D&D 5E Concentration: Addressing Player Concerns

[jgsugden]

Just a note: Players should fail concentration checks. If they do not, there is no point to having them. Just like players should fail saves, should miss on attacks, and should fail ability checks. If there is no failure, success means nothing.

The mechanic works and does exactly what it is supposed to do - it just isn't doing what we saw in prior editions. It is intended to put a reign on magic that helps keep the spellcasting classes in balance with the non-magic based classes.

 

[DaveDash]

Paladins and Rangers quite often are in melee. Clerics too. None of these have proficiency in Con and have quite a lot of Concentration spells.

I'm playing a Light Cleric who generally avoids concentration checks by staying out of Line of Effect while concentrating on important spells.

I'm playing a war cleric/fighter in another game, who will be taking Resilience (Con). I have play tested him at level 11 and level 17 and yes, concentration was an issue for him until I took that feat.

The Paladin uses most of his spells for smiting, although he has used Shield of Faith + Dodge action when tanking, making him hard to hit in the first place.

 

[Zaran]

I'm playing a Light Cleric who generally avoids concentration checks by staying out of Line of Effect while concentrating on important spells.

I'm playing a war cleric/fighter in another game, who will be taking Resilience (Con). I have play tested him at level 11 and level 17 and yes, concentration was an issue for him until I took that feat.

The Paladin uses most of his spells for smiting, although he has used Shield of Faith + Dodge action when tanking, making him hard to hit in the first place.

I just don't think taking a feat should be a fix to this issue. But that feat definitely helps.

 

[Celtavian]

I just don't think taking a feat should be a fix to this issue. But that feat definitely helps.

You're definitely screwed as a paladin or martial cleric without feats using Concentration spells.

 

[SirAntoine]

Try bringing the DC down to 5 or one-fourth of the damage done by an attack, whichever is higher.

 

[Nebulous]

Concentration - one of the oddest mechanics in 5e, and one that some of my players are not happy with.

Buff stacking in previous editions was a real issue, but has the pendulum swung too far the other way? There's a perception that concentration spells often aren't worth taking.
a) They have low reliability since they can be knocked out by an attack at any moment. Taking a more reliable spell often seems like the logical choice.
b) They can't be stacked. Can't fly while stoneskinned, etc.

So, I was thinking about a magic item that might ease this for players.
Item Ideas:
-It could be keyed to a specific concentration spell so as a DM I don't open a Pandora's Box.
-It could remove the concentration property from that spell.
-It could make that spell not break on damage.
-It could be cast alongside another concentration spell (allowing two concentration spells).

What do people think...
1) Is your group avoiding 5e concentration spells?
2) Do you houserule concentration in your game?
3) What sort of concentration tweaking magic items would you design/allow?

We haven't had any problems with it yet, but i like your idea of a controllable magic item that lets you break the rule in limited quantities.

 

[Sunseeker]

You're definitely screwed as a paladin or martial cleric without feats using Concentration spells.

But as jgsugden pointed out, that's exactly the point. You're really not supposed to be wading into the front and concentrating on spells. The whole point of concentration existing is to help diversify characters into front-line, blasters, and support. There's nothing inherently flawed about the game and needing to be "fixed" with the feat. The feat allows you to un-fix it, because the way concentration works IS the fix from the broken-ness of older editions.

 

[Paraxis]

I like concentration, especially the limit of only 1 spell at a time. What I sort of dislike is slowing down game play by making a bunch of concentration checks, what if we had a a theshold that needed to be beat in order to force a concentration check in the first place.

For example 10 points of damage. There would be fewer checks, multiple little damage sources wouldn't be an issue, stuff like that.

 

[SirAntoine]

I like concentration, especially the limit of only 1 spell at a time. What I sort of dislike is slowing down game play by making a bunch of concentration checks, what if we had a a theshold that needed to be beat in order to force a concentration check in the first place.

For example 10 points of damage. There would be fewer checks, multiple little damage sources wouldn't be an issue, stuff like that.

I would like that better. It keeps it the same for everyone and makes the game much faster.

 

[DaveDash]

I like concentration, especially the limit of only 1 spell at a time. What I sort of dislike is slowing down game play by making a bunch of concentration checks, what if we had a a theshold that needed to be beat in order to force a concentration check in the first place.

For example 10 points of damage. There would be fewer checks, multiple little damage sources wouldn't be an issue, stuff like that.

This is why we rule that one source of damage is per creature, not per damage type. Concentration is also fairer for the players at lower levels this way (less checks less chance of failing).
The rules themselves are ambiguous as to what a source of damage is, in any case it's not meant to be per hit or they would have stated that.