Battle of the ways to cast.

[Blue_Kryptonite]

Recharge Magic from UA. Never going back.

 

[Sado]

However... Had you included a third option of "Fatigue Based Casting" I would have voted for it immediately. I don't even know that a good (in my opinion) implementation of fatigue based casting has been produced for d20 yet, but the concept alone gets my vote. It just feels more like the fiction that I've grown up reading...

What do you mean by this? Dragon Warriors RPG had a Mystic class that could cast as many spells as they wanted all day, but each time they cast a spell they had a chance to become psychicly exhausted (which meant they couldn't cast any more until they had rested. This introduced an unpredictable element to spellcasting-you never knew how many spells you would be able to cast before you became exhausted. Is that sort of what you are talking about?

 

[Sado]

Recharge Magic from UA. Never going back.

How does that work?

 

[Klaus]

How's about some form of "Backlash" system, like Shadowrun had (in the form of Drain)?

Essentially, you could keep casting the weaker spells with impunity, but even one powerful spell could knock you out.

 

[Tonguez]

What do you mean by this? Dragon Warriors RPG had a Mystic class that could cast as many spells as they wanted all day, but each time they cast a spell they had a chance to become psychicly exhausted (which meant they couldn't cast any more until they had rested.

Most of the fatigue systems I've seen are Magic point system using Health (HP/Con etc) as the point pool ie everytime you cast a spell it costs HPs
the Mystic class above sounds to me to be the same thing but using a Fort save type thing.
Hey how does M&M handle Damage - could the same thing be used for Magic use?

 

[Sado]

Most of the fatigue systems I've seen are Magic point system using Health (HP/Con etc) as the point pool ie everytime you cast a spell it costs HPs

Thats like the Advanced Fighting Fantasy system (the RPG based on the FF gamebooks). I liked the idea of a wizard using his last few HP to cast a spell saving his companions, sacrificing himself in the process. Seemed pretty heroic.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Recharge Magic from UA. Never going back.

I rejected that because it looked hard to use and I'm not very smart. Is it hard to use?

Getting back to the topic: spell slots. Because I think "spell valences" are coo.

 

[Devilkiller]

As far as fatigue based magic systems go, you might want to check out the rules for Force uses in the Star Wars d20 RPG. I think they capture the feel of magic use in most modern fantasy somewhat better than the D&D rules. In Star Wars you take feats to gain access to certain spheres of Force based skills and then put skill points into those skills. Then you spend your vitality (basically hit points) to use the skills.

I might try to use them in a fantasy game if I could sneak them in without the players noticing they came from Star Wars. The bad jokes, Yoda impersonations, and attempts to craft magic lightsabers might be a bit much for my little homebrew worlds to handle.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Magic as Skills is also a system that I have seen work well.

Did not pick either, I like the skill method myself, perhaps with a non lethal damage cost to keep it in check.

The Auld Grump

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I like spellpoints, mutable spells, and other more "free form" systems over the usual (literal) "fire & forget" D&D version. The exact parameters do not concern me as much as flexibility and non-predictability.

This explains why, to date, Ars Magica is my favourite magic system.

Yep, best magic system in existence. And available free on RPGNow.com .

The Aulf Grump, House Verditus