Different d20 magic systems?

[Jürgen Hubert]

I was just wondering... How many d20 magic systems that deviate from the standard "spell slot" system are out there?

How do they differ? What makes them cool? If they were to exist in the same setting as the "standard system", would they be more or less powerful, and why?

Just wondering...

EDIT: And if the magic system is more or less powerful than the standard one, what would have to be done to make it equally powerful?

 

[barsoomcore]

Not sure if you're only looking for "published" systems, but if not...

Barsoom has a system all its own:

Barsoom Magic

It's kind of a cross between Wheel of Time and Dark Sun, without spell slots. Uses the Spellcraft skill for most things, along with a new skill called Grasp Shadow.

You can cast a number of spell levels equal to around your ranks in Spellcraft -- after that you take Con damage to cast a spell. Casting spells sucks Con out of everything around you (and if you screw up, out of you, too). You forget your spells if you sleep for more than four hours, but casting them doesn't make you forget them. And you go crazy eventually.

Undead make the most powerful spellcasters as they never need to sleep (so they're ALWAYS ready) and they can't suffer Con damage (so they can cast UNLIMITED spells per day). And they're already crazy.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Not sure if you're only looking for "published" systems, but if not...

Not at all. Any d20 magic system is fair game, whether published in print form or not.

 

[johnsemlak]

I"m not deeply familiar with them, but there are a few out there:

• Midnight CAmpaign Setting's System
• Arcana Unearthed's system
• Elements of Magic (from EN Publishing)
• Sovereign Stone (doesn't get much press but is spoken of very well)
• And of course whatever system will be presented in Unearthed Arcana

There's surely other's but that's all I can quickly think of

 

[Ottergame]

Wheel of Time uses to a pretty different system, no fire and forget spells.

 

[kamosa]

Soviegn stone

If your looking for a well flushed out magic system this is off the spell slot farm check our Soviergn Stone.

It has a very well balanced casting system that allows the mage to be quite effective, but doesn't allow them to dominate the party. Lots of nice "solve the situation spells". Lots of fairly balanced attack spells. Lots of good variation flavor and style.

Highly recommend it. There are two books. Get the basic book first and then by the more detailed magic only book if you like the system.

 

[Crothian]

Magic by AEG has a few new systems in it

 

[Setanta]

There's Chaos magic by Mongoose. It's an interesting system, just if you're interested, skip the original book and get quintessential chaos mage.

There's also a D20 conversion of the Ars Magica system here:

http://www.users.qwest.net/~jordanerik/Gaming/ArM/

It assumes you know the AM system, but you can get a free PDF of the 4th edition rules, so that's easy enough.

I haven't used either of these systems in a game yet, so I can't tell you how they hold up to actual play, but both look interesting.

 

[The Goblin King]

The EverquestRPG has a mana point based system. I have not played it but I have the book. It seems okay but I get the feeling that people who are EQ fans will enjoy it most.

 

[Particle_Man]

Grimm has an "imagination point" based spell casting system of incantations.