toning down spellcasters

Shadowdragon

Explorer
Does anyone have any house rules for toning down the major spellcaster classes (druid, clerid, sorcerer, and wizard)? I've found the major spellcaster classes to be a bit too powerful, especially at higher levels. I'd like to hear what others have done to balance them out with the other classes.
 

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What part of the classes are too powerful?

Spells too powerful for you? All of them?
They get too many spells for your taste? Or just cast too much per day?
 
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If you make them less powerful, be careful with the encounters you throw at the party. Many of them presuppose that a 13th level party will have 7th level spells, etc..

Try to ensure that spellcasters have 4 encounters before they can regain spells. If they have to conserve their magic, they will be a lot weaker than if they can blow all their magic on one set of opponents. You can enforce this by fiat, if you like- on days when they want to rest after one encounter you can tell the arcane spellcasters that they just can't concentrate, and let the divine spellcasters know that their god isn't answering.

If it really is the fact that high level spellcasters are too strong, require multiclassing. Some low-magic campaigns require that class levels alternate; no more than half your levels can be as a spellcaster. You could require that spellcasters take alternate levels in a non-spellcasting class when they are in their teens. High level wizards would have to take levels 14, 16, 18 and 20 in a non-spellcasting class, say.

Good luck!
 


I basically give them a decreased caster progression. Every level where a wizard would gain a bonus feat, s/he gains the feat but does not gain an additional caster level.
 

Divine spellcaster's have to roll a Will save to cast spells (DC= 10 + twice the spell level). Clerics don't have to make the roll when they use spontaneous healing or Domain spells. This helps offset the fact that these spellcasters also have decent combat training, as well as the ability to wear armor.

Divine spellcastes CAN attempt to cast spells beyond their normal level (higher level spells, extra spells beyond the usual amount per day), but this doubles the DC to cast. This DC increases by +2 for every attempt to cast beyond their means for the day, successful or not. If they fail, they take damage equal to twice the amount they missed the roll by.

Divine casters also don't have to memorize spells.

I have no problems with other spell casters. They're only as good as their creativity. :)

EDIT: I don't give wizards the free two spells per level. They can research any spell at their disposal (most have access to a lab and library, though I do control what level of spells are available at what labs), it just isn't assumed they succeed. Tends to work well, given the amount of scrolls and spellbooks that abound. It also works in the players favor at times: The spells they gain are proportionate to their down time, not their level progression. If there is a year or so between adventures, the wizard may actually learn more spells.

Given how often I've heard of wizards (both PC and NPC) who's spellbook contains every spell in existence, it's really a minor hitch.

It also allows me to throw in 'corporate espionage' type adventures for a bit more fun. :)
 
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Nice idea,

my suggestion to your problem is, either improve the other classes.

Or just make better encounters. Give them better saves (to resist spells) use more creatures with spell resistance, use creatures immune to one or more types of energy, or have resistance against the specific energy.
You could also try trowing a couple of creatures with spells themselves, at the party, to equalisethe equation...
 

I have always held that the spelcasters shouldn't nesesarily have the same power curve as other classes. The fact that they are more powerful in later levels is ofset by the fact that they are underpowered at lowerlevels. Also keep in mind that regardless of theyre power casters are considerably more fragile.

Maby it's just me, but i tend to balk at the idea that everyone should be equal. Certanly everyone should be usefull and have theyre own niche. Fighters are hard to kill. Clerics can be powerfull in several areas but are ballance by the necesity to serve theyre god's will. Druids have a better mix of offensive and healing abilitys. Sorcers have sustained firepower, wisards versitility.

Maby I'm biased, I tend to play mages and archers for the challenge as well as the power.

As always opinions and prefrances varry. Any approch is valid if youre all having fun.
 


I find the core spellcasters are more powerful than non-spellcasters at all levels. I rarely see parties fight 4 encounters/day, 1-2 is more likely, and that favours casters.
 

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