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Message: <blockquote data-quote="slobster" data-source="post: 6009291" data-attributes="member: 6693711">I've always liked more flexible casters, and that's a rule that I've used in 3.x campaigns before. Replacing spell slots with a "mana pool" like that has a lot to recommend it, in my experience.A big benefit is that there are fewer "filler" spots. A lot of wizards in my games have long lists of prepared spells, but only the top few levels are very important. That list gets so long at higher levels that some players routinely forget about spells that would be helpful in a given situation, because they have too many options to keep track of. Mana pools let them prepare more spells that they like in lieu of the raft of low level throw-away spells. If they want to play a swiss-army wizard, with options available for any obstacle, they still can. But they have an actual choice.Far from leading to "option freeze", I found that players using mana points spend less time deciding on spells. The added flexibility lets them prepare the spells that they actually like. They no longer have to agonize over which of dozens of situationally useful minor spells to have in reserve, when really they just want another teleport or fireball.It also helps address the 15 minute arcane adventuring day. With more usable options at their command in place of the glut of useless tricks they had before, wizards fight longer and more intensely, and have more fun.All of this naturally led to slightly more power for the mana pool wizard compared to his spell slot counterparts, which I solved by deducting about 10-20% of his mana points compared to a normal wizard preparing the same spell list (mostly at high levels; low level wizards don't need the gimp). When designing a new wizard from scratch for a new edition, you obviously have the chance to define your own power level from scratch.I suppose I should mention that it wasn't all sunshine and strawberry pancakes. I noticed a definite trend towards preparing lots of big, obvious spells. That's a lot of fun for the player, who likes chucking lots of dice and causing lots of property damage, so I don't begrudge them that. But sometimes I lamented the loss of creativity and spontaneity that you get when you've fired all your big guns and are down to your last few low level slots, the ones you hoped you never had to rely on. No more combinations of grease, a clever silent image, and a pit trap to achieve unexpected and hilarious results.Still, this is a playtest. I say we try it and see how it goes.</blockquote>

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