Spell Mastery Variants That Do Not Suck

[airwalkrr]

Spell Mastery is the red-headed step-child of wizard feats. For good reason. It grants a benefit that only comes up in prison campaigns where the DM likes to kidnap the party all the time. I do not know of any DMs who run those kinds of campaigns and would probably be uninterested if I heard about one. So presented below are a few variants on this feat to make them more attracitve options. I like the idea of wizards having a feat that is only available to them and makes them unique. Most of the other casters in the game already have some form of spontaneous magic or they get more spells than the wizard so this does not seem too overpowered. Take a look and tell me what you think.

Variant 1
SPELL MASTERY [SPECIAL]
Prerequisite: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Each time you take this feat, choose a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier that you already know. From that point on, you can prepare these spells without referring to a spellbook. In addition, you can "lose" any prepared spell in order to cast these spells as long as they are the same spell level or lower than the lost spell, much like a cleric can cast healing spells.
Normal: Without this feat, you must use a spellbook to prepare all your spells, except read magic. Also, preparing a spell later in the day requires an open spell slot and takes at least 15 minutes.

Variant 2
SPELL MASTERY [SPECIAL]
Prerequisite: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Each time you take this feat, choose one spell that you already know. It must be a spell at least one level lower than the highest level spell you can cast. From that point on, you can prepare this spell without referring to a spellbook. In addition, every time you prepare this spell, you can cast it a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier for each time you prepare the spell.
Normal: Without this feat, you must use a spellbook to prepare all your spells, except read magic. Also, you may only cast a spell once for each time your prepare it.

 

[Jack Simth]

1) With careful use, can be used to outshine the Sorcerer; the Wizard gets four arbitrary bonus feats over the course of his career; if he has an Int of 19 at 5th, 20 at 10th, 21 at 15th, and 28 at 20th (he picked up a +5 Tome of Clear Thought somewhere between 15th and 20th - probably pretty common for Wizards).

So at 5th, he takes Spell Mastery, and gets four spells of 3rd level or lower (technically can get higher level spells - there's no level restriction on when a Wizard transcribes a spell into his book, just a Spellcraft roll; taking 10, this wizard-5 with an Int of 19 and max ranks in spellcraft can get 7th level spells scribed, if he finds them) - say, Fireball, Fly, Invisibility and See Invisible. At 10th, he gets 5 spells (5th level or lower, but he could have 9th level spells in his spellbook) and takes, say, Teleport, Cone of Cold, Shadow Conjouration, Greater Invisibility, and, oh, Polymorph. Okay, he can't spontaneously cast as many spells as the Sorcerer... but he can have the spells the Sorcerer uses several times a day spontaneously, and at the same time he can do his preperatory spells that he won't need all that often, needing only a copy or two. And if it turns out he doesn't need them, well, he can convert them, no sweat. Shifts the Sorcerer/Wizard balance point in the direction of the Wizard.

2) Is just broken. I'm an evoker. At 5th, I take Spell Mastry(Fireball) and prepare Fireball every day in my specialist slot. I can cast Fireball four times at 5th level! Oh, and I'm only using up one slot for it, so I can use my other 3rd level slots on, say, Fly, and an Extended Rope Trick. When I hit 7th, I prepare the regular Fireball in my 3rd level specialist slot, and a Stilled Fireball in my 4th level specialist slot. At 9th, I prepare the regular Fireball in my 3rd level specialist slot, and an Empowered Fireball in my 5th level specialist slot... man, I can be quite the blaster while still being just as flexible as any Wizard. Can be done with non-evocations too, of course, but the Evoker is just for an illustration.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Variant 2 would probably be balanced if it had something like "pick a spell of a level no higher than 2 levels below the highest level you currently know.." the higher level spells getting cast multiple times per spell slot? Ouch.
Or maybe 2 per slot, because all I see are casting stats in the stratosphere. Everyone seems to start with an 18, boost it with a caster race and have a 20 at first level. That's a 1st level wizard casting 15 magic missiles per day.

 

[airwalkrr]

Oops! For Variant 2, I originally meant to have the stipulation that the spell level had to be one level lower than what you were capable of casting (I've fixed it). That makes it substantially better. Consider that the sorcerer at 5th level can cast 4 spells of 2nd level plus a bonus spell for high Charisma. The wizard could do it at 5th level too, but only with one spell. So he is either a one-trick pony, or he gets a few extra spells of his specialty spell every day, which is not a bad deal, nor heavily overpowered since he is already pretty limited on spells per day. Plus, once he is 15th level, having scorching ray 5 or 6 times per day because of the feat he took at 5th level isn't going to seem as nice as it used to, although it still gives him a little more blasting power.

How about this fix to Variant 2?

Variant 2
SPELL MASTERY [SPECIAL]
Prerequisite: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Each time you take this feat, choose one spell that you already know. It must be a spell at least one level lower than the highest level spell you can cast. From that point on, you can prepare this spell without referring to a spellbook. In addition, every time you prepare this spell, you can cast it three times per day for each slot in which you prepare the spell.
Normal: Without this feat, you must use a spellbook to prepare all your spells, except read magic. Also, you may only cast a spell once for each time your prepare it.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Both are way too powerful, for reasons already stated. Even with the weakened #2. Personally, I'm naturally against strengthening what is widely considered one of the best classes in the game, so maybe my judgements are a bit harsher than they should be. If you hate the existence of mechanically weak feats, what do you do about toughness, weap. prof., and all the +2 to 2 skills feats? Wizards have plenty of good options with their bonus feats, and I actually like Spell Mastery as it is (why isn't there an option for this?) If I were to strengthen it, how about:

Spell Mastery [General]
Prerequisite: Wizard level 1st
Benefit: As the PHB lists, but also choose one school (not a phohibited one, if applicable). Each level up from now on, including this one, you may add one spell to your spell book of that school in addition to any others you are entitled to.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the feat is chosen pick a different school. You still only learn one extra spell each level up, this merely allows for more choices.

 

[airwalkrr]

Both are way too powerful, for reasons already stated. Even with the weakened #2. Personally, I'm naturally against strengthening what is widely considered one of the best classes in the game, so maybe my judgements are a bit harsher than they should be. If you hate the existence of mechanically weak feats, what do you do about toughness, weap. prof., and all the +2 to 2 skills feats?

Toughness grants +1 hp every three levels in addition to the +3 hp at 1st.

I use the weapon group variant from Unearthed Arcana.

I use a variant skill system that obviates the need for +2 to two skill feats.

Sorry, I'm being a smartass. But these are actually my house rules.

Wizards have plenty of good options with their bonus feats, and I actually like Spell Mastery as it is (why isn't there an option for this?)

The last time I took the feat was right after 3e came out and there were not many options for wizards. Since playing that character, I have never taken it with some 4 or 5 wizard characters I have played (I play a lot of wizards). Nor have I ever seen any players in any games I DM ever take it. Nor have I ever heard of anyone ever taking it.

I would like the feat to at least be conditionally useful. If someone wants to build a stealthy wizard, someone might recommend silent spell. It isn't an AWESOME feat, but at least it can be useful. Spell mastery just isn't useful, but I like the flavor.

If I were to strengthen it, how about:

Spell Mastery [General]
Prerequisite: Wizard level 1st
Benefit: As the PHB lists, but also choose one school (not a phohibited one, if applicable). Each level up from now on, including this one, you may add one spell to your spell book of that school in addition to any others you are entitled to.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the feat is chosen pick a different school. You still only learn one extra spell each level up, this merely allows for more choices.

That's not bad, although it doesn't seem to fit the flavor of the feat.

 

[Nifft]

Your variants are too powerful, and the others have said why.

Here's what I use in my game:

Spell Mastery
Prereq: Wizard level 1
Benefit: You effectively have an in-memory spell book which can hold a number of spells equal to 3 + Int bonus (permanent Int bonus -- that is, pre-magic item, pre-spell effect).

You can "erase" from and "write" into your in-memory spell book for free whenever you prepare spells normally, choosing to write from whatever spells are available for you to prepare.

If your permanent Int increases, you gain room for extra spells, which you can fill when you next prepare spells.

If your permanent Int decreases, you do not immediately lose "written" spells. However, "erased" spells cannot be replaced if that would put your "written" spells above your current limit.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.


Cheers, -- N

 

[Jack Simth]

The last time I took the feat was right after 3e came out and there were not many options for wizards. Since playing that character, I have never taken it with some 4 or 5 wizard characters I have played (I play a lot of wizards). Nor have I ever seen any players in any games I DM ever take it. Nor have I ever heard of anyone ever taking it.

I would like the feat to at least be conditionally useful. If someone wants to build a stealthy wizard, someone might recommend silent spell. It isn't an AWESOME feat, but at least it can be useful. Spell mastery just isn't useful, but I like the flavor.

It's conditionally useful, but based on DM habits - if a Wizard, after having depleted his spells for the day, finds himselfed reduced to his skin and prison-issue clothing in a locked room, he's got problems. If he's got Spell Mastry that includes, say, Knock, or Teleport, or Dimension Door, or Invisibility, or a great many other spells useful in such situations, then he's got something to do other than just sit around waiting to be rescued. Ditto for the stolen spellbook scenario (sure, you can trap it, or have a watch set up ... but rogues deal in stealth and traps; the DM can legitimately make a CR-appropriet rogue for most levels of play capable of sneaking in and defeating any particular set of safeguards in place to get that VERY EXPENSIVE prize).

 

[airwalkrr]

It's conditionally useful, but based on DM habits - if a Wizard, after having depleted his spells for the day, finds himselfed reduced to his skin and prison-issue clothing in a locked room, he's got problems. If he's got Spell Mastry that includes, say, Knock, or Teleport, or Dimension Door, or Invisibility, or a great many other spells useful in such situations, then he's got something to do other than just sit around waiting to be rescued. Ditto for the stolen spellbook scenario (sure, you can trap it, or have a watch set up ... but rogues deal in stealth and traps; the DM can legitimately make a CR-appropriet rogue for most levels of play capable of sneaking in and defeating any particular set of safeguards in place to get that VERY EXPENSIVE prize).

It is my experience that campaigns where it is useful as written come up once in a blue moon. For me, they have never come up. I don't know (m)any DMs cold-hearted enough to steal a wizard's spellbook, just to prove that the wizard should have picked up spell mastery. And I have never seen the prison campaign. Have you? If you are going to defend the feat, you ought to have some evidence that isn't merely theoretical. I would be genuinely interested to hear it since no one has offered any such evidence yet.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Toughness grants +1 hp every three levels in addition to the +3 hp at 1st.

I use the weapon group variant from Unearthed Arcana.

I use a variant skill system that obviates the need for +2 to two skill feats.

Sorry, I'm being a smartass. But these are actually my house rules.

No, no. Don't be sorry. As a fellow smartass I appreciate that you actually answered my rhetorical question! All nice houserules, although for toughness I simply use the AE feat Sturdy.

I would like the feat to at least be conditionally useful. If someone wants to build a stealthy wizard, someone might recommend silent spell. It isn't an AWESOME feat, but at least it can be useful. Spell mastery just isn't useful, but I like the flavor.

At least we can agree on liking the flavor. I'm a paranoid player, so I like it for the same reasons i like the Sense Motive skill.

That's not bad, although it doesn't seem to fit the flavor of the feat.

Well, to be fair, I don't think variant 2 fits with the flavor, either