Spell Point Variant with other classes

[Omegaxicor]

I have read the Spell Point Variant in Unearthed Arcana and I want to use it but the class my player has chosen (the only spellcasting class in the group ironically) is the Warmage but I don't know which classification the Warmage falls into for gaining spell Points

 

[DumbPaladin]

It should definitely fall into the highest column in the spell point system, the Sorcerer, but in all likelihood it may need more spell points per level than that column grants.

The spell point system deals a pretty huge blow to spontaneous spellcasters, like the bard, sorcerer, and warmage, compared to the benefits gained by the prepared spellcaster classes. In essence, it turns all wizards and clerics into sorcerer-like casters, but it doesn't grant any similar awesome benefit to casters who can already cast any spell they desire as long as they know it.

Think carefully before you utilize this system in a party with spontaneous casters. It's poorly designed and clearly no thought was put into addressing this disparity. In our game, we had to houserule a couple of different "fixes" to equalize things.

 

[Omegaxicor]

I agree the system is a badly designed creation of a great idea, I wanted a system where Divine, Arcane and Psionic powers are all equal (or at least measured the same)

What house rules did you use to balance this system?

I was thinking that there should be a category for Wizards and Sorcerers, a category for classes that have magic at level one but have other abilities (Warmage, Duskblade, Bard, Druid) and a category for classes that get magic at a later level (Ranger, Paladin)

 

[DumbPaladin]

Well, the primary problem with the system is that it turns wizards into sorcerers, but it doesn't do much at all for sorcerers but give them a very small number of spell points over what the wizard has.

We debated giving the sorcerer the ability to do all metamagic feats on the fly, without increasing casting time. We debated increasing the spell points to better equal the sorcerer being able to do 33% more spells per day than a wizard can do.

Finally, we decided to increase both the spell points for the sorcerer, and we increased the spells known per sorcerer level significantly to try and give the spontaneous casters (including bard) some oomph that they had now lost. In essence, we use the spell slot/day chart in the PHB to equal the number of spells KNOWN per sorcerer level. Sorcerers now have plenty more spells available to them and a not-insignificant number of spell points more than wizards. It took some of the edge off being completely screwed, as a sorcerer.

Since warmage is essentially a spontaneous caster (just with a longer list of spells per level known), the warmage suffers the same problem as the sorcerer in terms of getting hosed in the spell point system, so you should consider boosting it the same way you would a sorcerer and a bard.

 

[Omegaxicor]

But because the Warmage is based around having few spells, it's difficult to give a Warmage new spells and not compromise the Advanced Learning ability, but giving it 50% more SP should be easy but would that be too much or too little?

I think the reason the system is so broken is that some of the later spellcasters are unusual (which is a good thing normally)

 

[DumbPaladin]

The percentage gained has to be a decision you make for your own individual group. The spell point system already gives you an advantage for allowing people to spontaneous cast spells, and allows them to ignore their daily spells per spell level restrictions (i.e. you could spend all 84 of your daily spell points on level 1 spells, for example).

We gave the sorcerer 20% more spell points.

 

[Omegaxicor]

I think maybe 20-25% more sounds fair (It needs trial and error) I'll implement it and see

Thanks Very much for your help