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<blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 1346960" data-attributes="member: 63">Well, we have a few hurdles here.&nbsp; I'm not familiar with Ars Magica, so I can't compare, but I know some issues that may cause problems since we're doing D20.How much do we keep of the current system?&nbsp; We need to determine what scales, and what sets limits.&nbsp; Since we want skills to affect how well we cast spells, we need something else to limit how powerful we can get.Now, EOM already has magical skills, so we can use them as a baseline, perhaps.&nbsp; The magical skills are there because the effects are too powerful, such that a single spell list was not a big enough price (Divination is really useful!), or because it seems a natural extrapolation from an existing skill (Spellcraft = detect magic), and because its thematically kinda cool to have some spells be skills (counterspelling things is sort of the antithesis of normal casting).In the current rules, your caster level limits how much MP you can spend on a certain spell.&nbsp; Now, in a skill-based system, would we still use MP, or would you just have to succeed a skill check to cast your spell.&nbsp; I can see a couple options here:1. No MP is needed, just a skill check, but the MP Cost of the spell you try to cast cannot exceed your caster level.2. MP is needed, and so is a skill check, but there is no limit to how much MP the spell costs.&nbsp; Thus, a 1st level mage could try to cast a 5 MP spell.&nbsp; He'd most likely fail, but he could always try.3. Make a skill check before you decide what you cast.&nbsp; The skill check determines your MP limit for this spell, so if you want to cast a meteor swarm but you roll poorly, you might get stuck casting a fireball instead.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="RangerWickett, post: 1346960, member: 63"] Well, we have a few hurdles here. I'm not familiar with Ars Magica, so I can't compare, but I know some issues that may cause problems since we're doing D20. How much do we keep of the current system? We need to determine what scales, and what sets limits. Since we want skills to affect how well we cast spells, we need something else to limit how powerful we can get. Now, EOM already has magical skills, so we can use them as a baseline, perhaps. The magical skills are there because the effects are too powerful, such that a single spell list was not a big enough price (Divination is really useful!), or because it seems a natural extrapolation from an existing skill (Spellcraft = detect magic), and because its thematically kinda cool to have some spells be skills (counterspelling things is sort of the antithesis of normal casting). In the current rules, your caster level limits how much MP you can spend on a certain spell. Now, in a skill-based system, would we still use MP, or would you just have to succeed a skill check to cast your spell. I can see a couple options here: 1. No MP is needed, just a skill check, but the MP Cost of the spell you try to cast cannot exceed your caster level. 2. MP is needed, and so is a skill check, but there is no limit to how much MP the spell costs. Thus, a 1st level mage could try to cast a 5 MP spell. He'd most likely fail, but he could always try. 3. Make a skill check before you decide what you cast. The skill check determines your MP limit for this spell, so if you want to cast a meteor swarm but you roll poorly, you might get stuck casting a fireball instead. [/QUOTE]

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