You basically have to upcast them to keep them at all effective later on. So, at 13+ level you are still doing d8+mod and 5d8, respectively. Neither really scale as you level (ok, your spellcasting mod will likely be a couple points higher, but that's it). Throw in that upcasting it allows you an additional target per spell level, and it is even better!Ĭompare it to Cure Wounds or Sleep. Many creatures will gain saves at higher levels, but quite a lot don't still! So, the spell improves over all as you level up. At level 1, a typical save DC is 12-13, but level 13 and higher it is likely DC 18+. Your save-versus spells scale due to your proficiency bonus and ability modifier increasing, but many dice-based spells don't unless you upcast them (unless they also happen to be save-versus, e.g. Now, you bring up an interesting topic: scaling. IME IF anything like that occurs, 9 times out of 10 it is because of poor spell selection than lack of use or opportunity. The wizard likes 5e and understands how this is all designed to work (as others have said-you usually only upcast a spell because you have no better use for that slot-the benefit is pure freebie-it could have been designed to not scale at all in higher slots!) The bard grumbles about it because he prefers 3e and can't stand that spells don't auto-scale by caster level, and that the healing spells in particular don't scale as well as they did in 3e. There aren't many other things on his list worth upcasting. The wizard upcasts thunderwave about once every 4 or 5 sessions, and would likely do the same with magic missile, except that he rarely prepares the latter for lack of enough slots to prepare everything he wants. He probably upcasts in a fight every 3 or so sessions, but out of combat he upcasts cure wounds regularly. The only upcastable spells he has are cure wounds and healing word. We have a bard, and a custom class with wizard spellcasting. In our group the party is 5th level, and we have very slow leveling so we've played extensively at each of those levels (I've run theme shorter adventures at various other levels, but I my extended experience so far is concentrated in this party). You spend a lot of HD healing from magic this way. Now a level 3 Healing Word is 3d4+wis (12.5), and 1 to 3 HD expended by the creature.Ī level 3 Cure Wounds on a Barbarian is 3d12+wis (24.5), and 1 to 3 HD expended by the creature. The additional d8 HP can also be replaced with the highest HD expended to heal from this spell. The 1d8 healing die can be replaced with the highest HD the creature spends when healed by this spell.Īt higher levels: For every slot level higher than 1st, the spell heals an additional 1d8 HP, and the creature can choose to spend an additional HD to regain additional HP. You could then use this to improve upcasting Īt higher levels: For every slot level higher than 1st, the spell heals an additional 1d4 HP, and the creature can choose to spend an additional HD to regain additional HP. This includes potions.įor cure wounds, the d8 can be replaced with the HD that you spent so a cure wounds on a barbarian heals 2d12+caster's stat, and the barbarian has to spend a HD. If you don't spend the HD, the magical healing can only stabilize you. Whenever you are magically healed (by a non-regeneration effect), you must spend a HD as well. Now, I am stealing a page from 4e's "healing surges", and have that healing comes from your life force. This healing is spread out, but these higher level spells are far more efficient use of high level slots than upcasting, as designed. On 5 wounded allies, mass healing word is 32.5 HP healed on average, +12.5 HP per additional slot level.Īt level 5, you can continue to bonus action mass healing word for 3d4+casting stat, or go for the full action mass cure wounds for 3d8+casting stat on 5 wounded allies, that is 92.5 HP healed on average, +22.5 per additional slot level. At level 4, that mass healing word's additional d4 counts for more. And the cost of a higher level spell is you can't use it with lower level slots.Īlso, one of Cure Wound's advantages over Healing Word is its larger upcast benefit from higher level slots.īy level 3, you should usually be using mass healing word for 1d4+casting stat on most or all of the party. You upcast a spell because you have no better use for the slot. Generally upcasting is supposed to be weaker than having a higher level spell for the same slot.
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