Let's summarize the various d20 magic systems up there

[Turanil]

Well, so many interesting games, so little time to play them. In the past year, and recent weeks we have had (among other things): Grim Tales, Conan d20, Black Company d20, Blue rose, and still others.

I cite these games because they all have their own specific magic system. What I would like to do in this thread, is that we summarize their magic systems, so people can better determine what game would be more to their liking. (And so I would have some indication about what next books I would be interested to purchase first...)

I will begin with Grim Tales:

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Grim Tales Spellcasting:

Grim Tales expands the d20 Modern concept of the six base classes (Strong, Fast, Tough, Dedicated, Smart, Charismatic) to 20 levels. There is no specific class of spellcasters. Anyone with at least one rank in Spellcraft may potentially learn a spell (provided he finds it somewhere) and thus cast it.

Casting a spell requires to succeed a caster level check (d20 roll) against a DC = 10 + spell level. In casting a spell the caster saps his lifeforce and suffer 1d6 point of Constitution temporary damage, for every level of the spell cast. Spell is cast at the character's caster level (here zero) or the level of the spell, whichever is better.

Three of the classes have access to the Magical Adept talent. This gives the character a caster level of 1, but more important, gives him "Spell-burn resistance" equal to his Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (whether if arcane or divine magic) that his applied to each d6 of "spell burn damage". Note that a natural 1 cannot be reduced. Then, remaining spell burn is substracted from Strength rather than Constitution.

As all ability damage, loss is recovered at the rate of 1 point per night of sleep.

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Tell us of other systems. (Later I will try to summarize Slaine's d20 magic; or Medieval's Manual system.)

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Black Company Magic

Only characters of the class Wizard or with the Dabbler feat can cast spells in Black Company. Spellcasters have two means of creating magical effects. First, they have certain skills, such as Ghost Sounds, which allows them to create magical effects through skills, with higher DCs allowing more elaborate effects.

Second, they learn talents. Talents represent the knowledge of casting a particular spell effect. There is a reasonable degree of flexibility in determining the particular effect of a particular casting. For example, a talent available after about 5th level allows wizards to cast fireball-like effects. However, the wizard determines the damage die, the number of die, the area of effect, the range, etc. of the spell. In essence, a talent allows a wizard to cast a whole series of similar spell effects. (These talents are in no way comparable to D&D spells and are not interchangeable with other d20 systems.)

It should be said that the early talents available to a wizard have relatively minor effects when compared to D&D spells, forcing wizards to be creative in using their talents to affect the outcome of a mission, adventure or battle. Talents are acquired fairly slowly, although it is a feat, so wizards can choose to use feats to take additional talents or wait until they get free talents as they advance in level. However, a 10th level wizard is likely to only have access to 4 or 5 talents.

The mechanic for casting is to determine a DC for the spell (based on how great an effect the wizard desires in terms of range, area of effect, degree of effect, etc.) based ont eh skill, Magic Use (Cha). Wizards get bonuses to their Magic Use as they go up in level, and can take feats which give them bonuses.

The act of casting a spell causes considerable drain in the form of nonlethal hit point damage. The higher the DC of the spell in relation to the aptitude (tied to level) of the caster determines how much drain.

Spellcasters have spell points which are primarily used to reduce drain (although they can be used to improve the Magic Use check, and a few other things). Spell points are based on level and constitution.

Finally, the DC is compared to the aptitude and some bonuses to determine the length of the spellcasting. Typically this is considerably longer than typical D&D, generally being in the 2-3 round range, although higher level wizards will be able to cast spectacular effects on short notice. Likewise, casters can cast spells but hold the last bit so they can finish the spell later in a single action.

For detailed examples, visit this topic on the Green Ronin forums:
http://www.greenronin.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5918

 

[Krieg]

Call of Cthulhu D20:

CoC D20 has a proprietary spell list of ninety or so spells available to potential casters. No concrete rules are given for porting over spells from more traditional d20 products.

To learn a spell in CoC the caster must first find an apropriate spell & then 1-3 weeks learning said spell. At the end of the learning period the caster understands the spell and is able to cast it at will as long as they are able (and willing) to pay whatever costs are associated with the spell.

Casting spells in CoC is in some ways similar to D&D...material, somatic &/or verbal components may apply and concentraction checks are required when casting under duress.
Caster level is determined by character level.

The main difference is that each spell has a mental &/or physical cost associated with casting it. This cost primarily manifests through sanity loss & direct ability damage to the caster. The ability damage is temporary unless otherwise noted, while the sanity loss is permanent (although there are methods of restoring sanity available).

Costs for casting a spell can range from losing a single sanity point for casting Message (which is almost identical to the D&D spell of the same name) or 2 points of Intelligence for casting True Strike (again like the D&D spell) to a mind shredding loss of 20 Int and 1d10 Sanity points for casting Call Deity or Dimiss Deity (which do pretty much what the name impy).


---Some other alt magic systems of note include Midnight, Wheel of Time, Sovereign Stone, Dark Legacies and OGL Horror (which is similar to CoC's but designed to work with standard D20 spell lists).

 

[Turanil]

Slaine d20 Spellcasting

This game based on the Celtic comic books "Slaine", use a spell points system, and its own specific spells.

Spell-points are in fact called "Earth Power". It's the race which primarily determines the maximum amount a character can store within their bodies. Humans have a base 6 + Wis modifier points, Dwarves just Wis modifier points, and Warped Ones 10 + Con modifier. The maximum amount that a character can store in his body is normally equal to twice this base amount; however druids and witches increase their base and maximum amount as they get levels.

It must be understood that this is not a number of spell-points per day regained after a full night of rest. This is the normal or maximum amount of spell-points that a character can have at any given time. This means that if you spend all your Earth Power over a short period of time, casting spells or using some special ability (such as the fabled "warp spasm"), you can recover it during the following minutes or hours, up to your normal or maximum amount. Earth Power is automatically recovered at 1 point/hour, but also can be recovered more quickly through various different methods, such as performing bloody sacrifices, participating in a large-scale battle, praying in a Temple, etc. Note also that all Earth Power in excess of your base amount (up to your maximum) slowly goes away at the rate of 1 point/hour until reaching back the base amount.

Spells are slightly different from those of D&D 3.5, so you cannot use D&D spells in Slaine d20. Basically, all spells have a Earth-Power cost, but no level. You learn new spells in purchasing ranks in the Sorcery skill, much like you learn new languages in purchasing ranks in the Speak Language skill. Casting a spell always requires an expenditure of Earth-Power; but then some spells also require to succeed a Magic Attack roll (a sort of specific BAB that each class has), or an appropriate skill check (such as the new Divination or Bless skills).

The interesting thing is that all classes can learn to cast spells, but druids and witches are much better at it than fighters or thieves. The system is different from traditional spell-points systems (such as the 3.5 Xpsionics) in that you can spend all your Earth Power during an encounter, and then slowly recover them the following hours. The various methods to regain Earth Power, and the various hazards that can make you lose Earth Power, make for some interesting and unexpected roleplaying / adventures.

 

[Psion]

Slayers D20 Spellcasting:

There are no spell levels. Spells are assigned DCs. Characters have two different potential rolls against this DC, a drain check and control check. The drain check determines how much nonlethal damage the character takes when casting the spell. If the drain check fails, you have to make a control check to cast the spell anyways.

For that anime-esque flavor, you get a small bonus if you name your spell as you cast it. If you do a flowery incantation, you get a big bonus.

There are a few brands of magic, but many spell resemble D&D attack spells, though the rules allow more flexible use of some spells. For example, you can "intercept" other spells, causing a mid-air explosion. Some classes also have class abilities that let them defend against spells.

 

[MatrexsVigil]

Elements of Magic by En Publishing

First and foremost, every EoM caster has a caster level which determined in both single numbers and halves. This determines how many magic points, spell lists, and free cantrips they get. This number also limits how many magic points that can be spent on any one spell (none and thus only free cantrips can be used with a caster level of 1/2). Also, this number plus a caster's Intelligence bonus determines how many signature spells they can know.

Magic works in one of four ways in the Elements of Magic system. You can--cast a signature spell, a specific spell that you can cast in a single round; a spell made up on the fly, which allows you to pick and choose what effects you want from your spell lists and taking two rounds to cast; a spell from a 'spellbook' (which can be a book, a staff engraved with runes, a stone tablet, whatever), which can be read on the spot taking two full rounds or prepared ahead of time (which reserves magic points just for that spell that can't be used for anything else); or a free cantrip, which is a touch spell with a duration of one minute (or instant depending on the spell type) and affects one creature, 5ft space, or a single point in space that doesn't cost any magic points. Unless it's known as a signature spell a cantrip takes two full rounds to cast.

Elements of Magic also doesn't acknowledge the sacred cow types of magic--arcane, divine, and (possibly) psionics from DnD. Any mage can learn any spell list. The only basic metamagic feats that EoM allows are Still Spell and Silent Spell which if used together allows for 'psionic spells.' Metamagic feats cost extra MP to use and unless already added in to a signature spell causes the spell to be 'cast on the fly.'

You choose spell lists by putting together one of 11 [Action Types] and an [Effect Category] which is either an element (there are 22), creature type, or alignment. Not all [Action Types] work with all [Effect Categories]. Example: You can have Evoke Fire or Evoke Evil but not Evoke Dragon. Likewise you could not have Summon Water but could have Summon Elemental. To summon water you would use Create Water.

Action Types and Effect Categories they work with:

-Abjure [Alignment], [Creature], or [Element].
This spell list can be reversed to Hex [Alignment],
[Creature], or [Element]. Stoneskin or protection from evil.
-Charm [Creature]. Sleep or charm person.
-Compel [Creature]. Dominate or suggestion.
-Create [Element]. Acid fog or wall of force.
-Evoke [Alignment] or [Element]. Harm or fireball.
-Heal [Alignment] or [Element]. Mending or cure light
wounds.
-Illusion [Element]. Invisibility or ghost sound.
-Infuse [Alignment] or [Element]. This spell list can
be reversed to Drain [Alignment] or [Element].
Haste, bull’s strength, or hallow.
-Move [Element]. Fly or teleport.
-Summon [Creature]. Planar ally or summon swarm.
-Transform [Creature] or [Element]. Polymorph or
stone to flesh.

All spells also need Somatic and Vocal components but not Material. Spellcasters thus take the chance of spell failure like DnD if they wear armor but a feat availiable at first level can elimate this penalty for any armor the mage spends a feat to learn. Armor feats gained through taking levels in a class (say fighter) goes away slower, over the course of several levels.

Before the spell is put together they start out with this basic 'framework'--

Casting Time: Two Full Rounds (One if a signature spell)
Duration: Up to one minute
Range: Touch (self)
Target: A single creature, object, or point in space
Area of Effect: One 5ft square, or 0ft

Spells are put together by combining one or more spell lists and General enhancements (which increase duration, range, targets, or area of effect).

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Sorry for this being so long, but I ganked this post from my own LJ, when I was describing the system to my friends.

If anything I posted was Closed Content and not Open, please tell me, and I will alter/remove this post.

-P.C.

 

[Psion]

Elements of Magic Revised

Characters have caster level modifiers, which accumulate and stack like BAB.

Characters receive a limited number of spell lists that grows as they advance.

Spells are built from effects from these lists. A character can build spells out of building block effects listed in the book. Each effect of a spell has an MP cost. A character can only cast spells with effects from list the character knows and with a total MP cost no higher than their effective caster level,

Spells are cast with magic points allotted the character.

A character can spontaneously cast spells, but doing so is typically too lengthy for combat. A character can, however, have a small selection of pre-made signature spells that are usable in combat timeframe. This keeps teh player from bogging down the game by trying to cobble together spells in the middle of combat.

 

[Azgulor]

Well, so many interesting games, so little time to play them. In the past year, and recent weeks we have had (among other things): Grim Tales, Conan d20, Black Company d20, Blue rose, and still others.

Turanil, you're my new hero.

There's a lot I like about d20 & OGL games, but D&D's spell slot system tops the list of things I can't stand! I appreciate everyone who's given examples of how magic works in the product they're demonstrating rather than a limiting their responses to the 3-sentence descriptions typical of some of the review.

Keep 'em coming please!

 

[Turanil]

If we can put in this thread most various d20 systems of spellcasting, I hope this thread will be archived...

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Arcana Unearthed (Monte Cook) magic

Arcana Unearthed in fact expands on the normal D&D spellcasting system, with some twists:

-- In D&D, wizards prepare their spells but can know any number of them, while sorcerers know only a limited number of spells but can cast them spontaneously. In Arcana Unearthed, all spellcaster combine the best of these two systems. That is, all spellcasters have a spellbook (or equivalent) where they may record any number of spells. Then, everyday rather than preparing/memorizing specific spells, they instead "ready" a number of the spells they have in their spellbook. Basically it means they function like a sorcerer, but instead of spell-known which remain the same forever, they choose from "readied" spells, which don't need to be the same the next day.

-- No arcane vs divine magic, spells are rather categorized in "simple, complex, and exotic" spells. All spellcasters have access to "simple" spells, while gaining access to "complex" or "exotic" spells requires to take appropriate feats or be of certain spellcasting classes such as the Magister.

-- All spells include a "diminished" and "heightened" variants in the spell's description. That is, when you learn a spell of a certain level, you could nonetheless prepare (in fact ready) it as a one-level-lower spell (diminished effect), or as a one-level-higher spell (heightened effect).

-- Spell Templates are another concept from AU, where you can (if you have got the relevant feat) slightly improve or modify a spell in some way, at some cost (generally of additional material components). Templates include "Acid, Air, Blessed, Corrupted, Eldritch, Fire, Permanent, etc...".

-- There are also other minor rules, such as one for transforming a higher level spell-slot in several lower level spell-slots or vice-versa.

Note that Arcana Unearthed uses his own spells, but they are very similar to D&D spells, thus converting normal D&D spells to AU is not too difficult. (In fact, somewhere on Malhavoc website are a few examples of converted spells.)

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[reanjr]

Midnight

In Midnight (no books available for reference, bear with me), any class can do spellcasting. Before being able to cast spells, a character must take a spellcasting feat, at that time choosing between three types of magic (equivilent to cleric, wizard, and bard). Depending on which they choose, they learn one very minor spell from a choice of about 3.

To gain access to additional spells, you must take a feat for each school of magic you want access to. In addition, Evocation and one other school have lesser schools and greater schools. The lesser schools involve spells with less "flash" and are prerequisites to the greater schools.

You get a small number of spell points to cast these spells, but can burn Constitution to cast additional spells.