How Defined is Your Magic?

[Tequila Sunrise]

In your opinion, can a wizard successfully research a 'Coldball' spell instead of fireball? How about a wizard that simply wants to take coldball as a level-up spell? How about 'sonicball'? How about a cure spell at +2 spell level? How about a spell that has no baseline within core/noncore official spell lists?

In general, do different caster classes and different spell types have specific roles to play that they are not only the best at accomplishing, but exclusively able to do so?

Obviously magic is capable of accomplishing anything, but how easily can it accomplish anything?

 

[Ibram]

Though I have no problem with wizards (or sorcerers) swaping energy types when they first learn a spell I'd be very cautious about allowing a wizard to create whatever spells they chose.

 

[Doug McCrae]

In your opinion, can a wizard successfully research a 'Coldball' spell instead of fireball? How about a wizard that simply wants to take coldball as a level-up spell? How about 'sonicball'?

There's a feat for that in Complete Arcane called Energy Substitution. I loving blasting off coldballs with my necromancer, felt more eevil than normal fireballs.

 

[painandgreed]

We call them Frostballs.

Typically, I allow the PCs to research and develop any spell the wish. Even encourage it. Spells the learn atleveling up however will be normal spells as will most that they can find though NPCs. If they want something non-standard, they will have to develop it themselves. Haven't really done this in 3E yet. I remember reading the rules for spell development and not liking them.

 

[Aaron L]

I'd allow a cold ball easily, provide the caster researched it as per the standard research rules. A sonic ball Id have to work with them to create, probably limiting it to d4s for damage. Arcane healing spells at +2 level is actually a standard rule for my homebrew setting. Since Clerics have Flamestrike and such at 2 levels higher than fireball, I dont see anything wrong with switching that principle around and allowing healing for Wizards.

 

[RangerWickett]

I prefer to tone down the strength of magic, but make it more flexible. If you know how to create a fireball, I think you should be able to create a fire line, a fire helix, a fire shield, and so on. I have to use a different magic system to accomplish what I want, but I found a way to include traditional Vancian magic in the setting, in the form of mages who believe in strict rules and laws, and who have access to more powerful magic because of it, but without the same flexibility of self-trained mages.

 

[Nightfall]

My magic is defined by it having no controller god of magic. Instead gods just grant divine spell power and magic is the left overs.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Though I have no problem with wizards (or sorcerers) swaping energy types when they first learn a spell I'd be very cautious about allowing a wizard to create whatever spells they chose.

Do you mean that a mage having coldball would be okay, but having coldball + fireball might not be okay? If so, why?

Spells they learn at leveling up however will be normal spells as will most that they can find though NPCs. If they want something non-standard, they will have to develop it themselves.

I'd allow a cold ball easily, provide the caster researched it as per the standard research rules.

I am curious as to why you two feel this way. Is it because you think of officially printed spells as the most common spells in the campaign world or because they are 'primordial' spells that are therefore uniquely able to be researched and learned naturally as part of level-up or because of some other reason?

 

[Vrecknidj]

Free form all the way. Players can propose anything they want, I get final say, and things usually work out for the best.

Watch out for those 9th level "anti-magic cylinder that you can nevertheless cast out of" spells.

Dave

 

[Aaron L]

I am curious as to why you two feel this way. Is it because you think of officially printed spells as the most common spells in the campaign world or because they are 'primordial' spells that are therefore uniquely able to be researched and learned naturally as part of level-up or because of some other reason?

Nothing so severe. Actually, something as simple as a coldball Id probably just allow a Wizard or Sorcerer to take on level up, as you said. I see Fireball as being something easier to produce, as creating heat to make fire Id say would be easier than destroying heat to cause an explosion of cold, but mechanically it would still just be a D6/level and the same power as Fireball, so I'd just let the caster say they were researching it without the cost involved (isnt that kind of the default assumption for Wizards spells gained from level up?) Simple thing to allow, no balance worries, and a nice bit of variety.

A sonic ball, on the other hand, Id say is just barely out of the ordinary enough that Id probably require research for (but maybe not, I havent really encountered it yet, I might just allow a caster to take that on level up, too.) I'd still easily allow the spell, but as sonic damage (and sonic resistance) is a bit more rarely encountered, Id make them pay the research costs just as a matter of DM judgement.

Im pretty lenient about things like that. Like I said, I freely allow healing spells for arcane, casters (with a slight level adjustment ) and I think thats pretty open-minded