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<blockquote data-quote="Majoru Oakheart" data-source="post: 3747810" data-attributes="member: 5143">I doubt that versatile spells will happen.&nbsp; Part of the entire design process from 3.0 all the way to near the end of 3.5 has been to REMOVE versatility from spells.This is the reason that sleet storm is a separate spell from ice storm and the reason that polymorph was turned into a number of spells that turn you into one form each.The idea is that if a spell has different uses that you choose when you cast it, it becomes a &quot;better&quot; spell than one that only does one thing.&nbsp; So, if one spell has 2 uses, ALL spells have to have 2 uses or they will become spells that no one uses.Also, the other problem is that if a spell has two uses, one will always be more powerful than the other since it's impossible to balance all choices exactly.&nbsp; So, for instance with polymorph, changing into an Annis Hag was almost always a better choice than changing into a Badger.&nbsp; If you cast the spell to change into a Badger, it might as well be a 1st or 2nd level spell.&nbsp; However, the Annis Hag might be too powerful to be a 5th level spell.If, for instance, you made a spell like phantom steed which could either be used to trample everyone in a 20 foot radius for 1d6 per level OR could also be used the same as phantom steed.&nbsp; Well, no one would prepare fireball or phantom steed again since they could just prepare the more versatile spell.&nbsp; Simple answer, right?&nbsp; Make it one level higher.&nbsp; Except it's likely that there is a spell at a higher level that has ONE effect that is better than either of the 2 effects in this new spell(unfortunately, level 4 is a rather barren level in 3.5 to use this as an example, IMHO).&nbsp; This makes the spell with ONE good effect better than the one with two effects...in this case.Unfortunately, it is really hard to figure out where the spell belongs and really hard to balance.At any rate, I believe they are referring to having spell slots for damaging spells and different spell slots for utility spells where you can't prepare one type of spell in the other slots.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Majoru Oakheart, post: 3747810, member: 5143"] I doubt that versatile spells will happen. Part of the entire design process from 3.0 all the way to near the end of 3.5 has been to REMOVE versatility from spells. This is the reason that sleet storm is a separate spell from ice storm and the reason that polymorph was turned into a number of spells that turn you into one form each. The idea is that if a spell has different uses that you choose when you cast it, it becomes a "better" spell than one that only does one thing. So, if one spell has 2 uses, ALL spells have to have 2 uses or they will become spells that no one uses. Also, the other problem is that if a spell has two uses, one will always be more powerful than the other since it's impossible to balance all choices exactly. So, for instance with polymorph, changing into an Annis Hag was almost always a better choice than changing into a Badger. If you cast the spell to change into a Badger, it might as well be a 1st or 2nd level spell. However, the Annis Hag might be too powerful to be a 5th level spell. If, for instance, you made a spell like phantom steed which could either be used to trample everyone in a 20 foot radius for 1d6 per level OR could also be used the same as phantom steed. Well, no one would prepare fireball or phantom steed again since they could just prepare the more versatile spell. Simple answer, right? Make it one level higher. Except it's likely that there is a spell at a higher level that has ONE effect that is better than either of the 2 effects in this new spell(unfortunately, level 4 is a rather barren level in 3.5 to use this as an example, IMHO). This makes the spell with ONE good effect better than the one with two effects...in this case. Unfortunately, it is really hard to figure out where the spell belongs and really hard to balance. At any rate, I believe they are referring to having spell slots for damaging spells and different spell slots for utility spells where you can't prepare one type of spell in the other slots. [/QUOTE]

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