Saterus
First Post
I'm about to start a campaign, and after some long hard looks at the way we game, I've decided to make a few changes to the rules from Unearthed Arcana. I liked some of the variants like Vitality/Wounds Points and some other minor things. Recharge Magic also caught my eye. I liked the idea of it, but the system as a whole didn't quite work for me. I didn't have any other variant stuff lying around, so I decided to make some stuff up that has the flavor I want and post it here for balance/broken comments and other such things.
Magic System - Stresscasting
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Intro
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Casters can cast any number of spells per day. Spells are just difficult. As casters try to control the magic, it will begin to take a toll on them if they fail to control it. Occasionally, it can get totally out of control. This toll is tracked as Mental Stress Damage (MSD), and will have a profound effect on a spellcaster's body over time. Properly controlled, magic is a valuable tool. Improperly controlled, you are bound to get burned (literally). Metamagic feats can be applied to spells, but count as the appropriate higher lvl spell for determining Spellcasting DC.
Spellcasters will have to stop to rest less, while still staying viable in the middle of combat, though often at the expense of their well-being. They will have access to far more spells known and per day, while at the same time being able to cast as many as they can. A compramise between Standard Magic and Recharge Magic, with some Wild Magic flavor thrown in for shits and giggles.
Mental Stress Damage cannot be healed by magical healing. It recovers at rate of half a Character's Con mod per hour of rest, rounded down. Double that rate for sleep. Triple for complete bedrest, with a min of 1 Mental Stress Points (MSP) healed. A character's rate at sleep may not be equal to his Con Mod if it was rounded down. Abilities drained because of loss of MSP are regained 1 hour after the appropriate amount of MSP have been recovered.
Classes and Spells
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Caster classes get an unlimited amount of spells per day, of spells they are able to cast. They know twice the amount they do in Standard rules. They can prepare twice as many spells as they do in Standard rules. All spell DC for saving throws are determined by Spell Rolls (DMG) instead of Standard rules.
Spellcasting
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Spellcasting check: make Spellcasting Check (d20, no mods) vs. DC Progression chart.
- Success: spell functions normally. delay on the same spell for 1 minute unless otherwise noted (see Recharge Magic casting delay chart in UA).
- Roll %d vs DC 87. treat this spell as though it were cast with the Spell Focus feat were applied to this spell, even if the caster already has this feat and will apply it to this spell.
- By 5, as before, but Greater Spell Focus Feat applied to this spell as well.
- By 10, as before, but add a random metamagic feat to this spell.
- Failure: Roll Control Check.
Control check: make a Spellcasting check + 5 vs DC Progression Chart
- Success: spell functions normally. delay on the same spell for 1 minute unless otherwise noted. +3 Stress Damage, -1 per 4 points beyond success.
- Failure: Roll on Magic Surge Chart in DMG, pg 150. +1 Stress Damage per 2 points of failure, min 1.
Spellcasting DC Progression Chart
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Highest Lvl Spell: DC 15
Second Highest Lvl Spell: DC 14
Third Highest Lvl Spell: DC 13
Fourth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 12
Fifth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 11
Sixth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 10
Seventh Highest Lvl Spell: DC 9
Eighth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 8
Ninth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 7
Tenth Highest Lvl spell: DC 6
Mental Stress Points, Fatigue, and Damage
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Stress Points = Con Score + Int/Wis/Cha Score. (key ability)
- 1/2 Total Stress Points: - 2 Int, Wis, Cha.
- 10 Stress Points: - 5 Int, Wis, Cha, - 2 Str, Dex, Con.
- 5 Stress Points: -10 Int, Wis, Cha, - 5 Str, Dex, Con.
- 0 Stress Points: character falls into unconciousness.
- Roll Fort 10 save. (with -5 Con still applying)
- Success: unconcious with no chance of dying (stable).
- Failure: begin making rolls vs death ala the Vitality/Wound Points system in UA.
Random Metamagic Effects
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d8:
- 1: Empower Spell
- 2: Enlarge Spell
- 3: Extend Spell
- 4: Heighten Spell
- 5: Maximize Spell
- 6: Quicken Spell
- 7: Widen Spell
- 8: Caster's Choice (or roll again twice, not sure yet)
Other thoughts that may come later:
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Characters may temporarily gain MSP. Examples of this would be Coffee. Coffee: Delays the onset of Stress Damage. +5 Stress Points. in 1 hour, -10 Stress Points. This effect has diminishing returns. A second dose only gives +3 Stress Points, and takes 16 MSP. A third gives only +1 MSP, but takes 18 MSP. After a third cup, there is no benefit, but the drawbacks have leveled off. Quality matters. "Percolated homegrown homebrew: +2MSP. -8 in an hour." "Esspresso: +7MSP. -12MSP in an hour."
Spellcasting Checks are supposed to be tough. 25% success rate may still be too high. If they don't fail these checks, they don't take stress damage, and can continue to cast all day. It adds a great deal of randomness to spellcasting, allowing for great successes and terrible (and odd) failures. If a character with 30 Stress Points fails 5 Spellcaster Checks, but passes the Control Checks, he begins to suffer the effects of Mental Fatigue.
Forgive me for the rough context of the rules, but its a rough draft of an attempt to add rules to a flavorful interpration of magic. Please comment with more ideas, balance concerns, and anything else.
Magic System - Stresscasting
================================================
================================================
Intro
================================================
Casters can cast any number of spells per day. Spells are just difficult. As casters try to control the magic, it will begin to take a toll on them if they fail to control it. Occasionally, it can get totally out of control. This toll is tracked as Mental Stress Damage (MSD), and will have a profound effect on a spellcaster's body over time. Properly controlled, magic is a valuable tool. Improperly controlled, you are bound to get burned (literally). Metamagic feats can be applied to spells, but count as the appropriate higher lvl spell for determining Spellcasting DC.
Spellcasters will have to stop to rest less, while still staying viable in the middle of combat, though often at the expense of their well-being. They will have access to far more spells known and per day, while at the same time being able to cast as many as they can. A compramise between Standard Magic and Recharge Magic, with some Wild Magic flavor thrown in for shits and giggles.
Mental Stress Damage cannot be healed by magical healing. It recovers at rate of half a Character's Con mod per hour of rest, rounded down. Double that rate for sleep. Triple for complete bedrest, with a min of 1 Mental Stress Points (MSP) healed. A character's rate at sleep may not be equal to his Con Mod if it was rounded down. Abilities drained because of loss of MSP are regained 1 hour after the appropriate amount of MSP have been recovered.
Classes and Spells
================================================
Caster classes get an unlimited amount of spells per day, of spells they are able to cast. They know twice the amount they do in Standard rules. They can prepare twice as many spells as they do in Standard rules. All spell DC for saving throws are determined by Spell Rolls (DMG) instead of Standard rules.
Spellcasting
================================================
Spellcasting check: make Spellcasting Check (d20, no mods) vs. DC Progression chart.
- Success: spell functions normally. delay on the same spell for 1 minute unless otherwise noted (see Recharge Magic casting delay chart in UA).
- Roll %d vs DC 87. treat this spell as though it were cast with the Spell Focus feat were applied to this spell, even if the caster already has this feat and will apply it to this spell.
- By 5, as before, but Greater Spell Focus Feat applied to this spell as well.
- By 10, as before, but add a random metamagic feat to this spell.
- Failure: Roll Control Check.
Control check: make a Spellcasting check + 5 vs DC Progression Chart
- Success: spell functions normally. delay on the same spell for 1 minute unless otherwise noted. +3 Stress Damage, -1 per 4 points beyond success.
- Failure: Roll on Magic Surge Chart in DMG, pg 150. +1 Stress Damage per 2 points of failure, min 1.
Spellcasting DC Progression Chart
================================================
Highest Lvl Spell: DC 15
Second Highest Lvl Spell: DC 14
Third Highest Lvl Spell: DC 13
Fourth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 12
Fifth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 11
Sixth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 10
Seventh Highest Lvl Spell: DC 9
Eighth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 8
Ninth Highest Lvl Spell: DC 7
Tenth Highest Lvl spell: DC 6
Mental Stress Points, Fatigue, and Damage
================================================
Stress Points = Con Score + Int/Wis/Cha Score. (key ability)
- 1/2 Total Stress Points: - 2 Int, Wis, Cha.
- 10 Stress Points: - 5 Int, Wis, Cha, - 2 Str, Dex, Con.
- 5 Stress Points: -10 Int, Wis, Cha, - 5 Str, Dex, Con.
- 0 Stress Points: character falls into unconciousness.
- Roll Fort 10 save. (with -5 Con still applying)
- Success: unconcious with no chance of dying (stable).
- Failure: begin making rolls vs death ala the Vitality/Wound Points system in UA.
Random Metamagic Effects
================================================
d8:
- 1: Empower Spell
- 2: Enlarge Spell
- 3: Extend Spell
- 4: Heighten Spell
- 5: Maximize Spell
- 6: Quicken Spell
- 7: Widen Spell
- 8: Caster's Choice (or roll again twice, not sure yet)
Other thoughts that may come later:
================================================
Characters may temporarily gain MSP. Examples of this would be Coffee. Coffee: Delays the onset of Stress Damage. +5 Stress Points. in 1 hour, -10 Stress Points. This effect has diminishing returns. A second dose only gives +3 Stress Points, and takes 16 MSP. A third gives only +1 MSP, but takes 18 MSP. After a third cup, there is no benefit, but the drawbacks have leveled off. Quality matters. "Percolated homegrown homebrew: +2MSP. -8 in an hour." "Esspresso: +7MSP. -12MSP in an hour."
Spellcasting Checks are supposed to be tough. 25% success rate may still be too high. If they don't fail these checks, they don't take stress damage, and can continue to cast all day. It adds a great deal of randomness to spellcasting, allowing for great successes and terrible (and odd) failures. If a character with 30 Stress Points fails 5 Spellcaster Checks, but passes the Control Checks, he begins to suffer the effects of Mental Fatigue.
Forgive me for the rough context of the rules, but its a rough draft of an attempt to add rules to a flavorful interpration of magic. Please comment with more ideas, balance concerns, and anything else.
