Preparing spells every 8 hours?

[Cloudgatherer]

I voted for option 1.

It just makes sense to me. The wizard rests up, then preps spells. I do not like the idea of having a wizard go to sleep, wake up, and have to *wait* to prep spells: "Gee, it hasn't been 24 hours yet, so I can't study my spellbook."

Clerics have the mechanic built in, they get a time when they can prep, once per day at a specific time. This makes sense for them, but not wizards.

 

[Conaill]

Quite interesting, but I'm not sure the real-world effects of doing this on a regular basis are relevant to this issue.

1) The question has nothing to do with *reality*, only with the current 3rd edition rules on spell preparation.

2) You could still get into serious rules abuse by doing this on an occasional basis. Say, you just got attacked after breakfast, and you somehow know they'll be back by nightfall. "I cast Sleep on myself so I can get my spells back by this evening?"

 

[Psifon]

My Vote

As you noted, I go with B. Per day means Per day, not per 8 hour period.

I just checked the vote and was suprised to see 38% voted with A. I think a lot of people are confused by the fact that you could rest two or three times per day in 2nd edition.

This is 3E folks, and the times they are a changin'

 

[Staldin*Freefall]

I think it's fine to let a wizard nap for a while and then blow all his spells at once. This tactic is a terrible piece of time budgeting, and locks the party down in one place. How useful can this really be?

 

[Ruvion]

The way how I interpret Spells per Day, is that it stands for the amount of eldritch power you can wield without taxing yourself per day. Look at the Wheel Time's excellent overchannelling system. After, spending all your magic juice for the day, you can still go at it by taxing your body and potentionally burning your abilty to channel magic out. So, IMC a good 8 hour rest does not restore your daily magic juice, for that would tax your ability to draw magic form the world (and may consequentially burn your magical ability out, if I was a "out-to-get-you" type of DM).

 

[SableWyvern]

My original stance was B - in fact, the first time I saw this issue come up, I was a devout B-ist.

Reading a few responses though, I decided, what the hell. I converted. While I understand people who support the B option, I just don't think that A is terribly unbalancing or open to abuse.

As Staldin*Freefall pointed out, the party is tied down for a considerable period if they are working this way.

If the party is secure enough that the wizard can get the requisite rest, then the net affect is not greatly different than if the party pulled back to a secure area and waited the full day. If, OTOH, the area is not particularly secure, than the danger inherrent in the wizard letting off his entire repertoire and then hoping he remains safe for the next 8 hours is balance enough.

In summary, option B is obviously truer to the roots of D&D, but A is not necessarily unbalancing.

 

[IceBear]

I agree with the above and have almost exactly the same feelings, though a Ring of Sustenance *COULD* (unless you enforce 8 hours of restful calm) unbalance it.

IceBear

 

[Conaill]

Staldin*Freefall, SableWyvern and IceBear:

The issue is NOT how unbalanced option A would be. The questions is what is the correct rule in 3E! I don't care what you use as a houserule. Did the designers intend "spells per day" to be "spells per day"?

One good point that came up in the original WotC thread (for those of you who didn't bother reading all the arguments pro and con)... If you interpret it as "spells per 8-hr rest period", then what do you do with all those spells whose duration is counted in days? Does your Endure Elements expire after your next rest period?

 

[Zhure]

from the SRD:
"If the character does not need to sleep for some reason, she still must have 8 hours of restful calm before preparing any spells. "

Some have claimed the description of the Ring of Sustenance overrides this, but I don't buy that.

Greg

 

[IceBear]

Staldin*Freefall, SableWyvern and IceBear:

The issue is NOT how unbalanced option A would be. The questions is what is the correct rule in 3E! I don't care what you use as a houserule. Did the designers intend "spells per day" to be "spells per day"?

One good point that came up in the original WotC thread (for those of you who didn't bother reading all the arguments pro and con)... If you interpret it as "spells per 8-hr rest period", then what do you do with all those spells whose duration is counted in days? Does your Endure Elements expire after your next rest period?

Why would it? There is no rationale that I can think of why they would expire because you rested. The spell has a duration that's independent of the caster.

I think, by the rules, that option A is probably the most correct one, but option B gives wizards a bit more flavor over clerics and sorcerers.

IceBear