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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 2423762" data-attributes="member: 94">I could certainly just move all the tables into the appendices-- it would certainly address the issues of fitting illustrations in amongst the tables-- I simply don't have to have illustrations in the appendices. In effect, this would make this section look an awful lot like the spell design appendix of Heroes of High Favor: Elves. From a design standpoint, I'm essentially updating Elves to 3.5.One of the first things I did was to set out, up front, those things that would not change throughout any of the spell mechanics presented in the "Grimoire." (Agreed completely with the "it fits, but it's overdone..." opinion on that....) Spell level and caster level are two inviolable concepts-- again, this is to preserve d20 compatibility.In the skill based system, you start by determining the base spell level/spell effect, then adding effects (and DC). You could just as easily take any existing spell and convert its spell level over to a flat DC to work it right into the same mechanic.At the moment what I am leaning towards is a spell book with a consistent format that runs sorta like this:Minor [Spellname]: The 0-level effect, if anyLesser [Spellname]: The 1/2/3-level effect[Spellname]: The 4/5/6-level effectGreater [Spellname]: 7/8/9-level effectI'll mention first, the big disadvantage to this approach: It's boring. (It reminds me too much of Rolemaster spell names-- which is probably not a coincidence since it's a Monte Cook inspired nomenclature.)The clear advantage to such a boring approach is its consistency. I can create a single descriptive [Spellname] and I can, with one spell description, plus a diminished and heightened version of each, give you a full 10 levels of effects. By memorizing just the basic effect, you'll have a pretty good idea of what the spell does by its name alone:Minor Detect Creature, Lesser Energy Ray, Summon Monster, Greater Protection from EnergyIt's also attractive because not all spell effects have a full 10 levels of effects, which would keep me from having to create a spell effect table for those few very restricted spells. Some spells just do what they do and they don't have broad applicability or scalability-- so rather than ignore these spell effects in my tables, I'd be able to include them in the larger spellbook; they just wouldn't likely have minor, lesser, greater spell versions along with heightened or diminished effects.Comments?</blockquote>

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