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These are just some thoughts for me to further consider as additional house rules for my table, posted here so I have them in all the places I have access to a computer. Please don’t feel any need to read, comment, criticize or praise.   These are based on my own personal observations and experiences at the table with my current group of players and their characters.   These changes are designed to boost things where I feel they are lacking or to improve the flow of the game where I feel it has some sticking points or to make the party more likely to survive my typical encounter danger which is on the higher rather than lower side.

Damage – Add 1/2 level to damage rolls across the board to a single target per attack.  I had some initial thoughts about how to deal with blast, burst, single attacks that target one or more targets but aren’t AOE’s and in the end I think I’m going with this.  This applies to both PC and NPC  -

Damage: All powers that require an attack roll and deal damage gain a bonus damage of 1/2 level that is applied to the first target of the attack.
Special: The increased damage must apply to the closest target from either the center or starting square of  burst or blast attacks, when more than one target meets this requirement the character can choose which target to apply the extra damage.

Healing Surges – We need to re-balance healing so let’s start with the Surge mechanic.  This one is pretty simple really and there’s a direct counterbalance to the increase damage.

Healing Surges – When you spend a healing surge, regain 1/2 your level + 25% of your normal max hit points in hit points.

Wizard Problem: Wizards feel… lite.  They certainly don’t feel very controllery.  Hell the cleric with its Guardian of Flame is more controller than wizards and fighters are WAY more controller than wizards are.  Wizards primary ‘controller’  function seems to be killing minions, which if you don’t have many minions in a combat  isn’t that great a function.  Single target damage is subpar, AOE damage is subpar with smart targets which I typically do because bunching up is almost ALWAYS a bad idea and anyone who survives to adulthood will probably know that.  They don’t feel very controllery either in the much more accepted use of the term as applicable to online gaming.

Answers (more like things to think about) –

Bump Magic Missile to use d6′s not d4′s.  The d4′s feel like a holdover from the g.o.d. (good ol’ days) to keep it feeling like magic missile and frankly I just don’t like d4′s with their pointy little ass shape.  It also doesn’t increase in power till level 21?  WTF? That makes it less and less useful for 20 levels?!  An average of 5 + Int against a level 19 monster is a little… well you get the idea.  Also as a controller while every power doesn’t need mass controlling abilities I think a force based attack might have a little bit of impact to it.

Magic Missile (KOC Rewrite) –

Magic Missile
At-Will * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action        Ranged 20
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6+Intelligence modifier force damage; target of size medium or lower is pushed 1 square (save avoids). Increase damage to 3d6+Intelligence modifier at 11th level. Increase damage to 4d6+Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Special: This power counts as a ranged basic attack.  When a power allows you to make a ranged basic attack, you can use this power.

Scorching Burst – Let’s make it more of a controlling spell rather than simply a minion killer. Have it create a 1 square  zone at center square that burns for a full round.  That lets the wizard keep a square of fire up as kind of minor wall of fire with really weak damage to damage creatures or more importantly force them to go around it or shift out of the way.

Scorching Burst (KOC Rewrite) –

Scorching Burst
At-Will * Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action   Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Increase damage to 2d6+Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Special: Creates a 1 square zone at the center of the blast that lasts till the end of the wizard’s next turn.  Any creature passing through or ending its turn in this zone takes fire damage equal to the wizard’s Intelligence modifier.
Increase zone damage to Intellgence modifier x 2 at 21st level.

Cloud of Daggers (KOC rewrite) – Add a sustain on it.  This would let the wizard have up to 3 of these up but at that point they’re not able to do anthing else.  If they ‘juggle’ the CoD’s they can then constantly keep bad guys moving around, forcing shifts which opens up OA’s and the like and makes them much more controllery than before.

Cloud of Daggers
At-Will * Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action    Area 1 square within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in square
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Intelligence modifier force damage
Increase damage to 2d6+Intelligence modifier at 21st level.
Effect: The power’s area is filled with sharp daggers of force. Any creature that enters the area or starts its turn there takes force damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).  The cloud remains in place until the end of your next turn (see special).  You can dispell it as a minor action.
Special: You can sustain the Effect as a minor action.

The whole purpose of these changes is to make the wizard more about control, if not the actual creatures at least their avenues of approach and direction of attack.  While yes there’s now some overlap with Scorching Burst and Cloud of Daggers,the fact that you can now sustain Cloud of Daggers with a minor makes it a different power niche IMO.  And to be honest Laura (Darta) doesn’t have CoD so it’s a moot point, I’m just adding it here for completeness.

Dailies – Allow the Wizard their normal uses per day but instead of memorizing from their selection set they get to choose at any time.  While the ‘have to memorize per day’ is yet another nod to the g.o.d. as a DM I’m just not really liking the flavor of it.  It requires way too much guess work and when you guess right then it’s just an “oh okay” feel but when you guess wrong it’s a “well fuck” feel and as a result not fun.

Word Spells (KOC rewrite) - To further add some re-balance to the adding +1/2 level to damage I’m going to change Healing Word and Inspiring Word (and any other word as such) and I’m making them Immediate Reactions – Triggered by damage, that I hope helps re-balances them versus the amount of damage that the players may be incurring from the 1/2 level bonus on the monster attacks.  I’m also boosting the number of them over the life of the character.  I may change the boost to 3 times per encounter though and reduce the need for healing potions as  a means to keep fighting and help remove a gold sink.

The reason I’m making them Immediate Reaction is the minor cost is really pretty pointless, how often does a healer not have a minor action to burn?  The immediate reaction is to allow them to more quickly get a ally back on their feet when needed.  Laying on the ground unable to do anything waiting for the healer’s turn is not fun and not fun is something we’re trying to avoid.

Healing Word
Encounter(Special) * Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power two times per encounter, but only once per round.  At 11th level you can use this power three times per encounter, at 21st level you can use this power four times per encounter. 
Immediate Reaction Close Burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded.
Target: You or one ally
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6+your Wisdom modifier hit points.
Increase the amount of additional hitpoints regained to 2d6at 6th level, 3d6l at 11th level, 4d6 at 16th level, 5d6 at 21st level, 6d6 at 26th level.  In addition the target will regain additional hit points equal to the cleric’s Wisdom score from Healer’s Lore.

Inspiring Word
Encounter(Special) * Martial, Healing
Special: You can use this power two times per encounter, but only once per round.  At 11th level you can use this power three times per encounter, at 21st level you can use this power four times per encounter.
Immediate Reaction Close Burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded.
Target: You or one ally
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6 hit points.
Increase the amount of additional hitpoints regained to 2d6at 6th level, 3d6l at 11th level, 4d6 at 16th level, 5d6 at 21st level, 6d6 at 26th level.

Lay on Hands
At-Will(Special) * Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) but only once per round. 
Immediate Reaction Melee touch
Trigger: When you or an ally is wounded.
Target: One creature
Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points.  Instead the target regains hit points as if it had spent a healing surge+your Charisma modifier.  You must have at least one healing surge remaining to use this power.  You may use this power on yourself.

Paladin Marking (KoC Rewrite)- A simpler mechanic that incorporates the 1/2 level rule  Now the paladin merely challenges one target and as long as he doesn’t attack another target that target is marked and stays marked.  If the target attacks something else it takes damage from the paladin’s holy might.  Seems simpler by far than the original to me and scales better.

Divine Challenge
At-Will * Divine, Radiant
Minor Action      Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You Mark the target.  The target remains marked until you use this power again or you attack another target. This mark overwrites other marking effects.
While the target is marked it suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that does not include you as a target.  Also it takes radiant damage (minimum 1) equal to 1/2 your level + your Charisma modifier the first time it makes an attack that does not include you as a target. 
Special: This ability is based on a magical compulsion and does not require the target to have intelligence or an ability to understand your actions or words.

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