Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
This is a conflating reaction and concentration into Focus, and allowing more of one at the cost of the other. For characters who rarely use concentration this grants them a bit more stickiness/defense depending on their class & feats, and allows casters a chance to have up more than one concentration spell but at the penalty of no reactions. I'm looking for abuses and exploits as well as to polish up this rough idea.
Focus
This is a partial replacement of the reaction and concentration rules, specifically limits and reset. Other rules remain as they currently are.
A character has two Focus slot. These may be used in one of two ways.
In practical terms this means you can maintain concentration and have a reaction, just like now. Or you could maintain concentration on two spells, but be unable to take reactions so no luck using spells like Shield or Absorb Elements. Or you could take two reactions, which at the most common is two Attacks of Opportunity but will also enhance some class features like Protection fighting style and the Rogue's Uncanny Dodge as well as a number of feats like Defensive Duelist, Sentinel, or Warcaster.
One point to not is that Focus only resets at the beginning of your turn. Losing a concentration spell to damage doesn't suddenly free you up for an extra Reaction.
The inspiration of this is that sticking a single concentration spell on an otherwise non-caster (e.g. Bless on an archer) is quite useful because it's an unused resource normally. Some characters want Opportunity Attacks or Reactions in a turn, and that's usually melee combatants who are less likely to have Concentration spells up. And Concentration does a great deal for balance and avoiding buff/debuff stacking, but it really makes spell choices "what concentration spell do I want up and then what non-concentration spells can I still cast" leading to rather static and repeatable play. So this allows taking from one side of the equation to feed the other side.
Additional rules musings:
Focus
This is a partial replacement of the reaction and concentration rules, specifically limits and reset. Other rules remain as they currently are.
A character has two Focus slot. These may be used in one of two ways.
- When a character undertakes an action that requires Concentration, this fills a Focus slot. Concentration may be broken as normal, such as the save from damage. While Concentration is maintained this Focus slot may not be regained, once broken it will be regained normally.
- A character with an available Focus slot may use it to take a reaction. The slot is used but will be regained normally.
In practical terms this means you can maintain concentration and have a reaction, just like now. Or you could maintain concentration on two spells, but be unable to take reactions so no luck using spells like Shield or Absorb Elements. Or you could take two reactions, which at the most common is two Attacks of Opportunity but will also enhance some class features like Protection fighting style and the Rogue's Uncanny Dodge as well as a number of feats like Defensive Duelist, Sentinel, or Warcaster.
One point to not is that Focus only resets at the beginning of your turn. Losing a concentration spell to damage doesn't suddenly free you up for an extra Reaction.
The inspiration of this is that sticking a single concentration spell on an otherwise non-caster (e.g. Bless on an archer) is quite useful because it's an unused resource normally. Some characters want Opportunity Attacks or Reactions in a turn, and that's usually melee combatants who are less likely to have Concentration spells up. And Concentration does a great deal for balance and avoiding buff/debuff stacking, but it really makes spell choices "what concentration spell do I want up and then what non-concentration spells can I still cast" leading to rather static and repeatable play. So this allows taking from one side of the equation to feed the other side.
Additional rules musings:
- A feat to grant an additional focus slot.
- Granting Legendary creatures more focus slots.
- Harsher penalties when all slots used, such as a penalty to AC and saves.
- Extending the Exhaustion chart: A new entry between 2 and 3 would be to lose one Focus, and the current 5 is the existing penalty plus "You have no focus slots".
- Granting additional Focus slots tied to some other mechanic, but need to be careful not to give the farm away to any one particular type of caster by doing something like tying it to Int.
