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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FrozenNorth" data-source="post: 8435690" data-attributes="member: 7020832">I’ve been noodling around a similar idea.  Imagine a hypothetical 5e-adjacent game where the principal difference is that instead of spell saves, a caster must make a Spellcraft check for each spell they cast using their spellcasting modifier.  To take three examples, Invisibility would allow the caster to substitute their Spellcraft roll for the target’s Stealth, Cure Disease would allow the caster to substitute their Spellcraft roll for their Medicine check, Knock would allow a caster to substitute their Spellcraft roll for Thieves’ Tools.  How would the martial/caster comparison look?Well, in some respects, martials would have an advantage.  Spells are a limited use resource, and especially at low levels, this would bite hard.  However, even at middle levels, casters have so many spells that they don’t really need to conserve the resource, even on the longest days. For instance, as early as 6th level, full spellcasters have 10 spells to carry them through the day.Even under this 5e-adjacent system, casters still have some advantages over martials.  Their spell rolls are all made on their highest stat with proficiency (unlike the fighter having to attempt a Medecine check when the healer goes down, or the thief’s checking for traps running off their Wis or Int).  Their checks aren’t restricted by them having the necessary gear, such as charges on their healing kits, thieves tools, or even tinker’s tools.  Their spells give them greater breadth than martials, since a third level martial would have 4 skills, and the equivalent caster would have 4 skills + 7 spells.Overall, it seems to me that in this system where spellcasters are restricted, spellcasters and martials are comparable.But instead, we tend to play in a sphere that empowers spellcasters over and above what I’ve described in 3 ways:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Magic just works in situations where the mundane requires an often very difficult roll.  Try to identify a magic object?  You could attempt a difficult Religion roll, or just use Identify.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Certain situations can only be resolved with magic.  Mummy Rot?  The best doctor in the realm can’t heal you, but a 3rd level cleric can instantly!</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">DMs tend to give greater leeway in interpreting spells (because it’s magic) compared to mundane effects.  Another thread on this forum gives a good example, using Misty Step to avoid fall damage, where a martial would really have no options.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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