D&D 5E Re-opening discussion on multiple spell concentration.

[Dausuul]

As with any homebrew/house rule proposal, my first question is, "Why do you want to do this?"

The best way to do it will depend on your reason for doing it.

 

[Thurmas]

So, for us we make sure that anything change we do that lets you do more, also has a balance that lets you do less. So, how about:

You may concentrate on a second spell. If you do so, you make not take the attack action or cast additional spells until you drop concentration on a spell.

My thoughts are, it gives the ability to have a no interaction type of concentration, such as Blur up, as well as something that has your attention and you can use your action on, such as Sunbeam or Telekinesis. But that concentration on those two spells takes up all your mental capacity, so no attacking and no casting other spells. You can still use your action to do other things like dash, or activate the action portion of your concentration spell, like telekinesis.

 

[CapnZapp]

I'm curious, what spell combinations do people think would break the game if you could concentrate on two spells at once? Feel free to use any spell class list, including multiclassing, to answer the question.

I'm not sure that's the complaint.

This isn't about "now I can do both X and Y - I'm invincible!"

Instead this simply allows you to take a big leap up in power, by combining any two good Concentration effects. 1 + 1 = 3. I really don't think there's any specific example combo that stands out - just take two Concentration spells you like. Now imagine having them both. Instant power boost.

Not to mention a slew of spells that get a mediocre rating mostely (or solely) because they require Concentration. There are quite a lot of spells whose main drawback is that casting them has the significant cost of not being able to cast several other, better, Concentration spells. Some of these spells would probably be upgraded to at least blue rating if that were no longer the case, and dual-Conc comes rather close to achieving that.

(For some spells it's the other aspect of Concentration that is the drawback. Casting Stoneskin on yourself for example. But that's the minority.)

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

So, for us we make sure that anything change we do that lets you do more, also has a balance that lets you do less. So, how about:

You may concentrate on a second spell. If you do so, you make not take the attack action or cast additional spells until you drop concentration on a spell.

My thoughts are, it gives the ability to have a no interaction type of concentration, such as Blur up, as well as something that has your attention and you can use your action on, such as Sunbeam or Telekinesis. But that concentration on those two spells takes up all your mental capacity, so no attacking and no casting other spells. You can still use your action to do other things like dash, or activate the action portion of your concentration spell, like telekinesis.

That's something I would probably consider testing at least. Less open to abuse than some of the other suggestions which push us back to the improved invisibility, flying, spell hurling wizards of yesterday.

 

[Caliban]

At one point I was contemplating a system to allow concentration on multiple spells. The basic idea was to divide concentration spells into 3 categories:

Spells that target yourself+allies (Bless, Haste, Fly, etc)
Spells that target enemies (Bane, Suggestion, Dominate, etc.)
Spells that conjure or create things in the environment (Wall of Fire, Conjure Elemental, Hypnotic Pattern, etc)

The caster would be able to concentrate on one spell in each category with some sort of penalty for every spell beyond the first.

Never got much farther than that because it seemed like it would still be too powerful and require a lot of work to reign it in.

 

[CapnZapp]

Spellcasters are powerful enough without people inventing reasons/rules to make them more so. I'd never allow this at my table.

Feel free to not to.

Others want NPC Archmages to even begin to come close to what the game has always allowed them to do, and what countless novels have described them doing.

As it is the Archmage NPC is a wet blanket of a stat block. It definitely needs massively more tricks up its sleeve if it is ever going to earn the title "archmage", in my book.

Throwing out the cool-sounding but practically-ribbon ability "Spell Mastery" for something real is a just a small first step.

 

[LapBandit]

Feel free to not to.

Others want NPC Archmages to even begin to come close to what the game has always allowed them to do, and what countless novels have described them doing.

As it is the Archmage NPC is a wet blanket of a stat block. It definitely needs massively more tricks up its sleeve if it is ever going to earn the title "archmage", in my book.

Throwing out the cool-sounding but practically-ribbon ability "Spell Mastery" for something real is a just a small first step.

NPCs don't have the same rules, spells, or abilities as PCs, you can make the multiple concentration master Archmage all day.

 

[CapnZapp]

NPCs don't have the same rules, spells, or abilities as PCs, you can make the multiple concentration master Archmage all day.

If you look at the appendix in the Monster Manual you will find that nothing you say is reality.

Sure we can dismiss every criticism with "just make things up", but let's agree that's not a particularly constructive approach

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[Parmandur]

If you look at the appendix in the Monster Manual you will find that nothing you say is reality.

Sure we can dismiss every criticism with "just make things up", but let's agree that's not a particularly constructive approach

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

Nothing can stop the DM from just making stuff up: the Rules Police will not break down anybodies door.

 

[CapnZapp]

Nothing can stop the DM from just making stuff up: the Rules Police will not break down anybodies door.

This still doesn't help.

I buy a game to have its designers do the job for me.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app