PCs from Light Against The Dark

[seasong]

For a second, I thought you were referring to mothering, and I was very confused. Then I realized you meant "mastering" .

It works like this: It can only be taken once for any given spell, it costs 1 point, and it gives a +2 to casting rolls and Will saves vs fatigue with that one spell. If the spell has a saving throw, the DC of the saving throw is also +2.

When I wrote the DCs for spell casting, I wrote them with the intent that you would have to master spells at higher levels if you wanted to be able to consistently cast your most powerful stuff.

 

[Caliber]

If incognito can play the lazy card, I can too.

Can you take 10 when casting a spell?

 

[seasong]

Not when it matters .

That is to say, when there's no distractions, plenty of time, etc., sure, you can take 10 (although not on the Will save). But in the middle of combat? Heck no.

I may eventually allow a feat for a particular spell to be well known enough that it can be cast with "Take 10" regardless of circumstance, but it'll be a full 5 point feat for one spell.

 

[Talix]

Man, I wish I were brave enough (/had any time) to run a game with your system - it's really good stuff, a very nice break from the current rules.

In the meantime, I'll continue to very much enjoy reading about it!

 

[Greybar]

I'm musing over using this kind of mechanism for my game. I ported a previous idea in on top of psionics for 3E, but I think seasong's idea might work well there. My thought is that the limit on known powers would combine well with "cast until you get tired" idea.

John

 

[seasong]

Mathematically, it works out how I want. In play, however, I've noticed that there isn't a good 'feel' for what exhaustion means. It seems to be a bit too complicated. I've been considering altering the effect of each level of exhaustion, and making them a bit simpler/more universal. This will also allow one more failed Will save before unconsciousness, which is slightly more powerful than the base wizard, but seems to fit right for the campaign.

The main version I'm thinking of right now is:

1st failed Will save: 3/4 STR, can't charge or run.
2nd failed Will save: 1/2 STR, can't charge or run, medium encumbrance.
3rd failed Will save: 1/4 STR, can't charge or run, heavy encumbrance.
4th failed Will save: 0 STR, unconscious.

One half hour to recover one level of exhaustion. The encumbrance is from the character's own body weight, and modifies movement rates, etc., normally.

For a more standard power level (read: more generally balanced), drop the '3rd failed Will save' effect and replace it with the '4th failed Will save'.

 

[Greybar]

seasong, so according to the mathematical model a wizard-5 and arcanist-5 would manage to cast the same number of spells of a given level before (a) running out of slots for the wizard or (b) falling unconscious for the arcanist?

Or casting to total spell capability (rather than per level)?

John

 

[seasong]

Roughly, total spell casting capability. A well-designed arcanist (like Greppa) can cast 1st level spells all day long, but is very leery of casting the higher level spells. He was totally stoked when he managed to get off 5 earth's strength spells in a row before collapsing (a wizard with his INT and level can cast that many 2nd level spells and still cast other stuff).

So... high level spells are rarer, low level spells more numerous.

 

[seasong]

originally posted by Delgar
Although I do have a question, you use armor as DR correct? I'm just curious how well that system works and that if you did use it for the classed system would you give classes a defense rating like in the star wars system to keep Armor classes increase. Also, what about magical armor, do you have it increase the DR? I'm curious because I'd like to use armor as DR in a gladiator campaign, I'm going to start (Go to the plots thread and help me ouT!), but I don't know if I want to steal your classless system (I don't know if my players could handle it).

Yes, armor, hide, and most natural AC effects are converted into DR. I allow the characters to buy their AC up (at the same rate as BAB).

I would give the classes an AC bonus as they levelled, if I was using classes.

Magical armor adds its bonus to DR.

How well it works? Well, so far, so good. However, there's a significant lack of armor where the PCs are from. It made the armorcat very fierce, but easy to hit - it "felt" about right, to me.

The PCs, of course, adore earth's skin. When I want to hurt them, I just hit them with something harder .

 

[Delgar]

Thanks for the response.

Here is another quick question. Do shields work the same way as armor, by increasing DR?

Delgar