Spell Research Question

[jrients]

You have two players in your campaign. Carla plays a cleric while Milt plays a magic-user. Both PCs are sitting on some extra cash after a successful adventure and tell you they'd like to do some spell research.

"Great," you say, "tell me about what kind of spells you'd like to develop."

Carla says "I want to research fireball," while Milt says "I'd like to research cure light wounds."

What do you do?

[coffee]

It depends.

A) If I'm feeling like a traditional DM, and these guys have been (what I've come to understand as) traditional whiny players, then they spend their money and get bupkis. Flat out can't be done; thanks for playing, next!

B) If these guys have put some work into their characters, done some good roleplaying (i.e.; Carla plays a cleric of a sun god, while Milt specifically plays a "white mage") then they might have a shot. Each spell would be higher level spell than it already is for the "correct" class; and the characters would pay for that. Research time could be increased, also. But given all that, I might be generous.

If I got even a whiff, however, of metagaming or power-gaming, then we revert to answer A, above.

[busman]

It would be pretty much a non-starter for me. I'm a big fan of classes and roles and the benefits and limitations of those roles. I feel it's one of the big pillars of structure for D&D.

Now, if I were feeling saucy, I may lead them down the path of research and at the end of it have them having changed classes to their new class and make them a multi-classed character.

[kesher]

I would say the spirit of the "spell research" idea is to create new spells that aren't on anyone's list. Period.

...although I kinda like Chris's idea, too...