What ever happened to spell research?

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I've felt very little need to research new spells. I've twice played 3.x wizards who wouldn't die no matter what was thrown at them, without using cheesy spells or combos (eg no Shapechange, no Persistent Spell, no Gate, no Haste, no metamagic rods, etc). One was 3.5 using core rules only, the second was 3.5 using core and Eberron only.

Any spells I would research would probably be utility spells, and I don't want to spend a massive amount of cash on such a spell (cash that's supposed to go towards a better Cloak of Resistance or something else on the Big Six list), plus I wouldn't know what level to put that non-combat spell at.

Any combat spell I make would probably be a flavor difference, since I can't be bothered to buy the Spell Compendium or some such, but I think many players are different.

 

[RFisher]

Kind of sad, in a way, though at least you won't have players re-inventing the wheel all the time.

Ideally, I think, you encourage players to develop spells that are more unique & quirky with a personal touch rather than generalist fare.

Plus, I'd love to actually run an ongoing campaign world in which spells created by former PCs can be found & learned by newer PCs rather than continually re-invented. (Later PCs may even be apprentices of a former PC.) So, the expansions to the spell lists come from the group rather from supplements.

Of course, it'd be awfully nice if D&D had an actual system for spell creation (like Hero or the Codex Mysterium) rather than just vague guidelines. On the other hand, there is a certain charm to not having a system.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

I liked the alternative xp tables for wizards that Bruce Heard included in Gaz3: Principalities of Glantri. Basically, wizards got less xp for combat, but got full xp for spell research, magic item creation, etc.

Of course, the gp and material component costs involved pretty much necessitated that wizards would have to go adventuring at some point. Still, it made it mechanically purposeful to have things like schools of magic, or to make a Hogwarts type of campaign actually feasible without always having to pull out the dungeon delve in order for the PCs to gain xp.

 

[GreatLemur]

Spell reserch is how game balance is maintained. A player that tries to sneak an overpowered spell by the DM pays 1000gp just to get the "No."

This suggests a completely horrifying player-GM dynamic.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

My psion in Eberron researched a new power, as he was...dissatisfied...with his offensive power selection (as he was a nomad). This wound up being Mass Baleful Teleport, which was modeled on the regular Baleful Teleport and Horrid Wilting, and was quite, quite useful.

Had we gotten further time, I'd've researched a few more powers, which were going to be something like:

Battlefield Rearrangement: Move combatants around the battlefield (with augments to speed it up and to attach a teleport/gate to it), basically Mass Baleful/Benign Transposition
Grey's Spacetime Lockdown: Your general all-purpose teleport blocker, with option to allow friendly casters to use their Psychoportation/Conjuration-Teleport effects unheeded.

Brad