Lookings for a d20 magic system ...

[Aus_Snow]

Is it effect-based like powers in True20?

Ah, no. That's the way it's not like PH/True20.

It's spells - a la D&D 3e - used 'as is'. Instead of spell slots though, or SPs, you make skill checks to determine success or failure, fatigue and suchlike. You also have a Base Magic Bonus, which is good, medium or poor (according to class), and this modifies rolls to learn and cast spells.

 

[jdrakeh]

Ah, no. That's the way it's not like PH/True20.

It's spells - a la D&D 3e - used 'as is'. Instead of spell slots though, or SPs, you make skill checks to determine success or failure, fatigue and suchlike. You also have a Base Magic Bonus, which is good, medium or poor (according to class), and this modifies rolls to learn and cast spells.

Oh, that sounds very cool!

 

[Irda Ranger]

Hmm. Legends of Sorcery sounds promising. I am not a fan of systems that require re-calculation of variable at the table (a spellcaster in a group I am currently in tried that for a while, and even though both he and the GM really knew it well, it took forever).

A few LoS questions then:
1. Would LoS work with spell lists other than Core D&D? I am a fan of the AE spell list, for instance.
2. Can a High-level LoS caster cast infinite magic missiles? If the Skill Check does not increase I imagine hitting a DC 15 would be a foregone conclusion at some point.
3. Have the spelling, formatting and errata errors mentioned in the linked review been addressed? PDF's are so easy to patch there's no reason they should not have been by now.

 

[Flynn]

I would highly recommend E.N. Publishing's Elements of Magic: Mythic Earth. It is an exceptional feat-and-skill based system, where casters are differentiated by Tradition Feats and the magic skills they take. Designed for both D20 Modern and fantasy games, it's one of the coolest magic systems I've seen, and it does everything you appear to be asking of a magic system. (There's even a base class for a fantasy game that uses the mechanics of the system, if you need something to model your class after.)

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

 

[Vigilance]

Hmm. Legends of Sorcery sounds promising. I am not a fan of systems that require re-calculation of variable at the table (a spellcaster in a group I am currently in tried that for a while, and even though both he and the GM really knew it well, it took forever).

A few LoS questions then:
1. Would LoS work with spell lists other than Core D&D? I am a fan of the AE spell list, for instance.

It's a skill check with the DC based on spell level. As long as AE uses spell levels, it should port seamlessly.

2. Can a High-level LoS caster cast infinite magic missiles? If the Skill Check does not increase I imagine hitting a DC 15 would be a foregone conclusion at some point.

The Casting check is 15 plus spell level x 5, so yes, eventually low level spells will become pretty routine, unless the caster has fatigued himself trying to throw a higher level spells. This ups the DC of all casting checks and could make even lower level spells dangerous.

Note however that each class has a "Base Magic Bonus" that modifies casting checks and this is very much needed to cast higher level spells (DC 60 for a 9th level spell).

So the GM can easily dial the magic level of a campaign down by simply not giving any classes the highest BMB. If the Base Magic Bonus tops out at 15, with skill ranks topping out at 23, this makes casting highest level spells much more dangerous.

Since these sorts of changes can be made relatively easily without affecting classes in other ways, the GM can impact magic in his campaign easily.

3. Have the spelling, formatting and errata errors mentioned in the linked review been addressed? PDF's are so easy to patch there's no reason they should not have been by now.

We updated LoS when we did the expansion for it, so I believe we addressed most of the issues John found.

 

[Vigilance]

Is it effect-based like powers in True20? If so, it might work for the OP, though I'm pretty certain I'd hate it. The specific nature of effects having to be individually calculated based on character intent for each and every casting attempt really slowed down actual play for my group. This is part of why I liked the LoE and LotS systems so much -- the versatility of point-based casting attempts with the static effects of spell lists. Mmmmm. . .

As other posters have said, it uses the standard spell system, with the following changes: spell casting is a skill check with the DC based on the spell level; each class has a "base magic bonus" that provides a bonus to spell-casting checks; if the check is failed, the caster is fatigued, which makes all casting checks harder; failing by a lot can even cause spells to backfire, targeting the caster.

Finally, the Base Magic Bonus is the caster level. So a Lightning Bolt from a 6th level character with a high BMB would do 6d6, while one with a medium BMB would do 4d6 and one with a low BMB would do 3d6.

The use of the Base Magic Bonus allows the GM to easily dial the magic level up or down for his campaign while still using existing spell lists.

The book also has a new selection of spell casting classes more suitable for PCs in low and mid-magic games. The casting classes are given more skills and useful class abilities to make up for their reduced spell-casting, to keep them as optimal PC choices.

There was a 5-star Crothian review for the game once upon a time. I think it got eaten by the server crash

Anyway, it's worked out really well in my games. I like it a lot.

 

[jdrakeh]

There was a 5-star Crothian review for the game once upon a time. I think it got eaten by the server crash

I feel your pain. I lost several reviews of my own (i.e., reviews that I had written) in that crash