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Alternative magic systems for 5e? [+]
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<blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 9209232" data-attributes="member: 9254"><p>Here are the basic ethos of other magic systems, which mostly fit your "no slots/no points" approach.</p><p></p><p>Shadowrun : you permanently learn a spell and casting it causes damage to the caster proportionate to the spell power BUT the caster can "save" vs casting damage. Some magic items increase casting power or casting saves or create a pool that does both. More skilled casters have better saves so they can throw stronger spells with less risk. Or survive really big ones. </p><p></p><p>Earthdawn; it's kind of an "all the dice" vancian-flavored shadowrun-ish system. Casters can "prepare" a finite number of spells based on level and spells can be "upcast" various ways, using time and/or damage to the caster. More experienced casters can have more spells prepared and some are prepared in an upcast form. They can cast any spell they have ever learned but it will probably kill them from damage and if not kill them and all their friends later because using unprepared spells attracts demons.</p><p></p><p>World of Darkness: a system also from the people who invented shadowrun. Most powers draw off some kind of "power pool" but a small number can be either weakened or prepared in a way that doesn't require use of the pool. Typically it only requires 1 point a d thr magnitude is based on your skill at the thing. Refreshing the power pool varies a lot on the subsystem. Could be drinking blood, seeing the moon, making a child laugh or finding a ley line. </p><p></p><p>Shards of the Stone/Fuzion magic : there are like eighteen implementations of Fuzion and it seems they all hate each other but this is the one I played. Casters learn spells slowly but use their skill to cast spells (meaning a spell can do absolutely nothing to anyone on a botch). Some spells are an attack roll and some can be dodged. There are ways the caster and target can boost their skill rolls (inspiration-type stuff).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kigmatzomat, post: 9209232, member: 9254"] Here are the basic ethos of other magic systems, which mostly fit your "no slots/no points" approach. Shadowrun : you permanently learn a spell and casting it causes damage to the caster proportionate to the spell power BUT the caster can "save" vs casting damage. Some magic items increase casting power or casting saves or create a pool that does both. More skilled casters have better saves so they can throw stronger spells with less risk. Or survive really big ones. Earthdawn; it's kind of an "all the dice" vancian-flavored shadowrun-ish system. Casters can "prepare" a finite number of spells based on level and spells can be "upcast" various ways, using time and/or damage to the caster. More experienced casters can have more spells prepared and some are prepared in an upcast form. They can cast any spell they have ever learned but it will probably kill them from damage and if not kill them and all their friends later because using unprepared spells attracts demons. World of Darkness: a system also from the people who invented shadowrun. Most powers draw off some kind of "power pool" but a small number can be either weakened or prepared in a way that doesn't require use of the pool. Typically it only requires 1 point a d thr magnitude is based on your skill at the thing. Refreshing the power pool varies a lot on the subsystem. Could be drinking blood, seeing the moon, making a child laugh or finding a ley line. Shards of the Stone/Fuzion magic : there are like eighteen implementations of Fuzion and it seems they all hate each other but this is the one I played. Casters learn spells slowly but use their skill to cast spells (meaning a spell can do absolutely nothing to anyone on a botch). Some spells are an attack roll and some can be dodged. There are ways the caster and target can boost their skill rolls (inspiration-type stuff). [/QUOTE]
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