D&D 5E Spell Level Cap Below 9th

[Shiroiken]

If you want to turn everyone into a half-caster, I'd just take the paladin/ranger spell progression rates and use those. You might then change there progression rate to the 1/3 rate of the eldritch knight and arcane trickster.

 

[Horwath]

Or you make every caster take multiclass mandatory with maximum level of single casting class at half total level(round up).

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Or cap levels at 10 instead of 20. Campaigns and groups rarely get much farther anyway.

 

[jgsugden]

You get a similar feel, but at no mechanical expense, if you cap NPC spell casters at 5th level spells and give PCs the capability to rise above the cap. They're special - chosen to return to the heights of magic not seen in centuries.... The world feels low magic, they feel like special heroes.... all good.

 

[dave2008]

I noticed you mentioned spell points. Are you assuming that variant for all casters? I am not real familiar with that variant, but if the have all the spell points, then the fact they can't cast higher level spells shouldn't be much of a problem. Are they keeping there other high level features?

 

[CapnZapp]

I've been considering running a game where I cap the maximum spell level at 5th level. I'd be using the spell-point variant, and I'd be keeping the available spell points at each level and the cost for spells of each level the same as listed in the DMG. The primary change I'd be instituting is at what levels the classes get access to higher level spells.

1st lvl spells @ 1st level,
2nd lvl spells @ 5th level,
3rd lvl spells @ 9th level,
4th lvl spells @ 13th level, and
5th lvl spells @ 17th level.

What I'm attempting to achieve by doing this is to create a feeling that high-end magic is less powerful in the game setting, and that the world's distant gods means no access to high-end miracles. However, I'm not trying to punish people for taking a caster class; hence the casters don't receive any fewer spell points.

What do you think of this approach? Do you have any thoughts, concerns, or criticisms.

I think you overestimate the value of getting the slots/spell points, and underestimate the loss of power associated with not getting higher-level spells in a timely fashion.

I would suggest you instead consider multiclassing: simply say that any full caster must multiclass every other level.

That way a 10th level "Wizard" will actually be Wizard 5 / Something Else 5.

The end result will still be the same (i.e. Wizards getting access to third level spells at level 9) but now the overall power of the character is much more robust - that Wizard could now be five levels of Fighter or Cleric or whatever...

The overall power level of a multiclassed spellcaster will still be less than a pure singleclassed caster (by virtue of spell power exponentially increasing with spell level) but at least you aren't actively hobbling your casters.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I've been considering running a game where I cap the maximum spell level at 5th level. I'd be using the spell-point variant, and I'd be keeping the available spell points at each level and the cost for spells of each level the same as listed in the DMG. The primary change I'd be instituting is at what levels the classes get access to higher level spells.

1st lvl spells @ 1st level,
2nd lvl spells @ 5th level,
3rd lvl spells @ 9th level,
4th lvl spells @ 13th level, and
5th lvl spells @ 17th level.

What I'm attempting to achieve by doing this is to create a feeling that high-end magic is less powerful in the game setting, and that the world's distant gods means no access to high-end miracles. However, I'm not trying to punish people for taking a caster class; hence the casters don't receive any fewer spell points.

What do you think of this approach? Do you have any thoughts, concerns, or criticisms.

Here is what I would do:

Either using spell points or spell slots, keep the progression the same, so spell slots up to 9th are available. But, make the spell levels available at the progression you suggest, i.e. 2nd at 5th, 3rd at 9th, etc.

Here is the difference: spells are always cast at maximum level, similar to warlocks.

For example, at 4th level, when normally 2nd-level slots are the maximum, a magic missile spell would always cast 5 missiles as if cast with a 2nd-level slot. At 17th-level, the 5th-level spells would be cast as if using 9th-level slots.

I am not sure if it would really work out well or not, but that's my first thought.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I think the easiest approach is to use the multiclassing spell progression table as the normal progression for full casters. This is the approach I used and it works well.

 

[Immoralkickass]

Or cap levels at 10 instead of 20. Campaigns and groups rarely get much farther anyway.

This would be the best way to do it while still keeping the balance between martial and casters. There is already a guy called Zman who did some tweaks. Its called E10 or something.

 

[CapnZapp]

I think the easiest approach is to use the multiclassing spell progression table as the normal progression for full casters. This is the approach I used and it works well.

I think this is pretty much the same as the OP's approach. My previous post applies equally to this.