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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
It Is 2025 And Save Or Suck Spells Still Suck (the fun out of the game)
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 9678903" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Oh yes, those spells have always been extremely swingy throughout D&D's history. Less impactful in the old school days, maybe, because combat turns were shorter and the comedy of errors seemed to be embraced in the chaos.</p><p></p><p>I do think D&D's spell design – not the system, but the specific language and how spells are conceived – leaves a lot to be desired.</p><p></p><p>Magic is more interesting when there's a give and take, or some kind of complication, catch 22, or a "but look out for this side effect." That's why spells like Teleport can be so much fun, and why the old Fireball and Lightning Bolt were great. IMO. For example, a Hideous Laughter spell... that is contagious if you get too close to a victim of the laughter. Or a Suggestion spell that requires tricking the target into speaking a certain word of agreement or using a material component uniquely connected to the target...without which the target/GM gets a wide range of interpretation over the suggestion given (e.g. "leave" might be interpreted as "leave" their most cherished possession on the ground).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 9678903, member: 20323"] Oh yes, those spells have always been extremely swingy throughout D&D's history. Less impactful in the old school days, maybe, because combat turns were shorter and the comedy of errors seemed to be embraced in the chaos. I do think D&D's spell design – not the system, but the specific language and how spells are conceived – leaves a lot to be desired. Magic is more interesting when there's a give and take, or some kind of complication, catch 22, or a "but look out for this side effect." That's why spells like Teleport can be so much fun, and why the old Fireball and Lightning Bolt were great. IMO. For example, a Hideous Laughter spell... that is contagious if you get too close to a victim of the laughter. Or a Suggestion spell that requires tricking the target into speaking a certain word of agreement or using a material component uniquely connected to the target...without which the target/GM gets a wide range of interpretation over the suggestion given (e.g. "leave" might be interpreted as "leave" their most cherished possession on the ground). [/QUOTE]
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It Is 2025 And Save Or Suck Spells Still Suck (the fun out of the game)
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