Elements of Magic - Designer Notes request

[RangerWickett]

For the sequel of EOM-Revised, Lyceian Arcana, I want to include a section of designers notes, explaining why some of the rules of EOM work the way they do. Thanks to some of the great people on this forum I've answered a lot of questions and clarified for myself what some of my own thought processes were, but I'd like to ask everyone interested in EOM and Lyceian Arcana to give me suggestions for what issues I ought to address in the LA designer notes section.

I want to keep the section to a maximum of two pages, with a suggestion those interested in more depth come here. All suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[Verequus]

How about advice, how to balance uncovered things with MP costs and where to put it in which spell lists? That's off top of my head.

 

[RangerWickett]

Well, here's some ideas.

Why a two-round casting time?

Why three magic item creation feats?

Why is the MP Limit also influenced by how many spell lists you know of a particular action type?

Why don't EOM spells deal the same damage as core spells?

Explain the flavor of the different elements, and why they're there.

 

[anondragon]

Ryan,
I'd be intertested to hear why some spell lists are skills (divination, dispel magic) and others are base lists.

I like the flavor of being really good at one but not the other (due to how skill points are allocated). But it seems that should carry over to the other spell lists (evoke fire, heal humanoid). Your caps on MP spent due to spell lists seems to take a pass at this, but it doesn't have nearly the same flavor. I would imagine that spell skill points would need to be developed since the magic-users would get too many normal skills (a mage with 30 normal skill points at hight levels would be broken)

If a "spell skill" system is in LA, I would of course withdraw this question, and gain my gratitutude


Thanks

 

[Kemrain]

I'm trying hard to come up with questions for you to answer in LA, but, belive it or not, I got nothing. I'm trying, man. Perhapse, something about Alignment in EoM, perhapse give guidelines for coming up with effects not presented in the rules... Perhapse something about penalties to spells for increased effect without increased cost, or reduced effect for reduced cost (Such as a Resistance bonus to Reflex saves costing less than a Resistance bonus to ALL saves.)

- Kemrain the Trying Hard, Really.

 

[Verequus]

A more general phrased question than "Why don't EOM spells deal the same damage as core spells?": Why are some changes of EoMR compared to the core rules necessary, if we want more flexibility? Why does flexibility cost power?

 

[Staffan]

Why no bonus MP for high stats, the way core casters get bonus spells and psions get bonus PP?

 

[RangerWickett]

Why no bonus MP for high stats, the way core casters get bonus spells and psions get bonus PP?

That one's easy. The table was too hard to make, so I decided to add extra MP assuming people would mostly max out their primary stat. Less math required, and no more cruel penalizing of people who want to play spellcasters without an 18 ability score.

 

[donm61873]

Exactly - the little design decisions you made like that are exactly what should go into designer notes