DM Spell Control

[jester47]

I have too many spells to keep track of. Every FR supplement comes with new spells. Every splat book comes with even more (and I don't use splats all that much). With Monte's Complete Book of Eldrich Might, you get even more spells.

With so many spells, and being the DM that needs to adjudicate them I have decided that I am going to start implementing DM spell control. This is easy with a wizard or sorcerer or bard. The player selects what spells they want access to when they make the character. I look them over and get familiar with the spells they can use. I then dole out any spells they would like to have and deal with the ones they want to research. Its manageable.

Then there is the divine casters. These guys can pick spells from day to day. Since the subset of spells a cleric can cast is all cleric spells, I need to keep track of all cleric spells. I would really like to reduce this. Are there any suggestions that people have that might allow me to fairly limit Cleric spell options? Is this a good idea?

One idea that I have is that Clerics (and other divine casters) must have read the spell once in their life and learned it in order to pray for it correctly. Thus divine scrolls and writings become far more important and it puts the importance of literacy back into the religion thing. What do people think of this?

Aaron.

 

[Henry]

Just do what Piratecat does; if a divine caster wants a spell from an outside source, they MUST remove one of their Players Handbook Spells in exchange. Once swapped, they can't reverse the swap, though they could swap another spell out if they REALLY wanted the old spell back...

 

[jester47]

Well its not so much a matter of outside spells. It rather a matter of adjudication in game. It goes like this:

Its the middle of a combat-

player- I cast Blah's blah of blahing blah.
DM(me)- Whats that do?
player- it makes stuff blah.
DM - what are the specifics
player - I am not sure.
DM - ok look it up...

I figure I can keep track of a character's spell selection more easily if they did not have a bazzilion spells that they could be potentially casting. In fact I could keep the effects on an index card and this would greatly speed up spell casting. However, this would only be manageable if I did not have to have every cleric or divine spell on deck so to speak.

Aaron.

 

[Arnwyn]

Then there is the divine casters. These guys can pick spells from day to day. Since the subset of spells a cleric can cast is all cleric spells, I need to keep track of all cleric spells. I would really like to reduce this. Are there any suggestions that people have that might allow me to fairly limit Cleric spell options? Is this a good idea?

IMC, clerics can choose their spells from the PHB only. Any spell from another source must be "discovered" through gameplay (usually learning it from allied clerics, or as a reward from their church; but also finding it through ancient writings).

One idea that I have is that Clerics (and other divine casters) must have read the spell once in their life in order to pray for it correctly. Thus divine scrolls and writings become far more important and it puts the importance of literacy back into the religion thing. What do people think of this?

Yeah, like that. I pretty much do it a lot like that, IMC.

 

[Arnwyn]

It rather a matter of adjudication in game.
DM - what are the specifics
player - I am not sure.
DM - ok look it up...

Oh, now I see what you're talking about.

Hmmm. Weird. That would never happen in my game - if the player ever said "I'm not sure", then I'd be telling them that they're not casting any spell that round, and they've just forfeited their action. Oh, and to be alert and have the spell's information ready next time, m'kay?

But then, I'm not very patient with lazy players.

 

[Henry]

Oh, I've got you - you are saying that even the spell amount in the phb is an awful lot to handle?

In that case, you are just going to have to shift the onus on the players. Tell them up front, "If you are going to play a spellcaster, I need your help. When you cast a spell I need you to have the book open to the page of the spell you are casting. If I have any rules questions, I'll ask you." One person sometimes just can't do it alone - I find requiring the players to have the mechanic right in front of them helps me if there is a problem.

 

[Piratecat]

In addition to handling the "outside" spell problem the way that Henry mentioned, I also ask players to have the book open to the right page on their initiative if they're casting a spell. It saves a lot of time.

 

[jester47]

I think the card thing is similar to the solution of requiring the description of the spell in front of them at the time. I think I am attracted to the card thing because I want my books to get use and since I am the one with more books than everyone else, I cant expect them to have any given book with addmitedly cool spell in them all the time. With cards or a known quantity, I am less surprised and the players dont have to have a book there.

Hrm... I suppose I could just say that I don't care how the description gets in front of you, spell card or book, you need to have it open. I think this combined with the "clerics gotta learn em too" will do a lot to alleviate the problem.

thanks for the tips guys.

Hope people add more ideas here!

Aaron.

 

[atom crash]

I agree -- the player should be responsible for all this. The player who runs a spellcaster has to know what their spells do. Same goes for feats, skills, etc., and for all players. If the fighter likes to overrun, he's gotta know how it works.

In the following situation:
"I cast Spell X."
"What does that do?"
"I don't know."
I'd reply:
"Looks like you're not using it, then."
That might be a little harsh, and since my players are my friends I'd probably say:
"You're holding your action while you look it up. Next?"

I'd encourage the players to make a folder or notebook that has their character sheet as well as info on any feats, spells, etc. they have access to.

While this may seem like a lot of work, with the help of the online SRD and advanced cutting and pasting technology it's not that difficult. When my girlfriend created a character for my campaign, I made handouts that included all class abilities, feats, skills, spells and magic items she had. It is 12 pages long but includes everything she should be familiar with for her character.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I figure I can keep track of a character's spell selection more easily if they did not have a bazzilion spells that they could be potentially casting. In fact I could keep the effects on an index card and this would greatly speed up spell casting. However, this would only be manageable if I did not have to have every cleric or divine spell on deck so to speak.

have you seen the Complete Spell Cards from The Other Game Company? All the PHB spells, each on it's own card. They also have blank spell cards (in the free downloads sections of the webpage) that you can put your own info on for non-PHB spells, as you approve them for use in the game. The cards are well worth having on hand in game, and are easily organized. make the player who is casting have the card they need out and ready to go when it is their turn.