Changing your spells known as a Bard/Ranger/Sorcerer/Warlock

[Irda Ranger]

I am looking for feedback on a potential house rule. I want to give the classes with fixed lists of spells known (Bard, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock) a bit more flexibility in terms of changing the spells they know. The default rule is changing one spell when you level up, but I prefer to run campaigns with lower power levels and slower advancement, so they're effectively stuck with a fixed spell list.

The easiest solution just seems to be allow them to change 1 spell when they complete an LR. So they have access to their full class spell list but (unlike a Cleric, Druid, or Paladin) can't retool their entire spell list overnight.

That feels a little generous to me though, but the headache of tracking 1 spell per week doesn't seem worth it.

Any thoughts on whether 1 spell per LR would be a problem? Or suggested alternatives?

 

[TwoSix]

Since your game is advancing slower, how many LRs do you anticipate before leveling? I understand player choice plays a role, but as a rough estimate, is it 10, 20, 30?

 

[Irda Ranger]

There's no fixed number. It's more like "this is the level 5 adventure", and everyone is level 5 on that adventure for however long it takes. Then there's a period of downtime and a couple months later or next spring some new danger arises and the heroes need to band together again, but now they're all level 6 or 7.

It's supposed to model that reaching level 20 is something that happens over a lifetime of adventure.

 

[FrogReaver]

Another possibility. Have it be an NPC that offers them the ability to change a spell for money or a side quest etc. NPC can use whatever reason needed to keep the option from being used to often.

 

[mpwylie]

I honestly wouldn't be too concerned with allowing the swapping or adding of spells known. I am generally very liberal with letting my wizards find spell books on enemy casters or find arcane resources in town to copy spells into their books and I don't feel like it has ever caused any issues. They still have a limited number they can prepare so what they know really has less impact. They also pick all the important spells to know by the standard rules so in most cases you are really just letting them add some situational or utility things they would not have normally selected.

 

[Rossbert]

Why do they need to change spells so often? When I play a caster like that I use the swap to make sure old spells aren't obsolete, which generally only happens as I level up. Examples include getting rid of disguise self , burning hands or Tasha's Uncontrollable Laughter when I pick up alter self, fireball or hold monster, or getting rid of sleep when the enemies have waaay more hit points.

I tend not to think of it as a flexible spell list as much as a way to not be stuck with choices that are now obsolete.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Why do they need to change spells so often?

Situational stuff. Counterspell and Fireball are pretty universally useful, but no one ever picks stuff like Locate Plants and Animals because it's something you probably need twice in a career.

 

[Dausuul]

How about this: When you level up, instead of the usual option to trade out a spell immediately, you receive three "spell swaps."

After a long rest, you may expend one spell swap to trade one of your known spells for another from your class list. You choose whether the exchange is temporary (until your next long rest) or permanent. Either way, the spell swap is gone until your next level.

 

[Tony Vargas]

The easiest solution just seems to be allow them to change 1 spell when they complete an LR. So they have access to their full class spell list but (unlike a Cleric, Druid, or Paladin) can't retool their entire spell list overnight.

That feels a little generous to me though, but the headache of tracking 1 spell per week doesn't seem worth it.

Any thoughts on whether 1 spell per LR would be a problem? Or suggested alternatives?

If you have a bit of downtime, they could completely re-tool their spell list, which probably isn't the intent, either. You could try letting them change 1/spell per 'adventure' - which can be fairly arbitrarily defined by the DM.

Or you could tie it to challenges. If they take a long rest after X encounters, they can change one spell. Or you can give them a "change out one spell after the next long rest" token when they roll a '1' in a life-and-death combat/check.

 

[Ashrym]

I am not clear why you feel the need to add spell versatility to these classes. The spells known vs spells prepared seems designed not to do that deliberately. As mentioned, spell swapping is more about replacing spells that lose value at higher levels with these classes.

The slower advancement rationale doesn't make sense to me because faster advancement doesn't create what you are trying to add. It's not like any of those classes level up, trade in for a rarely used spell they might use once or twice, and then get stuck with it until they level up again.

Also, this:

If you have a bit of downtime, they could completely re-tool their spell list.

What you might try is combining the long rest and spending an inspiration point to swap a spell if you decide you do want to houserule those classes. That would restrict abuse and promote play to garner those points.