Impact of increasing paladin/ranger caster level?

[Plane Sailing]

An idea I was just kicking around...

What would be the impact of giving Paladins and Rangers a caster level = class level (instead of half class level)?

Obvious things that I can think of:

spells would last longer
higher level scrolls would cost more to make
animal friendship becomes a useful spell

What (if anything) would break if this rule was used?

 

[Crothian]

They can qualify for item creation feats that much faster. I doubt the change will matter much, but I'd really want to see it in play first.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Interesting point.

I notice that the feat writeup says Spellcaster level 5+ (etc). Is this distinct from Caster level, I wonder?

I'd guess that the two are synonymous, but I can bet that some people might edge in a distinction there!

Cheers

 

[Urbanmech]

Giving them a caster level equal to class level will give some of their spells a bit more oomph. Animal Friendship, Polymorph Self, and Divine Favor spring to mind as three that would be most helped by this change.

This change may also encourage people to stay as a straight paladin or ranger for more levels. I don't think it would really break the game too much.

 

[Ravellion]

Animal Friendship, Polymorph Self, and Divine Favor spring to mind as three that would be most helped by this change.

Of these, I think Animal Friendship is most "game breaking". you are giving one of the druids' perks to the ranger IMO.

Rav

 

[Plane Sailing]

Of these, I think Animal Friendship is most "game breaking". you are giving one of the druids' perks to the ranger IMO.

Rav

I don't know. It seems that the druids companions are of most use at low levels anyway (and the rangers companions are so behind in HD that the first area attack spell is almost guaranteed to wipe them all out as it stands)

I would say that the Druids spells and wildshaping are the biggest perks by a long shot.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Perhaps a better mid-way solution would be to give the Paladin and Ranger a caster level of class level -3.

So when they first gain access to spells at 4th level, they have a caster level of 1. If they carry on to 20th level they could get a caster level of 17.

This would still make them weaker casters at any given level than "true" spellcasters, but it would mean that spells that scale by level are not as hamstrung for high level characters.

Cheers

 

[Happy Monkey]

Item creation will be more appealing but being fighting types the Paladin/Ranger are stretched for feats. Create magic arms and armour springs to mind as a fine choice...

The impact on spells is rather dependant on the spell lists, whether they are from the PHB or have been altered.

All in all this empowerment seems fine on paper, it would of course need some play testing for unseen issues.

 

[Ferret]

How about(not sure if it'll work)

Caster level	Half caster level	Three-quarter caster level	Three-quarter caster level -1
1	0	0	0
2	1	0	0
3	1	2	1
4	2	3	2
5	2	3	2
6	3	4	3
7	3	5	4
8	4	6	5
9	4	6	5
10	5	7	6
11	5	8	7
12	6	9	8
13	6	9	8
14	7	10	9
15	7	11	10
16	8	12	11
17	8	12	11
18	9	13	12
19	9	14	13
20	10	15	14

 

[Plane Sailing]

I guess that kind of thing would be a possibility - but I think class level - has a certain robust simplicity about it!