Spell Check - Options Please

[netnomad]

Here is something I cooked up for my game. I just never liked how stable the normal D&D spell system is. This is what I'm going to hand out to my players:

Each day the world slips closer into the grip of chaos. This chaos causes arcane spells to fail or have unpredictable results.

Due to the effects of chaos, arcane casters must make a spell check every time they cast a spell. The Spell check has a DC of 10 + the level of the spell. The Arcane Caster can add his or her Will bonus to the check. If the caster fails the spell check then he or she must then roll again on the wild spellcraft table (See Wild Spellcraft). If the character fumbles (rolls a 1 on this check) then they get –10 when rolling to the wild spellcraft table. If they roll a 20 (a critical) on their spell check they must roll again and if the roll is greater than the DC of the spell it is considered maximized as the feat. If the spell being cast is already maximized then it is quickened as the feat instead. If the Spell is both maximized and quickened then the spell is cast but it stays memorized or prepared.

I want to work out the bugs before I put this into effect. Any comment is welcome. For the Record the Wild Spellcraft Table is the one from Natural 20's book.

Thanks
NetNomad

 

[MythicJustice]

I see a few problems with the way the spell's DC is calculated. By making the DC just 10 + spell level the DC range is 10 - 19 (0 through 9th level spells). This is not a very large range. High level characters will essencially fail only on a 1, which means they will only ever fail dramatically. Even a mid-level character is going to have some significant adds to his primary Ability, so making the spell check will be fairly easy.

Is the goal to have spell casting be more based on skill rather than shoot and forget? If so adding just the character's Ability mod to the check does not accomplish that as a higher Ability mod does not represent higher skill.

Chad

 

[netnomad]

First off thanks for the feed back MJ!

I se you point about being limited at higher levels. What I am basically trying to do is add some randomness to the effects of magic. I don't like how stable the core D&D system is. I also want to give the players a chance to be less random if the want hence the spell check.

I would love a skill based spell system but is kind of to late now since my campaign has already started. If something come out maybe the next game.

After your input I'm thinking about changing it to the Spell check has a DC of 13 + the level of the spell. The Arcane Caster can add his or her Will bonus to the check.

Does that sound better?

David