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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thommy H-H" data-source="post: 9793977" data-attributes="member: 6797019">Some of these situations being described...man, it's like you're allergic to fun.Let's say the party wants to solve their problems using circle casting to pull off One Big Spell (1BS). They don't have enough casters in the party itself, but any kind of caster counts, right? So they can just hire some low-CR NPCs. Okay, from where? Because they're currently in the wilderness contemplating the huge problem bearing down on them that only the 1BS can solve.I'm the DM. I check my map, and the nearest village is 20 miles away and has a population of about 150. I'll be generous and 'yes, and' the players and allow that there's a small shrine to Lathander there which is maintained by an elderly curate (Priest Acolyte). Of course, they don't know that unless they go there (or does someone know the region well enough already? Give me a History check...). And even when they get there, the curate may be unwilling or unable to help. Or perhaps they demand the party help out with some local problem first. They can magically coerece or abduct the curate, of course, but I would imagine there'll be some consequences for that! So that gets them one hireling towards the 1BS. Still a way to go! Oh, but the curate knows a monastery 20 miles in the other direction where there are loads of Priest Acolytes. Let's go there! But actually the monastery has been secretly infiltrated by cultists of the Dead Three, and they've walked into a trap...Maybe divine casters aren't the way to go. The party knows Candlekeep, and they're high enough level to teleport there. There are probably hundreds of Mage Apprentices there that will hire themselves out. Okay, do you have a rare book to let you get in? Hm. Better go find one first. Or break in? To Candlekeep? Sure, that could be a fun couple of sessions...Druids? How's your standing with the Emerald Enclave?I think you see where I'm going. At the point in the game where the 1BS is being contemplated, the issue isn't whether it's possible; it's what doing it costs in terms of time and effort. I wouldn't throw up roadblocks like that to shut my group down: I'd do it to generate more adventures. Finding hirelings to cast the 1BS is an adventure in itself! As DM, it's your job to make these kinds of scenarios into meaningful challenges. Don't let your players circumvent the logistics - turn them into a side-quest.From what I can see, that's the whole idea behind circle casting. If you look at the new spells in the book, their circle casting versions have Material components that are unique or legendary items. Stuff you have to find on other Planes or take from powerful enemies. Things you go on a quest to find. The "cost" of circle casting is that you have to jump through hoops to assemble the things you need. Find a macguffin, break into Candlekeep, plunder a dragon's horde, scour the countryside for every minor healer and hedge wizard you can round up and, in doing so, unite the region under your banner.Circle casting doesn't break your game: it makes it. It might give you a whole extra narrative arc before the actual finale, where the party has to cast the 1BS while hordes of enemies try to kill their fragile little hirelings that they've now become quite attached to because you gave them all funny voices.</blockquote>

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