[Savannah Knights] 1st level spellcasters in d20 Modern?

[RangerWickett]

I want to play a modern fantasy game. Okay, to be more precise, I'm helping Acquana (Jessica Jones, DM of the Savannah Knights Storyhour) fully flesh out rules for her campaign, and I intend to use the system too.

For those of you unfamiliar with the setting, there's a link to the storyhour in my .sig.

Here's a refresher on how the world works:

• Originally, magic existed on Earth, but during the dark ages, a war waged between the humans and the magic-using races. The humans were victorious, and part of the conditions of victory were that the magi were to retreat. There had always been a Fey Realm, tied closely to our own world, but at the end of the war, the fey realm and the human realm were separated, and almost all magic-users were forced to leave our world.
  
  Today, the two worlds are known as Terra (the human realm) and Gaia (the fey realm). There are still connections between the two worlds, though travel between the two is much harder now than it once was. In more modern times, agreements have been reached to allow some creatures from Gaia to live on Terra, but the existence of magic remains a secret to the general human populace.
• The people of Gaia include pretty much anything that exists in human mythology, and they are collectively known as magi, usually. You also have the true fey, the Unseen. All magi are able to use magic with little difficulty, if they choose to learn it. Similarly, humans with some magic blood in their heritage can use magic naturally.
• Humans have two routes to magic. First, they can study it as a science, using bizarre rituals and strange incantations to cast spells. Most such arcane lore has been forgotten, but old texts still exist, and a few orders still practice magic this way. Second, many humans are able to bond with the ghost of another human, and the ghost acts as a conduit to magical powers. A human with a ghost can learn magic with about the same ease as the magi.
• The setting is not just modern. We want it to be able to handle anything in the setting, which could include events in the Dark Ages or the Old West, or could take place entirely on Gaia, without ever dealing with Terra.
• We want to use D20 Modern as the primary ruleset.
• We'd prefer to have only one magic-using class. We're not sure if it should be an advanced class (The Magus), or if we should create a 7th ability score of Magic, so we could have a Magic Hero to go along with the Strong, Fast, Tough, Smart, Dedicated, and Charismatic heroes.
• If we go the advanced class route, we still need a way for characters to use magic at first level. We're considering having various magical talents available for Smart, Dedicated, and Charismatic heroes.
• There are two types of ghosts that you could get magic from. There are the above-mentioned conduit ghosts. In this case, the ghost is just sort of like a familiar, and has little power of its own. The second type of ghost uses its own magic, and can cast spells and such even if it's not bonded with a human.

We need rules that can handle all of these things. We'd prefer to make the system d20 Modern compatible, rather than making a new, slightly different game. What suggestions do you have?

 

[malladin]

I'm not sure how much you'll be able to get from this, but we've reworked the D20M basic clases to their fantasy equivalents for our DarkLore dark fantasy game. There is a preview available that details the six new basic classes, including new talents to allow ;wizards' 'clerics/druids' and 'sorcerers', but its probably slightly too close to standard D&D for what you want. The preview file is available to download here.

By the sounds of it, though you may get more use out of our Universal FX system, which uses feats and skill points to develop powers rather than class features, and so can be attributed to any class. This can be downloaded for free from RPGNow

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think it can be done with a single advanced magic user class.

Make the prerequisite a feat (or several feats, which you need only one). Example:
Arcane Studies:
You studied the arcana magic.
Benefit:
You know 3 0-level spells, and you can cast each once per day. Your effective caster level for these spells is 1.
You can the Knowledge (Arcane Lore) Skill as permanent class skill for all classes.
Special:
This feat is a prerequisite feat for the advanced magic user class.

The magi gain this feat for free at 1st level.

Since advancec classes usually should only be available at 4th level, consider making a skill rank prerequisite that can only be fulfillable at 3rd level. (So that you are ready to take the class at 4th.)

I don`t know if you prefer spontaneous casting or prepared casting, or want a spell point system.
For the 1st, use as a spell list known and spells per day chart the sorceror list (PHB), for the 2nd, use the cleric/wizard (PHB with or without the bonus school or domain spells) or mage (D20 Modern) list, and for the 3rd, use the psions (Psionic Handbook) or the telepath list.

If you want to use all types of spellcasting, it might be more difficult to integrate it, though you could still use a base chart (preferable the mage ones), and just decide that a sorceror like caster gains 2 extra spell slots per day and has a spells known list, and a spellpoint caster can exchange the slots with spellpoints, and has also a spells known list. (1st level slot = 1 pp, 2nd level = 3 pp, 3rd level = 5pp and so on)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[NekoAli]

This sounds like a very interesting idea. I've also worked with the idea of two realms in a game before, one modern and one magic (it's a fairly common theme after all), though not for d20 games. As much as I like the basic class/advanced class system used in Modern, I agree that it's somewhat bothersome to have to wait till 4th level to gain any FX abilities. Probably the simplest way to resolve it is to consider 4th level to be the 'base level' of the campaign, and have everything up to that to be a characters apprentiship/childhood/learning time. That way those who want to start as a magi could have their magical abilties from the start. Just create a new advanced class based on the abilities you want them to have.

One question I would have is, do you have or want to use Urban Arcana, the 'magic in modern' setting book published? In addition to some useful information that could be had for any modern game, there are also expanded feats, three of which give you access to 0 level FX abilties, like the Wild Talent from the main book. Wild Talent is changed slightly, and new feats are added along the same lines for Arcane and Divine magic, which allow you to pick 3 0 level spells you can use once per day (you could pick the same one two or three times).

If you went with the new base class route, I don't necessarily see the need to add a new ability score. Simply create a new class and link it to the appropriate score. Create Talent trees relating to the magic that they learn.

My personal suggestion would be to create/use two Advanced classes for magic. One based off the Smart hero for the learned mage class. Possibly similar to the Occultist from Shadow Chasers. The other based off the Charasimatic hero for the spirit mage class. This provides a strong link to the wizard/sorcerer classes, so they are familiar to players of d20/D&D, but of course don't have to match what you expect to see in a D&D game. Then, start everyone off at 4th level. Those who want to be from Gaia can take the appropriate Occupations, and learn their abilities, and be ready to cast spells at the start of the game. It does seem appropriate that a spell caster would have a steeper learning curve than a warrior or rogue, but that also depends on the theme of your game.

This is off the top of my head, but I'm intriqued by the idea. I will have to work up some of these concepts a bit and post again later with them.

 

[Doc_Souark]

Have you thought of the Magical Heritige feat from Urban Arcana ? it'll give you cantrips at 1st level and I'm sur you can make a PrC that you can get into at 2nd.

 

[Martin]

I can't see how you're going to have the option of a single mage class when you've got two to three different outlooks in the methods and use of magic in the proposed game.

Here's what you do. You make it a requirement within the campaign that in order to be able to use the Talent base class, you must have taken the Magical Heritage feat. (Thanks, Doc for that one!) It's a tweak and a half because you're making a base class requiring a specific feat, but because of the flavour you're looking for, one that's acceptable. Then you create two talent trees--one based on the Mage AvC and one based on the Acolyte AvC. Each step of those two trees requires the previous step and is a spell level.

Example: You name the Mage based tree Universal Manipulation. The first step of that tree is Secrets of the Initiate. Your character chooses that talent, which opens up zero and first level spells from the Arcane spell list to that character. The character from that point in time gets the appropriate number of zero and first level spells for her level according to the standard spell progression table. She doesn't get any spells of any greater level until she chooses them from the tree. Hence, at third level, she chooses to pick Word of the Apprentice (next level on the tree) which gives her second level spells that progress accordingly from that level. (So, if for example she chooses the first talent from the Devotional Energy tree first, then picks the Word of the Apprentice talent up at fifth level, then the progression for both talents would begin at the level in which they were chosen.)

Hopefully you see what I'm talking about. It requires a little bit of extra bookkeeping, but it should hopefully make sense and should work the way you want it to. I'd either allow for item creation feats that can be taken as bonus feats for that class or shunt them to an advanced class of my making. (I honestly think that you should have an advanced class focusing on the two separate methods for magic much like NecoAli wrote. It'll give your players a bit more option to work with.)

BAB, Saves, Defense should be based on the Smart Hero. I'd base Rep off of the Smart hero at least, and be inclined to work from the Tough or even Strong. Hit Dice should be 1d6. Skills should be 4+Int (or 5+Int by the way they incorporate the extra point for humans in d20M (side tangent: How stupid can you be to make a 'simplified' change that should you want to use the rules for anything other than humans you have to base things off of a completely different table. Starting to get that 2e feeling . . . .)

[Edit: Additionally, you could also make the feat Arcane Skills another requirement for the class (thus tying up both first level feats and making sure that the player sacrifices in order to play this class) or alternately require that the feat be taken before any character has access to those skill sets.]

 

[Martin]

This sounds like a very interesting idea. I've also worked with the idea of two realms in a game before, one modern and one magic (it's a fairly common theme after all), though not for d20 games. As much as I like the basic class/advanced class system used in Modern, I agree that it's somewhat bothersome to have to wait till 4th level to gain any FX abilities. Probably the simplest way to resolve it is to consider 4th level to be the 'base level' of the campaign, and have everything up to that to be a characters apprentiship/childhood/learning time.

Dang, I wish that I'd read this earlier, because that idea works sooooo much better.

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm also in favor of the "Start at 4th" option, and I use that in one of my games at college, but Jessica, the creator of the world, and in effect my boss, wants characters to be able to start at 1st.

I'm mostly busy working on Elements of Magic revisions right now, so I keep wondering if that system would work somehow, but I don't think so. EOM is more of an expert-level product, and we want the High Fantasy setting to be available to new players.

I think I'll just go for the talent trees of spellcasting ability. The talents will only be available if you have a ghost or if you are a natural-blooded magical race. I'll post them here as I come up with them.

 

[RangerWickett]

Idea.

Ghosts
You have spirits, which are weak and provide little power except the ability to tap magic, and then you have ghosts, which possess actual power to do things.

You can choose to bond with a spirit as long as your GM approves. There's no particular cost to it, but you do run a slight risk, since intense magical auras (like those of Dragons) can harm spirits, and if your bound spirit is harmed, it can hurt you too.

Bonding with a ghost is a little more complicated, probably requiring a feat of some kind that would work a little like Leadership, allowing you to bond with a ghost of a certain power. If you don't have the proper feat, or if the ghost is too powerful, it can control you or just leave you.


Spellcasting
There is one chart for caster level advancement that tells you how many spells per day you can cast. Having a caster level only gives you spells per day; it doesn't give you spells known.

If you have a bound spirit, or if you are a member of a magical race, you can take the feat "Caster Level," which grants you a caster level of 1. You can take this feat regardless of your class. If you take this talent more than once, it stacks, giving you a progressively higher caster level (though you can't take it more than once per level). Also, having this sort of 'natural' magical ability grants you two "domains." There are a lot of different domains to choose from. Each domain gives you 1 spell per spell level that you know. You can cast domain spells on the fly.

If you are a human without a bound spirit, you can take the Caster Level feat, which helps you cast spells from scrolls and random spellbooks you find lying around, but you don't learn any spells.

If you are human and don't have a bound spirit, you can only learn spells by taking the Magus advanced class. If you do have a bound spirit, or if you're a member of a magical race, you can still take the Magus class. If you want to be a good spellcaster, it's the best option.

The Magus class increases your caster level, and also allows you to learn new spells. The number of spells you can learn is determined by your Magus class level. You can cast these spells on the fly.

If you have a caster level but don't take the Magus advanced class, you're limited to just the few spells you know from your domains. Basically, you trade a talent for a handful of spells that can be useful, but don't have much power.

If you don't know a spell, you can still prepare it if you find a copy of it. There will be a short set of rules of how difficult it is to cast spells you don't know. This will range from very easy, high-fantasy-ish (a powerful mage carries around a few utility spells, like knock and scrying, that he doesn't normally cast) to very hard, almost Cthulhu-esque levels of danger (a non-spellcaster can try to use magic, but runs the risk of backlash and possible madness).


Character Building
Most characters with ghosts will just take the Caster Level feat once or twice, but will otherwise be normal members of their classes. Those that want to be full-time spellcasters will take it at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level, then hop into the Magus advanced class at 4th level. Most campaigns won't get above 10th level, but for those that do, we'll have a few prestige classes which will grant greater magical ability. These will all be really cool, flavorful classes.


Psionics
Psionics will work differently. Anyone can take the Psychic feat, which grants manifester level 1, and grants the same types of weenie bonuses as the psionics rules in Call of Cthulhu.

Also, to differentiate things from spellcasting, you can develop your psychic powers without having to take a specific class. Each of the six base classes will have talents you can take to grant powers appropriate to that ability score. Progression this way will be somewhat slow, but you'll have a good deal of skills, hit points, and so on.

If you want straight psionic power, there'll also be a Psion advanced class, that lets you get whatever powers you want.

 

[RangerWickett]

Bumping this to remind me to get to work, now that EOM is almost done. *grin*