How many spells have you banned from your game?

[ForceUser]

One of my DMs banned find the path and discern location on Monte Cook's advice, and I completely agree with the decision. Such spells take a lot of the mystery out of the game, and if you read fantasy novels or watch movies, you know that figuring out where the bad guy lairs and getting there in one piece is often as much of a challenge as defeating him. Not to mention, with those spells gone, bards, rogues, and other information-gathering classes become more valuable in the high-level game, which is something I support.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I allow 603 out of the 605 PH spells (99.7%), and I allow a mechanically-similar replacement for one of those.

 

[Thanee]

Havn't banned any spells (not including powers, we banned them all ), but we have modified a few, tho not 'drastically', just stuff like 10 times the duration for the animal buffs, for example.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Dog Moon]

I'm glad at least one other person said Find the Path. That spell was permanently banned from our group during the campaign Return to the Tome of Horrors (Modified for 3.0). It was cool to cast it, but it was when we could ignore all the traps and it told us exactly where we needed to go that that spell was banned.

 

[Thanee]

Yep, Find the Path is definitely a spell that is ban-worthy in some campaigns.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Darkness]

I like find the path. My players can feel free to use it, I guess.

 

[Psion]

Ban? Um, some spells disappear, but I don't know if ban is the right term. "Morph" or "Gestalt" in many cases.

See:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83187

 

[Galethorn]

Lots. Like, maybe 20%. That said, it's a Grim Tales game in a low-magic setting where the metaphysics are such that teleportation and summoning make no sense, partly because of the lack of any planes other than Prime Material, Astral, Shadow, and Ethereal. As well, I really don't like the nature of the spells that are really...artificial. Case in point, the Bigby's Hand/Fist spells, the ones that seem to be designed only to avoid a particular adventure element (fly, stone to mud, etc.), and the ones that just seem to super-hero-esque, which just don't work with the setting.

That said, I allow all of the spells for my somewhat the less frequent 3.5e D&D game I also run, so it's definately not an "I don't like dealing with these spells as a DM" thing, but a "these spells don't work with this setting" thing.

 

[wingsandsword]

While I haven't banned any PHB spells outright, I have changed some of them significantly. I'm running a 3.5 campaign, but still use some of the 3.0 spells.

Polymorph/Baleful Polymorph replaced with 3.0 Polymorph Self/Polymorph Other (errataed version).
Darkness/Deeper Darkness replaced with 3.0 versions of same.
Teleport/Greater Teleport replaced with 3.0 Teleport/Teleport Without Error
3.5 Haste replaced with 3.0 Haste (with the additional restriction that you cannot cast a spell during your extra action).

I also don't let Mordenkainen's Disjunction have any chance of destroying an artifact. I never liked that, artifact destruction should be purely plot driven, not firing 9th level spells at something and hoping to make your save.

I also let 9th level and Epic spells pierce Mind Blank. Higher level spells should always trump lower level spells. If someone Wishes to know what you're thinking, Mind Blank shouldn't stop the wish. Now, if you want to Heighten it to 9th level or create a 9th level (or Epic) version of it, that's a completely different story.

It's not core/PHB, but the only spell from any official WotC non-setting-specific source I ban outright is Miasma. It's just ridiculous and wrong. I played in one campaign where that was allowed, and our Druid just showed how broken it is.

 

[maddman75]

Disintigrate is banned for a couple of reasons. It just doesn't fit.

By the book (see sig for which book), it destroys the person but not their gear. That always makes me think of Daffy Duck's disintegration proof vest. If it does destroy the stuff its far too crippling for a character. The 3.5 solution doesn't feel right either. Plus it makes castles and such defenses rather questionable, and I like castles. So there's no disintegrate.

Time stop. Its so broken I don't know how to fix it.

There are a few altered spells as well.

- You cannot teleport to a place you haven't physically been. Solves the scry-buff-teleport issue
- Heal/Harm gets a Will save, some damage on success
- The animal buffs last ten minutes a level, and give a flat +4 bonus.
- No bonus to AC from Haste
- Polymorph and wildshape allows you to use any Extraordinary ability that exists in the real world. There is a will save or you believe the new form is your natural one, and will resist attempts to change back.
- Shield uses 3.5 version