D&D (2024) What do you think of the new rules for preparing spells?

[ECMO3]

Because you’re white-rooming the supposed issue into something it isn’t.

It literally just breaks down the process of choosing spells into level by level chunks, rather than a no-guidance pot, which is damn near objectively easier for the vast majority of people.

Especially because the number for each level is literally already there. It’s the same as your number of spell slots.

The new way is much easier, especially on level up. Previously on level up you got one more spell to prepare or if you are a half caster maybe one or maybe zero, unless you also got an ASI that level and then it was 2 .... or 1 ..... but then if it is an odd level you have higher level slots so you probably want to drip a lower level spell for a new higher level spell ..... so you got 5th level and you got 1 more spell to prepare, but you also want to drop magic missile, so that is 2 more third level spells to prepare now ..... oh and you got two more spells but you got those from feats so they don't count and this one is a prepared Wizard spell but this other one is a known Bard spell ..... and next week when you come back after a week off - wait I always have magic missile prepared, I must have screwed this up ....

I would say at least 20% of the time when as DM I looked at a mid-level casters sheet we found an error, sometimes we evem "found an error"
that wasn't really an error.

Of course that never, ever happened to me as a player ... and if it ever happened as a player I never would have quietly fixed it on my sheet without admitting it!

 

[Yaarel]

When using the spell point system, one can have a number of spells whose total cost equals the total spell points plus the casting ability.

For example, a level 5 Wizard with 16 Intelligence has 9 points (6 +3 Intelligence). For spells, the player might prepare:

1 Mage Armor
1 Disguise Self
1 Shield
1 Arcane Lock
2 Suggestion
3 Fireball

The total cost equals the spell points plus the caster ability.

The Wizard can prepare different spells after a Rest.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The new way is much easier, especially on level up. Previously on level up you got one more spell to prepare or if you are a half caster maybe one or maybe zero, unless you also got an ASI that level and then it was 2 .... or 1 ..... but then if it is an odd level you have higher level slots so you probably want to drip a lower level spell for a new higher level spell ..... so you got 5th level and you got 1 more spell to prepare, but you also want to drop magic missile, so that is 2 more third level spells to prepare now ..... oh and you got two more spells but you got those from feats so they don't count and this one is a prepared Wizard spell but this other one is a known Bard spell ..... and next week when you come back after a week off - wait I always have magic missile prepared, I must have screwed this up ....

I would say at least 20% of the time when as DM I looked at a mid-level casters sheet we found an error, sometimes we evem "found an error"
that wasn't really an error.

Of course that never, ever happened to me as a player ... and if it ever happened as a player I never would have quietly fixed it on my sheet without admitting it!

Yeah I have seen a lot of that as well. I am honestly warming to the UA setup, other than I think you should have bonus prepared spells equal to you spellcasting mod or maybe PB.

 

[Horwath]

The more I play D&D, and I played from '99,

When using the spell point system, one can have a number of spells whose total cost equals the total spell points plus the casting ability.

For example, a level 5 Wizard with 16 Intelligence has 9 points (6 +3 Intelligence). For spells, the player might prepare:

1 Mage Armor
1 Disguise Self
1 Shield
1 Arcane Lock
2 Suggestion
3 Fireball

The total cost equals the spell points plus the caster ability.

The Wizard can prepare different spells after a Rest.

with this system, I would prepare 9 fireballs and all problems would be solved.

 

[shadowoflameth]

On one hand, it is a lot easier no more math and adding casting stat to your level, or half your level.

On the other hand I think this will make 13-stat caster dips a lot more viable which could be both good and bad.

I would like to keep the simplified number of spells, but I would like to see the language include the ability to prepare that number of spells of up to the level that you can cast, preserving the ability to prepare and potentially up cast more lower level spells. This of course assumes that up casting will still be a part of the game.

 

[Sir Brennen]

When using the spell point system, one can have a number of spells whose total cost equals the total spell points plus the casting ability.

For example, a level 5 Wizard with 16 Intelligence has 9 points (6 +3 Intelligence). For spells, the player might prepare:

1 Mage Armor
1 Disguise Self
1 Shield
1 Arcane Lock
2 Suggestion
3 Fireball

The total cost equals the spell points plus the caster ability.

The Wizard can prepare different spells after a Rest.

The only thing I don’t like about this is it’s a nerf to the number of spells a wizard can have prepared compared to the current system. If I wanted clairvoyance (utility), dispel magic (defense) and fireball (offense), I’m done under this system, whereas the current system I have six more spells I can prepare. Even the playtest slot system gives you more variety

 

[kigmatzomat]

Dislike it. A lot. The flexible spell selection was getting away from one of the irksome parts of AD&D-3.5e.

The 5e system is flexible enough and simple enough that outside of a one-shot at a con (which should have pre-gens anyway), players learn it as they level. If you start a game at 5th level, the caster will only screw it up once.

I prefer having the bulk of spells in the 3rd-4th level zone, where up-casting has benefits and the impact per spell os good. Maybe 2-3 spells for each on the higher levels, as those spell slots are 1/day.

Plus I prefer the bard's semi-permanent spell selection. It eliminates session spell selection paralysis which has sucked the life out of soooooo many game sessions. And the spell-swapping allowed you to "outgrow" spells.

Having 3 distinct flavors of full caster (short rest warlocks, semi-permanent spell list bard/sorceror, prepared spells wizard/cleric/druid) was a distinct benefit as it fits different play styles or concepts.

We also lost the Ritual Caster. The nerf of that feat is a big loss. It let your fighter learn how to prepare a Tiny Hut, the Rogue could cast Identify, and the Barbarian could Commune with Nature. It was a way to add a lot of flavor & flexibility without adding many direct-combat powers. Now it is just a perk for casters. Whomp-whomp.

 

[Garmel]

The playtest rules also retain from 5e the possibility of upcasting spells using higher level slots.

If we have Foresight as our 9th level spell that's prepared and we decide we that need a Fireball that is already prepared at 3rd level we can still upcast it to 9th level in this new system, right?

 

[Nikosandros]

If we have Foresight as our 9th level spell that's prepared and we decide we that need a Fireball that is already prepared at 3rd level we can still upcast it to 9th level in this new system, right?

Yes, because the slots are still independent from the prepared spells (even though they coincide in number per level).

 

[Garmel]

Yes, because the slots are still independent from the prepared spells (even though they coincide in number per level).

Good. With the ability to upcast and now with many spells able to downcast we still have a lot of flexibility.