Would You Give Wizards Unlimited Lower Level Spells?

[victorysaber]

This post is inspired from the posts stating how spellcasters should have abilities ranging from X/day to unlimited/day.

What if, say, once a Wizard reaches level 21, he can cast unlimited 1st-level spells? At level 23, he can cast unlimited 2nd-level spells, and so on?

Basically, once a Wizard is of high enough level, he can cast his lowest level spells an unlimited number of times a day.

21st-level is just arbitrary. But I was just musing over the idea of giving spellcasters unlimited spell slots once they reach a certain level, or once they hit the maximum number of spell slots for that spell level.

What do you think?

 

[FireLance]

I'd be more in favor of a quick refresh system that makes it effectively X/encounter: for example, allowing a wizard to refill a spell slot after 2 minutes of meditation. Cut down on the total number of spells that a wizard can prepare at any one time (to say, two plus 1/2 wizard level) and have a rule that an active spell continues to occupy its slot and cannot be replaced until it is ended (to prevent wizards from casting multiple spells with long durations) and we've got the basic structure of what I think would make a good magic system.

 

[Tessarael]

Sure, in fact I think I would prefer a system along the lines that a good spellcaster can cast weak spells non-stop, just as a fighter can keep hacking away. Arcana Evolved does have spellcasting classes that do end up getting unlimited progression in low level spells.

 

[Nifft]

Only if I also reduced their wealth significantly. Right now, a Wizard can get effectively unlimited lower-level spells with Craft Wand.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Phlebas]

having played a wizard in a party that includes a warlock, and been reduced to trying to throw cloaks over the heads of enemies with an unseen servant while the warlock carries on blasting away I have a bit of an issue with unlimited spells / spell-like abilities .......

I think that there should be a lot more lower level slots as wizards / sorcs advance (eg +1 cantrip / level), but limitless casting should be restricted to epic level characters (as you've proposed) because that could still be abused in game (eg create water (2gallons/lvl) once a round, 16 hours a day with 8 hours of rest.... thats ~ 20 000 gallons / level / day !)

Quick refresh works, but i'd still go for an hours rest or equivalent otherwise you end up with a similar situation as unlimited spells

 

[blargney the second]

Reserve feats. Problem solved.
-blarg

 

[JustKim]

I like it and I've had the same idea. I have a house rule that spellcasters can use any 1st-level spell they have prepared/know at will around 15th level, and every two levels that extends to another spell level. I do limit it a little bit by saying those at-will spells can't be used for spontaneous conversion, so a cleric who wants to freely heal everyone after a battle will have to dedicate one of his at-will slots to cure light wounds.

I wish I could tell you how it's worked out, but it's very rare that we get to those levels.

 

[Tonguez]

Spell Refresh Rate = 1 day per level (eg 0 level spells refresh per encounter thus giving unlimited supply per day), 3rd Level spells take 3 days & 9 level spells take 9 days)

Any character can take a feat to gain use of one orison (so a fighter with resist elements is possible)

A Wizard can use a feat to buy 'Quick Refresh' for one Spell Level (starting from Lv1 and then going up) ie it takes a feat to have unlimited use per day of level 1 spells, 2 feats to have unlimited use of level 2 spells etc

 

[Teflon Billy]

I think wizards are plenty powerful and flexible at high levels with endeavoring to increase both their power and flexibility.

 

[Chris Tavares]

This post is inspired from the posts stating how spellcasters should have abilities ranging from X/day to unlimited/day.

What if, say, once a Wizard reaches level 21, he can cast unlimited 1st-level spells? At level 23, he can cast unlimited 2nd-level spells, and so on?

Basically, once a Wizard is of high enough level, he can cast his lowest level spells an unlimited number of times a day.

21st-level is just arbitrary. But I was just musing over the idea of giving spellcasters unlimited spell slots once they reach a certain level, or once they hit the maximum number of spell slots for that spell level.

What do you think?

I kind of liked the approach Earthdawn took. A "wizard" could cast any spell they know any time they wanted. But it took ten minutes, and doing it that way could potentially attract the attention of a Horror (think lovecraftian beastie hanging out in the Astral).

Each "wizard" also got a number of spell matrices. You could cast through the matrix very quickly, and without the extradimensional horror problem, but it took an hour to retune a matrix to a different spell.

So best of both worlds - full use of every spell given enough time (and luck), but you could only quickly fire off a much smaller subset.