Concentrate check adjustment?

[hong]

That's probably what I would do if I were a DM, but I'm not, so I'm interested in the opinions of others. I like the mechanics to reflect how things appear to be operating in the real world as much as possible, but I concede that my limited experience with the mechanics makes my judgement suspect. So... I continue to wonder whether people with experience with the mechanics think this is a good idea or not.

You are thinking too hard about the game. Stop thinking.

D&D reflects reality fairly adequately as long as people are around 1st-3rd level. For someone like that, a hit from an arcane archer for around 10-20 points of damage (d8 + bow enhancement bonus + arrow enhancement bonus + feats and other enchantments) will often be fatal. Problem solved.

 

[Maldur]

I would say normal concentration-check on a (near) miss.
And a concentration-check with a -2 on a hit!

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

You are thinking too hard about the game. Stop thinking.

Yeah. I do that. Overtrained, I guess. One of the virtues of the game is it's relative simplicity, but I always want to overthink it. I'm silly that way. <shrug> I guess it keeps me out of trouble.

 

[jaldaen]

My thought on this is that whenever casting a spell you are "concentrating" and thus there is no need for any additional modifier as you are focused on the spell... it is sort of like meditating (casting a spell)... when someone comes in the room screaming (shoots you with an arrow)...

You were concentrating before... it just means now you actually have to try maintain concentration (make a check)... to see if the concentration is broken...

So my thought is that there is no need to make them suffer a -2 to the check as the concentration check is the result of the attack and represents the outside influence over the cleric's ability to concentrate.

Another thing you could assume is that the cleric is taking 10 on his concentration check while preforming the ritual and so if the surprise round damage does enough damage to the cleric to make him lose the spell... than he loses his spell...

Note: this is coming from someone who has studied meditation and if you go off the assumption that the cleric is concentrated on casting the spell then... the take 10 thing works quite well to represent the meditating/focused mind.

Jaldaen

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

The meditation angle makes good sense. It has a nice flavor to it, and I'd love to play in a game where magic felt like that. But I don't think the existing magic system gives that impression. Casting in standard D20 is just fast and easy. I've always had more of a "throwing off spells" impression than a "concentrating on spells" impression. Most spells take about 4 seconds to cast, right? And prep time is next to negligible. It just doesn't feel in any way meditative.

That's why I used the driving example. To me, D20 magic seems more like driving. To cast under stressful conditions, you need to be concentrating. And, if you were conscientious about it's use, you would probably concentrate all the time. But, ultimately, you CAN do it while talking to the guy next to you, tapping your foot to the radio, and eating a cheeseburger. And, like driving, most people do.

To give magic a meditative flavor, I would think casting would take longer and require concentration checks for every spell cast, regardless of circumstances, but with penalties for casting amidst distractions. Furthermore, I'd think there'd be more restrictions on wizards' behavior because of the discipline involved in casting meditatively.