D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Spell Focus gives only +1 to DCs

[maggot]

Check out the stats in Dungeon 100.

And Greater Spell Focus is only +2.

Personally, I like this a lot. Reduces the no-brainer aspect of these feats, and makes them analogous to Weapon Focus (+1 with a weapon). Then again, this change may make these too weak and no one will take them.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

They never were a no brainer, as a +1Dc there a no brainer in that its a no brainer not to take them. I never saw it as a problem but some people had a problem with the +4 from greater focus. A much better change would of been to just remove greater focus and keep spell focus at +2. This change made it so weak its pathetic. It's now one of those feats you only take for some symbolic roleplaying reason. The that's right I'm a necromancer ideas.

 

[0-hr]

Hrm, that seems like a bad idea. It's so easy to raise your Fort, Ref, and Will, but so difficult to raise your spell DCs.

But heck, I wasn't planning on buying this upgrade anyway (at least not until all the pages fall out of my current set of books).

~Ryan

 

[Pax]

Feh, that's beyond weak.

Well, there's my first confirmed houserule for 3.5: I'll be using the 3.0 Spell Focus / Greater Spell Focus rules.

Greater Spell Focus was desperately needed for many wizards, because it was SO easy for the foes to make the saving throws your character might commonly throw around that it was a joke.

Hence, in our group anyway, were born the "Poly-Buff-And-Tenser" battlemages. Polymorph into a troll or giant, buff to the nines, then cast Tenser's Transformation at the first sign of combat. Combined with <i>called</i> armor (enhancement form DotF) and a level of Fighter so the battlemage was proficient with Greatswords and armor alike ... it was far far far more effective than spending those same spell slots actually casting spells at the enemy..

Greater Focus helped drive the DCs back into the "50/50-ish" ranges again. Dropping it back to +2 ... would revive those PBATs all over. 8P

 

[mmu1]

Removing Greater Spell Focus probably would have worked as well, but I actually like this change.

Between stat boosting items, high level spells and those two feats, you easily get into situations when you can target a spell at someone with a weak corresponding save, and know they probably need a 19 or 20 to save against it - with a "save or die" spell, that's really a bit much.

 

[Ysgarran]

Well, by this reasoning either dodge should give a plus 2 to armor class or Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes and Iron Will should give only +1 to the appropriate saves.

The change to spell focus is the 3.5 change I dislike the most...so far.

Ysgarran.

Check out the stats in Dungeon 100.

And Greater Spell Focus is only +2.

Personally, I like this a lot. Reduces the no-brainer aspect of these feats, and makes them analogous to Weapon Focus (+1 with a weapon). Then again, this change may make these too weak and no one will take them.

 

[Ysgarran]

My preferred change would be to make stat boosting items much more expensive. From we've seen so far, many save or die spells have been greatly curtailed.

Removing Greater Spell Focus probably would have worked as well, but I actually like this change.

Between stat boosting items, high level spells and those two feats, you easily get into situations when you can target a spell at someone with a weak corresponding save, and know they probably need a 19 or 20 to save against it - with a "save or die" spell, that's really a bit much.

 

[Delgar]

Piratecat hinted at in another thread that Stat Boosting items are going to recieve a price increase.

Not too surprising seeing that the stat boosting spells are being toned down.

Delgar

 

[Cloudgatherer]

Seems to make the Archmage PrC just that much more valuable...(powerful?)

 

[LordAO]

This is absurd. Are they going to change Iron WIll and such to only give a +1 to saving throws? I never minded the +2 from spell focus or +4 from greater spell focus, since it only applies to one school of magic. And even with greater spell focus, things were still saving against my spells on a regular basis, especially at higher levels. Now if they make spell focus give you a +1 to all dcs froma ll schools, I'll be ok with it. Otherwise, they have only nerfed spell casters in yet another way.