D&D 5E (2024) Circle Casting is gonna break a lot of games

[Sacrosanct]

Going down the list of the new Circle Casting options in Heroes of Faerun and boy, is it going to have an effect. The below video explains each in detail. For example, anyone with the spellcasting or pact trait can be a secondary spell caster. That means a level 1 caster dip, magic initiate feat, or other minor thing that gives a spellcasting ability means you can help augment other casters. One of the things you can do is share concentration.

So level 9 wizard casts a concentration spell with a level 8 fighter/1 wizard. The f/w takes on the concentration aspect, allowing the spell to take effect and last while the level 9 wizard casts another one the next turn on their own. And that's just the start of potential game breaking stuff.

Or you can increase an AoE by 20 feet. An example given is increasing the width of a lightning bolt from 5 ft wide to 25 feet wide. Again, that level 1 dip PC can help do this.

 

[Nyx_Necrodragon]

Surprising they allowed this to go through given how easy it is to abuse. Is this final version or are there still amendments to make?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Upon first reading, I had really liked Circle Casting - probably the first time I've really liked a mechanical "subsystem" of 5e. Every time they announce one, I've always been really excited by them, only to be let down by the execution (and I'm generally positive enough about D&D to have had people on these forums accuse me of being a shill).

BUT... so far, be it Bastions, Ship-to-Ship battles, or even Downtime, I've always been let down by 5e's subsystems. Heck, I don't like many of it's "main" systems either - Equipment, Magic Items, and to a lesser extent Monster Design and Spells all let me down too!

Still, in spite of many misgivings, I enjoy the game overall.

My point here is, the more I look at Circle Casting, the more I worry that its "one size fits all" approach is going to have some serious consequences down the road, once exploits are discovered. On the surface, it looks like a fun way to get two or more spellcasters to work together! And it lets PCs in on something that has traditionally been everywhere in most D&D stories (at least in mine) - the group of "Cultists" or "Wizards" that work together to do a "Big" spell!

But I don't know if it's going to work out well in practice. We'll have to see.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Oh my lord....

Each secondary caster can increase the range by 1000 feet. Not a typo.

So imagine a leader of an army. Or a crowd. And this spell..."any number of willing creatures within range.."

 

[AlViking]

Going down the list of the new Circle Casting options in Heroes of Faerun and boy, is it going to have an effect. The below video explains each in detail. For example, anyone with the spellcasting or pact trait can be a secondary spell caster. That means a level 1 caster dip, magic initiate feat, or other minor thing that gives a spellcasting ability means you can help augment other casters. One of the things you can do is share concentration.

So level 9 wizard casts a concentration spell with a level 8 fighter/1 wizard. The f/w takes on the concentration aspect, allowing the spell to take effect and last while the level 9 wizard casts another one the next turn on their own. And that's just the start of potential game breaking stuff.

Or you can increase an AoE by 20 feet. An example given is increasing the width of a lightning bolt from 5 ft wide to 25 feet wide. Again, that level 1 dip PC can help do this.

Nope.

"Each secondary caster contributing to the spell must expend a spell slot of a level greater than or equal to the spell’s level (no action required). If the spell fails, these spell slots aren’t expended."

 

[Sacrosanct]

Or seeing a flying incoming dragon from a kilometer away. Just keep casting Tasha's Hideous Laughter and knock it out of the sky.

 

[AlViking]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not convinced this is a good option and I don't plan on allowing it (I have access because one of my players got the book), its just not as broken as some people seem to think.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Nope.

"Each secondary caster contributing to the spell must expend a spell slot of a level greater than or equal to the spell’s level (no action required). If the spell fails, these spell slots aren’t expended."

The videos out there state that they have to spend a spell slot, but not one of the same level (unless explicitly called out in the spell's description).

 

[Sacrosanct]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not convinced this is a good option and I don't plan on allowing it (I have access because one of my players got the book), its just not as broken as some people seem to think.

I don't know, I'm not an optimizer at all, and even I can see how downing a bbeg from up to a mile away can be abused or problematic. Or how much power increase there is by turning a 5 ft wide lightning bolt into a 25 ft wide bolt by just adding one secondary caster

 

[mellored]

I could be wrong, but don't think magic initiate works. You need actual slots.

Also, it takes multiple actions and multiple concentrations to do, and often multiple slots. Most combats are better off with 2 lighting bolts than 1 wide one. You lose focus fire.

Now, i do see this used for pre-combat buffs. Cast Haste and split the concentration before you kick the door in makes a lot of sense, or making it last for an hour make.


More options is still clearly a buff for casters, but it's fairly tame.