Insufficient information - the rules themselves are rarely what determines whether I'll play in a game. Who the other players are, who is the DM, what kind of stories they like - all these play far more role in my decisions.
Would you play in a spontaneous-only spellcaster game? FT: Should complexity vary...
- Thread starter Remathilis
- Start date
Insufficient information - the rules themselves are rarely what determines whether I'll play in a game. Who the other players are, who is the DM, what kind of stories they like - all these play far more role in my decisions.
Remathilis
Legend
For most of this, I assumed your Typical Group/DM. The essence is not where this particular campaign would be an issue (with playstyle, players, or DM) but whether removing prep casters, spellbook/spell acquisition, and divine spell lists would impact your desire to play in a game.
I have seen players where this has been an issue, I know some personally. I'm curious to see how many here would be willing to try. (So far, its seems positive).
Remathilis
Legend
Toben the Many
First Post
I think a spontaneous casting 3e game could certainly work. So, no problem there.
That said, I just want to chime in and say that I have never found the Sorcerer to be weak. In most games that I've either played or ran, the Sorcerer has been the MVP of the game.
That's because most Wizards or Clerics I know usually carry a few "utility" spells that may never be cast that day. But Sorcerers (if played well) stock up on the benchmark spells that are always useful. And they get as many of those benchmark spells as they want - which can lead to some broken situations.
For example, when our sorcerer got invisibility for his character, suddenly the whole party had it. The wizard, who also had that spell usually limited himself to carrying just 1 or 2 invisibility spells. But the sorcerer, if needed, could blow his wad and use it on the whole party, which dramatically changed the game. When the sorcerer got Dimenson Door, we used to call him "nightcrawler" because he was everywhere and in all places. What was better was that he could cast multiple Dimenson Doors and and was guaranteed to be able to move the entire party when and where they wanted.
Now, from my experience, I think a lot of tables never see this kind of problem, because whoever plays the Sorcerer doesn't game their character that hard. However, I think that's the kind of problem you might be in danger of running into. The post about Cleric being even more powerful makes that point.
But I'll re-iterate, I doubt that it will make the game unplayable or bad. It'll just be a bit different.
That said, I just want to chime in and say that I have never found the Sorcerer to be weak. In most games that I've either played or ran, the Sorcerer has been the MVP of the game.
That's because most Wizards or Clerics I know usually carry a few "utility" spells that may never be cast that day. But Sorcerers (if played well) stock up on the benchmark spells that are always useful. And they get as many of those benchmark spells as they want - which can lead to some broken situations.
For example, when our sorcerer got invisibility for his character, suddenly the whole party had it. The wizard, who also had that spell usually limited himself to carrying just 1 or 2 invisibility spells. But the sorcerer, if needed, could blow his wad and use it on the whole party, which dramatically changed the game. When the sorcerer got Dimenson Door, we used to call him "nightcrawler" because he was everywhere and in all places. What was better was that he could cast multiple Dimenson Doors and and was guaranteed to be able to move the entire party when and where they wanted.
Now, from my experience, I think a lot of tables never see this kind of problem, because whoever plays the Sorcerer doesn't game their character that hard. However, I think that's the kind of problem you might be in danger of running into. The post about Cleric being even more powerful makes that point.
But I'll re-iterate, I doubt that it will make the game unplayable or bad. It'll just be a bit different.
Every other nit-picky factor being equal (quality of DM, other players, location, timing, color of the sky, my mood, presence of apocalyptic portents of doom) I'd be *more* likely to play a game with Spontaneous casting methods than one with Prepared casting methods. I'm a big fan of *most* of the books that Gygax recommended back in the 1e DMG, but I never cared for Jack Vance, and I *strongly* dislike the Vancian memorization scheme for spell preparation.
I'd hate to have to play a Favored Soul or Spirit Shaman over a Cleric or Druid, but I'd be peachy-keen with playing a Spontaneous-casting Cleric or Druid who only had access to a very limited list of spell known, but could cast them flexibly throughout the day.
Same for the Sorcerer/Wizard thing. I kinda hate that Sorcerers lose four bonus Feats and get a slower spell acquisition rate, but if a DM said that he wanted to ditch the Wizard completely and make the current Wizard class cast Spontaneously and be limited to Spells Known like a Sorcerer, I'd be all for that.
I'd be even *MORE* for a game which had both Spontaneous and Prepared casters of all spellcasting classes (cause some people like both, the freedom of spontaniety and the tactical and strategic resource-management of Vancian). A Prepared Bard with a sheaf of spellbook pages he's cobbled together over his travels, learned from his half-forgotten noble education and not some draconic heritage ('cause not every single musician in the world is descended from dragons!). A Spontaneous Paladin who knows only a few of the spells on the Paladin list, but can cast them flexibly and a little bit more frequently.
Best of all, Clerics and Druids limited to *either* be Spontaneous casters, with a very small list of Spell Known, usable flexibly, *or* Prepared casters, with prayerbooks and holy scripts that must be maintained and developed over time, just like a Wizard's spellbook.
None of the current situation, where Clerics and Druids (my favorite two classes, btw) automatically get access to every single spell on their spell-list, while Wizards have to pay for / aquire their spells and Sorcerers have a tiny subset of their spell list as Spells Known. 'Cause that's, IMO, at least 50% of 'the problem' with Clerics and Druids. They get it all, for free.
I'd hate to have to play a Favored Soul or Spirit Shaman over a Cleric or Druid, but I'd be peachy-keen with playing a Spontaneous-casting Cleric or Druid who only had access to a very limited list of spell known, but could cast them flexibly throughout the day.
Same for the Sorcerer/Wizard thing. I kinda hate that Sorcerers lose four bonus Feats and get a slower spell acquisition rate, but if a DM said that he wanted to ditch the Wizard completely and make the current Wizard class cast Spontaneously and be limited to Spells Known like a Sorcerer, I'd be all for that.
I'd be even *MORE* for a game which had both Spontaneous and Prepared casters of all spellcasting classes (cause some people like both, the freedom of spontaniety and the tactical and strategic resource-management of Vancian). A Prepared Bard with a sheaf of spellbook pages he's cobbled together over his travels, learned from his half-forgotten noble education and not some draconic heritage ('cause not every single musician in the world is descended from dragons!). A Spontaneous Paladin who knows only a few of the spells on the Paladin list, but can cast them flexibly and a little bit more frequently.
Best of all, Clerics and Druids limited to *either* be Spontaneous casters, with a very small list of Spell Known, usable flexibly, *or* Prepared casters, with prayerbooks and holy scripts that must be maintained and developed over time, just like a Wizard's spellbook.
None of the current situation, where Clerics and Druids (my favorite two classes, btw) automatically get access to every single spell on their spell-list, while Wizards have to pay for / aquire their spells and Sorcerers have a tiny subset of their spell list as Spells Known. 'Cause that's, IMO, at least 50% of 'the problem' with Clerics and Druids. They get it all, for free.
Toben the Many
First Post
Double post.
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