Suggestion: Rework Spell Durations (and possibly targeting)

[DaloLorn]

I've mentioned this in the Discord recently, but I feel that it warrants a discussion thread.

Over on Ravenloft, a wide variety of spells, especially buffs, have had their durations noticeably altered. This usually, but not always, follows the pattern of adding 10 levels' worth of time to the spell's minimum duration:

Ghostly Visage
Duration: 1 Hour + 1 Turn / Level

Ghostly Visage
Duration: 10 Rounds (cLevel).

A Ravenloft hour is 6 minutes, so the duration of Ghostly Visage is effectively changed from CL minutes, to 6+CL minutes, ensuring it will be worth casting as early as it is unlocked.

This is particularly noticeable with shorter-duration spells, though:

Haste
Duration: 1 Turn + 1 Round / Level

Divine Favor
Duration: 1 Turn + 1 Turn

Ethereal Visage
Duration: 1 Turn + 1 Round / Level

Sleep/Deep Slumber
Duration: 1 Hour

Coma
Duration: Permanent (... until broken)

Regenerate
Duration: 1 Turn + 1 Round / Level (though it did only heal 6 HP in NWN1...)

Haste
Duration: 1 Round (cLevel).

Divine Favor
Duration: 60 seconds

Ethereal Visage
Duration: 1 Round (cLevel).

Sleep/Deep Slumber
Duration: 3, +1 round / level (... or when broken)

Hiss of Sleep
Duration: 1 Round (cLevel). (... or when broken)

Regenerate
Duration: 1 Round (cLevel).

Complaints have previously been raised about how the short durations of spells, especially in the lower levels, discourage RPing throughout a dungeon. Once everyone's buffed up, you're in a hurry to tear through everything between you and the next rest zone, and can't afford to waste time talking to people. For my part, I don't run into the issue very often... but this is only because I don't even bother to slot any spell with less than a minute/CL duration (and even then, only if I can extend it!), with the exception of occasionally preparing one or two Hastes if I need to make a quick escape or want to shorten my transit times without teleporting.

By increasing spell durations to be more practical in a realtime environment, we could not only increase the diversity of spells typically used on the server, but also increase the likelihood of RP occurring during adventures and hostile encounters.

The diversity argument also raises another thing I found I quite liked: Ghostly Visage wasn't a caster-only ward. Instead of being something a dedicated mage would only cast against the off chance that a low-level monster will hit them, it became a fairly popular low-level ward... though I will concede that this was also due to the fact that healing in combat was much more expensive. (Healing kits applied to your next rest, and you generally couldn't heal all your HP back by resting halfway through a dungeon, unless someone bandaged you up. If you needed an in-combat heal, you had either potions or friendly spellcasters.)

[DaloLorn]

Another spell that might benefit from relaxed targeting rules might be Mirror Image. It's probably one of the most heavily UMDed spells in the game, because (as with Ghostly Visage) the people who can receive it without UMD are very rarely the people who need it.

[Svabodnik]

While the intention may be give some breathing room to RP with short-duration buffs, the end result is adding a minute (two if Extended) to already powerful and likewise commonly-used effects (in terms of such things as Haste, Divine Favor, and Regeneration). As you've said yourself, even at a 3 minute runtime for wands, Mirror Image is one of the more commonly used spells for UMD, despite the duration and cost.

[DaloLorn]

While the intention may be give some breathing room to RP with short-duration buffs, the end result is adding a minute (two if Extended) to already powerful and likewise commonly-used effects (in terms of such things as Haste, Divine Favor, and Regeneration).

We don't have to take the changes verbatim. Ravenloft may frontload the durations a bit, but the end result is generally equivalent to having a CL30 caster here... so perhaps we could change the scaling to give us 10 levels' worth of spell duration early on, while not changing the CL30 duration at all? Something like this might work:

Ghostly Visage
Duration: 10 Turns + 1 Turn / 2 Levels

Haste
Duration: 10 Rounds + 1 Round / 2 Levels

Though this might at first glance seem to benefit caster dips just as much as it does low-level casters, the severe dispellability of low-level buffs at endgame would seem to render that issue largely insignificant.

Additionally, there's no reason we can't make exceptions to the rule, keeping some spells down while editing others. The duration of Acid Arrow, for instance, wasn't changed on either server, and neither were most other offensive spells, like Hold Person.

As you've said yourself, even at a 3 minute runtime for wands, Mirror Image is one of the more commonly used spells for UMD, despite the duration and cost.

Your argument here may have been stronger if you'd used something like Displacement or Divine Favor, since their durations are dependent solely on caster level (or, for Divine Favor, not even that). Increasing the uptime on Mirror Image won't prevent it from being torn apart over the span of a few rounds in any battle where the spell would be considered UMD-worthy.

I am curious, though, about your opinion on allowing wizards to cast Ghostly Visage and Mirror Image on their allies. The former would add another benefit to having a warder in low-level parties, while the latter would similarly benefit any party, further encouraging people to team up with their squishy mage friends instead of relying on UMD or gish builds.

[Svabodnik]

Frontloading durations, in addition to having the change affect low-level casters, would even more heavily benefit the already rather potent and widespread use of UMD/consumables/clickies. If the use of those has shown anything, it's that even at low CLs the timely use of potent low-levels buffs provides a sizable enough benefit. Having not played on Ravenloft myself, I cannot comment on their approach to balance. However, something this server has to offset low CL durations for low-level casters is that in lower level areas there are typically plenty of rest spots, and the time needed between rests increases as you gain in level.
By the time a caster reaches level 10, Extended minute/level buffs can already provide up to 20 minutes in duration.

The reason I mentioned Mirror Image is the current existing discrepancy between its use as a consumable (something to be used for a single rough fight, or perhaps a few encounters), and its use as a personal buff as a dedicated caster (something that can be maintained, at higher level, throughout an extended dungeon run for damage mitigation, especially when coupled with a means of concealment like an Extended Displacement or Greater Invisibility). Used as a low-level buff, it still provides a lot of value for an immediate fight.

In terms of personal opinion regarding Ghostly Visage/Mirror Image to be cast on Touch rather than Personal, I'm rather ambivalent. On one hand, it is the spellcaster using their resources to support the party, where either of the two buffs could be readily duplicated by the use of consumables. On the other, the existing party support an arcane caster can provide is already sizable. At very low levels, where the party may not have much personal gear, Protection vs. Evil, Mage Armor, and individual +4 stat buffs can drastically increase the effectiveness of a group. At higher levels, regular/Greater Heroism, Greater/Superior Resistance, Improved Mage Armor, Spiderskin, Stoneskin, Lesser Mind Blank, Greater Magic Weapon, both Keen Edge and Weapon of Impact, and individual Elemental Immunity uses are a considerable boon to the rest of the party. If your spell slots can't hold up to buffing everyone individually, Mass +4 stat buffs, Protection vs. Spells, and Mind Blank provide cover to everyone, in addition to being able to swing Extended Hastes (and being the go-to person to Teleport everyone out once the run is finished).

Ghostly Visage is actually rather commonly used, in any case, though perhaps not by mages (since for a minute/level spell to provide concealment Deez's Repulsive Shadow Barrier beats it out once it can be taken). However, as Assassins get it as one of their few 1st level spells, it tends to be the best option for them to use for that spell slot.