Extra Spell Slots (5e) 5th Edition In previous editions, having a high value in a chosen spell attribute (ie. Int for a Wizard) would impart additional spell slots. Sign in - Google Accounts - Google Classroom.
5e Homebrew rule: Getting rid of spell slots.Hello! Basically I don't enjoy spell slots. I always have never enjoyed them. I think they are an outdated restriction that harkens back to the days of old D&D. Times have changed, and I believe that the people deserve a better spell casting system. I have seen various 'spell point' systems, and while they are good at making casters more versatile. But this adds versatility without adding much hindrance. I still want something different.
What I've done is converted my favorite casting model from any D&D: 3e Epic level handbook's, 1d20 DC based spell system and converted it for the current D&D 5e ruleset. Currently this is still a work in process, but the idea is that every time you want to cast a prepared spell, not cantrips, the player rolls their casting ability modifier as a save against a DC of 8+the spell's level for a 'spellcasting roll'. Increasing the spellcasting roll's difficulty is as easy as changing the base DC to 9 or 10. I used 8 as the base because a level 1 spell for a caster class, who often has +3 modifier gives a level 1 spell a 75% chance of success. The chance of failure at 25% is a comfortable place for a level 1 spell in my mind. This spell system is only limited by the spells that the caster knows. A caster could cast a spell at a higher level by increasing the DC of the spell, this makes spellcasting especially interesting to me since there is a definable risk/reward system for casting a spell at a higher level but could do so at any level. I really like that.
Example: A wizard with an Intelligence of 16 trying to cast a 1st level spell would be, 1d20+3 vs. DC 9 (8+1).
Example: A cure wounds spell cast at level 3 would have a DC of 8+3=11 instead of the level 1 version 8+1=9.
Dnd 5e Bonus Spell Slots
A new mechanical condition called 'spell fizzle' accompanies this rule change. A spell fizzle happens when a caster attempts to cast a spell and fails to overcome the DC. The caster may attempt to cast their known spells, however if they fail the DC on one of the spells they know, then that spell cannot be attempted until the spell fizzle is cleared. During a short rest spell fizzles may be cleared equal to the caster's total level in spell levels of fizzled spells. A long rest clears all spell fizzles.Example: A bard knows 4 spells at level 1. Say Gwendo the level 1 Bard who has 14 charisma knows Charm Person, Cure Wounds, Faerie Fire, and Identify. During battle she attempts to cast cure wounds on a wounded ally. She would roll d20+2 (her ability modifier), against a DC of 9 (8 + the spell's level), let's say for the sake of the example she rolled a 7 total. Not high enough, the spell fizzles, the effects do not happen, now she is unable to cast the Cure Wounds spell until she clears the spell fizzle with a short or long rest, and if Gwendo fizzles on multiple spells since she is only level 1 then on a short rest she would only have the option to clear one level of the spell fizzles.
I know this will make character magic a bit more powerful, but the effects of failure are quite hindering, especially if multiple spells are fizzled the caster might find that they are without spells to cast. I feel like in practice this rule would really capture the feel of magical casting without adding the arbitrary limitation of spell slots, which I have always felt that they are a strange limitation in a world flowing with magic.
Some notes on changes:
D&d Beyond
Ritual Casting spells do not have a chance for spell fizzle, thus the caster does not need to roll against the DC of the spell. The caster simply casts the spell, and gains its effects.Many class features also change with this system and I will do my best to address each of them appropriately. Each Class Feature that can spend spell slots also has the chance to fizzle, and suffers the same penalties as if it were a spell that fizzled.
D D 5e Bonus Spell Slots
D&d 5e Spell Slots
- Druid Natural Recovery, During a short rest, you choose additional fizzled spells to recover equal to or less than half your druid level, and none of the spells may be 6th level or higher. (round up).
- Druid Combat Wild Shape, While you are transformed by Wild Shape, you can use a bonus action to make a spell cast roll to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell.
- Paladin Divine Smite, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can make a spell cast roll to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for the initial spell cast roll, plus 1d8 for each spell level attempted higher than the first spell level, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
- Ranger Primeval Awareness, you can use your action and make a spell cast roll to focus your awareness on a the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell cast roll, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you...
- Rogue Spell Thief, For the next 8 hours, you know the spell and can cast it using your spell casting roll.
- Sorcerer Flexible casting; Creating spell slots, You can transform unexpended sorcery points into one cast spell which bypasses the casting roll as a bonus action on your turn. The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating the spell by level. You can cast spells no higher than 5th level.
- Sorcerer Flexible casting; Converting a Spell Slot to Sorcery Points = Converting a Spell to Sorcery Points, As a bonus action on your turn, you can force a spell fizzle on a spell and gain a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level.
- Warlock Pact Magic; Spell Slots, You regain all fizzled spells when you finish a short or long rest. (As opposed to every other class's spell slots entry that only recover all spell fizzles on long rests).
- Warlock Mystic Arcanum, You can cast your arcanum spell once without making a spell cast roll. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
- Warlock Eldritch Master, you can draw on your inner reserve of mystical power while entreating your patron to restore fizzled spells. You can spend 1 minute entreating your patron for aid to regain all your fizzled spells from your Pact Magic feature. Once you regain your fizzled spells with this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
- Wizard Arcane Recovery, Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose additional fizzled spells to recover equal to or less than half your wizard level, and none of the fizzled spells can be 6th level or higher.
- Wizard Spell Mastery, You can cast those spells at their lowest level without making a spell casting roll when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must make a spell casting roll at the higher level as normal.
- Wizard Signature Spells, ...and you can cast each of them once at 3rd level without making a spell casting roll. When you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must make a spell casting roll at the higher level as normal.
- Wizard Expert Divination, When you cast a divination spell of 2nd level or higher using a spell casting roll, you regain one fizzled spell. The spell you regain must be of a level lower than the spell you cast and can't be higher than 5th level.
- Wizard Shapechanger, You can cast polymorph without making a spell casting roll... ...though you can still cast it normally using a spell casting roll.