Spell Philosophy you would like to see
- Thread starter satori01
- Start date
For magic, I’d like to see something akin to what Fantasy Craft did.
Spellcasting Check
• Spellcasting requires a die roll (FC uses the Spellcasting skill)
• Spellcasting DC is based on Spell Level
• Attack spells – the Spellcasting check is also the attack roll and must succeed the normal Spellcasting DC and equal or exceed the target’s Defense (FC’s version of AC) or fail.
• Spell Defense – this is a new iteration of Spell Resistance. An attack spell must not only succeed the base Spellcasting check but the Spellcasting check must equal or exceed the Spell Defense or fail.
Spell Schools
I also like the way FC re-envisioned spell schools. In their system, the Mage class is the only true “Spellcasting” base class. Priests gain other abilities and can, through their domains, gain spell-like abilities (e.g. cast X spell Y times per day). If you want to mimic a D&D Cleric, you would play a Mage with the Cleric specialty. As such, there is no longer a divide between “Arcane” and “Divine” spells. There are just “Spells”.
Under this system you then have 8 Schools, each made up of spells from 3 Disciplines. Each spell belongs to only 1 Discipline, which is another major change from old D&D spells, and IMHO a good change. I think D&D could use to relook at spell schools.
Channeler: Combative school that taps and controls primal forces.
* Energy: creates fire, light, sound (usually in destructive fashion)
* Force: creates invisible mass that can be shaped and directed
* Weather: manipulates the environment and atmosphere
Conjurer: controls the building blocks of the physical world
* Compass: alters time, speed, position and size
* Conversion: changes the shape and properties of matter
* Creation: creates matter from nothing
Enchanter: effects life in all forms
* Charm: influence minds and emotions
* Healing: repair and refresh the body and mind
* Nature: sways plants and animals
Preserver: focused on protecting and liberating places and people
* Glory: invoke righteous fury, promote excellence and victory in battle
* Seals: form magical glyphs and impediments
* Warding: prevent and deflect harm
Prophet: spells about the worlds beyond ours, as well as what ours might become
* Blessing: reveal cosmic splendor, raising the body, mind, and spirit
* Calling: channel and summon from the fringes of this world, and beyond
* Foresight: predict and manifest the future
Reaper: spells of suffering, death, pain, fear, and corruption
* Affliction: bring lasting suffering, commonly as curses
* Necromancy: explore the veil between death and undeath
* Shadow: harnesses the power of darkness
Seer: unique insights about the mechanics of the known world.
* Artifice: exposes and transforms the inner workings of machines, magic items, and spells
* Divination: gleans details about the past and present
* Word: derives power from language
Trickster: spells that make truth of untruth.
* Illusion: projects false images and feelings
* Secrets: invents lies and reveals truths
* Shapeshifting: transforms the body
Spellcasting Check
• Spellcasting requires a die roll (FC uses the Spellcasting skill)
• Spellcasting DC is based on Spell Level
• Attack spells – the Spellcasting check is also the attack roll and must succeed the normal Spellcasting DC and equal or exceed the target’s Defense (FC’s version of AC) or fail.
• Spell Defense – this is a new iteration of Spell Resistance. An attack spell must not only succeed the base Spellcasting check but the Spellcasting check must equal or exceed the Spell Defense or fail.
Spell Schools
I also like the way FC re-envisioned spell schools. In their system, the Mage class is the only true “Spellcasting” base class. Priests gain other abilities and can, through their domains, gain spell-like abilities (e.g. cast X spell Y times per day). If you want to mimic a D&D Cleric, you would play a Mage with the Cleric specialty. As such, there is no longer a divide between “Arcane” and “Divine” spells. There are just “Spells”.
Under this system you then have 8 Schools, each made up of spells from 3 Disciplines. Each spell belongs to only 1 Discipline, which is another major change from old D&D spells, and IMHO a good change. I think D&D could use to relook at spell schools.
Channeler: Combative school that taps and controls primal forces.
* Energy: creates fire, light, sound (usually in destructive fashion)
* Force: creates invisible mass that can be shaped and directed
* Weather: manipulates the environment and atmosphere
Conjurer: controls the building blocks of the physical world
* Compass: alters time, speed, position and size
* Conversion: changes the shape and properties of matter
* Creation: creates matter from nothing
Enchanter: effects life in all forms
* Charm: influence minds and emotions
* Healing: repair and refresh the body and mind
* Nature: sways plants and animals
Preserver: focused on protecting and liberating places and people
* Glory: invoke righteous fury, promote excellence and victory in battle
* Seals: form magical glyphs and impediments
* Warding: prevent and deflect harm
Prophet: spells about the worlds beyond ours, as well as what ours might become
* Blessing: reveal cosmic splendor, raising the body, mind, and spirit
* Calling: channel and summon from the fringes of this world, and beyond
* Foresight: predict and manifest the future
Reaper: spells of suffering, death, pain, fear, and corruption
* Affliction: bring lasting suffering, commonly as curses
* Necromancy: explore the veil between death and undeath
* Shadow: harnesses the power of darkness
Seer: unique insights about the mechanics of the known world.
* Artifice: exposes and transforms the inner workings of machines, magic items, and spells
* Divination: gleans details about the past and present
* Word: derives power from language
Trickster: spells that make truth of untruth.
* Illusion: projects false images and feelings
* Secrets: invents lies and reveals truths
* Shapeshifting: transforms the body
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Here
Summary from the 5E info Page:
Vancian magic is core. Other options for other classes, but wizard and cleric are Vancian.
G
Guest 85555
Guest
For D&D i want the classic spell feel of AD&D. Magic that is powerful, interesting and adaptable to multiple situations is fun for me even when i am not playing a wizard.
That said the power of magic needs to be balanced with stuff like casting times, risks of miscasting, etc. Casting time is particularly important to me.
That said the power of magic needs to be balanced with stuff like casting times, risks of miscasting, etc. Casting time is particularly important to me.
GnomeWorks
Adventurer
We expect fighters to focus on a given weapon or weapon type, and generally ignore others. An axe fighter doesn't switch to swords, and at higher levels, is greatly hampered by such a switch.
Do the same to casters.
Khaalis' list above works out pretty well for that sort of thing. Schools seem a bit too broad - spells cover a lot of ground. But if you had subschools, essentially, that might work better.
Force casters to make a choice, like fighters: focus on one subschool at the cost of sucking at everything else, but be awesome in that one thing; or generalize, but aren't as good, perhaps sacrificing depth for breadth.
High-level play in earlier editions of D&D was plagued by spellcasters. Magic is what broke the game. Reduce the ability of spellcasters to completely and utterly hose things, and you extend the longevity of a playable game that isn't ludicrously overpowered.
Do the same to casters.
Khaalis' list above works out pretty well for that sort of thing. Schools seem a bit too broad - spells cover a lot of ground. But if you had subschools, essentially, that might work better.
Force casters to make a choice, like fighters: focus on one subschool at the cost of sucking at everything else, but be awesome in that one thing; or generalize, but aren't as good, perhaps sacrificing depth for breadth.
High-level play in earlier editions of D&D was plagued by spellcasters. Magic is what broke the game. Reduce the ability of spellcasters to completely and utterly hose things, and you extend the longevity of a playable game that isn't ludicrously overpowered.
Mattachine
Adventurer
I have no problem with mindless creatures being immune to mind-affecting spells.
Most undead, however, aren't mindless in the game. They are immune to mind-affecting spells because. . . ?
I want a Magic A is Magic A sort of game. Charm should affect creatures that think. Let's not use past editions' arbitrary rules without critiques.
Most undead, however, aren't mindless in the game. They are immune to mind-affecting spells because. . . ?
I want a Magic A is Magic A sort of game. Charm should affect creatures that think. Let's not use past editions' arbitrary rules without critiques.
My biggest things; keep Spell Resistance and Immunities; it just makes sense for some enemies and I like how my players think of ways to use magic even when an enemy may not be bothered that much by it.
Also, scrap the spells like charm person doing damage. Let them do their effect and that's it.
I find it very contrived that spells like that, etc need to do damage.
Sanjay
Also, scrap the spells like charm person doing damage. Let them do their effect and that's it.
I find it very contrived that spells like that, etc need to do damage.
Sanjay
Andor
First Post
If a creature is truely mindless, why is it attacking you? Why isn't it just sitting there like a rock, or an oyster?
Hostile undead implies a means of perception (to distinguish you from a wall), of discrimination (or they would have all ripped each other to pieces), of choice of action (to attack you, to not attack each other.)
If you've got all that, it sounds to me like there is enough mind for magic to effect. Heck, an eyeless skeleton is presumably seeing by some kind of magic, you'ld think that would make it more susceptible to illusion, not less.
Fear effects might be harder to justify, though.
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