Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="DrSpunj" data-source="post: 1533815" data-attributes="member: 994">Then here's where we're going to diverge pretty drastically. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />I'm sticking with the AU Magic system. Period. I think it's cool, pretty intuitive, and offers far greater playability and versatility than the Core system without the balance issues that come up with a totally freeform Mana-based or Psionic Power Point system.I'll certainly help convert spells (& powers) from other sources into an AU-compatible format, but since my system makes greater use of feats they'll almost always only be available with the Exotic Spell or Unique Spell feats. I'm not interested in keeping all the disjointedness that is the Core Class Magic System. Obviously, YMMV. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />In a straight conversion (without balance considerations), Druids & Clerics should get Greenbond-like magic (that is, Full Magic with only Simple spells); Sorcerers & Wizards would get Magister-like magic (Full Magic with Complex spells); Bards, Paladins & Rangers would get Mage Blade-like magic (Half Magic with only Simple spells). Realize that Paladins & Rangers get a huge bump to their magical abilities with this conversion. That can obviously be toned back to down to near Core levels by taking far fewer levels of Half Magic.Just to be clear, I'm using the term Half Magic to describe use of the Spell Slots Per Day & Spells Readied At One Time tables shared by Mage Blades, Runethanes & Witches. By Full Magic I'm referring to those same tables in the Greenbond & Magister sections.Since taking 20 levels of Half Magic allows you to use 7th level spells, and taking 10 levels of Full Magic only allows the use of 5th level spells, the former should cost a bit more than the latter.I was then trying to figure out how to add (or stack) the two different types of caster levels (Half & Full) like BAB from various classes stacks. Which set of tables should be used?It's easy enough to say that you use the tables according to whether you have more Half or Full magic levels, and at first that's what I did. The problem I discovered was a 20th level caster can have 15 levels of Half magic & 5 levels of Full Magic which would mean he should use the Half magic tables...with a Half caster level of 25 (at 20th level, oops!). That doesn't work too well. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />By comparing the two sets of tables directly I realized that it prevents abuse & goofiness if you only allow pure Half casters to use the Half Magic tables. Anyone who buys even a single level of Full magic must use the Full Magic tables by converting their Half Magic caster level to a Full Magic equivalent and adding it to their Full Magic levels for their total Caster Level.For example, a 20th level PC might have taken 10 Half & 10 Full Magic levels. That means they have a Full Magic caster level of 15. Note that they spent 5 more CBs than if they simply took 15 levels of Full magic, but they got that Half Magic level one level earlier than if they'd waited 2 levels for another Full Magic level.I think to make that worthwhile I'm going to allow someone to use the next higher level of Readied Spells At One Time. Since their Spell Slots Per Day doesn't increase that means they can only use the highest level of spells readied (assuming they gain access to a new spell level with this Half Magic level) by weaving two of their highest level spell slots together. In the right circumstances this could be worthwhile, but I think most times people would just rather wait and save their CBs to buy a level of Full Magic every other level instead of a Half Magic every level.This does mean that it's better to buy all Half or all Full, rather than mix & match the two, but in a free-form system like this I don't see that as a bad thing. Again, YMMV. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I do have a document that I just remembered that broke down caster levels into a fractional system like the BAB stuff from my PbP game. I'll have to dig that out (or re-download it) and see if that might be a better solution to mixing Half & Full magic levels. Hmm....Thanks.DrSpunj</blockquote>

Verification