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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Michael Morris" data-source="post: 769695" data-attributes="member: 87">Additional Spellpoint RulesNow that the basic system has been determined, here are some variations.  It is these variances that I hope will help draw out the true character of Magic in DuskMarshalling Power or Drawing upon the landUltimately magic comes from the land.  The following rules add more detail to this process.  They *profoundly* affect how all spellcasters use magic.Under this system spellpoints represent a spellcaster's daily capacity of mana throughout the day.  But before a spellpoint can be used, it must be charged.  As a free action a spellcaster can draw upon the land for an amount of mana equal to the caster's level + casting ability modifier.  As a move equivalent action the caster can call upon twice this amount.Casters are advised to call upon the mana they need for what they intend to cast.  If a character draws more mana than he needs and wants to attempt to hold it for use on the next round he must make a concentration check DC 10+mana held.  Failure means some of the mana escapes (exactly how much is determined by the margin of failure) which escapes and burns the caster for 1 hp per mana point.  Being struck in combat also prompts this check.Mana has color determined by the land.  Blue mana comes from any sizeable body of moving water with a surface area the size of an acre (a good sized river), or the sea. Green mana is drawn from trees and large plants covering an area of at least an acre.  White mana is drawn from open spaces, fields and towns of at least an acre in size.  Red mana is drawn from mountainous areas, either large amounts of slope in the area or numerous exposed rocks.  Black mana requires stagnant water or large amounts of decaying refuse to be powered.A caster can draw from any land within a mile / level of the caster, so on the material plane it is rare (save upon the open ocean) to be unable to contact the desired colors of magic.  Further, land with multiple features produces multiple times of mana.  The outer planes are a different matter - each one only produces one color of mana.Mana color is important because one-quarter of any spell's cost must match it's color.  If the spell has multiple colors each color requires a quarter to match.Spellpoint FeatsHere are some feats that need the spellpoint rules to be used or be balanced.OverchargeYou can cast spells from one school beyond your levelPrerequisites: Spell Focus, Heighten SpellBenefit: Choose a school you have spell focus in.  You can overcharge spells in that school.  The cost is 2^spell level's over normal maximum.  Hence, if you cast a spell 3 levels over your normal cap it will cost 8 points more than the base cost (A 5th level caster casting a 3rd level spell at 8th level of ability pays 16 spell points).Normal:Normally you cannot exceed your level when casting any spell.UpkeepYou can decide to pay for durations on the fly.Prerequisite: Extend SpellBenefit: You may pay 1 mana to extend the duration of any spell that cannot deal damage one round.  You can do this repeatedly.Normal: Normally you choose the duration based on your own level at the time of casting.  If you didn't choose to cast it at a high enough level to make it last long enough for you, that's just too bad.Well, this is it for now.</blockquote>

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