Primitive Screwhead
First Post
A number of things has led me to this thought, including many threads here. What I present here is the result of a couple weeks of mulling and about half an hour of typing. My apologies for the format and grammer.. I wanted to get the ideas solid first 
My intent with this system is to enable low level casters to stay in the fight in a 4+ encounter per day setting while not breaking high level casters. The balancing factors used are a spell point pool that refreshes relatively quickly at low levels and 'Drain' that impacts on the characters hit points.
This is a draft..and I appreciate any comment/assistance.
Thanks to Sean Reynolds, Monte Cooke, Ranger Wickett, and the others who have added to this idea...whether they knew about it or not
[title]Magic System, balanced by Encounter[/title]
Vision: These rules should provide the Mage with the capability to sling spells in each encounter during the day while limiting the ‘Nova’ complex of most spell point based systems.
The spell caster pulls mystical energies together and channels it to warp reality, breaking the laws of the physical world at thier whim.
Classes.
Mages rely on their intelligence to control the mystical energies.
Sorcerers and Bards rely on their force of personality, or charisma
Clerics, Druids, and Paladins casters rely on their wisdom to draw out miracles from their faith.
New uses of skills:
Spell craft is the knowledge of managing mystical energies, regardless of its source. There are two uses of the skill that apply to this system:
• Centering, Standard action, DC 15, caster must have at least one spell point. By focusing on the mystical energies the caster is better able to protect her self from the dangers of channeling the energies. She gains a +5 centering bonus to Fort saves against Drain until her Center is lost.
• Refocus, Standard action, no check required but expends the casters Center. By cleansing her system of mystical energies she clears the increasing danger of channeling energies. Her Drain modifier is reset to zero.
New stuff to write on the character sheet:
Spell points. Keep track of spell points for each type of casting class separately {Arcane or Divine} You start with spell points equal to the prime stat modifiers + 1. Each time you gain a level of caster, you add that level to your total spell points. Half-progression casting classes such as the Bard and Paladin add half the level number rounded up. You will also want to write down what 1/8th of the max spell point pool.
Drain modifier. This starts at zero and build up as you cast more spells. Each casting of a spell adds an amount to the Drain modifier equal to the spell points spent minus the casters CHR modifier (min 0)
Caster Limit. This is your caster level rounded up to the next even number. For instance, a Mage of 1st level has a caster limit of 2…as does a Mage of 2nd level.
How to cast a spell:
Step 1: Select the spell; multiply the level by 2 to determine the cost in spell points. If the spell points total is greater then your caster limit, you must ‘overcast’ the spell.
Step 2: Face Drain
Step 3: Resolve the spell effects
Steps 1 and 3 are obvious, and work just like normal rules. Step 2, however, is the bugger.
Facing Drain: Channeling mystical energies can disrupt your body and soul. Casting a spell requires a Fort save vs DC 10 + the current Drain modifier. Failure results in taking damage equal to the Drain modifier.
If you are over-casting this damage is lethal and can disrupt casting, otherwise it is non-lethal and does not disrupt casting.
If you try to cast a spell for which you do not have spell points for, you automatically take lethal damage and face disruption of the spell. In addition, if you fail the Fort save you drop to -1 hit points...possibly after getting the spell off.
{math note, this DC means the Mage generally has a 50% chance of taking damage from their highest level spells.}
Recovering Spell Points:
You recover spell points as follows
1 point per level per hour of non-strenuous activity
2 points per level per hour of rest
1/8 max spell point pool per hour of sleep/meditation
Spells Known
Bards, Paladins, and Sorcerers use the Bard Spells known table (table 3-5 PHB) with one change, at first level they gain a ‘0’ for first level spells.
Mages, Clerics, and Druids use the Sorcerer known table (table 3-17 PHB)
Backlash Spell casting can warp the body and the mind. Each time the caster takes lethal damage from Drain they gain a stigma, whether it manifests as a physical mutilation or affects the casters personality does not matter. Depending on who the character interacts with, this stigma may be seen as repulsive, scary, disgusting, or pitiful.
There are some good Taint rules already done to add in here.
Feats
First, no feats should be made to reduce the time taken to Center or Refocus. The delay of a full round action is intended to discourage ‘going Nova’
Specialist Caster [General], prerequisites Spell point pool.
Benefit. Select a school of magic, When calculating the drain of a spell from this school, treat your CHR modifier as if it were 2 points higher.
You may take this feat multiple times, selecting a different school of magic each time.
So, what would this look like in play?
At low levels it only takes a couple hours of rest to be fully recharged
Heavy hitter spells are cast at decisive moments, while the caster relies more on the easy spells that don’t cause a build-up of drain.
Hows that spell point pool again?
The formula is Stat Modifier + Level!
A 3rd level Mage who has a 14 INT would have a pool of 2 (mod) + 1 + 2 + 3 = 8
A 3rd level Bard who has a 14 CHR would have a pool of 2 (mod) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 6
{math note, the ‘Half Progression really starts out at about 70% of the ‘Full progression’, but this slides towards the 50% mark near 20th level.}
My intent with this system is to enable low level casters to stay in the fight in a 4+ encounter per day setting while not breaking high level casters. The balancing factors used are a spell point pool that refreshes relatively quickly at low levels and 'Drain' that impacts on the characters hit points.
This is a draft..and I appreciate any comment/assistance.
Thanks to Sean Reynolds, Monte Cooke, Ranger Wickett, and the others who have added to this idea...whether they knew about it or not
[title]Magic System, balanced by Encounter[/title]
Vision: These rules should provide the Mage with the capability to sling spells in each encounter during the day while limiting the ‘Nova’ complex of most spell point based systems.
The spell caster pulls mystical energies together and channels it to warp reality, breaking the laws of the physical world at thier whim.
Classes.
Mages rely on their intelligence to control the mystical energies.
Sorcerers and Bards rely on their force of personality, or charisma
Clerics, Druids, and Paladins casters rely on their wisdom to draw out miracles from their faith.
New uses of skills:
Spell craft is the knowledge of managing mystical energies, regardless of its source. There are two uses of the skill that apply to this system:
• Centering, Standard action, DC 15, caster must have at least one spell point. By focusing on the mystical energies the caster is better able to protect her self from the dangers of channeling the energies. She gains a +5 centering bonus to Fort saves against Drain until her Center is lost.
• Refocus, Standard action, no check required but expends the casters Center. By cleansing her system of mystical energies she clears the increasing danger of channeling energies. Her Drain modifier is reset to zero.
New stuff to write on the character sheet:
Spell points. Keep track of spell points for each type of casting class separately {Arcane or Divine} You start with spell points equal to the prime stat modifiers + 1. Each time you gain a level of caster, you add that level to your total spell points. Half-progression casting classes such as the Bard and Paladin add half the level number rounded up. You will also want to write down what 1/8th of the max spell point pool.
Drain modifier. This starts at zero and build up as you cast more spells. Each casting of a spell adds an amount to the Drain modifier equal to the spell points spent minus the casters CHR modifier (min 0)
Caster Limit. This is your caster level rounded up to the next even number. For instance, a Mage of 1st level has a caster limit of 2…as does a Mage of 2nd level.
How to cast a spell:
Step 1: Select the spell; multiply the level by 2 to determine the cost in spell points. If the spell points total is greater then your caster limit, you must ‘overcast’ the spell.
Step 2: Face Drain
Step 3: Resolve the spell effects
Steps 1 and 3 are obvious, and work just like normal rules. Step 2, however, is the bugger.
Facing Drain: Channeling mystical energies can disrupt your body and soul. Casting a spell requires a Fort save vs DC 10 + the current Drain modifier. Failure results in taking damage equal to the Drain modifier.
If you are over-casting this damage is lethal and can disrupt casting, otherwise it is non-lethal and does not disrupt casting.
If you try to cast a spell for which you do not have spell points for, you automatically take lethal damage and face disruption of the spell. In addition, if you fail the Fort save you drop to -1 hit points...possibly after getting the spell off.
{math note, this DC means the Mage generally has a 50% chance of taking damage from their highest level spells.}
Recovering Spell Points:
You recover spell points as follows
1 point per level per hour of non-strenuous activity
2 points per level per hour of rest
1/8 max spell point pool per hour of sleep/meditation
Spells Known
Bards, Paladins, and Sorcerers use the Bard Spells known table (table 3-5 PHB) with one change, at first level they gain a ‘0’ for first level spells.
Mages, Clerics, and Druids use the Sorcerer known table (table 3-17 PHB)
Backlash Spell casting can warp the body and the mind. Each time the caster takes lethal damage from Drain they gain a stigma, whether it manifests as a physical mutilation or affects the casters personality does not matter. Depending on who the character interacts with, this stigma may be seen as repulsive, scary, disgusting, or pitiful.
There are some good Taint rules already done to add in here.
Feats
First, no feats should be made to reduce the time taken to Center or Refocus. The delay of a full round action is intended to discourage ‘going Nova’
Specialist Caster [General], prerequisites Spell point pool.
Benefit. Select a school of magic, When calculating the drain of a spell from this school, treat your CHR modifier as if it were 2 points higher.
You may take this feat multiple times, selecting a different school of magic each time.
So, what would this look like in play?
At low levels it only takes a couple hours of rest to be fully recharged
Heavy hitter spells are cast at decisive moments, while the caster relies more on the easy spells that don’t cause a build-up of drain.
Hows that spell point pool again?
The formula is Stat Modifier + Level!
A 3rd level Mage who has a 14 INT would have a pool of 2 (mod) + 1 + 2 + 3 = 8
A 3rd level Bard who has a 14 CHR would have a pool of 2 (mod) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 6
{math note, the ‘Half Progression really starts out at about 70% of the ‘Full progression’, but this slides towards the 50% mark near 20th level.}
