I've had a few ideas recently and would like people here to help me balance them.
Expanded Memory Requirement: You must prepare spells Through extensive work, you have expanded your memory. Gain the following benefits: - Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1 - Double your spellcasting modifier when calculating number of spells you can prepare Also may also gain one of the following benefits: - If you are a Wizard, you learn 3 spells when you level up. Apply this as if you gained this ability at level 1 - Increase your number of spells known by 1
You would argue an extra spell per level is so strong? A level 1 spell for a wizard would cost 75 gold as a scroll, as per Xanathar's guide, and then 20 gold to scribe. It is equivalent to getting a bit extra gold. If this was taken at level 4, lets say 200 gold for level 1 spells and probably triple that for level 2 spells. This isn't even given in a form you could convert into other items.
I found it to be flavorful, and not very important. I personally find it weird how big of a strength people see this being for a Wizard, when compared to how Druids, Clerics and Paladins have their entire spell list at their disposal the moment they get their spell slots for them.
This, compared with the other option increasing your known spells by 1, feels quite weak to me as a standalone feat. I'd never even consider taking it. Maybe alongside increasing an ability score by 1 in a campaign where the GM only allows the other spell-preparing classes to switch out their spells at will, and the Wizard is left out with so few spells.
Secondly, Doubling the spellcasting modifier when it comes to spells you can prepare will increase the number of spells you can prepare between 3 and 5. Would this break them? I do admit, it is the area I'm most unsure about, but have a hard time seeing it being selected compared to +2 INT or warcaster, or compared to feats for other classes on the powerlevel of great weapon master and sharpshooter. These easily double damage output, while the one I propose does not increase the number of spells you ultimately case in a day.
I think the difference is that Wizards have so much more utility with their spells compared to Clerics/Druids. It feels limiting because some classes are always going to exceed others in some way, but things are done the way they are for a reason. The pure money cost of transcribing spells is one thing, but that's also discounting the rarity of scrolls. If you're playing a game where your DM allows all scrolls to simply be easily purchased for a minimum cost, then the feat is kind of pointless anyway.
Honestly, learning multiple additional spells at a level up would be a pretty big deal for most classes. As well any increase to the number of spells you can prepare each day is also a major game changer. This definitely does feel like a feat built for wizards more than other classes, so maybe it would be good to make it specifically for Wizards.
I think if you simply increased the number of prepared spells by 1 and allowed the player to learn one additional spell per level (and retroactively applied this to all previous level gains), this would be a hearty, well-loved feat.
This is in and of itself a huge advantage over other classes.
Getting a free spell is big - there's a reason why all the sell-giving feats just give you one or two, Even level 8 Dragonmark ones only give you 2. So, giving somebody 20 free spells (which can be up to three 9th level spells) is immensely OP compared to: all official feats ever made in any D&D edition ever and a huge advantage over all other spellcasters due to Wizards having the most versatile and expansive spell list. With your feat a Wizard gets 64 spells, now compare to a Sorcerer who gets 15. Yes, your feat is extremely imbalanced.
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This is in and of itself a huge advantage over other classes.
Saying that preparing 3 additional spells is huge over other classes presumes this is for wizards only.
Getting a free spell is done differently by other feats. It usually is a decent spell with a free cast every day and some other features. Arcane Initiate is two cantrips from any class and a spell you can cast once daily for free. Ritual caster is similar but with rituals. Drow High Magic gives you a 1st level spell at will and 2 good spells once per day in addition to your spell slows, essentially giving you free spell slots. Here it only give you access to spells you already had access to without affecting how often you can cast spells.
Also, the sorcerer, along with other spellcasters, can always exchange the spells they no longer need, essentually taking spells at a level they need them, and when they become underpowered for their level, you can exchange them for more utility focused spells. As a wizard, if you select spells so you are able to keep up with decent damage, you are giving up this utility other classes can get. The extra spell wizards get and the wizard school are then comparable to metamagic and sorcerous origin. They don't seem broken to me. Spell scribing is there to cover this weakness.
I think the difference is that Wizards have so much more utility with their spells compared to Clerics/Druids. It feels limiting because some classes are always going to exceed others in some way, but things are done the way they are for a reason. The pure money cost of transcribing spells is one thing, but that's also discounting the rarity of scrolls. If you're playing a game where your DM allows all scrolls to simply be easily purchased for a minimum cost, then the feat is kind of pointless anyway.
Honestly, learning multiple additional spells at a level up would be a pretty big deal for most classes. As well any increase to the number of spells you can prepare each day is also a major game changer. This definitely does feel like a feat built for wizards more than other classes, so maybe it would be good to make it specifically for Wizards.
I think if you simply increased the number of prepared spells by 1 and allowed the player to learn one additional spell per level (and retroactively applied this to all previous level gains), this would be a hearty, well-loved feat.
Do GMs disallow the rules for purchasing scrolls in Xanathar's guide? Either way, that is not intended as the main feature of the feat. Learning extra spells was more for flavor, as simply preparing 2 more spells a day over just increasing your spellcasting modifier did not seem worth a feat, the rest was meant for flavor.
Ultimately I just don't see the huge value in that ability you see, but if I were to just take your criticism of if to heart, I could change it to the following:
Expanded Memory Requirement: You must prepare spells Through extensive work, you have expanded your memory. You can prepare 3 additional spells. Also may also gain one of the following benefits: - If you are a Wizard, you learn 2 spells - Increase your number of spells known by 1
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I've had a few ideas recently and would like people here to help me balance them.
Expanded Memory
Requirement: You must prepare spells
Through extensive work, you have expanded your memory. Gain the following benefits:
- Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1
- Double your spellcasting modifier when calculating number of spells you can prepare
Also may also gain one of the following benefits:
- If you are a Wizard, you learn 3 spells when you level up. Apply this as if you gained this ability at level 1
- Increase your number of spells known by 1
Wow that is a lot. Honestly, any one of those would be a solid feat unto itself. I'd say maybe split this into two feats, at least?
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You would argue an extra spell per level is so strong? A level 1 spell for a wizard would cost 75 gold as a scroll, as per Xanathar's guide, and then 20 gold to scribe. It is equivalent to getting a bit extra gold. If this was taken at level 4, lets say 200 gold for level 1 spells and probably triple that for level 2 spells. This isn't even given in a form you could convert into other items.
I found it to be flavorful, and not very important. I personally find it weird how big of a strength people see this being for a Wizard, when compared to how Druids, Clerics and Paladins have their entire spell list at their disposal the moment they get their spell slots for them.
This, compared with the other option increasing your known spells by 1, feels quite weak to me as a standalone feat. I'd never even consider taking it. Maybe alongside increasing an ability score by 1 in a campaign where the GM only allows the other spell-preparing classes to switch out their spells at will, and the Wizard is left out with so few spells.
Secondly, Doubling the spellcasting modifier when it comes to spells you can prepare will increase the number of spells you can prepare between 3 and 5. Would this break them? I do admit, it is the area I'm most unsure about, but have a hard time seeing it being selected compared to +2 INT or warcaster, or compared to feats for other classes on the powerlevel of great weapon master and sharpshooter. These easily double damage output, while the one I propose does not increase the number of spells you ultimately case in a day.
If you would split them up, how would you do so?
I think the difference is that Wizards have so much more utility with their spells compared to Clerics/Druids. It feels limiting because some classes are always going to exceed others in some way, but things are done the way they are for a reason. The pure money cost of transcribing spells is one thing, but that's also discounting the rarity of scrolls. If you're playing a game where your DM allows all scrolls to simply be easily purchased for a minimum cost, then the feat is kind of pointless anyway.
Honestly, learning multiple additional spells at a level up would be a pretty big deal for most classes. As well any increase to the number of spells you can prepare each day is also a major game changer. This definitely does feel like a feat built for wizards more than other classes, so maybe it would be good to make it specifically for Wizards.
I think if you simply increased the number of prepared spells by 1 and allowed the player to learn one additional spell per level (and retroactively applied this to all previous level gains), this would be a hearty, well-loved feat.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
I'd say you get to prepare 3 additional spells.
This is in and of itself a huge advantage over other classes.
Getting a free spell is big - there's a reason why all the sell-giving feats just give you one or two, Even level 8 Dragonmark ones only give you 2. So, giving somebody 20 free spells (which can be up to three 9th level spells) is immensely OP compared to: all official feats ever made in any D&D edition ever and a huge advantage over all other spellcasters due to Wizards having the most versatile and expansive spell list. With your feat a Wizard gets 64 spells, now compare to a Sorcerer who gets 15. Yes, your feat is extremely imbalanced.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Saying that preparing 3 additional spells is huge over other classes presumes this is for wizards only.
Getting a free spell is done differently by other feats. It usually is a decent spell with a free cast every day and some other features. Arcane Initiate is two cantrips from any class and a spell you can cast once daily for free. Ritual caster is similar but with rituals. Drow High Magic gives you a 1st level spell at will and 2 good spells once per day in addition to your spell slows, essentially giving you free spell slots. Here it only give you access to spells you already had access to without affecting how often you can cast spells.
Also, the sorcerer, along with other spellcasters, can always exchange the spells they no longer need, essentually taking spells at a level they need them, and when they become underpowered for their level, you can exchange them for more utility focused spells. As a wizard, if you select spells so you are able to keep up with decent damage, you are giving up this utility other classes can get. The extra spell wizards get and the wizard school are then comparable to metamagic and sorcerous origin. They don't seem broken to me. Spell scribing is there to cover this weakness.
Quote from TransmorpherDDS >>
Do GMs disallow the rules for purchasing scrolls in Xanathar's guide? Either way, that is not intended as the main feature of the feat. Learning extra spells was more for flavor, as simply preparing 2 more spells a day over just increasing your spellcasting modifier did not seem worth a feat, the rest was meant for flavor.
Ultimately I just don't see the huge value in that ability you see, but if I were to just take your criticism of if to heart, I could change it to the following:
Expanded Memory
Requirement: You must prepare spells
Through extensive work, you have expanded your memory. You can prepare 3 additional spells.
Also may also gain one of the following benefits:
- If you are a Wizard, you learn 2 spells
- Increase your number of spells known by 1