Need help creating a power system.

[tecnowraith]

I have written my powers that when used or "cast", the power goes off. The odd thing I want to happen is when the power is pushed so far, like a critical sucess or failure, reality pushes back, creating a paradox or a ripple effect. This effect I want to happen could be positive or negative. But the problem I am having is how would one chose or know the effect will be good or bad?

The whole point to my power rules is that you bend or warp reality like Dark City or The matrix. A mix of magic and psionic but doing it differently.

Example, Mykiel, the power user want to use the power of fireball. The power is used. Now after the use I want reality to react to the power like a backlash effect. By either the fireball redirecting to a different target, It stops and explodes or in a 30 foot radius are from the target become very hot.

Another exmaple is if the caster uses the power in a good way, the effect will be bad or vise verse. Any ideas?

 

[DanMcS]

So basically, you want a critical success or failure rule for spellcasting? I'm trying to understand what you have already, so I'm not just completely making something up and throwing it at you.

Are there any die rolls involved in your system? Like, in 3e psionics, you roll a d20 to set your save DC, for instance. If there is, you can use that roll.

If not, just have your PCs toss a d20. On a 20, they have a critical threat, on a 1, they have a fumble threat. Then they roll to confirm, maybe a spellcraft or concentration check versus DC 20 + spell level. If you critical-threat, and then beat the DC, you get an extraordinary success; if you fumble-threat, and then fail the second check, you get a fumble. Low-skill casters will fumble more often than they extraordinary, and high-level casters will extraordinary more often than they fumble.

Once extraordinary success or failure is determined, you can figure the effects.

Then, for extra fun, make a feat casters can take, maybe prereq: 11 ranks of spellcraft or so, which doubles the threat range on both ends, so a 19-20 is a critical threat, and a 1-2 is a fumble threat.

Is that what you wanted?

 

[tecnowraith]

Hmm that is idea. I have gone through 4 to 5 different ways to do this is and every time I try this, I keep geting stuck on the DC aspect.

 

[tecnowraith]

Hmm would my idea be similar to Wild Magic from both Wild Spellcraft and Sean K Reynolds home rules?

 

[tecnowraith]

Well I just notice something that I totally looked over, a Backlash Component from Urban Arcana. Now this this is something I have to rethink on this.