to make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration, you must roll for each spell individually. Roll for them in order of spell level, highest first, adding half the spell level to the DC of the saving throw. If you succeed on one, you do not need to roll for the others. When you fail a saving throw, you lose concentration on the associated spell as normal.

IMO if the concentration limit is one you do not like in your game - REMOVE IT and balance scenarios to suit that.

its amusing how many different ways folks want to add something new with lotsa complications to get around that lim but still fly the "balance" flag.

just drop it, accept the power up and play that way.

Why take something simple that you don't like and add a bunch of more stuff to hide you are taking it out?

if you do not like broccoli dont put broccoli on your plate. Don't put it on your plate, bury it in katsup, buttered bread crumbs and cheese and then move it around eating the bread crumbs cheese etc and really leaving almost all the broccoli to be scraped off even then.

Nobody is buying that these various approaches are all cases of " i like concentration and its limiting factor but wish it were more complicated!!!"

Sunseeker · Dec 13, 2017

I liked the way 4E did it, and I feel that could be applied to 5E fairly easily.
You get one "concentration slot." Representing your simple mental ability to concentrate on something.
You may sacrifice your bonus action(s) and reaction(s) to concentrate on a two things.
You may sacrifice your Action(s) and movement to concentrate on three things.

I don't see it as unreasonable that a spellcaster may be so deep in concentration that they are unable to move, simply standing in one place channeling magic.

Henry · Dec 13, 2017

5e concentration is so good as a concept that my home group adopted it in our Pathfinder games, after a fashion. We have a house rule that a caster may only have any one spell with a duration in rounds per level active at a time. This forces casters to be picky with what buffs they maintain, and limits the stacking of the “good” spells (haste, mass invisibility, blessing of fervor, divine power, etc). So far it’s worked pretty well in our games. For 5e, a caster similarly has to strategize which spells to carry, because if 8 of the 10 spells they prep are concentration, that’s a possibly serious impairment of tactical flexibility just because all the concentration spells are so useful.

I have a Moon Druid with this problem — much as I like barkskin running while i’m a dire bear, my party likes that faerie fire or polymorph way better.

D&D 5E Multiple Concentration

ro

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jaelis

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Stalker0

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jaelis

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Jefe Bergenstein

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Grakarg

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Bardbarian

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5ekyu

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Sunseeker

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Henry

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