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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FreeTheSlaves" data-source="post: 4016007" data-attributes="member: 9952">Thanks for the additional replies guys (& gals?). This thread was not forgotten, it's just that we've been debating via email.1st up a few responses.****Thank you for the pointers eschwenke & Tequila Sunrise, I gave them a look over.****Infiniti2000We use the various animal buffs prolifically, and they require a cascade of recalculations as they go up and when one but not another goes down.I do agree that the AoE dispel magic house rule is far reaching. Essentially, (greater) dispel magic serves a central need in mid level+ combat. Fiddling with it is not being taken lightly.The idea behind selecting the same spell multiple times is that instead of the cleric having 'divine power', 'deathward', and 'divination', he takes 'divine power' x 3.****Thank you for your pointers Xath. Your analysis has been taken on board. Likewise, thanks Primitive, same goes.****The group discussion has moved on and here are the results from the suggestions I presented. Remember, our group likes to limit house rules as best we can.1. Drop the variety of spells and take the same spell numerous times. Player choice, and this idea has been developed into creating a prepared spell-buffed stat block sheet for when the character has time to prepare. In other words, the available spells have been grouped into 4 lists, each for an encounter, and each list has been calculated into a stat block.2. Tanking away for longer each day. This means more less-powerful encounters and less spell dumping.In combination with 1, the dm will make some effort to facilitate this play.3. Possibly even have the Cleric cast his spells like a sorcerer. Not happening because of player choice.4. Drop ability damage and ability score buffs, compensate with stat increases every odd level. Not happening due to work involved. It has been noted by all that ability damage contributes to an unfair or not fun encounter. It can't be eliminated but it doesn't need to be seen more than very occasionally.5. Damage spells that throw a lot of dice around should be like in 4th edition where 2/3 of the damage is a + bonus.Player choice with dm checking and approval. My frosting weapon now does +3 frost damage (sigh, the lost 0.5). <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> 6. Dispel magic is limited to targeting free standing spell effects (wall of fire), magic items and individual characters. Big discussion raging. We've want to keep the power & utility of dispel magic, but lose the recalculation complexity. So far we're leaning towards keeping the AoE but making the spell all-or-nothing. The varied CL of spell buffs is a complication, and the big swing of all-or-nothing is problematic.7. Use a predetermined value for power attack.Player choice. Done.8. Ditch the leadership Feat and allow the character to choose again. Player choice. Done.9. Possibly limit the number of active buffs on a character to ?...Not happening. 10. Ditch natural armour amulets and spells. Not happening. We'll provide updated info on our character combat stats and the DM needs to adjust the attack bonus of the minions. Otherwise there's a bit too much complexity involved, and potential for balance issues. 11. Do to Combat expertise what I suggest for Power attack...Player choice. Done. 12. Don't allow the fighting defensive combat option, the aid another's AC combat option, and the Combat expertise feat to be allowed together. Not such a problem area, so it's not happening. A major other issue we have that's under discussion is scry-buff-teleport. It annoyed the dm, and led to an anti-climactic fight, so it's not popular with any of us. But we (and our characters) can not deny the power of the tactic. The discussion we're having is focussed around the sentence within the spell description that talks about the spell malfunctioning around massive physical and magical energies. Specifically, what exactly does that mean? Our solution also needs to assure the player with a teleporting character that the spell is still a worthy 5th level spell choice for his Sorceress.We're focusing on this sentence because it means we're not changing any rule, and it potentially will allow a boss to inhabit a lair close to a great energy, which will provide some protection from scry-buff-teleport. Thanks all.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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