Spellscasters without spell slots...

[ARandomGod]

I am about to start creating a world for my campaigns using alot of the rules that are floating around in the various OGL licensed books and from the Expeditious Press books. I would like your thoughts on allowing magic users to be able to cast any spell that they know without limiting them to X amount of slots per day. I would be using the recharing magic rules found in Unearthed Arcana. I may also add a skill roll to cast a spell with the idea being you get so many for free and after that your DC to cast goes up by 2 or so until you have rested for X hours (I have seen this work well in other games). I will not be using the standard spellcasting classes in the PHB. Instead I will be using a variations of the Magister class and the Witch class both of which can be found in Monte Cooks AU. The magister will be the wizard replacement and the Witch will be the Sorceror replacement. As for the rest of the spell casting classes I am unsure at this point which ones I will have in my world. Thoughts? Suggestions? Anyone doing this already?

TIA,

Gilwen

In one camapign I'm playing in the DM is testing a spell system with no x slots per day, but still with levels... and uses a skill when casting.
Basically when you cast a spell, no matter what the level, it will go off... not, to prevent a spellcaster from being able to cast a ninth level spell at level there are rolls required to learn the spell too.
When the spell goes off, make a roll, add it to your spellcasting skill. Each spell when it goes off has a backlash, which the spellcaster can absorb the result of the roll + the skill check, the rest is a straight HP hit. Each time you cast a spell of that level, add an amount of potential damage to the amount that that level of spell deals...
Then there are other feats and things gained. Amounts of energy dissipated harmlessly into the surrounding (amount that can be dissipated and definitely harm the area), higher levels gain a delay damage feat, so that only part is taken now, and part later (still only one dissipation check).

I am not the one playing this character. Hence I don't know a whole lot about it off the top of my head. On the other hand, we've discussed the mechanics before, they seem feasible (especially in his campaign), and they give an interesting feel to the magics. Sometimes you can cast a lot (good rolls), sometimes a little. There's often some risk associated (higher level casters can cast many low level spells without worrying about backlash, they automatically have the skills to counter a number of castings without harm), more risk with bigger spells... nothing other than impending death to stop you from overcasting. That delay damage ability is particularly gamblriffic. You could potentially cast enough spells to kill yourself several times over before dropping dead... But if there's a handy healer you could get healing before death as the damage comes in in increments, but if something happens to that source of healing between casting and taking damage, or if you just make a bad roll at a bad time...