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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mafisto" data-source="post: 1542673" data-attributes="member: 15183">Okay, an answerGood point, I'll try to stay out of the tangential conversation. I didn't really illustrate it very well, but the mechanic I'm using thus far has worked to a certain degree of success. Using magic is, ultimately, harmful to the user. However, I'm realizing that this is effective only because I'm using variant hit point rules (Ken Hood's Grim-n-Gritty) and Arcana Unearthed's spell system. I'll explain the GnG component very quickly, and perhaps the effect can be mapped to base d20 HP rules. In GnG level one characters start with as many hit points as their Con. The maximum number of hit points a character can get per level is 1, and that is reserved for d8 and higher classes. As well, as characters are damaged they become less battle-worthy - at less than 75% base HPs, they function at a -2 to attack and skills. At less than 50% it's -4, and at less than 25% is -6. Characters heal at one hit point a WEEK in the base rules, which I've modified to one plus CON bonus per week, one plus CON bonus per day if subdual. If an Awakened character uses a level one spell, they take a point of non lethal damage. You can see how this would make a magic user with 12 hit points very cautious about using spells - with every casting, they become more and more impaired (exhausted, essentially). Casting becomes a whole new ballgame, a balance between the necessity of casting and personal preservation. My PCs are not at a mid-level quite yet, so there's no telling what the net impact of higher level spells will have on the campaign, but the combination of variant rules and mage frailty seem to be a good track. Magic is most assuredly powerful and lethal, but there is also a price. Granted, in base d20 hit point rules the damage would be inconsequential. Perhaps a variant? In any case, this seems to be working well for me. [edit] Ah, didn't address the question of variability.  A simple Spellcraft DC attached to spells could make casting a less certain affair, with the effects of failure becoming more dire as the level of the spell increases.</blockquote>

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