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Jun 11, 2012 -- 5:13PM, Tevish_Szat wrote:

Jun 11, 2012 -- 5:04PM, Kishri wrote:

Jun 11, 2012 -- 4:02PM, anjelika wrote:

I like the idea of one free spell every spell level (not character level) of the player's choice.  This simulates the learning the character has been working towards in her spare time.  Anything else must be obtained by barter/purchase (very rare, as I have no magic shops), adventuring, knowledge exchange, or captured spellbooks.  You can also research a spell, but it's costly and time-consuming.  That's the only way to 'pick your own' spell though (again...other than the one free every spell level).

I've run wizard-loving players for a very long time, and although most object to this in the beginning, they rapidly find it much more to their liking when the party doesn't have to plan on every enemy wizard having the 'perfect' spell selection, either.

I think you have brought up a fantastic point.

Many DMs have the problem of loading their villains and NPCs with "the perfect spells" to combat the party with.  This often creates scenarios where the players are required to have certain spells or face huge disadvantages that are often unfair.  This leads to the players thinking that having every spell is mandatory, and it often is in such campaigns, since their opponents will have every spell at their disposal.

If I knew that the villains had the same disadvantage as me, I would not balk at the idea of having to find or earn my spells.  But if every villain has the perfect spell list in which to challenge me every time, you bet I am going to insist on auto picks by class level.

Of course, once you sieze the villain's spellbook, the "Perfect Spell list" is within your grasp

True that unless your DM is being obtuse.  You have no idea how many villains I have faced where the spell book didn't match what the villain cast in battle, or by some stroke of good fortune (for the villain) the spell book is destroyed or can't be found.

Of course, if the book is available and matches what was cast, then yes it is problem solved... for the caster players at least, though it is exactly this that leads to the magical escalation that can render non casters into secondary roles later in the game.

Jun 11, 2012 -- 6:00PM, Damar wrote:

Did anyone even read his blog post? It is about the fact that magic missile scales, not how you select your spells.

From the first paragraph of the Op's blog post:

"So last week we read in Legends and Lore that Fighters are not going to automatically get better with each level. This is great in my opinion. Finally, you can use a basic orc, goblin, kobold, etc at all levels of the game. But the question is: how do you balance that against the Wizard. In my humble opinion, that's easy: don't make the wizard automatically get new spell levels every other level. Give the wizard other options like being able to cast his existing spells better. "

He then goes on about an option to make a currently known spell better by choosing to upgrade rather than an automatic scaling as the play test has Magic Missile scale.

It is an idea worth looking into. 

The idea of how spells are gained has a huge impact on his idea, since, as noted above, there are quite a few DMs who don't let spells be automatically gained as characters level as the OP's premise suggests.  If this is the case, how will he reconcile his options in such a campaign?  Will the player just simply be forced into the upgrade option if he found no new spells, or will the option to upgrade be made into something that has to be found or earned as well?

So, as you can see, the discussion currently going on IS relevant to the OP's blog.

Jun 11, 2012 -- 6:44PM, Pashalik_Mons wrote:

Kishri:  Spell Level, not Spell.

Doh!  Good catch.  I totally misread that.  Thank you!