Spell Casters Should Be Creative

[ren1999]

Here is yet another idea about multiple actions per turn.

A martial character could attack 2 enemies at 5th level and 3 enemies at 10th level and trade one action for a reaction out of turn.

A caster character would get 1 action or 1 reaction spell at 1st through 4th level and 1 action and 1 reaction at 5th level and 10th level but the damage from the spell or the severity of the damage conditions would increase with level. All spells would then be encounter spells and could only be cast 1 time during a fight.

 

[MarkB]

I really don't like the idea of a character's ability to react to things taking away from his ability to act on his own turn. It could put a character entirely on the defensive, especially at low levels, and seems like it'd feel no fun at all to play.

 

[ren1999]

I really don't like the idea of a character's ability to react to things taking away from his ability to act on his own turn. It could put a character entirely on the defensive, especially at low levels, and seems like it'd feel no fun at all to play.

What if characters were allowed 1 reaction and 1 action at 1st level?
2 reactions really do slow down game play.

 

[MarkB]

What if characters were allowed 1 reaction and 1 action at 1st level?

That's how it is already, as I understand it. Everyone gets one action on their turn, and can take one reaction out of turn.

Gaining additional on-turn actions at higher levels is an option, but frankly it feels like the same sort of artificial escalation as increasing attack and defense bonuses. You end up with everyone taking two actions on their turn, including the level-appropriate enemies, and it doesn't really make anyone more powerful, it just makes each turn take longer.

 

[ren1999]

That's how it is already, as I understand it. Everyone gets one action on their turn, and can take one reaction out of turn.

Gaining additional on-turn actions at higher levels is an option, but frankly it feels like the same sort of artificial escalation as increasing attack and defense bonuses. You end up with everyone taking two actions on their turn, including the level-appropriate enemies, and it doesn't really make anyone more powerful, it just makes each turn take longer.

You don't end up with everyone taking two actions. Lower threat monsters get 1 action and higher threat monsters get multiple actions. It worked very well in the play-test. Fighter's Surge and Cleave work quite well. I just think that we should regulate the multiple actions to 1 additional action every 5 levels.

Not every character or monster will chose a reaction every time. Reactions mostly don't do damage rather add to the defense. They are not the same as standard actions.

 

[Kavon]

While the discussion in this thread is of general interest (reactions out of turn - which should be a modular option, not the default, IMO), I don't see what it has to do with spellcasters being creative?

 

[ren1999]

While the discussion in this thread is of general interest (reactions out of turn - which should be a modular option, not the default, IMO), I don't see what it has to do with spellcasters being creative?

The idea is to make every spell encounter X1 so that the caster has to chose a different spell every turn.