Smallest rule, biggest change: Magic Edition

[Hussar]

You could go the Scarred Lands route and have caster resistance. All arcane spells cause heat in the caster. To the point where they gain endurance to cold for 1 minute per level of the spell they cast. However, all armor check penalties are doubled.

Most casters wear a heavy cloak that is easily removable and very little underneath.

A very small change, but, really flavourful I thought.

You could alter it any number of ways. Maybe different schools have different effects - Evocation makes you hot, Necromancy makes you cold, Conjuration makes you glow equal to a candle, Divination makes a soft ringing sound, that sort of thing.

 

[Soel]

Drop the Sorcerer completely and give the Wizard spontaneous casting. Its not as big as it sounds at first.

 

[sukael]

Each spell known by an arcane spellcaster is a spirit bound into a physical form: an amulet, a statuette, a card, etc. When a spellcaster casts a spell, the spirit is temporarily released from its physical form and creates the magical effect.

"It's time to duel!"

You could go the Scarred Lands route and have caster resistance. All arcane spells cause heat in the caster. ... Most casters wear a heavy cloak that is easily removable and very little underneath.

"Ohohohohohohoho~!"

 

[FireLance]

"It's time to duel!"

Actually, this is more what I had in mind.

 

[howandwhy99]

All spells are Living spells. They are summoned for the duration with no changes to the rules.

Each spell can be cast either for normal effects or for communicating / bartering. Language barriers, spell duration, and other factors apply. As spells have been wizard crafted for utility, certain ones are less useful than others in this regard (e.g. instantaneous).

The campaign cosmology would need to take something like an Outer Plane of Sentience into account however.

 

[DonTadow]

Your question is kinda of vague. How do you want to change it. I see a lot of advice for low magic and some for high magic.

YOu can change magic as much as you want. YOu can do it all flavor wise or you can put in taint and spell points.

 

[howandwhy99]

Almost forgot some house rules:
1. Spellcraft has been merged with multiple Knowledge skills. Arcana, Divine, Nature, Planar, whatever. Magic is different, from different sources, so different knowledge bases have been formed in attempting to understand it. I place the wizard opposed-school -5 penalty for identification of a magic's school too.

2. Failed concentration checks for spells and SL's means they still may go off, but in different ways. I have several d400 lists by school of Random wand of wonder effects. They can easily be tailored to the specific spell in question and are weighted by the amount the roll missed by. This applies to UMD too. Checks do need to fail by 5 or more, so it's not all bad. Neither are the unexpected results.

You could also try removing Detect Magic from the game. That's a huge, but simple change.

 

[Destil]

I find it interesting that, aside from Eschew Materials, every suggestion has been to weaknen magic...

I second Imp's suggestion. File all the serial numbers off and use a generic 'mage' (psion) and mage-knight (psychic warrior) classes.

All mages must select a type of magic. For instance a fire mage. Replace the Dicipline spells with avilable fire magics. All of the cosmetic effects of a mage's spells are tied to this type of magic. A fire mage's fly spell may cause firy wings to sprout from their back, flecks of ash being tossed to the wind with every wingbeat.

 

[Droogie]

Quick and Dirty: ban all arcane magic and casters. Divine classes only. Conceptually, the druid just became your new "wizard". Magic is still powerful but less flashy.

 

[Timeboxer]

Saves are now a static 10 + Save bonus. In order to cast a spell, roll 1d20 + Spell Level + Key Stat with the target's save as the DC.