D&D (2024) Sorcery Incarnate - Is it time for unlimited concentration?

[Marc Radle]

The new Theurge class in Deep Magic 1 can concentrate on more than one spell!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deepmagic/deep-magic-2-spellcasters-emporium-for-5th-edition-games

 

[Yaarel]

@Garthanos

The more I think about it, the more I like your suggestion that a "Concentration" spell must spend a Reaction each round in order to maintain its spell effect.

This is a case where mechanics and flavor work well together.

For example, slot 3 Fly is a spell that (importantly) requires Concentration. I can easily imagine, a caster spending the Reactions to maintain the flight itself while doing other Actions and Moves while flying.



By the way, here is a proposal for a cantrip called Wings that grants a method of flight at low levels, by means of having wings, without requiring Concentration.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Maintaining a spell taking concentration and that causing loss of other ability like losing the ability to swiftly react (ie you are focusing why can you cast a shield? or absorb elements? or silvery barbs?) would be an effort to actually make concentration a limit. As it stands its like having an extra action or many depending on which spell you concentrate on... for example conjured animals.

Taking away a reaction is very punishing, to the point where I would see people not casting concentration spells. They are good spells but I am not convinced that they are that good.

 

[Gorck]

In the original Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, there was a feat called Dual-Focused that allowed you to concentrate on 2 spells at once, with the caveats that (A) whenever you take damage, you have to make separate concentration checks for each spell, and (B) at the of each round that you are concentrating on 2 spells, you need to make a CON save (DC equals 8 + both spells’ levels combined) to maintain concentration on both spell (on a failure, you lost concentration on both spells). They dropped it in the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.

Also in Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, the Way of the Cobalt Soul subclass for the Monk had a 6th level ability called Mind of Mercury that allowed you to spend 1 Ki point to take an additional reaction between turns (to a max of your INT modifier). In the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, they reduced it to just 1 extra reaction.

 

[Yaarel]

Taking away a reaction is very punishing, to the point where I would see people not casting concentration spells. They are good spells but I am not convinced that they are that good.

Maybe spending Reaction is punishing, but this could be a good thing?

Right now, adding the Concentration mechanic to a spell is kinda arbitrary. It can get added where it really shouldnt be or be missing from where it should.

If the technical term "Concentration" would mean, "must spend Reaction every round to maintain", then this clear, hard, requirement would make the designers think twice about whether a spell really deserved Concentration or not. The spell list would be better for it, and more balanced.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Maybe spending Reaction is punishing, but this could be a good thing?

Right now, adding the Concentration mechanic to a spell is kinda arbitrary. It can get added where it really shouldnt be or be missing from where it should.

If the technical term "Concentration" would mean, "must spend Reaction every round to maintain", then this clear, hard, requirement would make the designers think twice about whether a spell really deserved Concentration or not. The spell list would be better for it, and more balanced.

I think that in practise nobody would take concentration spells.

 

[Kinematics]

Making a concentration spell use a reaction to maintain it doesn't really do anything but add an extra punishment for casting concentration spells. You only have one reaction, so you can only maintain one spell, which is exactly the same as today but with extra steps.

I could maybe see it if casting a second concentration spell requires you using your reaction to maintain it. Losing your reaction is bad, but it might sometimes be worth it to maintain two spells at once.

 

[Shardstone]

Concentration stacking becomes possible if your first concentration is free, your second is a bonus action, and your third is a reaction. Lose concentration on one, lose it on all of them.

Alternatively, you could do first concentration is free, second leaves you restrained. If one ends, they both end.

Stuff like this expands Concentration, but doesn't do anything for martials. It makes Concentration a more interesting mechanic, but I don't think the interest it adds really means much. Might be good as an Epic Boon Feat.

 

[Horwath]

Or add that total level of spell you are concentrating cannot be higher than your highest spell slot.
This would aid multiclassing and favor low level spells later on.