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Message: <blockquote data-quote="w_earle_wheeler" data-source="post: 3573811" data-attributes="member: 35955">Solving the feather fall problem and the universal casting time systemCore change: All spells have a casting time of one standard action. Spells with a casting time longer than 1 round become 1 hour "ritual" spells. Complicated iconic spells with limited combat encounter use become optional powers for spellcasters.Simplification benefit: A base "standard" for all spell casting times reduces those awkward moments when a player new to bursts into tears when the DM says "OK – you cast summon monster, it takes effect next round. In the meantime, I hope you're concentrating hard!" This is another line in the descriptive header block that can be removed.CASTING TIMEOf course, with this rule in effect, 1st-level spells like sleep and summon monster I become 2nd-level spells. A travesty!The solution to the feather fall problem can also solve the problem with spells like sleep and summon monster becoming 2nd-level spells. In the wizard's case, the class can have the option to cast iconic, non-damaging spells at a reduced level if they are cast as full round actions. This gives the wizard a neat bit of customization and keeps the D&D flavor. Other special wizard "powers" would be things such as summon familiar, feather fall, flare, light, read magic and so forth – again, iconic D&D abilities that no pointy-hatted star-robed wizard should be without.(I've always felt that spellcasters should be able to cast non-buffing, non-healing and non-damaging spells more often – it just adds to the coolness of magic)Any spell with a casting time longer than 1 round would become a "ritual" spell. A ritual spell has a costly material component, takes 1 hour to cast, and can only be cast once per day. It doesn't have to be memorized. For example, the spells identify, astral projection, teleportation circle, lesser planar binding and simulacrum (12 hours to 1 hour! yikes) would be ritual spells. I might change the 1/day limit to a number of days equal to the spell level, depending on how rituals might be abused.Next up (possibly tomorrow) a few sample edited spells and a look at metamagic feats: will they be necessary in this system at all, and if they are automatically available to every spellcaster, how does that effect the balance between spellcasting and non-spellcasting classes?</blockquote>

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