Better Action Economy

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." --John Muir

Summary

Action cost, concentration, duration, and cooldown are now balanced around utility and opportunity cost for every PC ability in the game . The result is a Vanilla Plus combat experience that's fast paced and dangerous.

My highlights are below, and the full list of changes is available under Documentation.

Notice

Please note that I mod for myself first. I don't do multiple versions or patches for other mods, but I'm happy to offer advice if you want to make and publish your own version. Past versions may be available under Files.

Spells

[]Blade Ward and True Strike are bonus actions with two turn durations.

[]Most buffs (e.g., Resistance and Guidance) are non-concentration with long rest durations.

[]Mage Armour and Barkskin work like Unarmoured Defence: they're cast on self and use your Dexterity and Spellcasting Ability Modifiers.

[]Cure spells (e.g., Lesser Restoration and Remove Curse) are bonus actions.

[]Damage spells have improved scaling and status effects (e.g., Acid Splash applies Acid, and Ice Knife can hit multiple targets).

[]Most summon spells fall into two categories: bonus actions with long rest durations (e.g., Find Familiar and Animate Dead) and actions with 10 turn durations (e.g., Conjure Elemental and Planar Ally).

[]Some summons (e.g., Flaming Sphere and Grasping Vine) are ignored in favor of their summoners.

[]Surface and wall spells fall into two categories: non-concentration with 10 turn durations (e.g., Fog Cloud and Wall of Ice) and concentration with long rest durations (e.g., Cloud of Daggers and Blade Barrier).

[]Hunter's Mark and Hex cause 1d6 to 1d10 damage each time you hit the target. Phantasmal Force and Bestow Curse: Additional Damage cause 1d8 to 1d12 damage each turn and each time the target is hit.

[]Weaker damage/debuff spells (e.g., Vicious Mockery and Dissonant Whispers) are bonus actions.

[]Weaker control spells (e.g., Animal Friendship and Charm Person) are bonus actions; stronger control spells (e.g., Dominate Beast and Dominate Person) are actions. Most are non-concentration.

[]Sleep, Colour Spray, and False Life have improved scaling.

[]INT and CHA saves are more common.

[]Otto's Irresistible Dance, Harm, and Disintegrate have no saving throw.

[]Contagion and Flesh to Stone have one saving throw.

[]Healing spells (e.g., Cure Wounds and Mass Cure Wounds) are bonus actions. (Prayer of Healing is an exception.)

[]Some buffs (e.g., Divine Favour and Crusader's Mantle) are mutually exclusive.

[]Smite spells (e.g., Searing Smite and Thunderous Smite) have standardized damage and improved scaling. They don't cost bonus actions.