Buffyverse D20

[Essex]

I'm putting the finishing touches on a quick, modern conversion of the DnD/Star Wars D20 system to run a Buffyverse game. So far the basic playtests with my group have gone rather well, but I'm hitting on snag on the magic system, in that the standard DnD magic system just doesn't apply very well, but I'm having trouble sketching out a playbalanced system.

What it needs is this
-a spell point system
At the moment, I'm using the Wound Point/Vitality Point system from Star Wars, and am making the vitality cost equal to the spell level times 10 (this is to keep magic from being abused at low levels). A PC can cast any spell they can learn or find, provided they simply have the vitality to cast it.
-skill check
I'm making the PCs make Spellcraft checks versus 10 + spell level to successfully cast spells.
-ritual casting
At the moment, I'm simply letting ritual casting divide the fatigue cost among the circle/group to make high-level spells available with more effort but without a need for high level characters
-over-casting
a PC warlock/witch can cast spells beyond their ability (ie a 5th level witch can cast True Resurrection if she can just scrape up the vitality cost)
-corruption
if they botch a Spellcraft check they have a choice, the spell is twisted by the Hellmouth into a perversion of the original intention. Also, if they fail or botch while over-casting, the PC must make a Will Save DC25 or be taken over by the magic and risk addiction or slide one alignment down towards Evil.

This is my temporary magic system. I'd appreciate comments or criticisms. I'll also be posting my Slayer and Vampire Templates, as well as Watcher and Demon Hunter prestige classes. A friend of mine is working on a Buffyverse character sheet with the Modern Skill and Feats list. I plan to post a link to it here as soon as he's done.

 

[Essex]

The Slayer Template

The Slayer is a Chosen servant of the Powers That Be. The Slayer is always a young woman, typically 15-17 years of age when Called. She is a champion of Good and charged with the destruction of undead and infernal beings. A Slayer is gifted in superhuman strength, speed, and toughness. A Slayer's highest class is always Soldier or Martial Artist, though she may multi-class freely.

STR +8, DEX +6, CON +6, INT +0, WIS +0, CHA +2

Special Abilities
-Staking - a Slayer automatically starts with the Feat, One Hit Kill, taken with the Wooden Stake and ignores all prerequisites for it.
Wooden Stake Damage 1d4, Threat Range 19-20/x2 critical.
-Weapon Proficiency - proficient in all simple and martial weapons.
-Natural Armor - a Slayer is agile at dodging and more resistant to damage, giving her a +1 Dodge bonus and a +1 Armor Bonus to AC
-Iron Will - Treat the same as the Iron Will feat
-Infernal Bane - any weapon in the hands of a Slayer is treated as an a Bane weapon versus evil outsiders (though the weapon still must overcome the creature's natural damage resistance
-Detect Undead - Slayer may detect Undead at will.
CR +4

Death & Rebirth
A Slayer's power comes from death, according to legend, and she embraces this in her death as well. Nothing aside from a True Resurrection (or modern medical techniques in the right circumstances IE CPR) can bring a Slayer back from the grave. When raised, a Slayer somehow becomes further empowered, receiving an additional +2 to her physical abilities and a +2 to her Will save.

 

[WaterRabbit]

DC for spells

A first level human can have a Spell Craft check of 4+AB+SF or +6 or +7 (if you set skill focus to be +3).

At 10th level this can be 13+AB+SF+MB or +20/21 (plus bonuses due to magic items like talismans).

If you set DC = 10 + SL, your range is 10-19.
So the question is "Do you want magic to be really easy to cast ?"

If magic is difficult to cast, if would suggest:

Caster Level Check (d20+CL) against DC 10 + 2*SL.
If you want Spellcraft to make a difference, give a +1/5 ranks synergy bonus to the caster level check.

This gives, at 1st level, a d20+1 against DCs 11-28 (0 levels spells are treated as a half level).

At 10th level we have a d20+10 against the same DCs. With the suggested synergy bonus that could be a d20+12.

In the Buffyverse magic is generally hard to master and there is always the risk of failure. So you could add some modifiers like cooperative casting uses the Aid another rules. CLC against a DC 10 to grant a +2 bonus, etc. You can also add in that a natural "1" on the caster level check is always a failure and a natural "20" always succeeds.

To model someone like Willow, who has a strong natural talent for magic, you can create a feat like Natural Witch which gives a bonus to the caster level check.

Also Relics and Rituals has ideas for ritual and cooperative spell casting.

Just some considerations.

 

[Essex]

I tend to use a Spellcraft check vs a DC of 10 + Spell Level, but your suggestion sounds interesting. I'll give a try this week.

I do have a feat called Magical Adept. Basically it gives an additional number of vitality to spend SOLELY on spells. I based this on the fact that we've seen Willow screw up quite a bit but was able to cast magic more often than most and more powerful than she should be able to.

I'm using the Aid Another rules for the moment as I dont' yet own Relics and Rituals.

List of New Feats (I'll describe them later)

Computer Geek
Improved Critical (actually an old Feat)
-Called Shot
-One Hit Kill
Magical Aptitude
Prophetic Dreams
Visions

Also almost all the combat feats from the PHB, Star Wars D20, and Sword & Fist are available. The only ones chopped out had to do with Attacks of Opportunity. I'm running a much more cinematic combat game and the standard DnD rules are too bulky and slow for that.

 

[cybernetic]

You might wanna check out the latest issue of Dungeon....the Polyhedron part for the month has a free d20 game called Shadow Chasers that is "Buffy the vampire slayer" with different names!!!!

 

[Cheiromancer]

I'm a big fan of buffy the vampire slayer, but I don't have access to the latest Dungeon. Could anyone give me a run-down?

And a bump for essex.

 

[UD]

The Shadow Chasers game in Dungeon/Polyhedron is way cool. There are several base hero classes(intelectual types, muscular etc), and magic is like a prestige class. There are also very intresting templates for Werewolfs and quasi vampires which cause you just to loose some human abilities like feats indtead of levels.

Basiclly people don't know monsters exist and to remember them you have to make a willpower save. If you save then you remember, depending on you wis, after so many rememberings you dont have to try anmd remember anymore. If you fail then you loose 2 tempory points of wisdom.

Its very cool, I recommend you pick up a copy of Dungeon 91 now!