I also think this option is extremely powerful. So Ist would be careful about free reign there.
Limitations could include a feat requirement that allows to upkeep a second concentration spell only If one of the two is a Spell chosen when picking the feat (so you Had to Pick Concentrator: Darkness etc.), allowing to buy the feat multiple times. Also spellcasters should not be allowed to cast other spells while concentrating on two spells. Cantrips could be an exception.
This sounds like the less unstable option. I agree with other people's feeling that giving the option to more than one concentration spell at once is potentially really unbalancing. The idea of having this as a feat that makes you chose only one concentration spell you can cast on top of another concentration one is good, and I agree the caster should be imposed to be unable to cast spells other than cantrips until the two concentration spells are up.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
You gain the ability to form a Spell Knot in the back of your mind. After casting a spell with the concentration requirement, you can spend a round to transfer the concentration requirement to the Spell Knot. This requires a successful Constitution check at DC 5+ spell level. Another check at the same DC allows you to untie the Spell Knot and return the concentration requirement to a spell, taking one round to do so. If either of these two checks fail, all spells currently maintained in Spell Knots end, along with any other spell you are currently concentrating on. This means you can end all Spell Knots at anytime during your turn by deliberately failing this constitution check.
Spell knots are physically draining, each Spell Knot you have active drains 1 hit point per maintained spell level per round. This feat may be taken multiple times, with a new Spell Knot gained each time.
You gain the ability to form a Spell Knot in the back of your mind. After casting a spell with the concentration requirement, you can spend a round to transfer the concentration requirement to the Spell Knot. This requires a successful Constitution check at DC 5+ spell level. Another check at the same DC allows you to untie the Spell Knot and return the concentration requirement to a spell, taking one round to do so. If either of these two checks fail, all spells currently maintained in Spell Knots end, along with any other spell you are currently concentrating on. This means you can end all Spell Knots at anytime during your turn by deliberately failing this constitution check.
Spell knots are physically draining, each Spell Knot you have active drains 1 hit point per maintained spell level per round. This feat may be taken multiple times, with a new Spell Knot gained each time.
This sounds good, well thought.
I am not so sure about the HP drain, though. What would you think about making it either an AC drop (-1 per spell stored in the knot) and/or maybe increasing the DC based on how many spell knots tou have occupiedt? Something like the DC for the second spell is 5+first spell slot level+second spell slot level (and so on)? Also, thinking about it, I'd suggest making the DC based on the spell slot level rather than the spell itself, just to compensate for the possible increased power when cast at higher level.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
I like the concept, though it needs some refinement. In no particular order...
"Spending/taking a round" isn't a 5e concept. You have to reword that in terms of actions, reactions and movement/speed.
Deliberately failing checks is also not a thing in the 5e rules; it'd be simpler to just say you can voluntarily end knots.
Typeless hit point loss is also very unorthodox and I've only seen it used for bleeding effects; magical overexertion usually deals necrotic damage that can't be prevented or reduced (e.g. Overchannel, Wish.)
This really feels like an arcane caster thing, maybe even a class feature. I'd rather see a sorcerous origin or arcane tradition built around it than a feat.
Letting you take the feat more than once really overcomplicates the mechanics and wording.
The ability checks and hit point loss are pretty easy to work around. I'm not sure the action required is enough of a cost to circumvent one of the most important rules in 5e. Letting someone take the feat multiple times is even more questionable...you could set up multiple concentration spells right before a big fight with some help from the Guidance cantrip or Bardic Inspiration. I'd rather see a hard limit of 1 knot AND you have to keep making the ability check every round.
Personally I allow character's to concentrate on up to two spells.
The downsides: A failed concentration check ends both spells The caster cant cast any spells other than cantrips while doing so. A concentration check (DC 8 + the second spell's level) is also needed on starting to concentrate on the second spell and not lose concentration on the first one. Reason: Essentially for me casting a spell would require some kind of concentration anyway (cantrips are simple and fast, so require little concentration) so leaves some premise of concentrating on two spells at once.
I've found this gets used much more by hybrid / multi-class casters than the more dedicated casters, aside from clerics that tend to use it less frequently than hybrids but more than dedicated and about similar to multi-class casters.
You can concentrate on a combined number of spell levels up to the highest level spell slot you have (i.e. highest spell level is 7: so 1/1/1/1/1/1/1, 1/2/4, 5/2, 6/1, etc.)? Other than that treat as normal,( i.e. fail concentration loose all)
Just an idea...
*as I think more about it* I know there are a lot of good 1st level spells but even at 9th level having 9 going is going to be impossible with spell slot limits, and some of those concentrations scale well enough to want to keep them going at higher levels, and it really isn't that busted since you're trading off a handful of weak spells for one very powerful one.
The cinematics can be a lot of fun too. The action/bonus action limits really restrict the fun you can have. But you could entangle as a druid then call lightning down on your enemies, but not until 9th (character) level which actually sounds about right when your look at the damage/utility of entangle+call lightning over time vs the immediate benefits of ice storm.
It would also add even more utility to lower level slots by using synergy between lower level and mid level spells to produce effects more akin to a casters top tier magic, and it scales well with progression. Also adds a ton of versitility to hybrid casters.
GM common sense limits certain stuff like rolling a flaming sphere through an entangled patch of ground isn't going to go well for the 2 spells. Sort of the same with lightning. But it gives more oppurtunity to create dynamic envitoments during combat, which I find players often enjoy.
If # of spell levels up to highest slot is too busted you could easily drop the # to half max round up. Also it doesn't add much math to the player, (they could use a d12 to track total spell levels) and it doesn't add any new rolls to keep track of(always nice) or make any major changes to the rules as written for consistency and ease of play(excellent perk).
Just my thoughts on the topic.
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The idea of having this as a feat that makes you chose only one concentration spell you can cast on top of another concentration one is good, and I agree the caster should be imposed to be unable to cast spells other than cantrips until the two concentration spells are up.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Spell Knot
You gain the ability to form a Spell Knot in the back of your mind. After casting a spell with the concentration requirement, you can spend a round to transfer the concentration requirement to the Spell Knot. This requires a successful Constitution check at DC 5+ spell level. Another check at the same DC allows you to untie the Spell Knot and return the concentration requirement to a spell, taking one round to do so. If either of these two checks fail, all spells currently maintained in Spell Knots end, along with any other spell you are currently concentrating on. This means you can end all Spell Knots at anytime during your turn by deliberately failing this constitution check.
Spell knots are physically draining, each Spell Knot you have active drains 1 hit point per maintained spell level per round. This feat may be taken multiple times, with a new Spell Knot gained each time.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
I like the concept, though it needs some refinement. In no particular order...
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Personally I allow character's to concentrate on up to two spells.
The downsides:
A failed concentration check ends both spells
The caster cant cast any spells other than cantrips while doing so.
A concentration check (DC 8 + the second spell's level) is also needed on starting to concentrate on the second spell and not lose concentration on the first one.
Reason: Essentially for me casting a spell would require some kind of concentration anyway (cantrips are simple and fast, so require little concentration) so leaves some premise of concentrating on two spells at once.
I've found this gets used much more by hybrid / multi-class casters than the more dedicated casters, aside from clerics that tend to use it less frequently than hybrids but more than dedicated and about similar to multi-class casters.
- Loswaith
You can concentrate on a combined number of spell levels up to the highest level spell slot you have (i.e. highest spell level is 7: so 1/1/1/1/1/1/1, 1/2/4, 5/2, 6/1, etc.)? Other than that treat as normal,( i.e. fail concentration loose all)
Just an idea...
*as I think more about it* I know there are a lot of good 1st level spells but even at 9th level having 9 going is going to be impossible with spell slot limits, and some of those concentrations scale well enough to want to keep them going at higher levels, and it really isn't that busted since you're trading off a handful of weak spells for one very powerful one.
The cinematics can be a lot of fun too. The action/bonus action limits really restrict the fun you can have. But you could entangle as a druid then call lightning down on your enemies, but not until 9th (character) level which actually sounds about right when your look at the damage/utility of entangle+call lightning over time vs the immediate benefits of ice storm.
It would also add even more utility to lower level slots by using synergy between lower level and mid level spells to produce effects more akin to a casters top tier magic, and it scales well with progression. Also adds a ton of versitility to hybrid casters.
GM common sense limits certain stuff like rolling a flaming sphere through an entangled patch of ground isn't going to go well for the 2 spells. Sort of the same with lightning. But it gives more oppurtunity to create dynamic envitoments during combat, which I find players often enjoy.
If # of spell levels up to highest slot is too busted you could easily drop the # to half max round up. Also it doesn't add much math to the player, (they could use a d12 to track total spell levels) and it doesn't add any new rolls to keep track of(always nice) or make any major changes to the rules as written for consistency and ease of play(excellent perk).
Just my thoughts on the topic.