Having to choose and perpare (i.e. "memorize") spells ahead of time never did sit well with me, even back when I was DM'ing 1st Edition AD&D. To me, it just doesn't make for a plausable magic system -- it's too gamey. The only fantasy fiction I've seen this sort of thing in is Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" stories, and those were meant to be more clever than they were serious.
So, here's my house rules for spell casters, for use in my D&D 3.5 campaigns...
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There are no sorcerers in this campaign world, neither as PCs nor as NPCs. All spell casters in this campaign world are spontaneous, which means none of them have to choose and prepare spells ahead of time.
Bards gain no additional spell casting abilities as compensation for all the other spell casters gaining spontaneous casting. Instead, bards gain the following: Evasion at 4th level and Uncanny Dodge at 7th level. Also, while bards still incur a chance for spell casting failure while equipped with a shield, they no longer incur such a chance while equipped with a buckler.
Spell casters can only renew their spell slots once per day. To renew their spells slots, wizards must spend an hour studying their spellbooks (which still has to be preceded by 8 hours of rest); clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers must spend an hour praying and/or performing their rituals; and bards must spend 15 minutes concentrating and playing their music.
Wizards are now limited to a maximum number of spells they can know at any given time. This is referred to as a wizard's spell repertoire. To determine his spell repertoire, a wizard uses the "Sorcerer Spells Known" table. (Refer to page 54 of the PH.) However, a wizard uses this table as if he were one level higher; and for each spell level that is available to him, he adds his Int bonus to the number of spells known.
All wizards automatically know the spell Read Magic, and do not need to have it in their spell repertoires.
If a wizard has chosen to specialize in a school of magic, then as a 1st level wizard his spell repertoire must contain at least one 0-level spell and one 1st level spell from his specialty school. Every wizard level thereafter, he must choose at least two spells from his specialty school to add to his spell repertoire.
A wizard's spellbook must contain at least his full spell repertoire. A 1st level wizard begins with a spellbook containing his initial spell repertoire, and this costs him no gold. (This spellbook is a parting gift from his wizardry mentor.) Whenever a wizard adds new spells to his repertoire, he must pay 50 gps per spell level, per spell, to add them to his spellbook. Adding 0-level spells to his spellbook costs 25 gps per spell. (In this campaign, a wizard does not with each level receive the two free spells from his research, to add to his spell-book.) A spell from a scroll or from another wizard's spellbook may be added freely, but the wizard must first decipher the magical writing and then make a Spellcraft check to do so. (Refer to the left column on page 179 of the PH.) A wizard's spellbook may contain spells outside of his spell repertoire, as long as the requirements for adding those spells are met.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered level thereafter, a wizard can choose to replace a spell in his repertoire with one that is not, provided the replacing spell is already in his spellbook. The rules for a wizard's replacing of known spells are the same as those for a sorcerer. (Refer to page 54 of the PH.)
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Do these house rules appear to be fair and square? Have I covered everything here that I need to? Or have I overlooked anything? Feedback would be appreciated.
So, here's my house rules for spell casters, for use in my D&D 3.5 campaigns...
- - - - - - - -
There are no sorcerers in this campaign world, neither as PCs nor as NPCs. All spell casters in this campaign world are spontaneous, which means none of them have to choose and prepare spells ahead of time.
Bards gain no additional spell casting abilities as compensation for all the other spell casters gaining spontaneous casting. Instead, bards gain the following: Evasion at 4th level and Uncanny Dodge at 7th level. Also, while bards still incur a chance for spell casting failure while equipped with a shield, they no longer incur such a chance while equipped with a buckler.
Spell casters can only renew their spell slots once per day. To renew their spells slots, wizards must spend an hour studying their spellbooks (which still has to be preceded by 8 hours of rest); clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers must spend an hour praying and/or performing their rituals; and bards must spend 15 minutes concentrating and playing their music.
Wizards are now limited to a maximum number of spells they can know at any given time. This is referred to as a wizard's spell repertoire. To determine his spell repertoire, a wizard uses the "Sorcerer Spells Known" table. (Refer to page 54 of the PH.) However, a wizard uses this table as if he were one level higher; and for each spell level that is available to him, he adds his Int bonus to the number of spells known.
All wizards automatically know the spell Read Magic, and do not need to have it in their spell repertoires.
If a wizard has chosen to specialize in a school of magic, then as a 1st level wizard his spell repertoire must contain at least one 0-level spell and one 1st level spell from his specialty school. Every wizard level thereafter, he must choose at least two spells from his specialty school to add to his spell repertoire.
A wizard's spellbook must contain at least his full spell repertoire. A 1st level wizard begins with a spellbook containing his initial spell repertoire, and this costs him no gold. (This spellbook is a parting gift from his wizardry mentor.) Whenever a wizard adds new spells to his repertoire, he must pay 50 gps per spell level, per spell, to add them to his spellbook. Adding 0-level spells to his spellbook costs 25 gps per spell. (In this campaign, a wizard does not with each level receive the two free spells from his research, to add to his spell-book.) A spell from a scroll or from another wizard's spellbook may be added freely, but the wizard must first decipher the magical writing and then make a Spellcraft check to do so. (Refer to the left column on page 179 of the PH.) A wizard's spellbook may contain spells outside of his spell repertoire, as long as the requirements for adding those spells are met.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered level thereafter, a wizard can choose to replace a spell in his repertoire with one that is not, provided the replacing spell is already in his spellbook. The rules for a wizard's replacing of known spells are the same as those for a sorcerer. (Refer to page 54 of the PH.)
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Do these house rules appear to be fair and square? Have I covered everything here that I need to? Or have I overlooked anything? Feedback would be appreciated.
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