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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 6543763" data-attributes="member: 5834">At the moment our DM and players are forgetting to make Concentration checks, thus it hasn't as badly impacted our group as it should have. When I run the game, I'm going to work harder to make sure the players are making their concentration checks because it heavily impacts the game if they miss them. The player in question only has a +2 on his saves. He should have missed far more than he has. It's annoying, but if the DM is overlooking the mechanic that is on him. I've reminded him quite often not to do so, he continues to ignore it. I guess I will as well until I run it.I had a problem with Concentration at first. The more I play, the less I worry about Concentration. It does force a feat tax on any class that casts concentration spells to maintain concentration on common checks. It is nearly impossible to maintain concentration from big hits like breath weapons or hard hitting attacks. If a DM doesn't allow feats, it hurts casters far more than non-casters, especially those without Con as a natural save. I can completely understand why casters in campaigns that don't allow feats would hate Concentration.But it does allow non-casters to dispel powerful concentration spells without needing caster power themselves. I kind of like to be able to do that as a DM. Normally, physically powerful BBEGs have no way of stopping a spell. In this edition, they can hit the caster real hard to cause him to drop the spell. I think that fits well with fantasy genre. Casters in books don't normally get to stand there casting spells while getting beat on without anyone interruption in ability. I think the Concentration mechanic mirrors well the common genre trope of being able to stick your sword in a caster to stop a spell. D&D fantasy wizards had grown into this strange being with massive stacked buffs that was nearly invincible. This is uncommon to the genre. It was specific to D&D for the most part. I feel the Concentration mechanic takes the caster closer to its literary analogue where you either avoid combat or you experience serious disruption to your casting capabilities. You can't recklessly enter battle and hope to have all your spells work. If you don't position well, pick your spots to cast, and play tactically well, you put yourself at serious risk of disruption. I'm ok with Concentration. It has more positives than negatives from a gameplay standpoint. It is especially useful to DMs, so they don't have to always have caster NPCs as enemies to counter casters. A hard hitting physical creature or group can go after a caster slowing down his ability to function effectively. A fighter can make his way to an enemy caster helping his friends by stabbing the enemy caster to end a spell effect. I like that martials and physical creatures can disrupt casting with mundane means.</blockquote>

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