D&D 5E (2024) Does your table use concentration with Ready a Spell?

[Brett Bussart]

As I understand it, the goal of concentration was to avoid stacking buffs. There are a bunch of potential solutions to that problem.

It's also to restrict casters from stacking debuffs, battlefied control spells, and persistent area of effect spells without paying a significant price to do so.

 

[Brett Bussart]

You need to carry a little canister of ants, then make some of them walk into the lock. Then attack the ant inside the lock with Acid Splash, and let the lock receive collateral damage. Simple!

Acid splash, RAW, only affects creatures in 5.5E. This player would have to buy a vial of acid and pour it into a lock to accomplish what they wish.

 

[Reynard]

Casters can already do this as they "level up".

They can hire lower level spellcasters to cast concentration spells that complement their concentration spells in combat.

They can cast and use a Simulacrum of themselves.

They can awaken a familiar or animal companion and have them take the caster sidekick class.

There are already many ways for casters to employ multiple concentration spell effects in combat without creating a new rule mechanic.

Every one of those solutions is more complex and a bigger problem in play than deciding "casters can concentrate on a number of spells equal to half their Proficiency bonus."

 

[Mort]

Every one of those solutions is more complex and a bigger problem in play than deciding "casters can concentrate on a number of spells equal to half their Proficiency bonus."

That solution leads to flying, invisible casters by level 9. Or wall of force and cloudkill by level 10. And a whole lot of other shenanigans the concentration rules were created to protect.

 

[Reynard]

That solution leads to flying, invisible casters by level 9. Or wall of force and cloudkill by level 10. And a whole lot of other shenanigans the concentration rules were created to protect.

No, I get that, and I stated I did not know if it would be viable at the table. I was just saying that is a simpler solution than hireling wizards and simulacra.

 

[Mort]

No, I get that, and I stated I did not know if it would be viable at the table. I was just saying that is a simpler solution than hireling wizards and simulacra.

I like that a side effect of the concentration rules is requiring greater party cohesion. Anything that makes the party work together, and further, think tactically, is a win in my book!

 

[Brett Bussart]

Every one of those solutions is more complex and a bigger problem in play than deciding "casters can concentrate on a number of spells equal to half their Proficiency bonus."

We will have to agree to disagree. Arbitrarily arguing that casters should be allowed to magically muti-task concentration spells because "waaa" is both ridiculous and a gross violation of the current magical system.

The tradition of employing hirelings, henchmen, scaleable companions, and sidekicks are both legacy ways to grow a parties power and productive ways for a DM to assist the players in putting down roots in the campaign world. Things that both videogame and many tabletop roleplaying games seriously lack right now.

 

[Reynard]

We will have to agree to disagree. Arbitrarily arguing that casters should be allowed to magically muti-task concentration spells because "waaa" is both ridiculous and a gross violation of the current magical system.

The tradition of employing hirelings, henchmen, scaleable companions, and sidekicks are both legacy ways to grow a parties power and productive ways for a DM to assist the players in putting down roots in the campaign world. Things that both videogame and many tabletop roleplaying games seriously lack right now.

So you are invoking both the importance of the current rules on concentration AND the old school rules on hirelings.

Bold.

 

[ECMO3]

I don't know about 4 feats, but the player could have picked up some thrown weapons to use in combat instead of a crossbow. This would have at least capitalized on the 18 Strength ability score and mitigated the 8 Dexterity ability score.

He does have thrown weapons, which are usually used with extra attack after he kills someone in melee.

That said, thrown weapons lack effective range and do less damage than a light crossbow. Javelins are the only thrown weapon that can reliably reach foes at a decent range and even with them you are often throwing at disadvantage, which is a major debuff until tier 4 when your accuracy is good enough to usually overcome disadvantage.

In the particular case we are talking about a Javelin would have done 1d6+4 damage as a ready action. Truestrike does 1d8+1d6+3, so a Thrown weapon is substantially less damage in this case, even if the bad guy did phase back in at short range.

 

[rmcoen]

We had this situation come up last session for the first time in 50-60 sessions, actually! The Druid was maintaining a zone of swirling winds to keep a Vampiric Mist away from her, but wanted to blast the guard drake as soon as it came out of the cavern behind her. I had already agreed and noted her Readied Action (starry wisp cantrip) when the player of the Arcane Trickster reminded me of the Concentration requirement on a Readied spell. (Because he had been frustrated about something he'd wanted to ready while maintaining his defensive blur!)

We have been really good about "readying a spell with a spell slot spends the spell slot" - it still happens, but the Trigger is usually defined such that the spell still gets cast usefully. Like "I will fire a guiding bolt at the first monster to emerge from the barracks, or I will fire it at the ogre Grunil is fighting if nothing emerges from the barracks before Grunil acts." (Sometimes the slot still gets wasted because you can always "Abort to Move" a readied action.)