D&D 5E Concentration: Addressing Player Concerns

[The Grassy Gnoll]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/art...the-New-Dungeons-Dragons-With-Designer-Mike.4

Brief but pretty firm view. Near the bottom.

 

[Celtavian]

That's funny. The DMG put in a bard instrument that let's a bard have two concentration spells at the same time. He very much could use hold person and cloudkill at the same time.

 

[neobolts]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/art...the-New-Dungeons-Dragons-With-Designer-Mike.4

Brief but pretty firm view. Near the bottom.

Thanks, way to come through. (Also, great reply if used out-of-context.)

 

[Warmaster Horus]

We've had no troubles with it yet. Casters using concentration spells are more careful about getting into situations where they would be made to make a concentration check and they like that they can nick enemy spellcasters for a concentration check, too.

 

[jgsugden]

That's funny. The DMG put in a bard instrument that let's a bard have two concentration spells at the same time. He very much could use hold person and cloudkill at the same time.

Which item is that?

 

[Celtavian]

Which item is that?

I can't remember the name. The bard in our group has it. Some kind of bardic instrument. You can use a bonus action to maintain concentration on a second spell.

 

[jgsugden]

I can't remember the name. The bard in our group has it. Some kind of bardic instrument. You can use a bonus action to maintain concentration on a second spell.

I'm not so sure that is in the DMG. It may have been from another (unofficial?) source. I have not seen anything like it in the DMG on a casual review.

 

[Remathilis]

I found this quote "Beware of adding anything to your game that allows a character to concentrate on more than one effect at a time, use more than one reaction or bonus action per round, or attune to more than three magic items at a time. Rules and game elements that override the rules for concentration, reactions , bonus actions, and magic item attunement can seriously unbalance or overcomplicate your game." - DMG 263

As for this bard instrument; its not in the DMG. I looked up Instrument of the Bards, and then searched for every use of the word "Concentrate" and "Concentration" in the Magic Item section. I found a few items that require concentration to use (Ring of Djinni summoning and Ring of shooting stars), potions that don't require concentration (dimulation and growth), and a sentient item that can cast a concentration spell on you and does the concentrating (Blackrazor). Nothing about an instrument that gives you two concentration spells.

 

[neobolts]

I can't remember the name. The bard in our group has it. Some kind of bardic instrument. You can use a bonus action to maintain concentration on a second spell.

I'm hoping this somehow involves Mongolian Throat Singing. ::crosses fingers::

 

[Blue]

I haven't had a problem with it. First, you can stack buffs - so many of the classes are casters it's easy to have several out. You just can't have one PC be the source of all the buffs. Also many of the buff spells are well balanced even if they only last a short time. Haste costing an action and a 3rd level slot that lasts for "only" 2 rounds will give six extra actions. Especially at higher levels when the slot cost is less important these buffs are even more worthwhile even if short-lived. And if you are encouraging your foe to split up attackers between several casters concentrating (some like the paladin, ranger and cleric with good ACs) instead of focus firing, you've got an additional bonus right there. Assuming you are fighting intelligent opponents - against animals and beasts it should be easy enough to keep some casters out of melee.