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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5966942" data-attributes="member: 54877">Make spells more varied how they pace their power. Leave some as typical Vancian, all or nothing, big deal effects. But then have some that:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Are recastable N times, and get better as they go.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Are recastable N times, and get worse as they go.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Variations on the first two where the rate is erratic and/or random.</li> </ul>For example, fireball is maybe this splashy spell that starts in a 3rd level slot as 5d6 damage, is not "Vancian", but every time you cast it it loses a die of damage. When you throw out that last 1d6 fireball, you've now got a 0d6 fireball "at-will" which you can use to light lamp oil, but that's about it. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> This slot will function at zero level until you can rest appropriately. Meanwhile, lightning bolt goes the otherway. It starts at 0d6, but every time you cast it, it gains a die, up to its slot max--or 5d6 if you put it in a normal third level slot. When you cast that 5d6 version, it functions very much like Vancian, blowing out the energy of the slot completely. Technically, the spell is still there (available when the slot recharges, starting over at 0d6), but it's so blown out that the wizard can't do anything with it until it rests some. (This is a lot like what happens when Kirk demands that Scotty push the warp drive too hard. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />) How wizards divide up their slots would need some flexibility, but I think mostly guidelines are useful here. If you don't want novas, demand that casters vary their spell selection across all three types. Those that want pure Vancian can do that, too--though you'll need some somewhat redundant spells to give them a good selection. Finally, you can do all kinds of fun things with the recharge rate, once such a system is in place. Vancian, being all or nothing, pretty much demands that recharge be all or nothing (at least per slot). With a system like the above, you can have the other two types gain or lose a die each day.</blockquote>

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