Looking for comments: New wizard spell casting system

[poilbrun]

This is how I see it:
a first level wizard can prepare 3 1st level spells (compared to 1 or 2 according to the standard wizard) and probably 5 cantrips (assuming an Int of 18). In combat, she would probably use a number of these...after which she could then prepare spells back up to her maximum. There is no need for rest before preparing a spell.

I believe you're mistaking : if you assume an Int score of 18, then the 1st-level wizard can cast 2 spells or 3 if he is specialized. And quite frankly, I do not like much the fact that the wizard doesn't need to rest and can prepare spells back to his maximum as he sees fit. You'll see things like this happen : combat 1, prepare spells, combat 2, prepare spells, combat 3... I believe that wizards as they actually are are quite powerful. However, the 1st-level wizard must make a choice when fighting the goblins : should he cast his 2 Magic Missiles, or should he keep them in case they encounter a tougher foe later? With your system, play will be slowed down a lot (in-game time especially, but real time too, especially at high levels when the wizard has a whole lot of spells to choose from) and the selection of spells will be less important. As I see things, a sorcerer is great because he has less spells but doesn't need to choose at the beginning of the day which ones to memorize, which can help him a lot if he faces an opponent especially weak against one of his spells who he didn't know he would meet. A wizard skill depends on his ability to choose the right spells to memorize. By giving him the ability of casting without preparation, you give him a bonus that makes the sorcerer completely useless. Of course it takes longer for him to cast his spells if he didn't prepare them, but that isn't really important since he can have a very complete list of spells from which to choose the 'killer spell' against the specific encounter.

I understand that these are too separate problems (abiltiy to re-prepare spells without rest and ability to cast without preparation), but together, they make me believe that this system would be totally unbalanced...

 

[DreamChaser]

yes, I've seen Sovereign Stone's magic system...it was an insipiration for mine. I like the "wizards use knowledge" aspect but I didn't like that many spells ended up being multi-round math competitions.

One of the core ideas of this system of magic is that the power of spells does not come from the wizard but is inherent in the formula. Thus, if a non-wizard were to perform a spell, it could (if they succeeded in their skill check) work. Wizards are those who focus their time and energy learning these spells and their execution.

Thus, having an arbitrary limit to the number of spells per day a wizard can use does not fit...but I don't want a completely unbalanced system either. My ideas so far for limiting them:

1) Strict material components. Sorcerers in my game do not use them but wizards would have to.
2) Spell book reliance. The wizards spell book is necessary for any spellcasting; without it, he is helpless.
3) Subdual damage. The effort of controlling the energy of the spell exhausts the spellcaster, causing subdual damage equal to the spells level +1.
4) Unscaling magic. Each spell has a fixed effect and does not scale (similar to psionics). A wizard's fireball would always do 5d6 damage.
5) A cumulative -1 check penalty for every time the wizard casts a number of spell levels equal to his Threshold between periods of rest.

Any other ideas? Comments?