Talk:Spellweaver (5e Class)

There have been a couple of comments on how broken this class is, but as they were put into the body of the class instead of the talk/discussion page, I have deleted them. If you are concerned that this class is unbalanced, please look at the warning banner at the top of the page. This class is built for a specific game world, and if it doesn't work with your campaign, please do not use it. Do not trick your new DM into using it. --Zibby (talk) 00:25, 10 August 2017 (MDT)

A note on balance

At level 20, a full caster like a cleric, druid, or sorcerer can cast 86 spell levels per day. The math for this is simple, with each spell slot granting a number of energy equal to it's level.

9+8+7+7+6+6+5+5+5+4+4+4+3+3+3+2+2+2+1+1+1+1=86

The problem is that using energy instead of spell slots allows for much more flexibility, allowing for nine level 9 spells per day. Reducing the total energy to 60 helps with balance, while allowing energy to be spent to replace materials will reduce the available pool further.

Storing energy does increase the available energy, but at a cost of ever-valuable attunement slots. This is a place where the DM can balance as they wish, granting items which use attunement slots to others or even to a spellweaver in order to make them choose between energy and other bonuses.

The end result will still be more flexible than a normal cleric, druid, or sorcerer (in different ways, as sorcerers are quite flexible as it is), and this is the intent. Spellweavers do not possess the class specific shape shifting, channel divinity, or meta magic which the classes they take their spell lists from do. They also have a reduced hit die and lack of weapon proficiency or bonus spells compared to the cleric and druid. --Zibby (talk) 05:37, 13 August 2017 (MDT)

Dead Levels

This class, much like the original wizard, gets to cast higher level spells as it levels up. This is by design. The "dead levels" are in fact where the class continues to increase it's spell threshold. Additional abilities are not necessary at every level. --Zibby (talk) 10:55, 16 August 2017 (MDT)

Not a bad change, anonymous user. It does certainly simplify things, but I felt that spell threshold still had to be defined. Now there is no casting of spells higher than you are allowed, like just about every other class. It seems like that really fixes the balance issue, and for those who still want to, it can be house ruled. Zibby (talk) 19:02, 24 February 2018 (MST)

That last change by an anonymous user (5 energy to cast any spell you have come across) is simply not appropriate. It took one of the main mechanics that makes the spellweaver who they are, even the capstone of their energy-as-components ability, and made it so that they can cast 9th level spells as 5th level spells. Changed back to the original ability as intended. Zibby (talk) 06:46, 9 April 2018 (MDT)

Testing

Began testing the class, and the flexibility in casting is massive. That said, the lifeweaver has very few options to deal damage with the cleric spell list. Lacking the martial weapons and armor of the cleric, this relegates the player to healing more often, which eats energy in copious amounts. Not surprising that this is a dedicated healer build, but the fragility was not intended to be coupled with a lack of damage output. Zibby (talk) 06:21, 6 July 2018 (MDT)

Loreweaver

Thanks to the anonymous user that added the loreweaver, it looks great! Seems fairly balanced, too. Zibby (talk) 20:42, 28 January 2019 (MST)

Spellcasting

Any reason not to use the spell point system described in the DMG? This correctly scales point usage to spell level, and specifically limits usage of spells of 6th level or higher. Marasmusine (talk) 13:42, 9 September 2019 (MDT)

The system given in the book seemed much less intuitive, with 9th level spell slots costing 13 points, etc. Being restricted to only one spell of each level from 6th to 9th also seems a bit awkward. The system I have set up is also meant to use hit dice in order to supplement casting, as this class is intended to make spellcasting seem more difficult and/or taxing to the caster herself. In a world with very few spellcasters, using hit dice gets risky, as healing is also difficult to come across. Zibby (talk) 15:58, 11 September 2019 (MDT)