D&D 5E Too Much Spellcasting in Your D&D? Just Add a Little Lankhmar!

[Voadam]

I prefer the other 1e Lankhmar change, clerics are not divinely powered devotees of gods but white wizards.

Devotees of gods are fanatics, spellcasters are wizards.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I prefer the other 1e Lankhmar change, clerics are not divinely powered devotees of gods but white wizards.

Devotees of gods are fanatics, spellcasters are wizards.

Well, the Nehwon Gods are that much closer to their Followers.

There is a fine line for some of them between a devoted follower and a tasty meal.

 

[Voadam]

Tiyet, the goddess of Evil Birds. No god of good birds or birds in general, just one for evil birds.

I did not really care for the story about Death or Kos's portrayal in it, but drunk/hung over Fafhrd as a walking avatar of Issek of the Jug I remember really enjoying.

A lot of fun options with the pantheon.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think part of the problem is that D&D has become combat-focused because the classes' abilities are combat-focused.

It was derived from wargame rules. When was it not combat focused?

 

[Dioltach]

It was derived from wargame rules. When was it not combat focused?

That's like saying my grandfather was in the military so I should join the miltary too. We're almost 50 years and 5 editions away from OD&D. The focus doesn't need to be on combat because the games earliest roots were in wargaming.

Otherwise, why are there rules for so many non-combat events? Why all the spells for boosting social skills or overcoming non-combat challenges? As it's written, D&D allows for a vast range of different challenges where spellcasters can shine. They don't need to also shine in the one area where martials shine, just because they might be bored for a few rounds.

(And if they do, they should be more creative. Guard the flanks, provide flanking options, steal the opponent's horse, provide a running commentary on how well the party's fighters and barbarians are doing. Use your imagination.)

 

[Marc_C]

To be clear- changing the casting time, extending the casting time, would have a massive and deleterious effect on spellcasting within combat. It would make martial characters much more important for combat, and make spellcasting more of a utility and out-of-combat experience, with only limited uses for combat. The first major hurdle would be that 5e measures almost all casting times in terms of "one action" (or one reaction, or one bonus action). Spells that are measure in "real time" (minutes, hours) are the exception.

Unless my memory is wrong Gray Mouser is a half-caster (thief/wizard) and he does cast spells in combat. That is why you get the Arcane Trickster in the PHB. Other Wizards on Lankhmar are NPCs not meant to be player characters. They are scary powerful and half crazy. Completely outside the realm of normal mortals.

 

[Krachek]

If you don’t want caster in your setting just say so, it will be more clear and direct than the four round casting of one action spell. Otherwise limiting spell to level 2-3 can make an interesting low magic campaign.

 

[Voadam]

Unless my memory is wrong Gray Mouser is a half-caster (thief/wizard) and he does cast spells in combat.

I don't remember them being in combat.

He has killed people with spells, but not while fighting them, that I remember.

The two instances I remember was a death spell being cast uninterrupted from a different area when he was an apprentice mage, and another was a scroll backfiring.

 

[Imaculata]

Here are some better ways to limit spellcasting, without breaking the game:

Play in a setting in which public spellcasting is against the law. I've actually used this for a campaign. Sorcery was a crime and could only be done in secret. Convicted spellcasters received a brand on their forehead, forever marking them as criminals. Anyone with that mark could expect to be unwelcome in many places.

Give every spell a cooldown, forcing spellcasters to use varied spells, and not solve everything with the same spells.

Use Conans corruption system. Conan made spellcasting more powerful AND more dangerous. Each succesful spell, made the next spell even more powerful. But sorcerers risked corruption of their own soul with each spell. This rule makes spellcasters more conservative with magic use, and also makes them more fun to play.

 

[Dausuul]

Otherwise, why are there rules for so many non-combat events? Why all the spells for boosting social skills or overcoming non-combat challenges? As it's written, D&D allows for a vast range of different challenges where spellcasters can shine. They don't need to also shine in the one area where martials shine, just because they might be bored for a few rounds.

"A few rounds" is a nifty way of rewriting "30+ minutes of real time" to sound like no big deal.

More to the point, if martials have trouble contributing out of combat--which I agree they often do--then this "solution" will make that problem worse. The casters no longer have any use for their spells in combat, so now all of their spell slots will go toward dominating the rest of the game. There will no longer be any part of the game where everybody can contribute: Either the casters rule or the martials do.

But moon druids will have a grand old time.