Spell Point Systems - What Do You Use?
- Thread starter Hierax
- Start date
Primitive Screwhead
First Post
For spell point system, I prefer Elements of Magic: Revised
The sequel, Lyceian Arcana, builds on the excellent base system and fleshes out various option.
IMHO the system returns the individuality and specialness of spell-casting to the game.
There are some things to be aware of tho;
- initially the system takes a bit getting used to.
- The RAW assumptions of when players get access to certain magical abilities doesn't apply. {teleport and scry are alot easier to do}
The sequel, Lyceian Arcana, builds on the excellent base system and fleshes out various option.
IMHO the system returns the individuality and specialness of spell-casting to the game.
There are some things to be aware of tho;
- initially the system takes a bit getting used to.
- The RAW assumptions of when players get access to certain magical abilities doesn't apply. {teleport and scry are alot easier to do}
The Levitator
First Post
Our group is considering psionics only for our next campaign. My players now have a pretty diverse casting group; sorcerer, cleric, fighter/wizard, and rogue/psion. The rogue/psion is really making an impression on the party.Nifft said:Plain old Psionics.
Cheers, -- N
Nonlethal Force
First Post
Psionics.
The only problem with psionics is that there are a number of spell effects that you really have a hard time doing. Like ... healing, for example. A psionic "cleric" is very hard to do. Psionics characters can heal themselves no problem ... just healing other people is more difficult.
In a house rule game like "psionics only" it would be simple enough to just convert healing spells on a level by level basis and make a new psionic category for it. So, you'd have psionic healer, seer, nomad, kineticist, etc. The healing/remove ____ spells just become the resticted spells that only psionic healers have access to. [NOTE: I've never done this, and it feels a bit over the top for me. But it is a possible solution that I'd at least consider in a "psionics only" campaign.]
The only problem with psionics is that there are a number of spell effects that you really have a hard time doing. Like ... healing, for example. A psionic "cleric" is very hard to do. Psionics characters can heal themselves no problem ... just healing other people is more difficult.
In a house rule game like "psionics only" it would be simple enough to just convert healing spells on a level by level basis and make a new psionic category for it. So, you'd have psionic healer, seer, nomad, kineticist, etc. The healing/remove ____ spells just become the resticted spells that only psionic healers have access to. [NOTE: I've never done this, and it feels a bit over the top for me. But it is a possible solution that I'd at least consider in a "psionics only" campaign.]
Drowbane
First Post
Homebrewed (in the works)
Without going on overmuch about my Homebrew project, each of my classes has both a HD and a MD. With the size of the MD being based on the size of the HD.
HD + Con Mod / MD + Cha Mod
d12 / d4
d10 / d6
d8 / d8
d6 / d10
d4 / d12
The system uses mana to power both "spells" and flashy "maneuvers" (thank you, Bo9S...). Ideally, both would be augmentable like XPH psionics. I'm currently looking at using only three generic classes with UA's as a starting point....
Without going on overmuch about my Homebrew project, each of my classes has both a HD and a MD. With the size of the MD being based on the size of the HD.
HD + Con Mod / MD + Cha Mod
d12 / d4
d10 / d6
d8 / d8
d6 / d10
d4 / d12
The system uses mana to power both "spells" and flashy "maneuvers" (thank you, Bo9S...). Ideally, both would be augmentable like XPH psionics. I'm currently looking at using only three generic classes with UA's as a starting point....
Aus_Snow
First Post
Hey, that looks pretty neat, Drowbane. Also, in one or two ways (albeit coincidentally) similar or identical to some house rules I had on simmer a while back - still got to get back to that lot. . . 
As I posted in some other thread recently, the 3 classes I'd go with would be : Warrior [good BAB, d10 or d12 HD, good Fort save, 1 medium save (choose), 1 poor save (the other one), probably around 4 skp], Rogue [medium BAB, d8 HD, good Ref save, 1 medium save (choose), 1 poor save (the other one), probably around 8 skp], and Adept [poor BAB, d6 or d4 HD, good Will save, 1 medium save (choose), 1 poor save (the other one), probably around 4 skp]. Talent trees (a la d20 Modern) all round.
So, arranged around the saves, as you can see. There would also be base defence in line with BAB, and some other weirdness I won't bother you with.
But if you went with anything remotely similar, I can see those MD working well there.
Either way, good luck with it all.
/tj
Oh yeah, and for spell point systems, I tried the one from UA briefly - didn't like it much. I don't like the look of Elements of Magic either, personally. Psionics though, I've used and liked - with some tweaking, just for somethng different.
As I posted in some other thread recently, the 3 classes I'd go with would be : Warrior [good BAB, d10 or d12 HD, good Fort save, 1 medium save (choose), 1 poor save (the other one), probably around 4 skp], Rogue [medium BAB, d8 HD, good Ref save, 1 medium save (choose), 1 poor save (the other one), probably around 8 skp], and Adept [poor BAB, d6 or d4 HD, good Will save, 1 medium save (choose), 1 poor save (the other one), probably around 4 skp]. Talent trees (a la d20 Modern) all round.
So, arranged around the saves, as you can see. There would also be base defence in line with BAB, and some other weirdness I won't bother you with.
But if you went with anything remotely similar, I can see those MD working well there.Either way, good luck with it all.
/tj
Oh yeah, and for spell point systems, I tried the one from UA briefly - didn't like it much. I don't like the look of Elements of Magic either, personally. Psionics though, I've used and liked - with some tweaking, just for somethng different.
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Dragonblade275
First Post
I'm working on a new spellpoint system for my campaign. It's similar to the one in UA, but I'm recalculating the spellpoints at each level based on the spell slots each class would have at a given level. It results in more powerful casters than the UA model. But, it works the same.
