StreamOfTheSky
Adventurer
So, I've been thinking a lot about how I'd like spellcasting to be handled in a future version of D&D, and have gathered the basis for how I'd like to see it work. Most ideas are cribbed or modified from Arcana Evolved (AE) or a videogame called Baten Kaitos Origins (namely, the shared mana pool idea). Written in reference to 3E rules, as that is my prefered rules system and the one I am most familiar with. However, giving martial classes Su abilities and implementing a separate pool of "utility" spells and the whole mana thing being a sort of encounter-based rechargable mechanic is probably strongly reminiscent of 4E. Maybe.
My ideal magic system
Spells: Largely nerfed. However, blast spells get to choose each casting what energy type to apply. Heightened and diminished options like in AE will be common, to expand the flexibility of spells. Spells that obsolete skills, class features, or whole classes will face the harshest beatings (either banned outright or changed to provide a moderate bonus that anyone, including the class meant to do the skill/task could benefit from just as well), along with the most powerful/broken spells. Few spells will be personal range only, and those that are will be so for flavor or logical reasons, not as an excuse to make them more powerful.
Spells Known: Each class can spontaneously cast spells from a certain list or lists of spells. However, the “known spells” are newly chosen each day from those lists. Spells known each day can be divided up between combat and "out of combat" spells as the player wishes.
Utility / “out of combat” spells: Casters gain a very small amount of daily spell slots that exist solely for casting “out of combat” spells (like, each level up they may gain +1 total slots, casting stat likely won't add to slots per day, or will be added at a partial rate). While limited in quantity, these can be used in or out of combat and do not require mana to use. In general, long duration “buffs” are removed as options or weakened. All day boons are to be shifted to the province of martial / non-caster classes, in the form of extraordinary or supernatural stances, battle auras, manifestations of luck, and so forth.
Combat spells: These spells require no daily resources at all to use and can be used without limit, other than their mana costs (see below). However, these spells can only be used in combat situations.
Mana: At the start of each battle, this starts at 0. The mana pool is something shared by all allies in a party. Each member can contribute to it, and each time a member uses combat spells, he depletes the pool for everyone. In order to use a combat spell, the pool must have at least as much mana as the spell's level, which it then depletes from the pool. The pool can accumulate a maximum number of points equal to the average party level, any points gained past this are wasted. Generally, any standard or full round action adds to the pool. Attacks in particular are unique in that they would add to the pool per successful attack. The system is basically intended to be set up such that non-casters are the best at pumping points into the pool, ensuring their importance to a balanced party (as does the shared aspect make too many casters a burden). Casters may get at will weak magical effects on par with cantrips or a bit stronger as a means of helping to build up the pool. Likewise, non-casters may get very few options to use mana themselves, but in general casters are meant to get the most bang out of spending the mana, just as non-casters will be the best at earning it. Another side benefit could be that while 2H users do the most damage, TWF and other "many attacks" builds are better at replenishing mana, as damage per hit would not matter for those purposes.
The casting system is not intended to perfectly balance casters vs. non-casters, so much as to narrow the gap to an acceptable level and make the whole “casters can nova; non-casters rock all day” actually be truth in advertising. When a wizard can get all-day flight and the fighter can't, that completely and utterly breaks that already fragile spot-light divide. It's also meant to help solve the 15 min. adventuring day, and make having martial classes in a party be more useful, and cause the “party of wizards and clerics is optimal” thing to die in a fire.
So, retool the entire casting system along those lines; grant 3E Vow of Poverty-like boons to all characters for free based on level and make magic items less “mandatory crutches” and more “cool extra expendable toys to give anyone some added nova ability or fun options”; buff the non-casters and get over the “hold mundanes to expectations of realism” crap to give them powerful Su / quasi-magical innate abilities...
...and you're well on your way to a great rules system, I think. What do you think?
My ideal magic system
Spells: Largely nerfed. However, blast spells get to choose each casting what energy type to apply. Heightened and diminished options like in AE will be common, to expand the flexibility of spells. Spells that obsolete skills, class features, or whole classes will face the harshest beatings (either banned outright or changed to provide a moderate bonus that anyone, including the class meant to do the skill/task could benefit from just as well), along with the most powerful/broken spells. Few spells will be personal range only, and those that are will be so for flavor or logical reasons, not as an excuse to make them more powerful.
Spells Known: Each class can spontaneously cast spells from a certain list or lists of spells. However, the “known spells” are newly chosen each day from those lists. Spells known each day can be divided up between combat and "out of combat" spells as the player wishes.
Utility / “out of combat” spells: Casters gain a very small amount of daily spell slots that exist solely for casting “out of combat” spells (like, each level up they may gain +1 total slots, casting stat likely won't add to slots per day, or will be added at a partial rate). While limited in quantity, these can be used in or out of combat and do not require mana to use. In general, long duration “buffs” are removed as options or weakened. All day boons are to be shifted to the province of martial / non-caster classes, in the form of extraordinary or supernatural stances, battle auras, manifestations of luck, and so forth.
Combat spells: These spells require no daily resources at all to use and can be used without limit, other than their mana costs (see below). However, these spells can only be used in combat situations.
Mana: At the start of each battle, this starts at 0. The mana pool is something shared by all allies in a party. Each member can contribute to it, and each time a member uses combat spells, he depletes the pool for everyone. In order to use a combat spell, the pool must have at least as much mana as the spell's level, which it then depletes from the pool. The pool can accumulate a maximum number of points equal to the average party level, any points gained past this are wasted. Generally, any standard or full round action adds to the pool. Attacks in particular are unique in that they would add to the pool per successful attack. The system is basically intended to be set up such that non-casters are the best at pumping points into the pool, ensuring their importance to a balanced party (as does the shared aspect make too many casters a burden). Casters may get at will weak magical effects on par with cantrips or a bit stronger as a means of helping to build up the pool. Likewise, non-casters may get very few options to use mana themselves, but in general casters are meant to get the most bang out of spending the mana, just as non-casters will be the best at earning it. Another side benefit could be that while 2H users do the most damage, TWF and other "many attacks" builds are better at replenishing mana, as damage per hit would not matter for those purposes.
The casting system is not intended to perfectly balance casters vs. non-casters, so much as to narrow the gap to an acceptable level and make the whole “casters can nova; non-casters rock all day” actually be truth in advertising. When a wizard can get all-day flight and the fighter can't, that completely and utterly breaks that already fragile spot-light divide. It's also meant to help solve the 15 min. adventuring day, and make having martial classes in a party be more useful, and cause the “party of wizards and clerics is optimal” thing to die in a fire.
So, retool the entire casting system along those lines; grant 3E Vow of Poverty-like boons to all characters for free based on level and make magic items less “mandatory crutches” and more “cool extra expendable toys to give anyone some added nova ability or fun options”; buff the non-casters and get over the “hold mundanes to expectations of realism” crap to give them powerful Su / quasi-magical innate abilities...
...and you're well on your way to a great rules system, I think. What do you think?
