Recent content by AnotherGuy

I'd also add that a high-level caster would likely have such mastery over spellcraft that not only would they be able to almost always successfully create a low level spell, with their modifiers being so high, but that it would take them less time to create low-level spells.

I will say that having a DM such as @bloodtide who enjoys the world-building aspect and has done the work for 5,000 additional spells makes it worthwhile to play a caster within their campaign. Researching, collecting/testing various components, obtaining scrolls/spellbooks as rewards...

In arguably the best or 2nd best Mystaran gazetteer, The Principalities of Glantri, the secret of the Radiance as well as the Seven Secret Crafts (think specialist arcane schools) exist and are not known by the common man (or the player at character creation) In the gazetteer, Minrothad Guilds...

I'm of the opinion that both of these can serve as tools for rewarding roleplaying sessions. We shouldn't be afraid to use hard fails to get the players thinking, but we also shouldn't ONLY use hard fails, because fail forwards or success at cost can drive the story in very interesting...

Downtime and the roleplaying of downtime is also a very much under-appreciated tool in these types of scenarios I suspect by many tables. If no other means of transportation is available, characters should find interesting/rewarding ways to pass the time while they wait for the next ride...

So if I'm understanding you correctly - DMs may design magic items, maps, traps, rewards, lingering injuries, madnesses, diseases, poisons and monsters as that is all ok, but add anything to a spell list or feat list for NPCs and it dampens your enthusiasm because you consider it player-facing...

Wonderful idea!

@MichaelSomething I think best voices the right response to the OP (post #5). I cannot stress this enough. One could easily view the 5,000 spells as 5,000 monster abilities for argument's sake and tables generally give the DM leeway to redesign monsters. My table certainly does. And it is...

You are quite correct on this, but I would consider it common courtesy for the player to discuss the spells they'd like to include within the game considering it could affect world-building. It could help resolve certain questions before they arose in game - material components for instance etc...

Neat system. I didn’t know it. "That you design yourself" is interesting to me. I've got something similar - where the player determines the concept (class) in a sense and what class features would be applicable. Thanks! Happy pipe dreaming I guess. :)

I'm not ready yet to reveal my engine until I work out a few details (character creation specifically)...but needless to say my idea is not at all novel. I've borrowed massively from here and there but IMO its where D&D should have gone.

@Corinnguard has the right of it with the subskills - but the engine I've now adopted for the newer D&D games I run changes everything in that combat has been folded into Skills (and Knowledges). Melee is a skill like Animal Handling, Athletics or Spellcraft (Spellcraft is rolled for casting...

Nerf Magic (risk, cost, limitations of use - but not its power). Nerf Hit Point bloat. Introduce Travel Rest into the rules. Size should matter more. Change Expertise, create subskill system. Provide examples of play for Degrees of Success/Failure. Improve the Encounter Challenge rules. Provide...

Still cool at level 15

That's an interesting take. I never did psionics in 2e but I loved the versatility of the psionics system in 3.x. I need to look at 2e's psionics system for myself.