Removing some spells from your game

[Romus]

There are certain spells I do not want to allow in my game. I was wondering if there is a balanced way to remove spells from the list without screwing over spellcasters or a certain school too much. If I do not allow a spell from one school should i take a spell out of the other schools too? Is there any spell that could be removed that would break the game or screw a caster over?

Some spells I do not want in my game:
--Any spell that makes things grow or shrink.
--Polymorph type spells.
--Fly.
--Teleport

There are others but i can't think of them without the book in front of me

 

[Tiberius]

I note that most of the spells you mention there are of the Transmutation school, and some staples at that. What is it about the disliked spells that causes you to remove them from the game?

 

[Crothian]

Sure, it's okay to remove these spells. Just make sure the PCs know ahead of time.

 

[Romus]

I note that most of the spells you mention there are of the Transmutation school, and some staples at that. What is it about the disliked spells that causes you to remove them from the game?

I just think these spells tend to be on the corny side and don't fit the feel I want in my world. I don't want to see someone instantly transformed into rat or something else (but a slow transformation over a long period of time would be fine, like Golem's alteration in LotR). The same goes for growth or shrinking. Teleportation isn't corny but I think it has an unrealistic feel to it. There are other spells that bug me too, like Mirror Image. So i guess I want a more basic magic in my world that isn't too crazy.

 

[EricNoah]

Totally doable, and probably with fun and interesting results.

Some spells, though, are so interwoven into the fabric of D&D (example: cure spells) that they can't be as easily removed without a cascade of other changes. The core rules assume a certain level of access to healing magic and treat hit points and character health as a "resource".

 

[Romus]

Totally doable, and probably with fun and interesting results.

Some spells, though, are so interwoven into the fabric of D&D (example: cure spells) that they can't be as easily removed without a cascade of other changes. The core rules assume a certain level of access to healing magic and treat hit points and character health as a "resource".

Yeah instant healing from a potion bugs me too. I would like to come up with another rule, like getting the points over time, but it seems like too much to keep track of.

 

[Nightfall]

If you really want to limit spells, my advice is to use the spell system of either AU or Midnight. AU allows for simple spells that can be used by any one with levels of complexity and exoticness. Also there's Midnights one touch channeler type class.

 

[MerakSpielman]

You could remove potions entirely. Perhaps it doesn't make sense to "bottle" magic for later use? You could replace healing potions with alchemical substances that double or triple the normal rate of healing for a period of 24 hours.

I'm not quite sure I understand your problem with shapechange type spells. They don't seem any more "out there" than being able to Animate Rope, Animate Dead, Identify magic items, or summon an Ice Storm. But hey, it's your game, and if the players all know about it ahead of time and don't care, then there's no problem. It's possible that some of them will avoid playing a spellcaster, but you never know. Some of them might like playing a spellcaster in a different spelling environment.

 

[EricNoah]

Healing over time: could be as simple as "cure light wounds heals 1d8+ caster level hp at a rate of 1 hp per round (or minute or hour)."

In AU, the base healing spell cures HP damage but inflicts half that amount again as subdual damage. The subdual damage, in turn, heals at a much faster rate than hp damage (measured in hours instead of days).

 

[Tiberius]

Healing over time: could be as simple as "cure light wounds heals 1d8+ caster level hp at a rate of 1 hp per round (or minute or hour)."

Or just use the "Regenerate {FOO} Wounds" spells from MotW and Magic of Faerun. IIRC, those restore a certain amount per round, rather than just all at once.

I also concur with what has been previously posted; excise the spells, but be sure to let players know beforehand.