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Damage Spell Scaling
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<blockquote data-quote="Helldritch" data-source="post: 7832862" data-attributes="member: 6855114"><p>The scaling of cantrips is both an excellent feature and a bad one. </p><p></p><p>The Excellent</p><p>Excellent in that it means that casters have something to do if they run out of spell slots or if the threath does not justify a full spell. Traditionally, that role was filled with the magic missile wands. In a system where magic items are now quite rare, a solution had to be found and the scaling of cantrips was that answer. Otherwise our caster would have to throw darts, daggers at a rate of one per round... This is why that we see the utility of those low level slots moving from damage spells to utility spells. Our wizard does not need zounds of magic items to keep relevant once his daily allotted spells are done with. He can always rely on cantrips. In the very rare magic setting of 5ed, this is a must. Since cantrip can now outshine low level spells, the moving of low level slot from damage to utility spells is unavoidable.</p><p></p><p>The bad. Well, it's not so bad, but it does mean that with the scaling of cantrips, some spell will become inferior in raw damage if they only affect one target. With the reduced spell slots that casters have now, many see this as a flaw. Yet, they forget that even in the earlier editions (save first), those same spells were limited in damage scope (MM was stopped at 5d4+5, fireball at 10d6). Now that damage does not scale per level but per slot, the lack of high level slots has a big impact. Fortunately, that same impact is lessened with the scaling of cantrips but yet again, for those old timers like me, it seems that the amount of high level spells could be a wee bit higher. The arcane casters are now considered battle controlers and AoE damage dealers but the lack of high level slots might ampers them in games where the 5MWD is not in effect. In my games its not rare to see 6 to 10 combats between full rest period (and rarely more than two short rests). The arcane casters must manage their spells quite diligently or they will feel gimped in some fights. As a comparison, the 16th level mage in 5ed can cast: 4/3/3/3/2/1/1/1 while our 1ed wizard would cast: 5/5/5/5/5/3/2/1. That is 12 spells higher than our current edition wizard. Once they're cast ,the 1ed wizard is toast if he does not have multiple wands. He will have to rely on his dagger or quarter staff. Our fifth edition wizard, however, will have his cantrips to save his precious little *sses. (and let's not talk about the amount of time our 1ed friend will have to take to recover his spells while all it takes for our 5ed is a long rest if no spells are to be changed.) The philosophies behind both editions are quite different. The bad aspect of cantrip scaling is one of perception of what <strong>is </strong>vs what <strong>was</strong>.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Helldritch, post: 7832862, member: 6855114"] The scaling of cantrips is both an excellent feature and a bad one. The Excellent Excellent in that it means that casters have something to do if they run out of spell slots or if the threath does not justify a full spell. Traditionally, that role was filled with the magic missile wands. In a system where magic items are now quite rare, a solution had to be found and the scaling of cantrips was that answer. Otherwise our caster would have to throw darts, daggers at a rate of one per round... This is why that we see the utility of those low level slots moving from damage spells to utility spells. Our wizard does not need zounds of magic items to keep relevant once his daily allotted spells are done with. He can always rely on cantrips. In the very rare magic setting of 5ed, this is a must. Since cantrip can now outshine low level spells, the moving of low level slot from damage to utility spells is unavoidable. The bad. Well, it's not so bad, but it does mean that with the scaling of cantrips, some spell will become inferior in raw damage if they only affect one target. With the reduced spell slots that casters have now, many see this as a flaw. Yet, they forget that even in the earlier editions (save first), those same spells were limited in damage scope (MM was stopped at 5d4+5, fireball at 10d6). Now that damage does not scale per level but per slot, the lack of high level slots has a big impact. Fortunately, that same impact is lessened with the scaling of cantrips but yet again, for those old timers like me, it seems that the amount of high level spells could be a wee bit higher. The arcane casters are now considered battle controlers and AoE damage dealers but the lack of high level slots might ampers them in games where the 5MWD is not in effect. In my games its not rare to see 6 to 10 combats between full rest period (and rarely more than two short rests). The arcane casters must manage their spells quite diligently or they will feel gimped in some fights. As a comparison, the 16th level mage in 5ed can cast: 4/3/3/3/2/1/1/1 while our 1ed wizard would cast: 5/5/5/5/5/3/2/1. That is 12 spells higher than our current edition wizard. Once they're cast ,the 1ed wizard is toast if he does not have multiple wands. He will have to rely on his dagger or quarter staff. Our fifth edition wizard, however, will have his cantrips to save his precious little *sses. (and let's not talk about the amount of time our 1ed friend will have to take to recover his spells while all it takes for our 5ed is a long rest if no spells are to be changed.) The philosophies behind both editions are quite different. The bad aspect of cantrip scaling is one of perception of what [B]is [/B]vs what [B]was[/B]. [/QUOTE]
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