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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rasyr" data-source="post: 305667" data-attributes="member: 2855">Previous answer was a quickie, as it was almost time to leave work.... More detailed answer below....Actually I don't think they are. The Spellcasting roll introduces some chance into the casting of spells. And under normal circumstances the worst that happens (so long as the player does not roll a 1) is that the spell fizzles, and they lose the slot. Even on a Fumble (a roll of 1), they only lose the ability to cast the spell for the rest of the day. Nothing real dangerous in this..While the Sorcerer does the same thing as the Wizard (i.e. casts Spells), he now does so differently, because he no longer needs spell components. This gives him a different flavor than the Wizard, which he really didn't have in the core books. Also, he actually gains more than the Wizard does. The Sorcerer gains more power overall, while the Wizard only gains a little more flexibility (since he must still prepare his spells as before, only now he gets to prepare more and use them more than once if he wishes).It is part of the trade off for increased flexibility. But please notice that the DC for casting an Overloaded Spell is not as high as casting a spell of equivalent level. In the example I give, using a third level slot to cast a first level spell, the DC for the overloaded spell is only 14, where a normal third level spell has a DC of 16 using this system.It is also important to note that while the DCs go up with each level, so does the bonus the spell caster uses to add to his roll (since it is based on both his spell stat bonus AND his level), so lower level actually become easier to cast over time. This helps reflect a mages' growing skill with handling magic. It also allows the mage a chance to fail, just like Fighters and other have with melee attacks (with similar disadvantages).There is also the Feat listed at the end of the rules. It gives the spell user a bonus to his spellcasting rolls, thus reducing his chances of failure even more....Yes, the risks are high. They are meant to be so that Overcasting is only attempted in situations that really warrant it, rather than having it become a common occurence.Actualy no I don't, but like I mention above, there is a Feat to give a bonus. Also, a Dm may decide that certain races (like Elves and Gnomes) might get an inherent bonus to spellcasting as well (although I wouldn't recommend this without trading it out for another ability).Thanks! I play another game where this is how it works as well. In fact many of these ideas are from that system, translated over to d20 rules. I wrote these rules because I saw spell users as too powerful compared to non-spell users in D&D. I mean, the fighter has a chance to miss with his sword, and so do the other professions who specialize in melee, but the spell users (unless they get hit while casting) will ALWAYS end up casting their spells successfully. This isn't right to me. Magic is often described as a dangerous pursuit in the novels by WOTC, yet the game itself makes it very safe to use magic in D&D.</blockquote>

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