Mana Burn Feat. Your opinion?

[Thia Halmades]

Two other things I'd note - first, now it sounds like you're describing Rary's Pneumonic Enhancer; recast any prior cast spell. Second, would you want to cap it? Similar to a Limited Wish, you can only recharge a slot equal to the higest slot you can cast minus one? Otherwise, the XP cost is extremely well balanced. I may offer it to my players if we can reach an accord.

 

[Sledge]

I'd just like to note that there are several feats that already do this. The one that springs to mind most is in Spells & Magic by Bastion Press. The feat in that book has a flat cost in HP per spell level. There are also some limitations on what spells you can cast this way. The only balance issues for this are things like buff spells, but even then remember that the party healer has limited resources and the "Blood Mage" is effectively wasting them, putting the party behind in resources for the day.

 

[wuyanei]

Personally, I consider it more like a quickened version of

Mordenkainen’s Lucubration
Transmutation
Level: Wiz 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
You instantly recall any one spell of 5th level or lower that you have used during the past 24 hours. The spell must have been actually cast during that period. The recalled spell is stored in your mind as through prepared in the normal fashion.
If the recalled spell requires material components, you must provide them. The recovered spell is not usable until the material components are available.

Expand the effect to 'spell slots' (for spontaneous casters) and you have it.

When you look at it this way, it does seem powerful (10th level!) -- but do mind the XP cost!

Still, I don't think a cap in neccessary -- the XP cost progression will do all the limiting we need. Players will not try to 'squeeze' the ability for the highest possible spell level -- actually, I don't think many people will use it for spells or 4th level to 6th (limited wish is only 300 XP), and for any above, we have pearls of power or simply lots and lots of scrolls (at high levels, money really is no object). What it is good at is turning the tide of a critical battle with just the right spell. I think that would be a good thing for the game, especially since the alternate might be a TPK.

Mage’s Lucubration consumes a 6th level spell slot to recover a 5th level slot, while 'InstaScroll' consumes XP. This is very important, because while you might run out of spell slots in a day of adventuring, will never lack XP to burn (you just won't want to burn it). Each MLub you prepare is one less sixth level spell you have ready. This means that the character might have only one MLub prepaired, and she might have used it to, say, cast stone to flesh on a party member, only to suffer a TPK due to lack of... one... more... greater... dispel... when facing the BBEG. 'InstaScroll' solves this problem. If you really need to cast a spell one more time, you will be able to do so.

As for the DM, your players become much harder to truly thwart when they have this feat. However, this can actually be a boon to the DM, as the goal of the DM is to challenge players, not to defeat them. If players are relucent to use this feat, then they can still be challenged -- while holding an ace up their sleeve for if they really get in over their heads.

If your players use this ability in moderation, their CR should not change too much. NPCs, on the other hand, should not possess this feat -- or at least, should use it as rarely as limited wish or wish.

Now, for the full writeup:

[b]Soulburn Spellcasting [General][/b] [size=1][COLOR=Red]Working title. Any other ideas for a name is welcome.[/COLOR][/size]
[b]Requirements:[/b] Caster Level 1st, any metamagic feat
[b]Benefit:[/b] By unyielding mental discipline and sheer force of will,
you can use your very sprirtual essence to cast spells even after you have
expended your normal allotment of spells.

The Soulburn spellcasting feat allows you to transform your XP points
into raw spell energy, which must immeadeately sculpted into the form
of a spell. For a spell caster that prepares spells, the spell must
be one that you have used during the past 24 hours. The spell must
have been actually cast during that period. For spontanetous casters,
the spell may be any spell that you know.

The XP cost for casting a spell this fashion varies with the spell level
of the spell and the caster level you wish to cast the spell at. The
cost function is Spell Level x Caster Level x 15 XP. For example, if
Mialee uses Soulburn Spellcasting to cast a [i]fireball[/i] spell at 5th
caster level, it she must expend 225 XP to do so. Where she to cast
the same [i]fireball[/i] spell at 10th caster level, it would cost her 450 XP.

Soulburn Spellcasting take more time, since the spell energy must first
be transformed from the caster's life force. If the spell’s normal casting
time is 1 action, casting it through use of soulburn casting is a full-
round action for the caster. (This isn’t the same as a 1-round casting
time.)

For a spell with a longer casting time, it takes an extra full-round
action to cast the spell. If your spellcasting is somehow disrupted, the
XP points you have spent are lost.

If the caster uses a spell which requires components or consumes XP
as part of its cost, those components & additional XP are counted
separately. The XP consumed by use of this Feat should be treated
the same as the slot, and does not contribute to the mitigation of any
other costs associated with the casting of the spell.

[b]Special:[/b] Wizards may take soulbound casting as one of their
bonus feats.

Table: Soulbound casting XP cost[sup]1[/sup]:
[INDENT]0th -- 10 XP (7.5 XP round to 10)
1st -- 15 XP
2nd -- 90 XP
3rd -- 225 XP
4th -- 420 XP
5th -- 675 XP
6th -- 990 XP
7th -- 1365 XP
8th -- 1800 XP
9th -- 2295 XP[/INDENT]
[sup]1[/sup]All costs are for spells cast at minimum caster level. If you wish
to cast the spell at higher caster level (perhaps for greater effect),
the cost will vary according to the listed formula.

 

[melon-neko]

Going with the HP version, you could simply make the damage caused through this feat only healable through rest, or even just "may not be healed for one minute per spell level", which would keep abuse out of combat, but allow the cleric to heal the wizard up after combat. That would keep it from being overpowered with a healer standing next to the mage during combat.

Dunno, might still not work well, just a suggestion ^^

Melon

 

[Thia Halmades]

Don't forget:

"If the caster uses a spell which requires components or consumes XP as part of its cost, those components & additional XP are counted separately. The XP consumed by use of this Feat should be treated the same as the slot, and does not contribute to the mitigation of any other costs associated with the casting of the spell."

Otherwise this works for me. Go team.

LCpt. Thia Halmades

 

[Coredump]

That is why I suggested damaging the primary casting attribute (Cha for Sor/Brd, Wis for Clr, etc.) instead. Call it overchannelling, if you will. This works well for Cha casters -- Cha representing force of will -- but it is a bit strange for Wis or Int types (burning IQ to cast spells??).

This has the extra 'cost' of not being able to cast spells until you heal. If a Cha 15 bard casts a 3rd and 4th level spell this way, it is two days before he can even cast a cantrip.

Expensive, but kinda neat. You are 'burning out' for a period.

(In a less drastic model, casting a 3rd level spell, means he can't cast a 4th level spell for 2 days.)

 

[wuyanei]

Thank you, Thia Halmades! I've added that part to the description.

Coredump: That has the additional benefit of ensuring that the feat will only be used in really dire situations -- wheren the party might decide to lay low for a while afterwards anyways... Hmm... might actually be a bonus, balance-wise.