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Message: <blockquote data-quote="XanthorDrathos" data-source="post: 1746705" data-attributes="member: 6082">In regards to material components enforcement, I track them in detail in one setting, Ghelspad, that I run "by the book" with no house rules.  In my other setting, which is a 3.5E variant, I only worry with the strange or costly components, like pearls for Identify, diamonds for Raise Dead/Resurrection, etc.  In Inzeladun in the days of Xanthor (2E), components didn't matter as much, so no need to track them.  Several spells lost their draw backs in conversion to 3E, some of which I really objected to.  I liked when fireball was unreliable in dungeons because of it's expanding nature.  I liked lightning bolts that reflected back if the corridor was too short.  They made these spells too reliable when they dropped the need for planning them and thus could use them with no recourse.  Add to this mess no consequence buff spells, and I'm not surprised at how the system lends itself to over-magic.  I think more spells, especially all evocation/buff, should have drawbacks.  If you want +6 to STR, then -6 to WIS for the duration or some other worse effect.I think the highest level spell castable by any caster should impose some kind of penalty to cast like automatic exhaustion or some crazy save to resist.  Maybe fatigue or subdual damage from spell casting equal to spell level.Now, you just can nerf spell casting without impacting the availability of magic items.  I tend to prefer fewer, but more powerful (and potentially corrupting), magic items.  If magic is so difficult to do and supposedly rare, then it would be less available or risky to make items.  So items would only be made that really made an impact or come from questionable sources.  Another kind of cursed item that someone would leave in treasure piles and not use for a reason.  Doesn't have to be real bad, but inconvenient to use.Then there is the golf bag syndrome in 3.5E.  Carry several weapons made of different materials to hit things with nastier DR's.  I want to keep the +1 or +2 sword I found or made and make it better over time.  Having to change from a favorite weapon to some other weapon made of X just to hit is silly in my opinion unless in rare cases like the classic silver and werewolf stuff.  This would exclude the obvious missile vs. melee reasons.3E also made resistances and immunities much easier to obtain, throw some gold at it and you'll get it, is now the mantra.  I'm not a fan of the excessive magic in items running around unless it is made by the party or commissioned specifically.  They high level of wealth and magic items are what is dragging things down to me as well as it lend to buying stats, immunities, and cheaper powers.  I agree that item creation feats need put off, but maybe only 3-5 levels longer to create items and not make items so readily available outside of creation, except were warranted.  Also, it shouldn't be so easy to make items.  Perhaps some risk in making the items that might drain a caster of spell casting ability for a while or some strange effect for good while that lingers on the caster.  I'd like to see the DC's pumped up to make some items to put a challenge to beginning artificers.Pushing too many things off to epic levels may only delay the issue, but would help mid to high-level game.  It's still has to be fun to play or people won't want to play a mage or the like for that reason.  I struggled with this issue when trying to make my own system (prior to and similar to 3E).  No one wanted to play a spell caster because it was restricted and unknown.  So some prudence is in order.  Whatever changes happens to PC's should also impact NPC's in the system/setting.One of the reasons I enjoyed Xanthor for so long is that his struggle to not become evil even though he was undead.  I like the challenge of temptation and trying (at times futile) to resist.  I loved his immunities, but also had to learn of his weaknesses, which Vince seemed to glee at exploiting.  It was a role-playing issue and not an equipment or spell issue usually.  I'd like to see the game get back to that.  I've struggled with it in my own and other settings.  It's just not the game it was anymore and I'd love to see it return.</blockquote>

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