Jack Daniel
Legend
Disclaimer: There are two goals that this magic system absolutely does not have in mind. The first is replacing the so-called Vancian magic system. I have taken care to retain the element of spell preparation; it's just enacted differently, sort of like Arcana Unearthed. That said, the second is not to bring Monte's magic system into D&D! I have nothing against the guy, but I don't care for his alternate player's handbook. I want to play priests and wizards, not greenfettered and magibonds or whatever the hell they are. Besides, that system is very complex, and really best left as unique to its equally unique setting.
I wanted to create a magic system that was unique to my setting as well, one that still felt like AD&D, but also had elements of the spell system found in Final Fantasy I & III. If you're not familiar with those games, all the spellcasters cast spells the way bards and sorcerers do, but their "spells per day" are called "magic points," and instead of an equally complex "spells known" progression, they simply know three (out of four possible) spells at each spell level. Simple enough, right? That's my first goal.
My second goal is unique to the new edition. You see, in the days of AD&D, we played with a house rule whereby all casters memorized their spells normally, but then they could cast them in any combination they saw fit, so if a magic-user prepared magic missile, sleep, & grease, he could cast each of those spells once, or one of those spells three times, or any other combination -- basically half-way between wizards and sorcerers now. In trying to port this house rule into the d20 system, I encounter a single roadblock -- the sorcerer. How do I make this class different from a wizard, without turning it into a psion? In fact, can I possibly use the freedom of a new magic system to make the sorcerer even more distinct from the psion?
The core idea is that all spellcasters once again follow a uniform rule of spellcasting -- you have a broad spell list, which some casters have access to all of and some casters have access to part of via a spellbook -- and from this group they prepare a handful of spells, which they are then able to cast with some flexibility. The psionicists become the only truly spontaneous magic-users, knowing a small handful of powers and using them without any sort of preparation.
First off, it would be prudent to outline the types of magic and magic-using classes in my campaign setting.
Divine (White) Magic: These are spells that clerical characters derive from holy scriptures, which invoke minor divine entites to carry out the will of the caster. Priests and paladins use this sort of magic.
Diabolical (Black) Magic: The opposite of divine magic, diabolical magic is used by cultists and blackguards, which are prestige classes typically taken by sorcerers and fighters, or by fallen priests and paladins. Diabolical magicians call directly on evil spirits to do their bidding.
Witchcraft: Wisdom-based magic that relies on the forces of nature, used by witches and by rangers. Wisdom is the key ability because a caster must be deeply in tune with his surroundings to use witchcraft.
Wizardry: Intelligence-based magic that draws on extraplanar energy, used by wizards and ninjas. Intelligence is the key ability because wizardry is so fundamentally illogical, that it takes a genius intellect to actually believe something that doesn't exist so much that you will it into existence.
Sorcery: Charisma-based magic that comes from extraplanar entities, used by sorcerers and bards. Charisma is the key ability because the caster must essentially bargain with a higher power for each spell he casts; sorcerers are usually well aware of the deals they make with outsiders and elementals, but few bards know that their spells are sorcereies which come from spirits called muses.
Spells Known
All classes fall into one of two groups: those that automatically recieve access to all the spells at a given spell level as soon as they can cast it (priests, paladins, cultists, blackguards, witches, rangers, and sorcerers) and those that keep spellbooks which they must fill with spells taken from scrolls and other books (wizards, bards, ninjas). Bards and sorcerers no longer deal with a rigid table of spells known (and the same goes for similar classes, like shugenja, assassins, hexblades, etc.).
Spells Prepared
The core mechanic of the system, all characters prepare a fixed number of spells drawn from their broader list of spells known equal to 3 or their prime ability bonus (whichever is higher) at each spell level. This means that a caster with a relevant ability score of 10 to 17 always prepares precisely three spells of each spell level which are available to be cast, while a character with a score of 18 prepares four spells of each level, a character with a score of 20 would prepare five, and so on. The number of spells prepared is rigidly fixed, but some casters prepare an additional spell at each level (from a domain or school specialty) and some casters have a certain type of spell (like cure spells or summon spells) always prepared, in addition to their base spell slots per level.
Magic Points
A character casts a spell by expending a magic point of that spell level or higher. Magic points are determined exactly like spells per day in the core rules, so a high ability score grants bonus MP. They are used in casting spells the exact same way core bards and sorcerers spend their spells per day to cast their spells known, but the difference is that MP are used to cast from the list spells the caster has prepared.
Spell Failure
Instead of "arcane" spell failure, a more general spell failure mechanic applies to all casters, based on magic type and hit die. The d4 casters (sorcerers, wizards) suffer failure due to any armor. The d6 casters (bard, ninja) can ignore this failure chance due to light armor only. The d8 casters (priest, witch, cultist) ignore failure due to light and heavy armor, and priests and cultists can also use shields without chance of spell failure. Finally, the d10 casters (paladin, ranger, blackguard) can use light, medium, and heavy armor without chance of spell failure, and paladins and blackguards add shields to this list.
Metamagic
Metamagic is always used when casting the spell, never when preparing it. Metamagic no longer increases the casting time of a spell, so all casters can use Quicken Spell.
The Bard
Bards now keep spellbooks, which begin with all cantrips and add 2 additional spells each time the bard levels up. The bard uses his spells per day table to determine his MP progression.
The Ninja
This is a class I added to my campaign based on the ninja classes from 1st edition Oriental Adventures and the 2nd edition Complete Ninja's Handbook, specifically the spirit warrior kit from that book. The ninja's spell list is practically identical to the assassin's; but ninjas cast spells based on Intelligence. Ninjas keep a spellbook, recieving 1 + their intelligence bonus in spells as soon as they are able to cast, and 1 free spell at each level up. They use the paladin/ranger spells per day to determine their MP.
The Paladin & The Ranger
These classes use their common spells per day table to determine their MP.
The Priest
Priests are very similar to clerics, but they are also partly based on FF white mages. The priest loses proficiency in heavy armor, but gains the ability to wield a warhammer as a two-handed simple weapon, as well as the ability to turn fiends at level 11. Priests are always considered to have a cure spell prepared at each level, in addition to their normally prepared spells. In addition, the priest prepares one domain spell from either of his two domains, but domain spells cannot be cast with MP -- instead, the one that is prepared can simply be cast once per day. Priests use the cleric/druid spells per day progression to determine their MP.
The Sorcerer
Sorcerers undergo the most radical change, because they had to be differentiated from both wizards and psions, which led me to ask what a sorcerer is versus what a wizard is. As an archaeology student, I can tell you the real-world definitions of witchcraft, wizardry, and sorcery -- but sorcery is defined as "casting spells," which doesn't work here. As an avid folklorist and fantasist, I can also tell you that sorcery is often defined as summoning, particularly summoning monsters to ask for information. That suggests specialty in Conjuration and Divination, which is the direction I decided to take the class (in effect, I've made the sorcerer into the FF summoner).
I've always hated that sorcerers were made "innate" or "dragon-blooded" mages in the d20 rules -- it's out of the blue, totally unlike the folklore, and altogether too psionic. So, sorcerers now prepare and cast just like other characters. To keep the classes balanced, the sorcerer now uses the same MP progression as a wizard, but the sorcerer recieves +1 bonus MP at each level, like a specialist wizard. Sorcerers do not keep a spell book, but instead have access to every spell of Conjuration, Divination, and one other school of their choice (they can never learn spells from the other five schools). They are, in effect, über-specialists. Sorcerers are also always considered to have summon monster prepared at each level, just as priests and witches have cure and summon nature's ally spells automatically prepared.
To further differentiate the sorcerer from the wizard, and emphasize the fact that they recieve their spells from some powerful outsider, the sorcerer also recieves one domain, but it must be an alignment or elemental domain. This domain defines the sorcerer's specialty (good, angelist; law, axiomatist; evil, diabolist; chaos, anarchist; fire, pyromancer; air, aeromancer; water, hydromancer; earth, geomancer). The sorcerer cannot cast his domain spells with MP, but instead may use each one once per day. The sorcerer recieves a new domain spell at the same level a priest does (levels 3, 5, 7, etc...), or just before he would normally earn a new level of sorcerer spells.
The Witch
Witches are like druids with a few subtle differences. They have no medium armor proficiency, but they have no ban on metal armor either. They can always swap out a wild shape to cast bestow or remove curse. Witches are always considered to have summon nature's ally prepared at each level, in addition to the spells they have prepared normally. They use the cleric/druid spells pre day table to determine their MP progression.
The Wizard
Like every other class outlined here, the wizard now prepares a fixed number of spells from each level, and casts them spontaneously using MP based on thier spells per day progression. A specialist wizard may prepare one additional spell at each level from his school of specialty, and recieves +1 MP at each spell level.
I wanted to create a magic system that was unique to my setting as well, one that still felt like AD&D, but also had elements of the spell system found in Final Fantasy I & III. If you're not familiar with those games, all the spellcasters cast spells the way bards and sorcerers do, but their "spells per day" are called "magic points," and instead of an equally complex "spells known" progression, they simply know three (out of four possible) spells at each spell level. Simple enough, right? That's my first goal.
My second goal is unique to the new edition. You see, in the days of AD&D, we played with a house rule whereby all casters memorized their spells normally, but then they could cast them in any combination they saw fit, so if a magic-user prepared magic missile, sleep, & grease, he could cast each of those spells once, or one of those spells three times, or any other combination -- basically half-way between wizards and sorcerers now. In trying to port this house rule into the d20 system, I encounter a single roadblock -- the sorcerer. How do I make this class different from a wizard, without turning it into a psion? In fact, can I possibly use the freedom of a new magic system to make the sorcerer even more distinct from the psion?
The core idea is that all spellcasters once again follow a uniform rule of spellcasting -- you have a broad spell list, which some casters have access to all of and some casters have access to part of via a spellbook -- and from this group they prepare a handful of spells, which they are then able to cast with some flexibility. The psionicists become the only truly spontaneous magic-users, knowing a small handful of powers and using them without any sort of preparation.
First off, it would be prudent to outline the types of magic and magic-using classes in my campaign setting.
Divine (White) Magic: These are spells that clerical characters derive from holy scriptures, which invoke minor divine entites to carry out the will of the caster. Priests and paladins use this sort of magic.
Diabolical (Black) Magic: The opposite of divine magic, diabolical magic is used by cultists and blackguards, which are prestige classes typically taken by sorcerers and fighters, or by fallen priests and paladins. Diabolical magicians call directly on evil spirits to do their bidding.
Witchcraft: Wisdom-based magic that relies on the forces of nature, used by witches and by rangers. Wisdom is the key ability because a caster must be deeply in tune with his surroundings to use witchcraft.
Wizardry: Intelligence-based magic that draws on extraplanar energy, used by wizards and ninjas. Intelligence is the key ability because wizardry is so fundamentally illogical, that it takes a genius intellect to actually believe something that doesn't exist so much that you will it into existence.
Sorcery: Charisma-based magic that comes from extraplanar entities, used by sorcerers and bards. Charisma is the key ability because the caster must essentially bargain with a higher power for each spell he casts; sorcerers are usually well aware of the deals they make with outsiders and elementals, but few bards know that their spells are sorcereies which come from spirits called muses.
Spells Known
All classes fall into one of two groups: those that automatically recieve access to all the spells at a given spell level as soon as they can cast it (priests, paladins, cultists, blackguards, witches, rangers, and sorcerers) and those that keep spellbooks which they must fill with spells taken from scrolls and other books (wizards, bards, ninjas). Bards and sorcerers no longer deal with a rigid table of spells known (and the same goes for similar classes, like shugenja, assassins, hexblades, etc.).
Spells Prepared
The core mechanic of the system, all characters prepare a fixed number of spells drawn from their broader list of spells known equal to 3 or their prime ability bonus (whichever is higher) at each spell level. This means that a caster with a relevant ability score of 10 to 17 always prepares precisely three spells of each spell level which are available to be cast, while a character with a score of 18 prepares four spells of each level, a character with a score of 20 would prepare five, and so on. The number of spells prepared is rigidly fixed, but some casters prepare an additional spell at each level (from a domain or school specialty) and some casters have a certain type of spell (like cure spells or summon spells) always prepared, in addition to their base spell slots per level.
Magic Points
A character casts a spell by expending a magic point of that spell level or higher. Magic points are determined exactly like spells per day in the core rules, so a high ability score grants bonus MP. They are used in casting spells the exact same way core bards and sorcerers spend their spells per day to cast their spells known, but the difference is that MP are used to cast from the list spells the caster has prepared.
Spell Failure
Instead of "arcane" spell failure, a more general spell failure mechanic applies to all casters, based on magic type and hit die. The d4 casters (sorcerers, wizards) suffer failure due to any armor. The d6 casters (bard, ninja) can ignore this failure chance due to light armor only. The d8 casters (priest, witch, cultist) ignore failure due to light and heavy armor, and priests and cultists can also use shields without chance of spell failure. Finally, the d10 casters (paladin, ranger, blackguard) can use light, medium, and heavy armor without chance of spell failure, and paladins and blackguards add shields to this list.
Metamagic
Metamagic is always used when casting the spell, never when preparing it. Metamagic no longer increases the casting time of a spell, so all casters can use Quicken Spell.
The Bard
Bards now keep spellbooks, which begin with all cantrips and add 2 additional spells each time the bard levels up. The bard uses his spells per day table to determine his MP progression.
The Ninja
This is a class I added to my campaign based on the ninja classes from 1st edition Oriental Adventures and the 2nd edition Complete Ninja's Handbook, specifically the spirit warrior kit from that book. The ninja's spell list is practically identical to the assassin's; but ninjas cast spells based on Intelligence. Ninjas keep a spellbook, recieving 1 + their intelligence bonus in spells as soon as they are able to cast, and 1 free spell at each level up. They use the paladin/ranger spells per day to determine their MP.
The Paladin & The Ranger
These classes use their common spells per day table to determine their MP.
The Priest
Priests are very similar to clerics, but they are also partly based on FF white mages. The priest loses proficiency in heavy armor, but gains the ability to wield a warhammer as a two-handed simple weapon, as well as the ability to turn fiends at level 11. Priests are always considered to have a cure spell prepared at each level, in addition to their normally prepared spells. In addition, the priest prepares one domain spell from either of his two domains, but domain spells cannot be cast with MP -- instead, the one that is prepared can simply be cast once per day. Priests use the cleric/druid spells per day progression to determine their MP.
The Sorcerer
Sorcerers undergo the most radical change, because they had to be differentiated from both wizards and psions, which led me to ask what a sorcerer is versus what a wizard is. As an archaeology student, I can tell you the real-world definitions of witchcraft, wizardry, and sorcery -- but sorcery is defined as "casting spells," which doesn't work here. As an avid folklorist and fantasist, I can also tell you that sorcery is often defined as summoning, particularly summoning monsters to ask for information. That suggests specialty in Conjuration and Divination, which is the direction I decided to take the class (in effect, I've made the sorcerer into the FF summoner).
I've always hated that sorcerers were made "innate" or "dragon-blooded" mages in the d20 rules -- it's out of the blue, totally unlike the folklore, and altogether too psionic. So, sorcerers now prepare and cast just like other characters. To keep the classes balanced, the sorcerer now uses the same MP progression as a wizard, but the sorcerer recieves +1 bonus MP at each level, like a specialist wizard. Sorcerers do not keep a spell book, but instead have access to every spell of Conjuration, Divination, and one other school of their choice (they can never learn spells from the other five schools). They are, in effect, über-specialists. Sorcerers are also always considered to have summon monster prepared at each level, just as priests and witches have cure and summon nature's ally spells automatically prepared.
To further differentiate the sorcerer from the wizard, and emphasize the fact that they recieve their spells from some powerful outsider, the sorcerer also recieves one domain, but it must be an alignment or elemental domain. This domain defines the sorcerer's specialty (good, angelist; law, axiomatist; evil, diabolist; chaos, anarchist; fire, pyromancer; air, aeromancer; water, hydromancer; earth, geomancer). The sorcerer cannot cast his domain spells with MP, but instead may use each one once per day. The sorcerer recieves a new domain spell at the same level a priest does (levels 3, 5, 7, etc...), or just before he would normally earn a new level of sorcerer spells.
The Witch
Witches are like druids with a few subtle differences. They have no medium armor proficiency, but they have no ban on metal armor either. They can always swap out a wild shape to cast bestow or remove curse. Witches are always considered to have summon nature's ally prepared at each level, in addition to the spells they have prepared normally. They use the cleric/druid spells pre day table to determine their MP progression.
The Wizard
Like every other class outlined here, the wizard now prepares a fixed number of spells from each level, and casts them spontaneously using MP based on thier spells per day progression. A specialist wizard may prepare one additional spell at each level from his school of specialty, and recieves +1 MP at each spell level.
Last edited:
