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<blockquote data-quote="Roudi" data-source="post: 3658438" data-attributes="member: 12423">I'd lean towards a skill-based system.&nbsp; Make every spell a skill.&nbsp; That automatically favours higher-intelligence casters for increasing their repertoires.&nbsp; Allow untrained checks on spells, and I'd definitely include some room for synergy bonuses on untrained spell attempts based on how many other spells you have ranks in.Being a skill-based system, everything is a roll versus a DC, Defense, or opposed roll.&nbsp; Effects can scale based on effectiveness of the casting roll.&nbsp; Failure can range from a mere fizzle to a catastrophic backfire.&nbsp; Tables can be fun here.&quot;Metamagic&quot; such as casting without a wand or without vocalizing the spell would function similar to metamagic: it either makes the casting check harder or puts penalties on the casting check.&nbsp; Potions is more like crafting and therefore governed by that skill.&nbsp; No need to change anything there.Harry Potter is a setting with pockets of high magic and areas where magic is forbidden.&nbsp; In a place like Hogwarts, characters can get away with firing certain spells willy-nilly.&nbsp; In the unpoliced wilds or in magical areas with no enforcement, anything goes.&nbsp; In Muggle territory, casting even a basic charm could bring the Ministry down upon your head.&nbsp; The balance factor for magic, therefore, shouldn't really come from the system itself in an arbitrary fashion (such as restricting use of magic by encounter/day).&nbsp; Rather, it should come from the gamemaster and how they handle the consequences of the characters' use of magic.Say a character decides to bully his fellow Hogwarts students with his spells.&nbsp; He might get away with a few Wingaudium Leviosa's to fling his victims into a tree.&nbsp; But if he were to go further and use a Cruciatus curse, he'd probably find himself on the business end of a wand held by a high-level Hogwarts professor.Also, gamemasters shouldn't rely on magical challenges in such a game.&nbsp; If players think dropping all their ranks into useful spells is the answer, the gamemaster can throw something as simple as a situation where they have to climb, jump, and rely on &quot;muggle&quot; skills to overcome.Personally, I'd see the whole game as a level-less version of d20 where the main rewards are skill ranks and feats.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Roudi, post: 3658438, member: 12423"] I'd lean towards a skill-based system. Make every spell a skill. That automatically favours higher-intelligence casters for increasing their repertoires. Allow untrained checks on spells, and I'd definitely include some room for synergy bonuses on untrained spell attempts based on how many other spells you have ranks in. Being a skill-based system, everything is a roll versus a DC, Defense, or opposed roll. Effects can scale based on effectiveness of the casting roll. Failure can range from a mere fizzle to a catastrophic backfire. Tables can be fun here. "Metamagic" such as casting without a wand or without vocalizing the spell would function similar to metamagic: it either makes the casting check harder or puts penalties on the casting check. Potions is more like crafting and therefore governed by that skill. No need to change anything there. Harry Potter is a setting with pockets of high magic and areas where magic is forbidden. In a place like Hogwarts, characters can get away with firing certain spells willy-nilly. In the unpoliced wilds or in magical areas with no enforcement, anything goes. In Muggle territory, casting even a basic charm could bring the Ministry down upon your head. The balance factor for magic, therefore, shouldn't really come from the system itself in an arbitrary fashion (such as restricting use of magic by encounter/day). Rather, it should come from the gamemaster and how they handle the consequences of the characters' use of magic. Say a character decides to bully his fellow Hogwarts students with his spells. He might get away with a few Wingaudium Leviosa's to fling his victims into a tree. But if he were to go further and use a Cruciatus curse, he'd probably find himself on the business end of a wand held by a high-level Hogwarts professor. Also, gamemasters shouldn't rely on magical challenges in such a game. If players think dropping all their ranks into useful spells is the answer, the gamemaster can throw something as simple as a situation where they have to climb, jump, and rely on "muggle" skills to overcome. Personally, I'd see the whole game as a level-less version of d20 where the main rewards are skill ranks and feats. [/QUOTE]

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