Bull's Strength etc.

[Staffan]

One of the most common complaints about D&D 3.5e has been the reduction of the "animal buff" spells' power level: from +1d4+1 to an ability score for 1 hour/level to a straight +4 for 1 minute per level. The reason for this change was that they did not want the spell to make the stat-boosting items redundant. However, many people have commented that in most cases the new rules makes the spells rather useless, because there are other spells that give a better effect than the anibuffs at the same or lower level (e.g. protection from evil usually gives a +2 to AC at level 1, the same bonus you get from cat's grace at level 2).

One suggestion to fix this would be to make the anibuffs more concentrated - a higher bonus (maybe +6 or +8) but for a real short period of time, such as 1 round/level. That would definitely relegate it to "single-fight" duration, but would make it a significant bonus in that fight.

 

[Aaron2]

One suggestion to fix this would be to make the anibuffs more concentrated - a higher bonus (maybe +6 or +8) but for a real short period of time, such as 1 round/level. That would definitely relegate it to "single-fight" duration, but would make it a significant bonus in that fight.

I let the caster choose when casting the spell: +4 for 1 min/level, +2 for 1 hour/level, or +8 for the next action (1 round; kinda like True Strike).


Aaron

 

[MarauderX]

Well, the anibuffs are to your ability score, not to one specific thing. So buff up a PC with cat's grace to give her a better AC AND ranged attacks AND have her do Climb checks with the extra Dex. The applications for these spells are much higher than for straight +2 to AC spells, and I think some imaginiative players will soon cook up ways to buff their buddies whenever they come across something other than a simple toe-to-toe fight.

 

[Lladnar]

A level based progression like Jump (+2 / +4 @ 5th / +6 @ 9th) would have made more sense, probably combined with 10min/level. This way the spell would last a significant portion of the day (at high levels or with extend applied) and would give bonuses higher that the items likely to be found at the time.

On the other hand the items last ALL day, and if you have the 2 or 3 you really want, then your parties caster can just apply a couple here and there at key moments.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think these spells had several changes for several reasons.

1. The duration was dramatically reduced, to prevent them being all-day buffs.

2. The benefit was fixed to prevent empowering for higher values (and multi-empowering, although that was fixed in 3.5) and also, presumably, to make the spell more predictable and easier to manage.

I would have preferred them to make it +5 for 1min per level though. Give a little extra bonus to those with the (otherwise suboptimal) odd ability scores

 

[KarinsDad]

I would have preferred them to make it +5 for 1min per level though. Give a little extra bonus to those with the (otherwise suboptimal) odd ability scores

In 3E, I actually designed characters with certain stats being odd, just to slightly increase the average buff capabilities of those spells.

However, I do not like this +5 idea of yours since it favors certain characters over other characters with the same spell.

In 3.5, I changed the rule to 10 minutes per level. I've found this to be a nice compromise between the 3E one hour per level and the 3.5 one minute per level.

However, I've kept the +4 instead of the D4+1 since it is equally fair to all (even stats, odds stats, lucky rollers, unlucky rollers), not to prevent Empower (although it does that as well).

 

[mmu1]

Well, the anibuffs are to your ability score, not to one specific thing. So buff up a PC with cat's grace to give her a better AC AND ranged attacks AND have her do Climb checks with the extra Dex. The applications for these spells are much higher than for straight +2 to AC spells, and I think some imaginiative players will soon cook up ways to buff their buddies whenever they come across something other than a simple toe-to-toe fight.

Let's face it, you're not going to see these spells used to boost a skill. They don't last long enough, and there are 2nd level spells that make your skill check for things like climb, jump or hide almost irrelevant. (Incidentally, Climb is Strength based.)

And after playing 3.5 for a little while now, I really don't think any of them besides Bull's Strength are really worth it even in combat, unless you're high enough level that you don't have anything better to do with your 2nd level spells anyway, or are able to pull of a Scry/Buff/Teleport.

 

[Plane Sailing]

However, I do not like this +5 idea of yours since it favors certain characters over other characters with the same spell.

I think this is the way they do it in d20Modern, which was why I was half expecting it for 3.5e.

On balance I think that +4 is the best solution, simply for the simplicity. You know that in every case, every situation, everyone gets +2. There's a lot to be said for simplicity!

I think I could go with your idea of 10mins per level though. 1min per level is such an inbetweeny kind of duration. Always more than one combat, rarely enough for two combats unless they come on each others heels.

Ah well!

 

[Grayhawk]

I'm keeping the 1d4+1 as I like magic to be random, and for those with an uneven score the thrill of rolling a 4 is worth the hassle of having the spell grant varying bonuses, IMO.

I'm using a duration of 10 min/level.

 

[Halivar]

The change to +4 makes the Maximize Spell feat only useful for DD spells. I'd like to see a bit more versatility from that feat, and a straight +4 is not the way to do it.