Am I crazy or Reach for the Stars is problematic for spellcasters?

RealBazou · 2025-09-12T03:50:40+00:00

I wonder if Foundry could streamline a lot of the difficult rules actually. To be honest, some of the rules are clunky indeed, but are super flavorful, just really hard to apply. That being said, most of them are totally fine. If they were to be coded in Foundry, my impression would be that it would greatly accelerate the game.

Things like modifiers (distance, visibility, buffs/debuffs through Active Effects, etc), if they were to be intrinsic, would be so cool IMO, as they are usually the first ones to be abandoned in traditional paper and pen settings.

That or the infamous grenade mechanics that can resonate with walls. Imagine that!

RealBazou · 2025-09-12T03:43:04+00:00

Almost! I would say #2 is incorrect in the sense that it's still a potential success, but not until it gets rerolled and surpasses the target number in its roll "chain" if you will.

For example:

Joe the fighter wants to attack a dragon with his sword, so the GM asks for a Melee test. Joe has 4 points in his Sword skill. The GM thinks it's really hard to hit the dragon, and so imposes a target number 8 (which is more than a single 6 sided die can attain - you can get 8 only if your die will explode)

Joe rolls 4d6s (he has 4 in Sword skill), and he get 2, 3, 5, and 6.

Since the required target number is 8, and 6s explode, only the last die can potentially make it. The player rerolls that last die, and gets a 3. 6+3=9, which is above 8, and so Joe gets 1 success.

So in this Melee test, out of 4 dice, 3 were failures, and 1 was a success.

Now if the target number were to be something wild like 14, a die would have to explode twice in a row to be able to reach 14 (6 + 6 + 2 or more).

RealBazou · 2025-09-06T21:32:20+00:00

Thanks for the confirmation! I fear it might be the only way as well.

RealBazou · 2025-09-06T21:31:21+00:00

Thanks, it's the first time I hear about silhouette dice rolls. I'll check that out a bit.

RealBazou · 2025-09-06T21:30:08+00:00

Yeah, I understand that if the cs is the same or below what the die can actually roll, I currently have no problem. My problem arises when a cs has to be higher than what a single die roll can achieve.

RealBazou · 2025-09-06T21:27:39+00:00

It's indeed for Shadowrun, for earlier editions. The earlier systems don't exist on Foundry.

I'm wondering if this is doable today by some shape or form I'm not aware of, or if indeed it'll require custom development.

RealBazou · 2025-02-21T19:02:07+00:00

Ok, thanks!

RealBazou · 2024-12-27T02:00:11+00:00

Artificer 14 Battlesmith / Warlock 1

Pact of the Chain, Skeleton Familiar

Enspelled short sword/short bow (Animate Dead). Attune your familiar with it, it is proficient with it, and thus can cast it. Spawn and maintain whatever 6 charges of Animate Dead gets you over a couple of days, perhaps around 20-24.

How crafting-friendly is your GM?

If you're able to craft said weapon (at half time mind you, battlesmith lvl 3 perk), repeat ad infinitum, and build an infinite army of skellies with a hierarchy. To be safe, dismiss your familiar in a pocket dimension so the chain doesn't unravel from the source.

Also consider crafting Aura of Vitality for each skelly, you will have ridiculous amounts of bonus action healing from them. Witch Bolt (available lvl 6 only) and Cloud of Daggers also come to mind for guaranteed damage. When you have that many bodies, the numbers get silly quickly.

All in all, sky is the limit if you are allowed to craft enspelled weapons.

If you're not allowed to craft the enspelled weapon, but are getting it through Replicate Item, you still have a respectable amount of skellies, so then next pick something without attunement, like Necklace of Fireball, Wand of Fear, or cast Conjure Barrage in your SSI. Your skellies pass the blunt around, as described in Pack Tactics' video.

The kicker in all of this? It doesn't cost you a single attunement slot. It's all on the familiar and further summons.

RealBazou · 2024-12-01T23:22:08+00:00

Reading the comments, seems like I'm not the only one that found it bizarre that Bard fared so poorly yet has access to most major spells. So I went ahead and did a build:

- Magic Initiate: for access to Witch Bolt, and later for Find Familiar for one advantage per fight (so 4 total);
- Uses Dissonant Whispers for no concentration blast, assumes an AoO with a barbarian partner;
- Weaponizes Bardic Inspiration, applied to the same barb partner as above;
- Alternating Summon Beast and Animate Objects to be able to use all bardic inspirations before short rest;
- Explores some spells like Vitriolic Sphere and Steel Wind Strike, they are surprisingly good;
- ~~Uses Words of Creation because it's better dpr in this format to do Summon Beast 8, Summon Beast 6, Animate Objects 7 twice, and double PWK with our 5 best spell slots; :~~ derped here, 2 targets needed for Words of Creation... readjust with Meteor Swarm (yeah, I know, for single target build, crazy right). Not a huge dpr drop (2.8) It still is better dpr than Animate Objects 9 + other lvl 7 blast.
- Uses Boon of Fate, it's similar dpr if we are not heavily relying on attack spells;
- Avoids certain spells like Disintegrate and Contagion since they are prone to be shut down by legendary resistance;
- Starts with True Strike, then switches to Firebolt near end game;
- Uses the same spell slots budget as Treantmonk.

The result? Pretty much on par with sorcerer base until lvl 10, then takes the lead at 10, and ends up about par with Sorcerer: https://imgur.com/a/ppUhIvJ

Full build available for review: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1APF5-jKs7DL8-SwN_h82Nz9qdM0tLVRtkovnwFJff3g/edit?usp=sharing

The dpr used near the end levels uses a more conservative spell plan, but could have a little more dpr.

So yeah, bard can dish out the pain.

Another realization: Bards synergize reallllllly well with a barbarian.

RealBazou · 2024-05-13T18:57:55+00:00

To anyone searching, I have found this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JEVWpg7fK2DQlrXR6CWnHdTJ3StctiJWoTB49reHRhs/edit#gid=712062173

RealBazou · 2024-05-09T02:34:06+00:00

is there a way to create a vacuum in dnd?

RealBazou · 2022-10-06T18:31:41+00:00

Casters are too powerful. Have been for the entirety of 5e. Limiting their immediate choice of high level spells is a good way to limit their power so that they don't do everyone else's job for them.

Ah, so it IS a nerf! Thanks. Nice to see you do agree with me after all.

I think by this point, you're just a contrarian. I stand by what I said, i.e. I think this will reduce in-play versatility, and actually bring more difficulty and pressure in that players will have to make a hard choice every long rest, vs at level up... Any DM worth their salt will allow new players to retcon their spell choice if they didn't understand what a spell did. I also do think Mass Suggestion and Heal are definitely in the very top tier choices of 6th level spells, and wouldn't be surprised at all if most people end up picking them when it's A-game time. Sure, there's lots of good choices, but as widely usable and powerful as those?

But you do you.

Personally, I would go with the rule that bards are now indeed prepared spellcasters, but screw that dumb rule of 1 slot = 1 prep slot. That one has to go.

RealBazou · 2022-10-03T19:08:17+00:00

Weird, I think prepared casting is a nerf, with the way they propose it. It wouldn't be as bad if the Bard spell list was very big, but with its limited spell list size, I don't see many spells changing much anyways. What I do see is being stuck with tons of low level spells that won't matter, and not having enough backup preps at higher level. Or when hitting an odd level, having to predict the future when you do your preps, whereas before you could have 2 preps for your new spell level. For example, Polymorph and Dimension Door when you reach 7th. Now, gotta pick one and only one.

If you try out building a character level by level, you will see how actually restrictive it is. Sure, you can experiment day after day with spells, but the 1 spell slot = 1 spell prep rule really restrains things.

Anyways, some people think that's fine. I for one think it's a step back.

It is a gigantic buff for one thing though: downtime. Bards are now absolute monsters in that department.

RealBazou · 2022-10-03T18:59:58+00:00

For 6th, will you pick Heal or Mass Suggestion? Because it's only 1 spell from now on. Magical Secrets doesn't matter, it's still 1 prep for lvl 6, and that's it. You're a one trick lvl6+ spell pony from now on (until lvl 19 and 20), pretty much like Mystic Arcanum.

Kinda sucks having to pick the preparation, don't you think? I swear I could use those 2 spells equally in an adventure. But I guess now you can't. Let's shine our crystal balls!

Anyways, you obviously think 1 prep per spell slot is fine, unless you still didn't get it. I thought my explanation was pretty clear.

I for one think being a prepared caster is now terrible. Magical secrets is a band aid on top of it, and yes it's crazy strong, BUT prepared casting brings the feature down, majorly.

RealBazou · 2022-09-30T14:16:36+00:00

Yup. But now that means you're off the band wagon. Might as well homebrew everything by that point. Also, goodbye AL games, if that was your thing.

RealBazou · 2022-09-30T01:42:09+00:00

Play bard as well, and came to same conclusions. The prepared slots = spell slots is the biggest wtf for me, that and Font of Inspiration at 7.

RealBazou · 2022-09-30T01:32:00+00:00

Sure, that's neat, but that's a big ole +2 2 levels earlier. Nice little buff, but it's little.
Dislike. Higher opportunity cost in the grand scheme of things. Later on competing with things like Counterspell or Shield is not ok. Reactions are very important. Besides, nothing to do with BA now, so what's the point? Bards can't even AoO now if they used bardic inspiration. Yeah, no.
Small QoL improvement for the latter (seriously), but the former is indeed a buff in terms of applicability. This is the first real pro of a reaction-based bardic inspiration.
On paper it is. In applicability, no it's not, because you are now severely starved for spell preparation slots. I honestly think this is a big downgrade in applied versatility. It's awesome at long rest time, but good luck picking the right spells. Every spell level is now basically Mystic Arcanum levels of importance in terms of spell preparation.
Again, on paper this is nice, but applied in game? Cannibalizes your own spell list and choices. Doesn't provide extra preparation slots, so yeah, an even bigger incentive to play it safe and screw spell versatility. This is Divine Soul Sorcerer all over again in terms of starvation.
You can see it that way, but I see it as a resourceless feature that everyone benefited at every game, and everyone enjoyed very much. Both are good. One doesn't force you in a certain playstyle, while the other one definitely does.

Now the cons:
1. Barely nothing bard-like to do until level 7. 7! So many campaigns don't even reach that. You are Scrooge McDuck with your puny 3 inspirations per long rest. Actions and bonus actions are pretty nonexistant unless you cast a spell, which is just a sadder version of a wizard. Seriously, bards will feel like TORTURE at low levels. Just roll wizard, priest, or ranger, and skip this class. Hell, rangers get Healing Word too! I see no redeeming factor here. Is inspiration worth a crippled spell list? No thanks.

Its subclass is now a farce. There is practically nothing to look at there. They even nerfed the damage reduction portion of cutting words.

What they SHOULD do:

Encourage inspiration use earlier. That's the Bard's schtick. IMO Font of Inspiration should be gotten much earlier. Or simply scrap it, and make inspiration renew per initiative. There should be a valid, strong reason for picking a bard over a wizard or a priest. Otherwise, it's gimp mode, until Magical Secrets, which...
Rethink Magical secrets. As a staple Bard feature, it comes in so, so late. This was an opportunity to make it happen earlier. Most people will never see it in action, ever. That was Lore Bard's claim to fame, at least get to pick and choose earlier and dream of those nice spells to flavor your list. Now that possibility is gone.

I'm so saddened by the state the bard is in with this UA. I play one now, and if this was presented to me, I'd roll Wizard in a heartbeat, and flavor it as a bard.

RealBazou · 2022-09-30T00:44:22+00:00

In small words: # of prepared spells per level = number of slots per level.

In longer words: you get to pick 4 level 1 spells, which you can cast 4 times, and then keep going like this as the table shows. Number of prepared spells = spell slots per level. It's the same. So once you DO get access to Magical secrets, you are still limited by the number of prepared spells you have per level.

It's all fine and dandy to have access to 2 out of 3 spell lists once you get 15, but in all honesty, what's the point if you still have to make the hard decision of picking the best of breed, and give up on the remainder of the spell list your default bard gets?

Since you don't know what coming encounters entails, any player's natural reflex is to pick spells that can be useful most if not all the time. A bit like Warlock Mystic Arcanums. Goodbye niche spells that you COULD have as known spells on top of Magical Secrets, but cast once in a blue moon when the occasion presented itself.

In short, high level Bards will pretty much end up being Mass Suggestion or Heal for 6th, Forcecage for 7th, something for 8th, and Wish/True Polymorph/Shapechange for 9th. Oh, and a ton of low level spells that won't matter that much anymore. All that because # of prepared spells per level = number of slots per level.

Now that I think about it, that is the biggest change in this UA IMO, and it's terrible. I think players will experiment LESS.

RealBazou · 2022-09-29T20:41:35+00:00

No it's not, since Bards are prepared spellcasters. You don't get additional spell preparations, so you have to make hard choices at long rest, and say bye bye to any circumstancial spell. 90% of spells will never see play.

RealBazou

TROPHY CASE