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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Afrodyte" data-source="post: 1268761" data-attributes="member: 8713">I agree as well.  The spell chain idea is marvellous.  As a matter of fact, it might be neat to use this for a normal-magic D&D game.I like this too.  From this and what you post below, it seems that magic should augment normal activities instead of replace them.  More on this later.I think boosting skill points is OK, but I also thing that redoing the class/cross-class skill system would be even better.  An idea I've thought of and seen bantered about is removing the skill rank maximum on cross-class skills, making it possible to buy them up as high as class skills, although you pay more in points.Also, since skills would dominate as opposed to magic, redoing the class skills for the various classes might work to your advantage as well.I wouldn't necessarily use LotR as the guidestick, but I see your point.  It would depend on the setting, of course, but I think that having some spells turn into special abilities would be neat.  Many of the Ranger/Paladin spells seem as though they'd work better that way anyway.  Perhaps, if you wish to encourage skill use, you can have skill and feat prerequisites for certain abilities.I think the best thing to do, since the focus would shift from magic to skills and (possibly) feats, is to go through the spell list and see what can be replicated with skills and what can't.  I don't mean as the d20 rules currently stand, but what your own logic would tell you.  Cure seems related to Heal.  Why not let it give a bonus to Heal checks.  I also agree that vulgar displays of power should be right out.  At least, for all except the most powerful of spellcasters (say, somewhere around epic level?)I understand where you are coming from, but I think that an even better way to go about it, in lieu of or conjunction with a feat, would be Craft checks (very high DCs, of course, perhaps with extended rolls).  While a spellcaster could create more potent items, I think that making it possible for someone of exceptional skill to make minor magical items can work too.If you want to prevent the "magic item factory" type of thing that can happen in high magic settings, I can see two possibilities.  The first is to require the caster to craft the items themselves.  So, if you want a magic sword, you'll need Craft (Weaponsmith) at X ranks or more.  The other is to require the caster to be present for the making of the base item, rather than just purchasing it.  In this case, the caster who wants a magic sword would have to be there as it is forged, enchanting it the whole time.For potions, I'd say Alchemy.  I think Profession wouldn't quite cut it.  I would give a synergy bonus, though.Although scrolls didn't exist in Middle Earth, I am thinking that they could still be used for a non-LotR game.  I just think they wouldn't be lying around waiting for the intrepid PCs to find them.  They also wouldn't be for sale in some shop.  As a result, keeping the Use Magic Device skill would seem problematic.  I'd tie using magic items (besides weapon, armor, and tools that have obvious non-magical uses) to Spellcraft (with Knowledge (arcana) giving a synergy bonus).  Perhaps to use a scroll requires a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell's level, or something like that) to learn the spell.  If you already know it, I'd probably give bonuses, or perhaps let the player cast it automatically.  If you aren't the right level, I can see applying penalties.  If you go with the spell tree idea, if you aren't familiar with that particular tree, I can see penalties applying there as well.  Unfortunately, I can't think of what would grant a bonus.  Maybe if you already know a higher-level version of the spell, or if your school is the same as that on the scroll?  Then when you cast, perhaps some roll to see if it backfires or something.</blockquote>

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