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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Primitive Screwhead" data-source="post: 5760852" data-attributes="member: 20805">Maybe I used the wrong term there.Spells in fiction are often powerful exertions of arcane/divine over the normal rules of the world. The author times the use of spells appropriate to the plot line and the results are rarely occurring, mythic events.In RPGs, the timing of the use of the spells is handed over to the player. In earlier editions the power was retained and restrictions places on the timing {has to be memorized, uses components, etc..} to try and keep spells in the niche they hold in fiction. As the editions wore on, the power of spells dropped along with the restrictions of use. Now in 4e a decent level Mage can cast Magic Missile all day long... but now the spell is roughly the equivalent of a highly accurate crossbow. No longer can a Mage cast Wish and most of the other spells have been nerfed from their original form.  Along the way you get more predictability and less *cool* This is 'as intended', as most players get very upset over a character whose shtick is randomly nerfed and unreliable. Its hard to be heroic if you have a chance of your attack fizzling 'just because'.  On the other hand, its hard to be heroic when your attacks deal wimpy damage but can be used every round.The 15 minute day comes from the play style in which Spells were seen as required to survive since they were the most powerful tool the players had. 4E worked to get rid of that by leveling the powers {literally} and for the most part succeeded.However some DMs will still run level+5 encounters instead of realizing that the new math balances at level equivalent very nicely {level -2 or -4 for Solos} That leads to the Nova response from the players.. or maybe it derives from the players going Nova and losing the feel of a challenge.  Either way, the answer is to lower the threat of the individual encounter and expand the threat of the adventuring day.Now if we are talking 5e.. perhaps Spells need to shift back into the less often used/more powerful realm. Perhaps using reserve spells as a jump off point and build a system where the players are encouraged to hold off until the critical plot point where they can emulate the Mages of fiction and save the day.IMHO, of course</blockquote>

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