D&D 5E Another simple question, this time about spell slots

[Klaus]

I realized tonight that I may be understanding something wrong with the spells per day charts that accompany magic-user classes.

On the mage, for example, at level 3, the chart indicates 4 under the 1 spell per day column, and a 2 under the 2 spells per day column. What does this mean exactly? Does it mean that the mage can prepare four spells that can only be cast 1 time per day, and he can prepare 2 spells that can be cast 2 times per day?

If so, does that also mean that if, let's say, the mage has burning hands prepared for the 1 time a day slot, that once he has cast burning hands, he can't cast that spell again for the rest of the day? I could use a little clarity. Thanks

D&D's constant use of "level" sometimes mixes things up. So I'll explain using another concept:

Let's say your character is a sci-fi gunsmith. He knows how to build a variety of guns, each with different effects (one shoots fire, the other shoots lighting, the other squirts oil, etc). But he has the parts to build a small selection of guns. So every morning, the gunsmith assembles the guns he thinks he will need during the day. But these guns need charged batteries to shoot. The gunsmith can charge up a very small number of batteries each day, and each battery can only be used once before needing an overnight recharge. At any time during the day, the gunsmith can insert a battery into one of his guns and shoot it. After that, the gun can be re-used, but the battery needs to recharge before being used again. On the next day, the gunsmith can choose to keep the guns he assembled on the previous day, or disassemble them to use the parts to build different guns.

As the gunsmith levels up, he learns how to build more powerful guns (and gets the parts for them), which require double-strength batteries, and he gains a double-charge battery. His high-power guns won't run with the regular batteries, but some of his older guns can use the double-charge battery (which makes their shots more powerful).

So, the guns are your spells, and the batteries are your spell slots. Higher-level spells require higher-level spell slots, and some low-level spells get stronger if cast using a higher-level slot. Some classes (like cleric, druid and wizard) must prepare spells in the morning (assembling the guns), others have a small number of "known spells" that they can always access. These are explained in the class description, under "Spellcasting". The table shows how many spells slots you have each day (how many "batteries" of each level your character charges up overnight).

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I've had luck explaining it like this:

Your spells are guns. Your spells per day are ammo.

Each day you choose which guns to carry (prepare 1+caster level spells).

A gun can use any ammo of its level or higher, and some guns are more powerful if you use more powerful ammo.


I think the terminology of "spells per day" is the problem here. If they were called something like "spell charges" or "mana pools", anything that makes them feel like a noun, it would help.

 

[Klaus]

I've had luck explaining it like this:

Your spells are guns. Your spells per day are ammo.

Each day you choose which guns to carry (prepare 1+caster level spells).

A gun can use any ammo of its level or higher, and some guns are more powerful if you use more powerful ammo.


I think the terminology of "spells per day" is the problem here. If they were called something like "spell charges" or "mana pools", anything that makes them feel like a noun, it would help.

"Castings Per Day"?

 

[machineelf]

These answers really help, but there is something I'm still confused about.

Let's say a 5th level mage wants to cast cone of cold (a 5th level spell). At level 5, there isn't even a number listed under the "5" in the spells per day chart. He has 4 in column 1, 3 in column 2, and two in column 3. None in column 4 or column 5. And when he reaches level 6, he ought to be able to cast cone of cold as one level higher for extra damage right? But there isn't even a column 6 at all, and nothing still in columns 4 or 5.

I still don't know what the 1 2 3 4 5 is supposed to represent. Somebody above said they are spell levels, but clearly they can't be, right? That would mean you only have 2 level 5 spells as your highest level to cast when you are at level 10.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Let's say a 5th level mage wants to cast cone of cold (a 5th level spell).

A fifth-level spell doesn't mean that it's a spell which can be cast by a fifth-level mage. You can't cast fifth-level spells until you're a ninth-level mage. Yes, it is kind of confusing.

I still don't know what the 1 2 3 4 5 is supposed to represent. Somebody above said they are spell levels, but clearly they can't be, right? That would mean you only have 2 level 5 spells as your highest level to cast when you are at level 10.

This is accurate. You can only cast your highest-level spells a few times per day. When you're level 10, you only get two Cone of Cold spells per day, and otherwise you need to cast your weaker spells, like Fireball (spell level 3) and Magic Missile (spell level 1).

Note that you could also use your higher-level spell slots to cast lower-level spells. As mentioned before, Magic Missile creates three darts and an additional dart for each higher level spell slot used to cast it, so you could use one of your two fifth-level spell slots to cast a Magic Missile that creates seven darts. But, you'd only be able to do that twice per day. Then, you could use your fourth-level spell slots to cast Magic Missile for six darts, or your third-level spell slots to cast Magic Missile for five darts, etc.

Your highest-level spell slots are your big nukes that you're supposed to avoid using until you really, really are sure that you need them.

 

[machineelf]

Thank you Saelorn and others. That clears it up.

I think I had heard before that spell levels are different than a character's experience level. But I guess the layout of the interim playtest rules confused me, since the rules are only set up for the first 10 levels but there were spells listed through about 10 levels.

Anyway, it seems to all make sense now. Thanks for your patience.

 

[pukunui]

Thank you Saelorn and others. That clears it up.

I think I had heard before that spell levels are different than a character's experience level. But I guess the layout of the interim playtest rules confused me, since the rules are only set up for the first 10 levels but there were spells listed through about 10 levels.

Anyway, it seems to all make sense now. Thanks for your patience.

You must be using an old playtest document then, since in the most recent ones, the classes go all the way up to level 20.

 

[machineelf]

You must be using an old playtest document then, since in the most recent ones, the classes go all the way up to level 20.

I got the playtest that came with Scourge of The Sword Coast, so I assumed it was the most recent.

 

[pukunui]

I got the playtest that came with Scourge of The Sword Coast, so I assumed it was the most recent.

How odd. It must be an abbreviated version tailored for the adventure, since the generic playtest packets all covered the full 20 levels.

 

[Klaus]

I got the playtest that came with Scourge of The Sword Coast, so I assumed it was the most recent.

How odd. It must be an abbreviated version tailored for the adventure, since the generic playtest packets all covered the full 20 levels.

Yes, Scourge of the Sword Coast comes with an abbreviated version of the last public playtest document, going up to level 10.