I've been kicking around an idea for Wizard magic use since the early days of 3e. It was inspired by the 2nd Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. I've heard somewhere that he was a guest of Ed Greenwood at least once at Gen Con around the time he was writing the books and I like to think that he was inspired to create his magic use system to better explain and perhaps answer the complaints prevalent at the time about wizards "forgetting" spells etc.
Of course 5e has largely changed the system by using spell slots and offered alternatives like sorcerers but I still like the aspects of what I'll call Zelaznian magic.
The way I'd like to home-brew it for 5e is that a Wizard can cast any spell in their book at any time, but it takes 1-2 minutes per spell level to cast. Essentially, every spell can be cast as a ritual.
In-world, this of course doesn't work in most (combat) situations. So, what wizards do is they cast the spell beforehand (instead of studying and memorizing it), leaving out a few key words and/or gestures. The spell is then "hung" in their memory. When they need to cast it, they do so with those few words/gestures, which comprise the casting times found in the PHB. Whether a spell is cast as a ritual or mostly prepared beforehand and then cast in the heat of battle, it counts against the spell slots available to the wizard.
The wizard is perhaps able to cast more than their allotted spell slots in a day but each time must make a hard check against their spellcasting ability, adding their wizard levels and subtracting the spell level. If they succeed they can cast the spell but gain a level of exhaustion. If they fail they are stunned for 1 round and lose 2 levels of exhaustion and the spell fails. I should note that I also home ruled an expansion to the exhaustion progression-giving it 10 levels instead of 6, so this isn't quite as deadly as it sounds.
Cantrips are the only spells that can be cast without preparation, at the casting times in the PHB, just as the RAW rules.
Other spell casters can cast as in the rules (all of whom seem to have a good, in-world explanation for how they receive or prepare spells). I think I would allow some to cast a little beyond their daily limit of slots using the same hard (maybe heroic for half casters) ability check and exhaustion.
Just curious, what do you guys think? Am I missing anything?
Of course 5e has largely changed the system by using spell slots and offered alternatives like sorcerers but I still like the aspects of what I'll call Zelaznian magic.
The way I'd like to home-brew it for 5e is that a Wizard can cast any spell in their book at any time, but it takes 1-2 minutes per spell level to cast. Essentially, every spell can be cast as a ritual.
In-world, this of course doesn't work in most (combat) situations. So, what wizards do is they cast the spell beforehand (instead of studying and memorizing it), leaving out a few key words and/or gestures. The spell is then "hung" in their memory. When they need to cast it, they do so with those few words/gestures, which comprise the casting times found in the PHB. Whether a spell is cast as a ritual or mostly prepared beforehand and then cast in the heat of battle, it counts against the spell slots available to the wizard.
The wizard is perhaps able to cast more than their allotted spell slots in a day but each time must make a hard check against their spellcasting ability, adding their wizard levels and subtracting the spell level. If they succeed they can cast the spell but gain a level of exhaustion. If they fail they are stunned for 1 round and lose 2 levels of exhaustion and the spell fails. I should note that I also home ruled an expansion to the exhaustion progression-giving it 10 levels instead of 6, so this isn't quite as deadly as it sounds.
Cantrips are the only spells that can be cast without preparation, at the casting times in the PHB, just as the RAW rules.
Other spell casters can cast as in the rules (all of whom seem to have a good, in-world explanation for how they receive or prepare spells). I think I would allow some to cast a little beyond their daily limit of slots using the same hard (maybe heroic for half casters) ability check and exhaustion.
Just curious, what do you guys think? Am I missing anything?