Yet another Haste house rule

[RedShirtNo5]

A comment by Quinn here got me thinking.

So, donning the asbestos suit, I submit for your consideration, comments and questions, the Alacrity, Spellcasting Swiftness, Haste and Improved Haste spells:


Alacrity
Transmutation
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject gains a +2 haste bonus to AC. He loses this bonus whenever he would loose a dodge bonus.
On his turn, the subject may take an extra partial action, either before or after his regular action. This partial action can only be used to do one of the following: an attack, a single move, or a move-equivalent action.
Alacrity dispels and counters slow (and is dispelled or countered by slow).


Spellcasting Swiftness
Transmutation
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
On his turn, the subject may take an extra partial action, either before or after his regular action. This partial action can only be used to cast a spell of 2nd level or lower.
The partial action granted by spellcasting swiftness does not stack with the partial action granted by alacrity.
Spellcasting swiftness dispels and counters slow (and is dispelled or countered by slow).


Haste
Transmutation
Level: Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject gains a +2 haste bonus to AC. He loses this bonus whenever he would loose a dodge bonus.
On his turn, the subject may take an extra partial action, either before or after his regular action. This partial action can only be used to do one of the following: an attack, a single move, a move-equivalent action, or cast a spell of 3rd level or lower.
The partial action granted by haste does not stack with the partial action granted by alacrity or spellcasting swiftness.
Haste dispels and counters slow (and is dispelled or countered by slow).


Improved Haste
Transmutation
Level: Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject gains a +4 haste bonus to AC. He loses this bonus whenever he would loose a dodge bonus.
On his turn, the subject may take an extra partial action, either before or after his regular action. This partial action can only be used to do one of the following: an attack, a single move, a move-equivalent action, or cast a spell of 4th level or lower.
The partial action granted by improved haste does not stack with the partial action granted by alacrity, spellcasting swiftness, or haste.
Improved haste dispels and counters slow (and is dispelled or countered by slow).

-RedShirt

 

[MarauderX]

Alacrity is pretty well defined and I like it, but I would lower the level to 2nd, and keep your redefined haste at 3rd.

I am against using hastened spell casting of any kind, as it allows spellcasters to deal out twice as much as normal spells in a single round. Wizards getting to cast 2 lightning bolts in the same round gets way outta hand, as it allows her to unload spells like an omega strike. No way, whether for the good guys side or the bad guys, and I consider myself an advocate for wizards. It is just too easy to throw off the game balance, and as a DM the bad guy wizards usually don't have enough rounds to get off every last spell in their memory, and if they could and did it all within the first rounds, the party of wounded PCs would be shredded by the wizards thugs shortly after they were hit by a couple volleys of magic missle.

Here's my take on it. Most of the arguement magic use goes back to how the spells are cast: traditionally by timed somantics and verbal gestures with components that add up to call forth a burst of energy to create an effect. Having it double timed would throw it off with the rest of the known universe, as the time it would take to conjure up, control and disperse this magical energy would not be long enough to complete successfully.

I know this was limited by the level of spell allowed to be cast, but that doesn't matter as there are already plenty of potent low level spells. Making a low-mid level PC take one save vs. a charm spell is fine, having them make two is rough, especially EVERY round.