-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
D&D (2024) What do you think of the new rules for preparing spells?
- Thread starter ECMO3
- Start date
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Do not want.
Ondath
Hero
I hate it, and my group does too. It completely flattens any input from having a good main casting stat, and really destroys the kind of flexibiliy the older system had. In the old system, a 4th level Wizard with 18 INT can prepare 8 spells. They can choose to prepare four 1st and four 2nd-level spells, or 2 1st-level and 6 2nd-level spells or anything inbetween. This allows them to be a lot better prepared depending on the situation.
Under OneD&D's new system, every 4th-level Wizard can only prepare 4 1st-level and 3 2nd-level spells, no exceptions. Not only did the full casters lose the flexibility about which spell levels to prioritize (our party's wizard only prepare 3 1st-level spells and saves the rest on more important, higher-level spell selection for instance), but they're no longer rewarded for prioritising raising Intelligence either.
I can see how the old system felt complicated, but having taught the game to 10+ new people, they usually caught on if you gave people a little time, and most of the time an analogy of "Each spell you prepare is like a gun you choose, and the spell slots are the bullets you can use for your guns" was sufficient. I feel like this is pointless simplicity.
Under OneD&D's new system, every 4th-level Wizard can only prepare 4 1st-level and 3 2nd-level spells, no exceptions. Not only did the full casters lose the flexibility about which spell levels to prioritize (our party's wizard only prepare 3 1st-level spells and saves the rest on more important, higher-level spell selection for instance), but they're no longer rewarded for prioritising raising Intelligence either.
I can see how the old system felt complicated, but having taught the game to 10+ new people, they usually caught on if you gave people a little time, and most of the time an analogy of "Each spell you prepare is like a gun you choose, and the spell slots are the bullets you can use for your guns" was sufficient. I feel like this is pointless simplicity.
I like the new flex vancian. It does a nice job of preserving niche spells of lower levels rather than pressuring a caster to prepare ony/mostly "iconic" & other top shelf spells... That has an impact further. By ensuring that there is more room certain mfic items too.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
See, it’s totally catching on!
I have mixed feelings about. I can see it as a simplifying move and I do not mind it for some casters. I would like to be able to overload spells at a level and I also liked that some casters were spells known but it is not a dealbreaker for me.
glass
(he, him)
"Easier"? It look a lot fiddlier to me!
UngeheuerLich
Legend
It certainly nerfs high level casters. Probably a good thing.
I think it's a good thing, and no one has had any issues with it in my playtest group. When I've played a full caster in the past, I've found that my prepped/known spells would end up tilting towards the higher levels, leaving fewer in the in lower and mid-level. This forces casters to have a standardized downward curve, and makes your selection of high level spells much more important.
As far as easy vs complicated, I think it's easier for new players but more difficult for those who've played 5E. I have concerns about how this will work for multiclassing, where you'll have to look up multiple spots to determine what to prepare vs. what you can actually cast. The other option would be to severely limit the number of spells a multiclass character can prepare.
As far as easy vs complicated, I think it's easier for new players but more difficult for those who've played 5E. I have concerns about how this will work for multiclassing, where you'll have to look up multiple spots to determine what to prepare vs. what you can actually cast. The other option would be to severely limit the number of spells a multiclass character can prepare.
