Smallest rule, biggest change: Magic Edition

[mmadsen]

Eliminate all spellcasting classes (or make them prestige classes), but allow anyone with ranks in spellcraft to scribe "scrolls", which don't have to look like scrolls, or brew "potions", which don't have to look like potent potables, and cast spells from them.

 

[Herobizkit]

I just thought of this one: All casters Eschew Materials.

You've never played like this before? I've played like this ever since I started playing D&D, and I've been at it twenty years!

 

[jedavis]

Give clerics d4 or d6 HD, 1/2 HD BaB, and light or no armor proficiencies. Because I don't recall Christian monks and priests of the Middle Ages being big into going forth in full plate with warhammers.

The same would work for druids as the "guy who sits and talks to trees all day." Not much chance for intense melee training there. If they want to be spellcasters, give them attributes similar to arcane casters. If they want to be melee combatants, let them multiclass.

OK, those are probably big rules changes... sorry. Just had to toss that out there.

 

[Asmor]

All wizards must specialize.

Instead of a familiar, a wizard gets a runestaff; a magic item bonded to the wizard which has one spell per level from his specialized school etched onto it. The wizard can spontaneously cast those spells as long as he has his staff by losing a prepared spell or equal or higher level.

 

[DungeonMaester]

Spell Skill.

Sorc/Wizard/Bard: Each school becomes part of a spell casters spell list. When a spell caster cast a spell then you make a skill check equal to 10+1+spell level. Each time you cast a spell from that skill the total DC increases by 1+Spell level. Specialized wizards gain +4 on all rolls for that skill.

Devine: All spells are based of one spell skill [Devine] and you get +4 to spells Spontaneously casted. [Any druid spell, or a Cleric's Cure light wound] Paladins and Rangers gain this skill at 4th level.

Wu Jen: As Wizard which is treated as a Specialized, Spell school is which element the Wu Jen can cast. Multiple Elements are there own spell skill.

Note:

Caster retain spell known and highest spell possible.

When casting a Universal spell, you can pick which skill to base it off of. They do not add the +1 to the DC.

Meta magic no longer increase the spell level. When rolling a spell check if the total beats the total DC by 10, then the it does not permanently increase the DC for that skill. If you do not beat the DC then it is permanently doubled. (For example, if you quicken a fireball then failing to beat the DC increase it by 8 rather then four. )

Spell casters can at any time use the total of bonus spells per day to lower the spell skill dc by any number of how many points. This applies to each skill separately. (For example, if Joe the Sorc has 5 bonus spells then he can ether choose to decrease one spell skill by five, or two by 2 and one by 1.)

Other DC such as casting Defensively apply to casting the spell, but do not increase the DC after the casting.

Failing to beat the DC makes the caster lose being able to cast spells from that skill.

Invocations: Non spell casters can practice a single spell over and over again to attempt to be bale to cast it as a spell like ability. To gain a Invocation you treat the spell you want as a cross class skill (Non caster have to treat spell skills for the spell name) and make DC equal to 20+Spell level+ability score modifier of the caster.

 

[Nyeshet]

How about Str? Musclemancy!!

I'm suddenly reminded of Armstrong from Full Metal Alchemist, who always seems to pose a time or two either before or after using Alchemy - sometimes both before and after.

 

[Reynard]

Magic items and spells that require XP cost hit points instead. It doesn't matter where those hit points come from, but they only count if the "provider" is willing, or dies in the process. Unwilling creatures and characters get a Will save (DC 10+caster level) to avoid giving up the ghost.

Poof -- magic is evil bad sorcery.

 

[Ry]

Nice.

 

[rbingham2000]

Every spell requires some kind of mystic link to whatever you're trying to affect, something belonging to a person or coming from an area that you're looking to cast your spell on. This does not lend itself very well to combat, don't get me wrong, but if an evil sorcerer gets hold of something you own, he can use it to target you with all kinds of nastiness -- curses, demonic attacks, death spells, nightmares, lightning strikes, the works.

 

[snarfoogle]

Casting costs Sanity.

Cheers, -- N

Also consider learning each spell individually from a seperate unspeakable tome. Sanity checks required for learning each new spell from grasping these fundamentally wrong truths, and each new book is an adventure for the whole party! (I mean, the books aren't labelled, and reading that one silent e on "Summon Horrible Demon" does mess with the "caster controls demon" aspect of the spell...)