D&D 5E Is Concentration Bugging You?

[KarinsDad]

I recently put together a Paladin for 5E and noticed that many of the spells requires Concentration.

I get the whole "prevent massive buffing" reasons for the rule, but I think that WotC went overboard with that.


I might add a house rule that allows multiple concentration spells, but increases the DC by 2 for each spell the caster is concentrating on if hit.

Two concentration spells up? Make two DC 12 (or half damage +2) concentration checks, one for each spell.
Three concentration spells up? Make three DC 14 (or half damage +4) concentration checks, one for each spell.

Yes, this type of house rule shifts the balance of power to casters a bit, but I basically figure that everyone and his brother is a caster in 5E anyway, might as well help most everyone out. Pros and Cons to this as well (i.e. one attack can take out multiple spells, this results in PCs casting more spells and having fewer for later, etc.).


Can anyone think of an alternative house rule that might work too?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Your rule does risk making casters better, but if your OK with that (and everyone in my game is a caster anyway...again) go for it.

 

[Thyrwyn]

I' d be cautious. Maybe if the act of casting an additional concentration spell forced a roll for any spells already being maintained.

Or maybe/also a limit based on casting attribute.

 

[Astrosicebear]

See it during play first...Concentration is a great limiter in the game, and rarely comes up besides enemies getting hit, or casting other spells.

So far, doesnt seem broken at all to me.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

If buff-stacking was just a matter of balance, they could nerf specific spells and move on. I believe concentration is there also to make combat simpler by reducing the number of spells active round-by-round. In that sense, the fact that most classes cast spells is an additional reason to keep it as written. Changing it to allow characters to concentrate in more than one spell can take you to that point, very common in 3E, where a single dispel magic would make the game stall. In fact, by the rules you describe, weapon attacks would generate the same effect as 3E's dispel magic, just worse, since they happen every round. At this point, I'd just ignore concentration rules and move on.

 

[Lackhand]

I noticed the effect of concentration as a GM and was annoyed by it. But I also don't want to make maintaining multiple effects even more of a time sink than it is -- it's already complex enough!

One think I was considering was allowing multiple effects with Concentration up simultaneously, but only 1 "active" (or at risk of having concentration broken) at a time. So you can have your Acid Fog and your Stone Skin and your Flaming Sphere and your Web, but each round you must pick only one to concentrate on. Though the durations of the others continue to tick and can even expire, all of their effects are suppressed (as if concentration were broken) unless you choose to concentrate on them again. It makes things a little goofy as webs flicker, fogs decohere, and fires cycle, but it does allow variety without going too far towards the dreaded Stacking Concentration Effects.
They might still have to remember where inactive spells were centered, though!

 

[Imaro]

What exactly is the problem with Concentration? I have a paladin in my game now and even with concentration he doesn't seem to be lacking in power... or is there another issue at work here?

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Imaro:

It's a paladin thing: many of his smite spells require concentration, which conflicts with other buffs like Bless.

 

[keterys]

Honestly, I'm most okay with the concentration limiting # of spells part. I do think they might have gone slightly overboard (so I can't have multiple of Hex, Spider Climb, or Web active? Really?), but I'd be averse to letting people go over 1 without significant investment (ex: a feat)

It's the having to constantly make DC 10+ Con saves because I happen to be in melee range that bugs me. That and how I like to roll 3s and 4s for saves (I'm legendary with saves in my home groups).

Feat-wise, something like

Combat Caster
You can maintain two Concentration spells at one time. When you fail a Concentration saving throw, you choose one spell to lose, not both.

If you are concentrating on only one spell, you have advantage on Concentration saves.

 

[mamol]

Might be a little off topic, but do I understand the "smite spells" correctly? You concentrate on it, you hit, you deal extra damage and the spell ends? Or can you concentrate on it even after dealing extra damage and deal that damage again?