Opinions/Experiences/Advice on Sovereign Stone classes & magic system for low magic

[trancejeremy]

Well, I've played using the Sovereign Stone classes and magic system for a few months now, and I think it works pretty well.

At first, I didn't think some of the classes were balanced. But in practice they seem to be. Some have said some of them are too narrowly focused (like the Archer), but I think that's up to the player (and there is multi-classing). Even the Sailor is playable as a PC, though I'm not sure why anyone would want to.

While the magic system can be abused a bit with regards to healing, and it involves some extra record keeping (keeping track of the casting total), I think it works pretty well.

It's true that the most powerful spells can take forever to cast, but that balances the fact that low powered spells are easily cast by high level mages. A 15th level Fire Mage can toss a Fire Bolt every round. Granted, it doesn't rank up there with 1 9th level spell, but he can do it for a much longer time.

And even the most powerful spells aren't as powerful as the top level D&D ones. I don't have the Codex Mysterium handy, but in the campaign book, just about the most powerful spell is the equivalent of D&D's 'Animate Dead'

Personally, I've always thought the power curves of the D&D Wizard/MU was off. They suck for the first few levels, but towards the end, they get to be immensely powerful. The power level grows exponentially.

The Sov. Stone mage's power level grows at a flat rate.

Anyway, as someone said, I wouldn't use the War Mage prestige class, though. It is overpowered compared to the other classes. Basically has all the benefits of being a fighter and a mage, plus some special abilities. Good for NPC villains, though.

 

[UD]

I've been wondering wether to pick up a copy of the SS stuff... I might now...

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

I was going to buy it until I read all the reviews on EN World. That killed any desire to buy it in my book. For those of you who REALLY want to get the SS magic system, you should just buy the SS Codex Mysterium, which reprints all the magic rules from the campaign setting book with tons more spells.

 

[Voneth]

I was going to buy it until I read all the reviews on EN World. That killed any desire to buy it in my book. For those of you who REALLY want to get the SS magic system, you should just buy the SS Codex Mysterium, which reprints all the magic rules from the campaign setting book with tons more spells.

Now that should be the beauty of d20. If I want only a cool magic system, I can patron SS's company by just buying the book. If want a whole game world, I can get the rules there. Of couse, a SS fan may scream that he's paid twice for the magic rules. Then again, one can then use two books for reference. Makes one wish that in a perfect world they could have fit DND's spell chapter in the back of the DMG.

So, can I really get the new magic system by just buying the Mysterium? It has magic classes and all?

 

[JacktheRabbit]

You are doing it wrong, let me illustrate.

Level 1 mage and level 20 mage both cast the same spell. They are both going to roll a 10 each round and the spell cost is 100

Round 1

1st Mage 11
20th Mage 30

Round 2

1st Mage 22
20th Mage 60

Round 3

1st Mage 33
20th Mage 90

Round 4

1st Mage 44
20th Mage 120 and spell is cast.

The 1st level mage still needs 6 more rounds of combat to cast that spell. In that time the 20th level mage could cast the same spell 1.5 more times.

Your base roll is 0+ your level.

So at level 20 a mage has a +20.

 

[Wuxia]

The 1st level mage still needs 6 more rounds of combat to cast that spell.

Right. And that, if he doesn't collapse from exhaustion before that (fortitude save each round of casting).

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Now that should be the beauty of d20. If I want only a cool magic system, I can patron SS's company by just buying the book. If want a whole game world, I can get the rules there. Of couse, a SS fan may scream that he's paid twice for the magic rules. Then again, one can then use two books for reference. Makes one wish that in a perfect world they could have fit DND's spell chapter in the back of the DMG.

So, can I really get the new magic system by just buying the Mysterium? It has magic classes and all?

I think it was a smart move on SS's part to release the magic info in a second, expanded book. I'm not sure if the magic classes are repeated in Codex Mysterium or not, but it is supposed to be "everything you need" to use the SS magic system in your d20 game...

 

[Wuxia]

So, can I really get the new magic system by just buying the Mysterium? It has magic classes and all?

Yes. The book has been made -- a clever move -- totally independent from the Sovereign Stone campaign sourcebook (= the main book). So, if you're interested in the magic system and not in Loerem (= the Sovereign Stone world), go for the Codex Mysterium directly, no hesitation.

 

[Wuxia]

I'm not sure if the magic classes are repeated in Codex Mysterium or not

They are. The core classes are there, the metamagic feats too, and also everything is organized much more clearly.

 

[Stormprince]

Now that should be the beauty of d20. If I want only a cool magic system, I can patron SS's company by just buying the book. If want a whole game world, I can get the rules there. Of couse, a SS fan may scream that he's paid twice for the magic rules. Then again, one can then use two books for reference. Makes one wish that in a perfect world they could have fit DND's spell chapter in the back of the DMG.

So, can I really get the new magic system by just buying the Mysterium? It has magic classes and all?

First, allow me to go ahead and repeat what was said in the post above... Yes, in the Codex Mysterium, the first chapter gives you everything you'd need - The Elemental and Void Mage classes, new prestige classes, new feats... however, it doesn't give you the original spells listed in the first book, nor does it give you the modified rules for the Spellcraft proficiency.

One of the things that I've really liked about the d20 Sourcebooks from Sovereign Stone, thus far (being the Codex Mysterium, the Taan and what I've seen of the upcoming Bestiary of Loerem), is that though they are written with a very specific game world involved, each one contains enough information that you can very easily use them in other settings - without heavy modifications!

The repeat of the magic rules in both the Campaign Sourcebook and the Codex Mysterium is a single chapter - the rest is almost purely unique information. With the Codex Mysterium, you can easily incorporate the new system of magic into your own game world (which I did, it's what my sorcerers use, making them completely different from my wizards), without any hassles. The only thing, however, is that the Campaign Sourcebook has a wide selection of more 'common' spells, but the magic system alone makes the two books a more than worthwhile purchase in my mind!

Hell, I enjoy Sovereign Stone so much that I've even started freelancing for them... which does make me slightly biased, I grant you, but it was my love of the world and system that drove me to it

Christopher