Cooperative Casting Idea

[JimAde]

So I was thinking about allowing casters to combine their efforts to overcome a target's resistance. Here's the idea:

If two or more casters cast the same spell at the same time, they can declare that they are doing so cooperatively. In this case, only one caster (the primary caster) actually casts the spell. The others expend the slot normally, but their spells don't actually go off. All casters have to hold off until the initiative of the slowest caster. Doing this has two effects:

1) The save DC of the primary caster's spell is increased by 2 for every additional caster
2) The primary caster receives a +2 bonus on any level checks to overcome SR for every additional caster

Mathematically, this is only worth doing if the target has a very high save (such that he can only fail on a 1 or 2, or auto-succeeds) and/or has very high SR. Otherwise it's better if the casters all just cast normally.

This isn't a feat or anything, just an alternative for casters. What do you think?

 

[Stormborn]

I like the idea of cooperative casting, although it tends to work better in a system magic is skill based. However i think it has some possibilites in DnD as written. How about this:

Each additional caster makes a spellcraft check (DC 10+spell level) to benifit the primary caster in certain ways. In all cased the additional casters must know the spell in question, but not neccesarilly have it prepared in the case of Wizards.
Benifits:
- as suggested by JimAde
- The secondary caster(s) can apply metamagic feats to the primary casters spells, the DC increases byt he level adjustment for casting the spell but both casters only loose a spell of the original slot. Not all metamagic feats would work,probally, Still and Silent seem inapporpriate for this, but Maximize, Extend, and others work.

It seems like you could get into some intersting combo spells this way too, where both casters might have to make a spellcraft check. Something to think about at least.

 

[JimAde]

Cool! It's interesting to hear you suggest this. I've done some work on the Living Nights project (see my sig, though the board appears to be down). We're working on ritual magic rules that do exactly this (among other things). If you're interested in them, you can find the current draft here:

http://home.comcast.net/~jim.ade/emerald/RitualMagic.html