Houserule: Vancian spell DCs off of caster level?

[1Mac]

I'm wondering what the implications of basing spell DCs off of 1/2 caster level instead of spell level would be. Obviously it makes lower-leveled spells more powerful, but is there anything else I'm missing?

 

[SteelDraco]

Most creature abilities are at a fairly high CL. It would often help monsters with lots of special magical attacks. Obviously caster stats would decrease in importance. Multiclassing would suffer in 3.x-style games for casters even more than it already does.

 

[the Jester]

I think if you take it a step further and base spell DCs off half your character level, you've half-way fixed multiclassed casters in 3.x.

 

[Loonook]

You're going to need to change around effects... Also this will make Sleep's DC 20+Mod, which while awesome would be a problem after awhile because it also boosts... Everything else . This doesn't boost saving throws for creatures though, and does make for some pretty powerful players when it comes to monsters with their own spells.

Perhaps Increase the initial Saves to 3/1/1, with an additional +1 per four levels thrown in. While I like the idea of character level being the 'big thing' for spellcasting, I would suggest additional boosts for focused spellcasters. Perhaps they get to cast their spells at one level higher than a gish. Perhaps each spellcaster types gains this bump, with the end making the Wizard 20 have +5 CL over our other wizard/fighters, Arcane Archers, etc. CL boosts do eliminate the feats that provide you to cast of a classed spellcaster of 4 levels higher. Also Theurges become more powerful it would seem. These numbers are extremely rough... But I believe that someone could work with them .

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Ahnehnois]

This is precisely what I do; DC = 10 + 1/2 CL + ability mod + misc

It's great. Spellcasting needs to be simpler, and targets of spells usually succeed at their saves, especially at high levels, so boosting DCs is hardly a problem. It keeps things like Charm Person useful. There's still multiple DCs to calculate with spell focus and reserve feats and such, but this makes things much easier.

I do it in concert with several other variants, including spell points, a simple spell learning system that also ignores spell level, and multiple ability scores for spellcasters (spell points and spell DCs based on different ability scores).

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

This is precisely what I do; DC = 10 + 1/2 CL + ability mod + misc

This is my preference as well. It's simpler and keeps low level spells useful.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Some low-level spells are really good, and only become weaker due to save DCs. For instance, with this system I would be forever spamming Glitterdust, leaving aside some higher-level but actually weaker spells and filling those slots with Empowered Mirror Image.

IME, at high levels, players only use their character's higher level spell slots, and the lower-level slots are "baggage".

 

[Bluenose]

Yes, the one thing high level spellcasters absolutely need in 3rd edition is a boost to the power of their spells.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Yes, the one thing high level spellcasters absolutely need in 3rd edition is a boost to the power of their spells.

You realize that this doesn't increase the DC of their highest level spells, right? (It actually lowers it in some cases). It increases the DC of their lower level spells, but that just gives them a bit more versatility and a few more rounds of usefulness in a day. In practice, it doesn't boost their raw power much.

(The power of high-level fighters is a separate issue).

 

[1Mac]

Great answers, everyone!

IME, at high levels, players only use their character's higher level spell slots, and the lower-level slots are "baggage".

Isn't that kind of dumb, though? Doesn't it make more sense to have fewer spells, but that also scale with level?

I'm actually considering something much more radical (something like a Base Caster Bonus), but considering the question in the OP is a necessary jumping-off point for the idea.