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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stalker0" data-source="post: 8484952" data-attributes="member: 5889">So lets dig in on this one.Let us once again assume that a creature has a 50% chance of failure a saving throw for the spell I cast. In fact, lets assume everyone has a 50% chance of passing saving throws on all spells cast period, to keep the example simple.This means that a portent rolled will be in one of two states:1) There is a 50% chance the portent roll will be useful in causing an enemy to fail a save. Otherwise, the roll will be too high, and will be useless for this purpose.2) There is a 50% chance the portent roll will be useful in helping an ally pass a save. Otherwise, the roll will be too low.Obviously, I will use the portent in the best possible state, after I know the result. So if I have failed a save....I now have a 0% chance of success. The portent gives me a 100% chance of success... so a change of 100%, very nice! Conversely it could have forced a failure on a monster, again with a +100% chance. Since each result is possible 50% of the time, we get a total of 100%.With two portents, that is +200% (resource of change) that portents gives us.Silvery Barbs imposes a +50% extra chance of failure on a monster's saving throw. However, it also gives our ally advantage on a saving throw, which in this example is a +50% extra chance of success. In other words, each spell is giving us +100% (resource of change).By this definition, 2 spell slot of Silvery Barbs = 2 portents. 2 spell slots are available to a 1st level wizard, never mind a 20th level one.Now this is a highly simplified example, spell failures are rarely exactly 50%. Further, this equivalency requires a certain minimum amount of saving throws. If I don't even have two saving throws in the day, than the portents are wasted. If I don't have at least 2 enemy saves and 2 ally saves...than the silvery barbs are weaker. The reaction of the barbs is a limitation, as is its range. Further, the context of the saves is very important. What makes Portent so good is when you have a really really nasty saving throw....having a guarantee of success can be extremely important. But on the flip side, you could blow your portents early in the day....and now are defenseless. Meanwhile someone with silvery barbs could use slot after slot (even using higher slots if needed) long after the portents are expended.The point.... is that while Portent is very powerful, it is not "infinitely powerful" compared to barbs. They have equivalencies, and there are situations where one or the other is a superior offering. Maybe its 1 barbs to 1 portents one day, 2 barbs to 1 portents the next, 3 to 2 on the third day. Further still.... they don't have to compete with each other. No reason a diviner can't have both!And therein lies the problem to me. We are taking a thing that was once considered so powerful that it needed to be kept in the restricted hands of a limited subclass ability....and now are making it a generic spell slot that any tom, dick, and harry wizard can spam to their hearts content. That is a significant increase in power.... we have given the portents ability (or some fraction of it) to every wizard who wants it.If portents is a strong ability (which it is), if there is an equivalency to silvery barbs (which there is as I've shown), and now all wizard have access to it....than that is power creep pure and simple.</blockquote>

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