doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Here are some ideas to enhance boss fights, simplify the use of 2014 style conjure spells, and expand the utility of magic in a way that doesn’t sideline martials.
——————————-
Boss Monsters. Instead of legendary resistances as written, legendary critters have Legendary Defense.
——————————-
Boss Monsters. Instead of legendary resistances as written, legendary critters have Legendary Defense.
Legendary Defense - The [critter] has 3 Legendary Defenses, and regains 1 when it becomes Bloodied, and all 3 when it rolls initiative.
When subject to an effect that deals damage or requires a saving throw, the [critter] can spend one Legendary Defense to do one of the following;
- Interpose The creature chooses one of its allies that it can see or that can see it. That ally suffers the effect instead.
- Reflect The critter spends three LD to cause the source of the effect to be targeted by the effect instead.
- Barbed Defense The creature gains advantage on the triggering saving throw or imposes disadvantage on the attack. If this causes the effect to miss, it can use its reaction to use a Legendary Action immediately.
Then also add abilities to use minions as part of legendary and lair actions, such as a legendary or lair action that allows all the critter’s allies within 100ft to move their speed, or take the Dodge Action, or make one attack, or die and give their HP to their boss, etc.
———————————-
Running hordes and Conjured creatures. I’ll use the 2014 model of Conjure XYZ spell as an example, but this also applies to minions, groups of hirelings, etc.
When a creature controls a group of other creatures, they act in unison during combat encounters. All creatures you control from the same source, such as a spell, share one turn. If they attack, choose the targets, and those targets make saving throws. [insert how to convert attack bonus to saving throw DC]. Targets take half damage on a miss.
If the creatures use a special ability or cast a spell, and that ability or spell cannot simply be resolved as a group attack, instead resolve it as a single group casting*. (A group of 6 pixies cannot cast 6 instances of polymorph, they can only cast once as a group.)
Group casting by conjured or otherwise controlled creatures have limitations.
- They can only choose the Special Concentration Defense, or metamagic, benefit of group casting
- They cannot split casters between benefits
- The conjurer must spend spells slots or Hit Point Dice equal to half the spell level of the spell being cast by the creatures
———————————
Group Casting- (work in progress) Basically rather than casting fireball 6 times because you have 6 wizards casting it, you cast it once and upgrade its effects in a few possible ways. One creature is the Lead Caster, and makes the actual checks, determines the saving throw or other effects, and only the Lead Caster can apply any features to the casting such as a class feature or feat benefit. Each caster must make a check using their spellcasting bonus (casting ability mod plus proficiency) or appropriate skill check at a DC equal to 8 + the spell’s level. If they fail they don’t spend any resources but also don’t add to the casting. Any creature using hit point dice can spend half the normal number if they succeed by ten or more on the check.
Whichever you choose, every caster casts the spell, meaning they spend the actions, and the spell slot or burn their “per day” use or whatever (or spend hit point dice), and each caster must concentrate if the spell requires concentration.
- Metamagic - Basically, you treat each caster as a sorcery point and add a single metamagic effect to the spell from a small list. Empowered Spell, Heightened Spell, Twinned Spell (2014), or Quickened Spell. If a caster has the metamagic feature the group can also choose any of that caster’s known metamagic options.
- Upcasting - You treat each two casters as a single additional spell level and cast as if spending that spell slot, up to level 5. Level 6 requires 3 casters, level 7 requires 5, level 8 requires 10, and level 9 requires 20. So, casting a level 5 version of a first level spell would require 10 casters. Casting it at level 6 would require 13 casters, level 7 would require 18, level 8 requires 28, and level 9 requires 48 casters.
- Special Concentration Defense- For each caster the group gains a d6 concentration defense die. When damage forces a concentration saving throw, the group can spend one die and roll it, adding The result to their savings throw. If one of the casters is reduced to 0hp by the damage, their defense die is lost and cannot be used on the resulting saving throw.
- The group can choose how many casters to dedicate to a given effect, such as using 3 casters to upcast and the other 3 to give Concentration Defense Dice.
Non-Casters
If you want to allow martial PCs to help, they make an appropriate skill check as an action, and spend Hit Point Dice equal to the level of spell slot they would otherwise be using. If they succeed the check by ten or more they only spend half the number of hit point dice. If they fail they don’t spend any dice but also don’t add to the casting.
———————————-
Group Ritual Casting. This may require rules for each ritual spell rather than general rules. I think in order to add a benefit to the casting for a given caster the ritual must take ten minutes longer to cast, but beyond that it depends on what the spell does. Unseen Servant obviously could increase duration and number of servants, while comprehend languages would allow more creatures to be targeted by the spell, and Gentle Repose would either increase duration, increase targets, or maybe even add an additional effect like “if the creature is returned to life while under the spell’s effect, it regains HP equal to XYZ in addition.” Based on number of casters.
Broadly this allows much broader use of magic. Allow spending Hit Point Dice and making a simple check with appropriate knowledge skill and you have a system that martials can participate in, too. The whole party can lend their aid to casting Gentle Repose on the fallen member, or act as batteries for the casting of a big spell that absolutely needs to work. Magic becomes a party resource rather than just the purview of the wizard or whoever.
Lastly, if allow a character with Ritual Caster (2024), Pact of The Tome, or with Arcana, Nature, or Religion, to learn rituals like the 2014 Ritual Caster, allowing a rogue to be a very good ritualist without having to become a normal spellcaster, while still making the spellcasters better at ritual magic.
Just thought I’d share my ideas.
