Refresh per level abilities

[Borlon]

Thing is, if you level up every 13 moderate encounters, and you get 4 such encounters each day, 5 recharges per level should be lots. Dunno why it should seem so bad.

In other threads people complain about how ubiquitous magic is, and how, realistically, it would totally change a society and its economy. This gives a mechanical reason why magic should be limited in its effects. An NPC who has stopped leveling will be casting their spells on an annual basis (or a monthly), not a daily one, reducing the social and economic importance of their actions.

@genshou: One of my favorite books is "Wizenbeak" by Alexis A. Gilliland. In it, Wizenbeak explains why he won't use a particular spell:

The wizard sighed and sat back in his camp chair. "Saying a spell isn't free. It's like promising to pay for something. You only have so much credit you can draw on, and you don't use it unless you have to."

Now there is no indication from this book that there are special days of the month that allow them to recharge or anything, but I figure that in a Vancian system a limit on recharging might be appropriate. Something to make wizards not use a spell unless they have to.

 

[Kisanji Arael]

Rebuttal

I'll say it again, Find me a wizard player who would play a wizard. Otherwise, it clearly makes one class less fun than the other classes and therefore, it is gamebreaking. Why play a cleric? Paladins can heal with lay on hands and they don't have to worry about it recharging. They are also more effective at actual combat, and since a player is going to be worried about using his spells, non-magical combat becomes essential. Why play a wizard? Sorcerers have more spell slots, so they'll be able to do their job better... or at least for longer. Once they run out of spells, they're as worthless as wizards. Heck? Why put magic in at all? It's just going to be stressful, something more to worry about. And this is a game; I don't want to have to worry about reality. I want to have fun.

I'll argue this from another side. If you say that five recharges per level is plenty, then why put it in? No one will run out of spells in either session. That's what the statistics say, right? So therefore, if no one is going to run out, then why does it matter?

But lets say that ... a wizard player, just to keep my metaphors straight, does run out. Lets say that he's... 13th level, How is the game fun for him anymore? He can't cast spells. He's in a higher level environment, an environment where a 13th level fighter tanks like a pro, a 13th level rogue deals massive damage on his sneak attacks, a 13th level ranger can chunk out arrows to match the best of them. How is he of any use to the party? How is the player having fun? He can't cast spells! Why do you think he's playing a wizard in the first place?

I'll tell you. He's playing this.... game. He's playing it to have fun. He's playing with the sole intent of escaping reality, where he has to keep track of the consequences of spending too much. He wants to go to this game so that if he screwsup and loses a hand, it can be healed. If he can't save a friend, he can avenge them in a glowing ball of fire. And if he runs out of spells, he wants to be able to fall asleep and have it all get better. He wants magic so that he can be powerful in a way he isn't in our reality.

So I'll give you two ways to prove your point. First, you can tell me how that wizard is going to have fun without spells. Or second, as is still possible, find me a wizard player who prefers these limitations, or even one who would play a wizard under these rules.

EDIT: I humbly apologize for getting angry.

 

[Borlon]

Sorry to provoke such a reaction.

Consider the proposal retracted.

 

[Kisanji Arael]

I'm sorry for getting angry. I've seen people who need this game a lot, and I used to be one of them.

I humbly apologize and hope you will not think too much less of me for what I have said.

 

[genshou]

Thing is, if you level up every 13 moderate encounters, and you get 4 such encounters each day, 5 recharges per level should be lots. Dunno why it should seem so bad.
[...]
@genshou: One of my favorite books is "Wizenbeak" by Alexis A. Gilliland. In it, Wizenbeak explains why he won't use a particular spell:

["The wizard sighed and sat back in his camp chair. 'Saying a spell isn't free. It's like promising to pay for something. You only have so much credit you can draw on, and you don't use it unless you have to.'"]

Now there is no indication from this book that there are special days of the month that allow them to recharge or anything, but I figure that in a Vancian system a limit on recharging might be appropriate. Something to make wizards not use a spell unless they have to.

That's something that has to be taken into account with the flavour needs of each individual game. It sounds like extra book-keeping with no significant purpose to me. If the mage is unlikely to use all his spells up under the system, why waste time keeping track?

In other threads people complain about how ubiquitous magic is, and how, realistically, it would totally change a society and its economy. This gives a mechanical reason why magic should be limited in its effects. An NPC who has stopped leveling will be casting their spells on an annual basis (or a monthly), not a daily one, reducing the social and economic importance of their actions.

Thing is, that's already covered in-game by the fact that only a very small percentage of the population can cast high-level spells or even cast spells at all. Unless you're specifically going for a setting in which there are no fewer mages but magic doesn't have a very sizable impact on the game world, this works well. The variant proposed is also excellent for low-magic settings in which you want to maintain the existing rules for spellcasters, but don't want them to overpower your world.