xXxTheBeastxXx
Explorer
I came up with this not too long ago, and decided to share it with my fellow EN worlders. There are two systems posted below, due to discrepancies concerning balance. They are almost identical, but for one difference. They are presented as two different options to the concentration system. Choose the one that works for you.
When I started playing D&D, I loved almost everything. The only problem I had with the system was the vancian casting system (spells per day). I understood the point. It was supposed to represent the amount of energy that a character could have allotted to casting spells in any given day. However, it just never worked for me. I preferred the idea of a more gritty caster, whose spells gradually get harder and harder to cast as the day wears on and he expends his energy. I tried several systems. Spell points, recharge magic, nothing worked. After a while, however, I did come across something that I felt might just work.
3.5's Tome of Magic contained a nice class called the Truenamer. It was an obvious attempt at exploiting the casting system in the Inheritance cycle of books (Eragon, Eldest, etc.), but the actual system it used intrigued me. It had its own skill, called truenaming, and in order to cast, instead of a daily spell allotment, it made a skill check. The DC was 15 + spell level + 1 per spell of that particular level already cast that day. Therefore, if it were to cast a 3rd level spell, having already cast 2 3rd level spells that day, the check DC would be 20 (15 + 3 + 2).
This was close to what I was looking for, but not quite there. It seemed a little complex (I didn't like the idea of separating the DCs by spell level, and DC 15 seemed a little high for low-level characters) and unfinished.
So I began tinkering. And eventually, my tinkerings took me to Pathfinder, where I found exactly what I was looking for. The Concentration Check. Concentration was used as a skill in D&D 3e and 3.5. Pathfinder took it in a different direction, granting it as an automatic ability of all casters, the bonus being equivalent to your level + your main casting modifier (wis for divine casters, int for wizards, cha for spontaneous casters). This worked perfectly for my idea. It was inherent to all casters, and essentially equivalent within all casters.
The Concentration System: "Tier System"
It's a simple system, using the concentration check instead of the truenaming skill. This ensures that no one can take skill focus to give themselves an unfair advantage at low levels. Instead of a base DC of 15, I chose a base DC of 10. I also changed the rate at which the DC increases. Instead of having a separate DC for each level of spell, you have one universal "casting" DC, and each spell you cast increases that DC by one, to, or three (I'll go into more depth on this in the next paragraph). So the DC is 10 + spell level + a number based on the spells cast already that day, regardless of level. The lower DC allows for easier casting at low levels. However, the DC goes up for every spell cast, without differentiating between levels. Therefore, it becomes increasingly harder to cast as the day goes on, regardless of the spell you're casting (with the truenamer, if your level 3 DC got too high for you to cast, you could just default to level 2, where the DC was still low).
~~~The following was added when White Wizard brought a problem to my attention.~~~
Concerning the number that's added to the DC based on how many spells you've cast this day already, it's variable, depending on the level of spell cast. First, we break up the spells into three "tiers," low, medium and high. Low spells are level 1-3, medium are level 4-6, and high are 7-9. The number added to the DC is based on these tiers. A low spell will add +1 to the DC, a medium will add +2, and a high spell will add +3. This essentially means that higher level spells take more energy to use, and that number is reflected in the DC.
So, for example, let's say we have a 13th level wizard. We'll assume he hasn't cast anything so far today. He casts forcecage on a group of low-level enemies to keep them contained whilst he takes on their leader. The DC for casting forcecage will be 17 (10 + a level 7 spell). Now he turns toward the leader and casts Greater Heroism on himself. The DC to cast it is 19 (10 + a 6th level spell + 3 for already casting a high spell today). On his third turn, he throws a scorching ray, the DC for which is 18 (10 + a 3rd level spell + 3 for a high spell already cast today + 2 for a medium spell already cast today).
This way, higher spells take a greater toll on the caster so they can't just spam spells like Finger of Death constantly without taking a toll on their casting DC.
~~~End of Edited Content~~~
So, in order to cast a spell, you make a concentration check, the DC being 10 + the spell level + 1, 2, or 3 per spell cast that day already, based on the spell's tier. If you succeed, you cast the spell without issue. If you fail, the spell fails. However, even if you fail, the DC for casting still goes up, representing the fact that the caster still expended energy, even if the spell didn't work.
Next on the list of things to figure out is the question of bonus spells. It didn't take me long to figure this one out, once I had the base concept down. Instead of adding bonus spells for a high ability modifier, you gain a bonus on your concentration checks to cast spells. This bonus is +1 at a score of 20 or higher, and +1 more for every 10 points the score increases (+2 at a score of 30, +3 at a score of 40, etc.). This is made under the assumption that you would have a +0 at an ability score of 10.
Now we come to Arcane spell failure, which could be kept exactly as it is, depending on your tastes. I prefer a simpler method: I modify the casting DC. For every 5% of spell failure you have, the DC for casting a spell increases by 1. I chose 5% because of the token die being used, the d20. 100%/20 = 5%. So if you have 100% spell failure, you have a +20 on your DC when casting a spell, therefore making it nearly (but not completely, I believe you should always have a chance to cast, however small) impossible to cast a spell.
The final issue we must concern ourselves with is that of the wizard's choice in schools. Normally, a wizard gets a bonus spell of their chosen school to cast every day. In my concentration system, you instead simply get a +1 on your concentration checks to cast your chosen school. And as for your prohibited schools, which normally cost 2 spell slots to prepare, you simply take a -2 on your concentration checks to cast it.
The last, and most pressing question, concerns cantrips and orisons. In standard pathfinder, you can cast them an unlimited amount of times per day. I don't change that. You do not have to make a check to cast 0-level spells. This increases the power of the caster, as they are now, essentially, immune to arcane spell failure when they cast 0-level spells. I have no problem with this, as 0 level spells really take no effort anyway.
Summary
To cast a spell, make a concentration check. The DC for the check is:
10 + spell level + 1, 2, or 3 per spell cast already based on the spell's tier + 1 per 5% of arcane spell failure.
A spell's tier is either low (level 1-3) and adds a +1 to the DC, medium (4-6) and adds a +2, or high (7-9) and adds a +3.
You get a +1 bonus on your concentration check per 10 ability points in your casting score above 10 (+1 at 20, +2 at 30, etc.).
As a wizard, you gain a +1 on your concentration check when casting a spell of your chosen school, and a -2 when casting a spell of your prohibited school.
And 0-level spells take no check to cast, and are castable an unlimited number of times per day.
The Concentration System: "+1 per spell"
This system is almost identical to the one above. However, with your universal "casting" DC, each spell you cast increases that DC by +1, instead of +1, +2, or +3. This allows for more spells per day, and is meant for a more mature group that won't be tempted to spam high-level spells because they can. So the DC is 10 + spell level + 1 per spell cast already that day, regardless of level.
Concerning Preparation
Some classes, as we know, prepare their spells ahead of time. This doesn't change, and in fact is very similar to the way that one prepares spells in the Spell Point system. They prepare spells as they normally would, and essentially treat their list of prepared spells as the sorcerer treats their list of known spells, the major difference being that the preparation-caster's list changes every day. They do not get bonus spells prepared for a high ability score.
Final Summary
To cast a spell, make a concentration check. The DC for the check is:
10 + spell level + 1 per spell cast already based on the spell's class + 1 per 5% of arcane spell failure.
You get a +1 bonus on your concentration check per 10 ability points in your casting score above 10 (+1 at 20, +2 at 30, etc.).
As a wizard, you gain a +1 on your concentration check when casting a spell of your chosen school, and a -2 when casting a spell of your prohibited school.
And 0-level spells take no check to cast, and are castable an unlimited number of times per day.
Overall, I've play-tested the system and it works very well so far. My players love it, and accept it as a much more fun alternative to the vancian system, with less bookkeeping and more chance involved, making more tense situations.
I place it here on EN world so anyone who likes the idea can try for themselves.
-The Beast.
Note: I don't know if this system has already been implemented elsewhere by someone else, whether they are a single person or a company. If it has, I want to assure that person or that company that this system is purely a product of my mind and was not meant to expose any of their work without permission.
When I started playing D&D, I loved almost everything. The only problem I had with the system was the vancian casting system (spells per day). I understood the point. It was supposed to represent the amount of energy that a character could have allotted to casting spells in any given day. However, it just never worked for me. I preferred the idea of a more gritty caster, whose spells gradually get harder and harder to cast as the day wears on and he expends his energy. I tried several systems. Spell points, recharge magic, nothing worked. After a while, however, I did come across something that I felt might just work.
3.5's Tome of Magic contained a nice class called the Truenamer. It was an obvious attempt at exploiting the casting system in the Inheritance cycle of books (Eragon, Eldest, etc.), but the actual system it used intrigued me. It had its own skill, called truenaming, and in order to cast, instead of a daily spell allotment, it made a skill check. The DC was 15 + spell level + 1 per spell of that particular level already cast that day. Therefore, if it were to cast a 3rd level spell, having already cast 2 3rd level spells that day, the check DC would be 20 (15 + 3 + 2).
This was close to what I was looking for, but not quite there. It seemed a little complex (I didn't like the idea of separating the DCs by spell level, and DC 15 seemed a little high for low-level characters) and unfinished.
So I began tinkering. And eventually, my tinkerings took me to Pathfinder, where I found exactly what I was looking for. The Concentration Check. Concentration was used as a skill in D&D 3e and 3.5. Pathfinder took it in a different direction, granting it as an automatic ability of all casters, the bonus being equivalent to your level + your main casting modifier (wis for divine casters, int for wizards, cha for spontaneous casters). This worked perfectly for my idea. It was inherent to all casters, and essentially equivalent within all casters.
The Concentration System: "Tier System"
It's a simple system, using the concentration check instead of the truenaming skill. This ensures that no one can take skill focus to give themselves an unfair advantage at low levels. Instead of a base DC of 15, I chose a base DC of 10. I also changed the rate at which the DC increases. Instead of having a separate DC for each level of spell, you have one universal "casting" DC, and each spell you cast increases that DC by one, to, or three (I'll go into more depth on this in the next paragraph). So the DC is 10 + spell level + a number based on the spells cast already that day, regardless of level. The lower DC allows for easier casting at low levels. However, the DC goes up for every spell cast, without differentiating between levels. Therefore, it becomes increasingly harder to cast as the day goes on, regardless of the spell you're casting (with the truenamer, if your level 3 DC got too high for you to cast, you could just default to level 2, where the DC was still low).
~~~The following was added when White Wizard brought a problem to my attention.~~~
Concerning the number that's added to the DC based on how many spells you've cast this day already, it's variable, depending on the level of spell cast. First, we break up the spells into three "tiers," low, medium and high. Low spells are level 1-3, medium are level 4-6, and high are 7-9. The number added to the DC is based on these tiers. A low spell will add +1 to the DC, a medium will add +2, and a high spell will add +3. This essentially means that higher level spells take more energy to use, and that number is reflected in the DC.
So, for example, let's say we have a 13th level wizard. We'll assume he hasn't cast anything so far today. He casts forcecage on a group of low-level enemies to keep them contained whilst he takes on their leader. The DC for casting forcecage will be 17 (10 + a level 7 spell). Now he turns toward the leader and casts Greater Heroism on himself. The DC to cast it is 19 (10 + a 6th level spell + 3 for already casting a high spell today). On his third turn, he throws a scorching ray, the DC for which is 18 (10 + a 3rd level spell + 3 for a high spell already cast today + 2 for a medium spell already cast today).
This way, higher spells take a greater toll on the caster so they can't just spam spells like Finger of Death constantly without taking a toll on their casting DC.
~~~End of Edited Content~~~
So, in order to cast a spell, you make a concentration check, the DC being 10 + the spell level + 1, 2, or 3 per spell cast that day already, based on the spell's tier. If you succeed, you cast the spell without issue. If you fail, the spell fails. However, even if you fail, the DC for casting still goes up, representing the fact that the caster still expended energy, even if the spell didn't work.
Next on the list of things to figure out is the question of bonus spells. It didn't take me long to figure this one out, once I had the base concept down. Instead of adding bonus spells for a high ability modifier, you gain a bonus on your concentration checks to cast spells. This bonus is +1 at a score of 20 or higher, and +1 more for every 10 points the score increases (+2 at a score of 30, +3 at a score of 40, etc.). This is made under the assumption that you would have a +0 at an ability score of 10.
Now we come to Arcane spell failure, which could be kept exactly as it is, depending on your tastes. I prefer a simpler method: I modify the casting DC. For every 5% of spell failure you have, the DC for casting a spell increases by 1. I chose 5% because of the token die being used, the d20. 100%/20 = 5%. So if you have 100% spell failure, you have a +20 on your DC when casting a spell, therefore making it nearly (but not completely, I believe you should always have a chance to cast, however small) impossible to cast a spell.
The final issue we must concern ourselves with is that of the wizard's choice in schools. Normally, a wizard gets a bonus spell of their chosen school to cast every day. In my concentration system, you instead simply get a +1 on your concentration checks to cast your chosen school. And as for your prohibited schools, which normally cost 2 spell slots to prepare, you simply take a -2 on your concentration checks to cast it.
The last, and most pressing question, concerns cantrips and orisons. In standard pathfinder, you can cast them an unlimited amount of times per day. I don't change that. You do not have to make a check to cast 0-level spells. This increases the power of the caster, as they are now, essentially, immune to arcane spell failure when they cast 0-level spells. I have no problem with this, as 0 level spells really take no effort anyway.
Summary
To cast a spell, make a concentration check. The DC for the check is:
10 + spell level + 1, 2, or 3 per spell cast already based on the spell's tier + 1 per 5% of arcane spell failure.
A spell's tier is either low (level 1-3) and adds a +1 to the DC, medium (4-6) and adds a +2, or high (7-9) and adds a +3.
You get a +1 bonus on your concentration check per 10 ability points in your casting score above 10 (+1 at 20, +2 at 30, etc.).
As a wizard, you gain a +1 on your concentration check when casting a spell of your chosen school, and a -2 when casting a spell of your prohibited school.
And 0-level spells take no check to cast, and are castable an unlimited number of times per day.
The Concentration System: "+1 per spell"
This system is almost identical to the one above. However, with your universal "casting" DC, each spell you cast increases that DC by +1, instead of +1, +2, or +3. This allows for more spells per day, and is meant for a more mature group that won't be tempted to spam high-level spells because they can. So the DC is 10 + spell level + 1 per spell cast already that day, regardless of level.
Concerning Preparation
Some classes, as we know, prepare their spells ahead of time. This doesn't change, and in fact is very similar to the way that one prepares spells in the Spell Point system. They prepare spells as they normally would, and essentially treat their list of prepared spells as the sorcerer treats their list of known spells, the major difference being that the preparation-caster's list changes every day. They do not get bonus spells prepared for a high ability score.
Final Summary
To cast a spell, make a concentration check. The DC for the check is:
10 + spell level + 1 per spell cast already based on the spell's class + 1 per 5% of arcane spell failure.
You get a +1 bonus on your concentration check per 10 ability points in your casting score above 10 (+1 at 20, +2 at 30, etc.).
As a wizard, you gain a +1 on your concentration check when casting a spell of your chosen school, and a -2 when casting a spell of your prohibited school.
And 0-level spells take no check to cast, and are castable an unlimited number of times per day.
Overall, I've play-tested the system and it works very well so far. My players love it, and accept it as a much more fun alternative to the vancian system, with less bookkeeping and more chance involved, making more tense situations.
I place it here on EN world so anyone who likes the idea can try for themselves.
-The Beast.
Note: I don't know if this system has already been implemented elsewhere by someone else, whether they are a single person or a company. If it has, I want to assure that person or that company that this system is purely a product of my mind and was not meant to expose any of their work without permission.
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