Level Up (A5E) Improving spells

[aco175]

I would limit spells more. Make some spells more limited to certain classes to give better flavor.

I would also change the power of half caster spells. 3rd level paladin spells are a lot more powerful than other classes spells of the same level.

I laying them out, list them by class and level so that I can photocopy a few pages and have all the spell for a level or two. Harder if spells carry across classes with not reprinting them.

 

[Zardnaar]

I would limit spells more. Make some spells more limited to certain classes to give better flavor.

I would also change the power of half caster spells. 3rd level paladin spells are a lot more powerful than other classes spells of the same level.

I laying them out, list them by class and level so that I can photocopy a few pages and have all the spell for a level or two. Harder if spells carry across classes with not reprinting them.

Remember lore bards can steal those Ranger and Paladin spells.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Similar to others:

1. Organize by Class and then Level. Repeating as necessary. I would rather have paid $5 more for my PHB for the additional pages then have to flip through the book, looking up each spell. It is really annoying, frankly.
2. Add an alphabetical list of all spells listing the page number the spell can be found on for referencing spells for monsters.
3. Add a line about how a spell is resisted/used so you can easily identify how a spell functions; does it require a save, an attack roll, etc. Examples: Wisdom Save Negates, Dexterity Save for half damage, Melee Spell Attack roll.

However, I can't image you plan to republish spells already in the PHB, so I am not certain what the scope of this part of the project will be...

 

[Lylandra]

not sure about this and how this would be addressed in LevelUp...
I'm not really interested in reading the same stuff I already got in my PHB etc. just with a more fancy or readable or better sorted write-up

However, if this is just meant to be about basic formatting preferences for new spells or spell options, then I'd like to see a "Class" entry for a quick reference on which class can cast this spell per default. Also, adding a tag for "attack" or "X save" if the spell requires an attack roll or a saving throw would be sweet.

Also yes, sort them by spell level and then alphabetically.

Maybe if you could give an example what this thread should and shouldn't be about and how you'd wish to use our feedback for LevelUp, it would be easier to provide ideas

 

[tetrasodium]

rather than costly components like a diamond wotth 50gp (chromatic orb), xxx gp of diamond dust that gets consumed (rez type spells), & so on have a simple table that lists few generic components sorted into both divine & arcane components consumed by casting & components you just need to have, list that table gp per gram & have spells list things like "x grams of $component" or whatever.

This does a few things:

• Lets say your a GM & want to put a costly spell component in a baddie's treasure/belt pouch/stomach/etc... Right now you need to read through every spell in the phb xge & so on to pick out the costly components & make a list. With this you could just lok at the table & give out some
• If a GM wants to adjust the economy to make the setting feel different due to industrialization/collapse of civilization/whatever it's a big mess but with this you still have 3 grams of whatever, it's just priced at a value that fits the economy.
• Lets say a player wants to negotiate a costly component such as the 1000gp lens for scry as a reward with an NPC, it shifts the ask from "I want a 1000gp lens" to "Since we are doing this job for can you work in 5 grams of law infused sand grains?">"I think 3 would be more in line but we'll see how you do with delivering results" among other stuff.
• They aren't trade goods & you might occasionally find someone willing to buy at full price butyour average PC is not going to be a certified licensed supplier capable of meeting the needs of a commercial vendor so even if there is a huge amount of GP worth of stuff if they were to buy it they can't disrupt the economy by dumping it for gold like a 300gp diamond or whatever.

 

[Leatherhead]

Spells need a lot of that general language cleanup.

First of all: Using a hostile spell on someone is an act of aggression, I don't care if that spell uses a saving throw or an attack roll or if it just auto-hits.

Second of all, targeting needs to be standardized and given a sanity check. I know you aren't asking for specific spells to change, but the Fireball/Lightning Bolt dichotomy is the perfect example of this. Fireball targets an area, and also explicitly as a feature of the spell, all creatures in that area (but not objects, which it also effects). Lightning bolt, on the other hand, only targets the caster of the spell, which causes really weird rules interactions.

Thirdly. Put the names of the classes that can cast it in the spell description somewhere. Yeah I am going to agree with the somewhat popular opinion here. I can't tell you the number of times I have looked a spell in the book and said "That's a cool spell, I wonder who gets it?"

 

[aco175]

Remember lore bards can steal those Ranger and Paladin spells.

This is mostly why I have a problem with the power level vs other classes spells of that level. I can see the lore bard being able to take wizard and cleric, but maybe not all the others.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Remember lore bards can steal those Ranger and Paladin spells.

Do rangers really need to be weakened?

 

[Eltab]

Spells that only one class can have, to give distinct flavor to each class. (Ex: Paladin XYZ Smite)
Limit cross-class 'poaching' opportunities
Some spells - or boosts to a spell - only are available with a specific subclass (like Arcane Trickster's extended Mage Hand, or 'only Dragon Sorcerers may upcast Breath of the Dragon')

I would rather have one list of fully-printed spells, with each class getting a table of Spells Available by Level.

Work through which kinds of spells should be 'defender rolls to save' vs which kinds of spells should be 'attacker rolls to hit' and why.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’d take a leaf out of 4e’s book and create a standardized spell template. Something like...

[Spell Name]________[Xth] level [School] [Ritual?]
Components: [V?] [S?] [M (components)?]
Casting Time: [X time/action unit(s)]
Duration: [Concentration? (up to)] [duration]
Range: [Spell range]
Target: X [creature(s)/target(s)] within [range/area]
Attack: [ranged/melee spell attack]
Hit: [Effect on a hit]
Save: [Ability]
Effect: [Effect on a failed save]
On Save: [Effect on a successful save]
[Description and other relevant effects]
At Higher Levels: [upcast effect]