Hey all, I have an unpopular opinion I'd like to share so I can move on to the ways I believe the issue I have could be more comfortably resolved. Personally, I feel the way concentration works, spells don't often last long enough to make a significant difference worthy of their level. I understand people will disagree with this, but for the sake of some forward progression, I'd appreciate if those able could set that aside while considering the solutions I'd like to implement, and sort of rank them from the most to the least game-balance breaking. I will mention it's true that this will impact PCs, NPCs, and Monsters alike.
Have all casters gain a limited proficiency in Constitution Saving throws. The full bonus of their proficiency would only be available when attempting Concentration Checks to maintain a concentration spell, and would not otherwise impact saves against poison, necrotic damage, poison, disease, and other horrible death, etc. This would be automatic at first level and scale as regular otherwise.
All casters would instead gain the benefit suggested in the War Caster feat, where any concentration check (Constitution save) made to maintain a concentration spell would be made with advantage. It's an alternative to my first suggestion that could nonetheless come to work in tandem via feats like Resilient and War Caster, though each option currently listed takes only part of the feats benefit, and not necessarily both.
At something like 15th level, a caster can maintain concentration on 2 spells so long as one spell is of 3rd level or lower. Slightly off topic, it's something I think of in terms of Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind series and the mental tricks Arcanists therein would use.
That's what I have currently, and I have not made any sort of playtest to see how this would play out. Pure theory crafting at this point. And again, just as the heroes would benefit, so too would allies, NPCs, Villains, and Monsters.
Another option but one I have not had a chance to playtest so migh tbe complete bubkiss...
"You can maintain concentration on a spell for a number of rounds equal to your spell casting ability modiifier. You can only maintain concentration on one spell at a time. Within this time scale you do not need to make contration checks if you take damage etc. However, if you try to maintain conctration on the spell for longr than this you must make a concentration check at the start of each of your turns as well as when you take damage etc."
So in gane play:
A lvl6 wizard with a +5 Int mod could maintain concentration on a fly spell for 5 rounds and wouldn't need to worry about being hit but on the 6th and susequent round needs to make a concentration check at the start of each turn and all the normal caveats to concentration apply and failure means the wizard loses concentration and the spell ends.
Hey all, I have an unpopular opinion I'd like to share so I can move on to the ways I believe the issue I have could be more comfortably resolved. Personally, I feel the way concentration works, spells don't often last long enough to make a significant difference worthy of their level. I understand people will disagree with this, but for the sake of some forward progression, I'd appreciate if those able could set that aside while considering the solutions I'd like to implement, and sort of rank them from the most to the least game-balance breaking. I will mention it's true that this will impact PCs, NPCs, and Monsters alike.
That's what I have currently, and I have not made any sort of playtest to see how this would play out. Pure theory crafting at this point. And again, just as the heroes would benefit, so too would allies, NPCs, Villains, and Monsters.
Another option but one I have not had a chance to playtest so migh tbe complete bubkiss...
"You can maintain concentration on a spell for a number of rounds equal to your spell casting ability modiifier. You can only maintain concentration on one spell at a time. Within this time scale you do not need to make contration checks if you take damage etc. However, if you try to maintain conctration on the spell for longr than this you must make a concentration check at the start of each of your turns as well as when you take damage etc."
So in gane play:
A lvl6 wizard with a +5 Int mod could maintain concentration on a fly spell for 5 rounds and wouldn't need to worry about being hit but on the 6th and susequent round needs to make a concentration check at the start of each turn and all the normal caveats to concentration apply and failure means the wizard loses concentration and the spell ends.