D&D 5E Hot Take: remove spell slots, use Strain instead.

[Tales and Chronicles]

So my hot take of the day is this:

At my table, I'd remove spell slots, an instead have the player do a Strain check to avoid forgetting the spell after using it, like they do in the Black Hack 2e.

Here's the rule:

• Casters have know spells and prepared spells, like usual
• When a player casts a spell, after the action is resolved, they make a ability check based on their casting ability. The check is made against a DC 10+Spell level.
• On a failed check, the spell is forgotten and cant be used until regained by a long rest and re-prepared is necessary
• If the spell has been cast since the last long rest, the check is made with disadvantage.
• If upcasted, a lower level spell must make a strain check against the DC of the upcasted level, and if failed, the forgotten spell is one of the upcasted level. You must have a spell know or prepared of the level you want to upcast your spell.

ie: You, as a wizard, want to upcast magic missile as a 2nd level, after the casting, you must make a DC 12 intelligence check. On a failed roll, you forget a spell of 2nd level you are prepared.

Rituals and cantrips dont require Strain check, unless you use a variant where cantrips must pass a DC 10 Strain check.

How does it look?

 

[BookTenTiger]

Interesting idea!

Could spellcasters prepare multiple versions of the same spell? Like a Cleric preparing two Cure Wounds in case one is forgotten.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Interesting idea!

Could spellcasters prepare multiple versions of the same spell? Like a Cleric preparing two Cure Wounds in case one is forgotten.

I'd allow it, sure. I dont think it would break anything.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Sorcerer could even have a feature that gives them +Con mod to Strain check, making it easier to cast multiple time the same spell, since they know only a few.

 

[Shardstone]

I love it all but the last bullet point. I feel it'd be pretty annoying to have to take a break after every turn to cross reference my upcast spells with what I have prepared and then update etc etc etc.

I'd just let the Strain check rock as normal. upcast a spell, make the appropriate difficulty for it. In your proposed system, there's no need to adhere to 5E's spell slot economy. Upcasting a spell now has a bigger cost (more difficult check), thus doesn't need another one.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

So my hot take of the day is this:

At my table, I'd remove spell slots, an instead have the player do a Strain check to avoid forgetting the spell after using it, like they do in the Black Hack 2e.

How does it look?

Honestly, how it looks would vary depending on the spell level cast.

Level one ... probably like holding in a fart.

Level five? More like when a person has a bowel movement ... but you're really trying to get it out.

Level nine? Oh my, that's some strain. That's kinda like passing a kidney stone that's the size of a bowling ball.


That's how the caster would look.

 

[HammerMan]

So my hot take of the day is this:

At my table, I'd remove spell slots, an instead have the player do a Strain check to avoid forgetting the spell after using it, like they do in the Black Hack 2e.

Here's the rule:

• Casters have know spells and prepared spells, like usual
• When a player casts a spell, after the action is resolved, they make a ability check based on their casting ability. The check is made against a DC 10+Spell level.
• On a failed check, the spell is forgotten and cant be used until regained by a long rest and re-prepared is necessary
• If the spell has been cast since the last long rest, the check is made with disadvantage.
• If upcasted, a lower level spell must make a strain check against the DC of the upcasted level, and if failed, the forgotten spell is one of the upcasted level. You must have a spell know or prepared of the level you want to upcast your spell.

ie: You, as a wizard, want to upcast magic missile as a 2nd level, after the casting, you must make a DC 12 intelligence check. On a failed roll, you forget a spell of 2nd level you are prepared.

Rituals and cantrips dont require Strain check, unless you use a variant where cantrips must pass a DC 10 Strain check.

How does it look?

cool idea.

back in 2e and 3e I had a hombrew idea like Mage the Ascension where you use the epic seeds with learning seeds and building spells.

 

[Krachek]

No spell slot?
So you prepare a bunch of high level spells a throw them at least once, maybe two or even three time or more before failing a check.
enhance ability + bardic inspiration and you start throw spells.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

No spell slot?

no spell slots.

 

[Blue]

Classes that prepare/know more spells will be casting significantly more spells than those who only know a few. Sorcerers will be casting the fewest spells per day. So some classes have both more flexibility and more spells per day.

Effectively a ton more "high level slots", since the chance to lose them isn't much more than lower level ones. Fireballs are only 2 DC worse than Magic Missile.