Mageborn

[DiamondB]

I'm doing some work on my homebrew and my co-creator and I decided that we wanted a lower magic world than what occurs when you run a Core Rules game. We don't want magic removed or even the option taken away from players we just want to make it more unique. As such I'd like to use the feat approach, thus in order to be a spellcaster you have to take the appropriate feat. Wizards would have to take the Mageborn feat, clerics, druids, rangers and paladins the Chosen feat and I have yet to come up with something for the innate casters (Sorcerer & Bard) but there would be something similar. My hope is this would curb the frequency of spellcasters in the world (from a player approach of course) as becoming a spellcaster would involve a sacrifice that in my experience not many are willing to make.

Anyhow, the point, I thought I saw something somewhere on these boards regarding a similar approach regarding the feats and was hoping someone could either point me to the thread or the webpage that spoke of a Mageborn feat.

Thanks,

 

[Crothian]

For Sorcerers and Bards, you can have feats like Dragonblood, Feyblood, etc. This would show what the power of the spells comes from.

I'd also add a little bonus to make these feats a little more appealing. Like for the Wizard feat, give them +2 to spellcraft. It's a small bonus that really won't mean much after a few levels.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

I'd also add a little bonus to make these feats a little more appealing. Like for the Wizard feat, give them +2 to spellcraft. It's a small bonus that really won't mean much after a few levels.

I agree.

You might want to take a page from Barbara Hambly's books. Mages all have low-light vision. But you'd probably only want to give them 10' of it so so to keep it from becoming a "no brainer".

 

[Jeph]

Make spellcasting DANGEROUS, and maybe a bit more powerful. Make casters make Spellcraft or Concentration checks for each spell (DC something like 10 + 2x spell level or 15 + spell level) or suffer consequences. If they succeed, maybe they take the spell's level in subdual damage. If they fail by 1 to 5, they might take it in normal damage instead. If they fail by 5 or more, a magical rupture occurs, creating an explosion in a 10 foot radius dealing 1d8 damage per spell level (Ref half DC 10+spell level) of a random element or energy.

Maybe completely change magic. You could have something based off of skills, like the Starwars d20 forcepowers. You could use the suggestions from the LotR d20 conversion hosted by Enworld. You have a lot of good options, this is a great opportunity to explore them.

 

[Crothian]

Make spellcasting DANGEROUS, and maybe a bit more powerful. Make casters make Spellcraft or Concentration checks for each spell (DC something like 10 + 2x spell level or 15 + spell level) or suffer consequences. If they succeed, maybe they take the spell's level in subdual damage. If they fail by 1 to 5, they might take it in normal damage instead. If they fail by 5 or more, a magical rupture occurs, creating an explosion in a 10 foot radius dealing 1d8 damage per spell level (Ref half DC 10+spell level) of a random element or energy.

If one wants to go that way I suggest Wild Spellcraft by Natural 20 Press. It does the job on making magic adangerous and unpredictible.

 

[Jeph]

Oh yeah, I forgot to act like an egotistic who thinks his projects are the world's most important. Whoops!

I'm currently working on a system where mages (and clerics) channel raw energy--no spells here! It's extreemly volatile and dangerous, and has a high cost to the caster.

There are 6 magic related skills: Fire Channeling, Water Channeling, Earth Channeling, Air Channeling, Positive Energy Channeling, and Negative Energy Channeling. The higher your skill roll, the more powerfull your spells, but also the less tameable . . .

 

[Anabstercorian]

On a less adventurous note...

Yer a Wizard, Harry
Arcane bloodlines run through your spirit. You have what it takes to be a Wizard.
Prerequisites: Int 10+, Wis 10+
Benefit: You can take the Wizard class, and you get a +2 bonus to Spellcraft and Scry checks.

Proxy
You are a chosen representative of your very God.
Prerequisites: Wis 10+, Cha 10+
Benefit: You can take the Cleric class, and you get a +2 bonus to Knowledge (Religion) and Concentration checks.

Chosen
Gaea's heart beats within you.
Prerequisites: Wis 10+, Con 10+
Benefit: You can take the Druid class, and you get a +2 bonus to Knowledge (Nature) and Profession (Herbalist) checks.

Clarity
Music loves you. It works for you, granting you power.
Prerequisites: Int 10+, Cha 10+
Benefits: You can take the Bard class, and your voice is considered a masterwork instrument. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus to all Perform checks.

Born
You hold in your ancestry, recent or distant, a strain of alien blood that ignites your innate power.
Prerequisites: Int 10+, Cha 10+
Benefits: You can take the Sorcerer class, and you gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate and Spellcraft checks.

 

[bret]

A different way to do it is limit the maximum caster level of all spellcasters to something like 2/3 or 1/2 of character level.

Assuming 6th level characters:
Fi2/Wiz4 is allowed, Wiz6 isn't.
Ro2/Cl4 is allowed, Cl 6 isn't.
Wiz3/Cl3 is allowed. You have two different caster levels, but neither is too high.
Wiz3/Sor3 is also allowed.

This reduces the maximum spell level, slowing how rapidly the more powerful spells come in.

I would go 2/3 just to give them an advantage over a pure Ranger or Paladin (who would cast at 1/2 class level).

If you do this, get rid of the Multiclassing penalty and drop most of the PrCs. In a system like this, something like the SpellSword would be overpowered.