Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sadras" data-source="post: 5787002" data-attributes="member: 6688277">I will be honest in that I do not understand the dislike towards the Vancian System.Yes its one part of the historical core mechanic of the game. and yes it was utilised primarily for the balancing of classes. Did it fail, I don't believe so. However it like everything else in the PHB was a guideline. Nothing WotC is ever gonna produce (as an entire system) is gonna satisfy, not even one of us, completely, 100%.  I believe the Vancian System should stay for most, if not all, Spell Casting classes, inclusive of Druids and Clerics, for a number of reasons:1. Sacred Cow (this is supposed to be the D&D which will somehow unite us, by embracing most of our play-styles, for that reason alone it must stay).2. Balancing of Classes (say what you will, it is a form of balancing, perhaps the spells or other mechanics were not, but it is a form of balancing. Please unerstand I'm not saying that other balancing techniques should not be used in conjunction with the Vancian System.) I propose the Vancian System acts as a guideline into how many "magicks" you can tap into on a given day before a sort of taxing occurs...For instance in the Dragonlance novels fatigue would often affect Raistlin when he cast his spells... (I am aware he was also sickly, but bear with me). Perhaps a Wizard casting spells could get away safely casting the alloted spells per day, anymore and he would feel its affects either in that it would physically drain him, perhaps spells could go awry if he channeled to much magic, he would basically burnt out...etc [insert any other creative idea]. That way yes a Wizard has unlimited spells with a Vancian System as long as he could withstand the increasing physical tax. In addition the Vancian System could be utilised alongside the Ritual (I prefer the word Incantation) System providing a greater number of spells for the Wizard. Granted the Ritual System requires reworking, subject for another time.The Sorcerer could too have the same system applied - but perhaps would have a higher threshold to the physical drain due to his bloodline...just an idea. The Druid would call the powers of natures' spirits, but the more he called on them, the greater he risked effects upon his own body, wracking it - perhaps gaining animalistic, plant or elemental like features (similar to Gangrels in Vampire White Wolf). Perhaps as he called on the power of the storms, in excess of his allotment, his voice would take on a thunderous undertone, or should he have channelled an animal like power/spell he would permanently take on an animalistic feature - his nose would become more crooked, his one eye would take on a feline look...etc Permanent physcial taxes for drawing on too much power/magic (i.e. above the safe allotment as per the Vancian tables).Clerics channel divine power. What do you think would happen if you kept on requesting and making demands on your god continuously?...Perhaps the safety net for channeling divine energies might be removed and though your spell/power might work - you would take damage from the raw divine magic coursing through your body. So perhaps a damage tax, perhaps burning surges, scars appear along your body, your nose, eyes and ears would start bleeding, perhaps if you drew on too much power your could go blind for a round or two...etc  These taxes could be interchangeable amongst classes, whatever suits your needs for your idea regarding the excess magic drawn upon. the 'magic tax' could be related to the power/spell drawn upon. It would also provide an avenue for some amazing DM creativity.  This system should appease both Vancian and non-Vancian spell casters....as you, a spell caster, draw closer to your spell allotment for the day you could feel it/sense that your drawing towards the limits of your capabilities and anything more could spell trouble....depending on how strict/lenient your DM is <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":-)" title="Smile    :-)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":-)" /> It just one idea for appeasing both camps and giving the DM some great "creative control". I mean imagine playing a Wizard who has a disfigured hand caused by drawing on too much magic in his youth, or a Druid who is barely recognisable as to what race he is and has slowly started to lose his senses allowing animalistic instincts to begin taking over, a Cleric who lost the power of speech (unable to heal) from channelling vast amounts of Divine energies, or a Sorcerer who radiates intense heat everytime she casts spells, making it impossible for her to wear leather armour due to the heat and where her waterskin, if carried by her, boils when she casts spells.  Obviously this 'tax' system could be one of the advanced modules available and not part of the core as it does require DM and players to execise caution and care so as not to cause problems at the table - but this system has and does work in Vampire the Masquerade. Lets throw the DM something awesome to work with, allow the playstyle of the players to dictate the power hungry nature of their characters, but know there are consecquences when drawing on too much magic and lets have fun.</blockquote>

Verification