Alternate XP system, magic item creation/spells
- Thread starter marune
- Start date
Li Shenron
Legend
One option suggested in some book could be to turn the xp cost into an extra gp cost on a certain ratio.
The key point is to find an appropriate ratio that is neither too favorable nor unfavorable...
For spells only, another idea could be to turn the xp cost into a time delay, before which you cannot cast the same spell again, on a 1 xp = 1 day basis.
For example, a spell with a 50xp cost would require you to wait 50 days before being able to cast it again. Resurrection-type spells and wishes/miracles would be seriously restricted so that a character could probably cast only a few of them in her entire life (5000xp becomes 15 years!), so see if this idea is compatible to the style of your games. If your adventures have downtime and pauses of weeks/months/years between adventures, then it should be ok, but it's not ok if your games are like those where you want to be 20th level at 20 years old for instance
The key point is to find an appropriate ratio that is neither too favorable nor unfavorable...
For spells only, another idea could be to turn the xp cost into a time delay, before which you cannot cast the same spell again, on a 1 xp = 1 day basis.
For example, a spell with a 50xp cost would require you to wait 50 days before being able to cast it again. Resurrection-type spells and wishes/miracles would be seriously restricted so that a character could probably cast only a few of them in her entire life (5000xp becomes 15 years!), so see if this idea is compatible to the style of your games. If your adventures have downtime and pauses of weeks/months/years between adventures, then it should be ok, but it's not ok if your games are like those where you want to be 20th level at 20 years old for instance
The cost listed in the PHB (for having NPC spellcasters cast spells with XP components) is 5gp per xp; but I'm not sure that's a great replacement factor.
Case in point: Limited Wish
Limited Wish obviously (imo anyway) doesn't deserve to be limited to being cast once per year.
A 1500gp material component is not only probably more prohibitive to casting it than the XP cost, it also significantly reduces it's use as a last-ditch rescue spell (when you really need it you may not have the component handy).
How about something like the following:
As far as crafting and XP costs are considered, give each caster a relatively small amount of XP as a buffer; say 50xp*Level. This pool refreshes every level and any unused points are lost (so, for example, upon gaining level 13 and scribing Limited Wish into his spellbook, Bob the wizard has an XP buffer of 650).
Thusly, Bob can cast Limited Wish twice and have 50xp left in his pool.
When you draw more XP than the pool holds, it automatically refills and [something painful happens*].
*not sure what this should be yet, something along the lines of a Negative Level that sticks around for a while before going away.
Case in point: Limited Wish
Limited Wish obviously (imo anyway) doesn't deserve to be limited to being cast once per year.
A 1500gp material component is not only probably more prohibitive to casting it than the XP cost, it also significantly reduces it's use as a last-ditch rescue spell (when you really need it you may not have the component handy).
How about something like the following:
As far as crafting and XP costs are considered, give each caster a relatively small amount of XP as a buffer; say 50xp*Level. This pool refreshes every level and any unused points are lost (so, for example, upon gaining level 13 and scribing Limited Wish into his spellbook, Bob the wizard has an XP buffer of 650).
Thusly, Bob can cast Limited Wish twice and have 50xp left in his pool.
When you draw more XP than the pool holds, it automatically refills and [something painful happens*].
*not sure what this should be yet, something along the lines of a Negative Level that sticks around for a while before going away.
Pyrex said:
Well, firstly you have to choose a number of "craft points" / level, how much for a 20th level Wizards with many Craft feats ? Etc... Don't forget that in this case, those "craft" points aren't bonus points, there is no XP given to the players.
If the amount needed is larger than the pool ?
What is the temporary penalty ? How long the caster suffers it ? Etc..
Now about spells using XP, there isn't many of them :
Permanency
Simulacrum
Limited Wish
Gate (calling effect)
Wish
Planar Ally (all versions)
Atonement
Commune
Restoration, Greater
Miracle (some effects)
I'm pretty sure ad hoc alternative could be found for every of them. The one major problem is see is Permanency.
I've never had a problem with things this way:
--Spells w/XP: The XP cost is temporary. XP is regained at a rate of 25XP/caster level per 24hrs. Once the caster is down to the minimum XP for his current level, he cannot cast anymore XP spells until he regains XP at the rate listed above or receives a Restoration spell (restores all lost XP). I also allow a conversion on a 1:10 basis to incur a temporary XP cost in place of spells with a gp cost that the group cannot or does not want to make. So, if a spell has a gp cost of 1,000gp and the caster is broke or does not possess the required item of that value, he can cast the spell anyway but would incur a temporary xp cost of 100xp.
--Magic Items: I do not include an XP cost in item creation. Casters are allowed to create one item per caster level (or new caster level if the character advances) between adventures, if they have the requisite item creation feat. Up to 10 one shot items (potions or scrolls) count as 1 item. Up to 3 wands or charged Wondrous Items can count as 1 item. Rods and Staves count as 1 item. Armor, weapons, rings and all other Wondrous Items count as 1 item. If the characters need to make an item during the course of an adventure, or additional items are being made, normal time and GP cost is spent. Arcane casters are allowed to substitute one new spell in their spellbook in place of making 1 new item (at no cost for scribing). Scribing more spells takes 1 week per 2 levels of the spells if additional spells beyond the above limits are being scribed.
On a related note, I allow one free adjustment of any spell per day with a Metamagic feat. I typically use a spell point system in my game (1 spell level = 1 point) with further Metamagic modification costing 1 point per spell level increase.
--Spells w/XP: The XP cost is temporary. XP is regained at a rate of 25XP/caster level per 24hrs. Once the caster is down to the minimum XP for his current level, he cannot cast anymore XP spells until he regains XP at the rate listed above or receives a Restoration spell (restores all lost XP). I also allow a conversion on a 1:10 basis to incur a temporary XP cost in place of spells with a gp cost that the group cannot or does not want to make. So, if a spell has a gp cost of 1,000gp and the caster is broke or does not possess the required item of that value, he can cast the spell anyway but would incur a temporary xp cost of 100xp.
--Magic Items: I do not include an XP cost in item creation. Casters are allowed to create one item per caster level (or new caster level if the character advances) between adventures, if they have the requisite item creation feat. Up to 10 one shot items (potions or scrolls) count as 1 item. Up to 3 wands or charged Wondrous Items can count as 1 item. Rods and Staves count as 1 item. Armor, weapons, rings and all other Wondrous Items count as 1 item. If the characters need to make an item during the course of an adventure, or additional items are being made, normal time and GP cost is spent. Arcane casters are allowed to substitute one new spell in their spellbook in place of making 1 new item (at no cost for scribing). Scribing more spells takes 1 week per 2 levels of the spells if additional spells beyond the above limits are being scribed.
On a related note, I allow one free adjustment of any spell per day with a Metamagic feat. I typically use a spell point system in my game (1 spell level = 1 point) with further Metamagic modification costing 1 point per spell level increase.
