Spontaneous Spellcasting [Archive] - Wizards Community

Spontaneous Spellcasting [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
themind
01-13-06, 12:08 AM One of my players wants to be a Spontaneous Wizard. My original ruling was no, due to it making a Sorceror pretty much useless.

So the player offered a suggestion. If I made it require a feat, sort of a regional feat that can only be taken at 1st level, would I allow him to be a Spontaneous Wizard.

Does that help balance the fact that a Wizard who can change out spells known each day would be more powerful than a Sorceror? Or would you say a feat slot isn't that much of trade off.

My initial thought is that it still makes a Wizard too powerful and really makes the Sorceror insignificant as a class, even with making the PC use up a feat slot to do it. I can't think of any feats that offer that much of power boost over other spellcasting characters.

I'm curious of other opinions on this.
Milo HoBo
01-13-06, 01:01 AM Do you have or have you seen the spirit shaman from the complete divine? How a spontaneous wizard should be balanced would look something like that. Maybe be able to (max out at) choosing 3 spells per spell level that you may choose from to cast during the day, and you gain bonus spells per day not bonus spells known. Maybe split the stat requirments. And to perk it back up, let them keep the normal bonus metamagic/creation feats that wizards get.
20102000
01-13-06, 08:53 AM This sounds like the player wants to be a sorcerer, but not limited by the spell restrictions.
Wizards can leave spell slots empty, and memorise spells as needed. Which only takes a few minutes. Plus they can scribe scrolls. Typically a wizard memorises his combat spells, leaves one or more empty in case he needs to memorise something else. And has backups on scrolls, for anything he hasn't memorised. There is no reason for a wizard to be a spontaneous caster.
Ashanti
01-13-06, 09:11 AM Seems like too much of a good thing to be a spontaneous Wizard. IIRC the Sorcerer has a slower aquisition of level breaks for spells and gets the shaft on metatmagic in "recompense" for spont casting.

Spont cast with spell book utility would make a cool PC to play but IMHO feels like power creep.

That said, look at clerics. It's basically what they get.
Veomyr
01-13-06, 09:45 AM UA has a small side bar in the magic system label "Daily Spell Lists". Basically, a wizard becomes a spontaneous caster in that he doesn't lock in x numbers of spells per spell level per day. What he does is prep a number of spells equal to his spells per day for a spell level, then can spontaneously cast only those spells, up to his limit of spells per day for that spell level.

Example, a wizard can normally prepare 4 2nd level spells per day. He preps 4 different spells, then can spontaneously cast them, up to his limit of 4 2nd level spells for that day.
Seeker of Undeath
01-13-06, 11:00 AM Yes, UA's method is a pretty good way to do it. Also you could just point the wizard player toward an Eberron Campaign Setting and aim at the Spontaneous Casting feat.
Millennium
01-13-06, 11:05 AM Shove Jack Vance's The Dying Earth novels at him. If he wants to play a sponeaneous caster, then he can either play a sorcerer or he can read those books and then argue why he should be allowed to play a spontaneous wizard.
FriendoftheDork
01-14-06, 10:58 AM I smell cheese.... from your player. Heck I even use the spontaneous metamagic variant from UA that many think is unbalanced, but at least I use the same rules for my NPCs.

If you want to make a change that makes wizards a hell of alot more powerful, then allow this, and do it for your NPCs as well, and remove sorcerer from the game as it will be obsolete.

I advise you not to though, a wizard has to prepare and use scrolls for emergencies and thatd's basically their main challenge.
themind
01-14-06, 04:58 PM Thanks for the responces. This has helped me a lot.
DragonLord101
01-14-06, 05:55 PM Yes, UA's method is a pretty good way to do it. Also you could just point the wizard player toward an Eberron Campaign Setting and aim at the Spontaneous Casting feat.

Its an interesting feat, but if action points are not apart of the game, they would need to be introduced... it has a cost of 2 action points per use.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
themind 01-13-06, 12:08 AM	One of my players wants to be a Spontaneous Wizard. My original ruling was no, due to it making a Sorceror pretty much useless. So the player offered a suggestion. If I made it require a feat, sort of a regional feat that can only be taken at 1st level, would I allow him to be a Spontaneous Wizard. Does that help balance the fact that a Wizard who can change out spells known each day would be more powerful than a Sorceror? Or would you say a feat slot isn't that much of trade off. My initial thought is that it still makes a Wizard too powerful and really makes the Sorceror insignificant as a class, even with making the PC use up a feat slot to do it. I can't think of any feats that offer that much of power boost over other spellcasting characters. I'm curious of other opinions on this.
Milo HoBo 01-13-06, 01:01 AM	Do you have or have you seen the spirit shaman from the complete divine? How a spontaneous wizard should be balanced would look something like that. Maybe be able to (max out at) choosing 3 spells per spell level that you may choose from to cast during the day, and you gain bonus spells per day not bonus spells known. Maybe split the stat requirments. And to perk it back up, let them keep the normal bonus metamagic/creation feats that wizards get.
20102000 01-13-06, 08:53 AM	This sounds like the player wants to be a sorcerer, but not limited by the spell restrictions. Wizards can leave spell slots empty, and memorise spells as needed. Which only takes a few minutes. Plus they can scribe scrolls. Typically a wizard memorises his combat spells, leaves one or more empty in case he needs to memorise something else. And has backups on scrolls, for anything he hasn't memorised. There is no reason for a wizard to be a spontaneous caster.
Ashanti 01-13-06, 09:11 AM	Seems like too much of a good thing to be a spontaneous Wizard. IIRC the Sorcerer has a slower aquisition of level breaks for spells and gets the shaft on metatmagic in "recompense" for spont casting. Spont cast with spell book utility would make a cool PC to play but IMHO feels like power creep. That said, look at clerics. It's basically what they get.
Veomyr 01-13-06, 09:45 AM	UA has a small side bar in the magic system label "Daily Spell Lists". Basically, a wizard becomes a spontaneous caster in that he doesn't lock in x numbers of spells per spell level per day. What he does is prep a number of spells equal to his spells per day for a spell level, then can spontaneously cast only those spells, up to his limit of spells per day for that spell level. Example, a wizard can normally prepare 4 2nd level spells per day. He preps 4 different spells, then can spontaneously cast them, up to his limit of 4 2nd level spells for that day.
Seeker of Undeath 01-13-06, 11:00 AM	Yes, UA's method is a pretty good way to do it. Also you could just point the wizard player toward an Eberron Campaign Setting and aim at the Spontaneous Casting feat.
Millennium 01-13-06, 11:05 AM	Shove Jack Vance's The Dying Earth novels at him. If he wants to play a sponeaneous caster, then he can either play a sorcerer or he can read those books and then argue why he should be allowed to play a spontaneous wizard.
FriendoftheDork 01-14-06, 10:58 AM	I smell cheese.... from your player. Heck I even use the spontaneous metamagic variant from UA that many think is unbalanced, but at least I use the same rules for my NPCs. If you want to make a change that makes wizards a hell of alot more powerful, then allow this, and do it for your NPCs as well, and remove sorcerer from the game as it will be obsolete. I advise you not to though, a wizard has to prepare and use scrolls for emergencies and thatd's basically their main challenge.
themind 01-14-06, 04:58 PM	Thanks for the responces. This has helped me a lot.
DragonLord101 01-14-06, 05:55 PM	Yes, UA's method is a pretty good way to do it. Also you could just point the wizard player toward an Eberron Campaign Setting and aim at the Spontaneous Casting feat. Its an interesting feat, but if action points are not apart of the game, they would need to be introduced... it has a cost of 2 action points per use.