The 32-page d20 Fantasy Spellbook

[JoeyD473]

I thought anything with more then 2 paragraphs was getting cut? Wish has more then 2 paragraphs.

LOL

However it seems to be a decent cut down of wish, but I'm not comparing them next to each other at the moment and doing it from memory

 

[TarionzCousin]

I peered into the future....

What are this week's winning lottery numbers?

I applaud your efforts. Thanks for making this a public offering. I am interested in what you devise.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

LOL

However it seems to be a decent cut down of wish, but I'm not comparing them next to each other at the moment and doing it from memory

It was probably already cut down a bit from the PHB in the SRD, which helps.

 

[der_kluge]

I'd love to help with this project. Though I suspect for everyone's sanity, we'd need to exactly clarify what your intention is.

Personally, I'd like to see more than a few spells get the axe completely (permanency, I'm looking at you!).

I'm also not a fan of spells which increase the amount of game overheard, and bog the game down exponentially. You know the ones.. Prayer, divine power, confusion, to name a few.

I'm a fan of spells which are "cast and forget" like Wall of Iron, or Invisibility. Where you cas the spell, and the DM says "OK", and it's a done deal. Those are the easiest fastest spells in the game. No dice, no counter-rolls, no looking up charts or anything. Just instantaneous effects. Those are the best spells, IMHO.

I think this is a noble effort.

I have my begun my own effort at making the game a simpler, most streamlined game. One of things I'm attempting to do to create 20 levels of spells, not 9. But, I wouldn't ask you to go to that level of extreme here for my sake.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

I have my begun my own effort at making the game a simpler, most streamlined game. One of things I'm attempting to do to create 20 levels of spells, not 9. But, I wouldn't ask you to go to that level of extreme here for my sake.

I'd also like to see a 20 level spell system instead of 9. It just makes sense for d20 games. Roughly, I would envision splitting each level in two, and putting spells that don't cause damage in the lower half and the damage spells in the upper half.

I don't think using a 20-level system instead of a 9-level system would really be much problem, just a matter of semantics and giving spellcasters access to more "fluff" spells per day.

However, for this project, let's just stick with changing what needs to be changed first. We can tackle the 20-level spell system later

Personally, I'd like to see more than a few spells get the axe completely (permanency, I'm looking at you!).

I'm also not a fan of spells which increase the amount of game overheard, and bog the game down exponentially. You know the ones.. Prayer, divine power, confusion, to name a few.

Sadly, 3.5 is full of magic that greatly increases paperwork. I don't like buff/debuff spells. Things like spell effect cards (I think enworld makes and sells some) help out with this, but ideally they wouldn't be necessary. So that's something else we need to look at.

Perhaps having a universal duration for all buffs/debuffs would help. Also, making the durations longer would reduce paperwork (ie, if they last hours [such as they did before the revision] instead of minutes or rounds) but would increase the effective power level of the spell, which I'm ok with. Just raise the spell level.

A spell like permanency doesn't really need to be a spell. It can be a ritual / class ability. The same with wish.

I'd love to help with this project. Though I suspect for everyone's sanity, we'd need to exactly clarify what your intention is.

This project is about insanity.

My intention is to create a magic supplement that can allow players to do everything they can currently do with magic at or around the same power level, but with less complexity and less rules bloat. I don't want to completely redesign the d20/D&D fantasy system. I just want cut out the fat.

This booklet should be compatible with all the 3.5 stuff, with a page or two of house rules. That doesn't mean that the spells can't be shuffled and re-named and split apart and so forth. I also plan on doing another booklet for all the classes including all the minor tweaks.

Basically, I have an arbitrary page count to reach, and I only want to change/simplify rules that will help me achieve that page count. However, all rules changes should be intuitive and simple, with an eye toward the "future" of d20.

None of this is set in stone.

 

[JoeyD473]

Personally, I'd like to see more than a few spells get the axe completely (permanency, I'm looking at you!).

I'm also not a fan of spells which increase the amount of game overheard, and bog the game down exponentially. You know the ones.. Prayer, divine power, confusion, to name a few.

Sadly, 3.5 is full of magic that greatly increases paperwork. I don't like buff/debuff spells. Things like spell effect cards (I think enworld makes and sells some) help out with this, but ideally they wouldn't be necessary. So that's something else we need to look at.

Perhaps having a universal duration for all buffs/debuffs would help. Also, making the durations longer would reduce paperwork (ie, if they last hours [such as they did before the revision] instead of minutes or rounds) but would increase the effective power level of the spell, which I'm ok with. Just raise the spell level.

Yes I agree that some spells do require simplification of their mechanics however to axe a lot of them doesn't make sense. The example of Permanancy, though it isn't used often (normally) is there for a purpose. I agree, a more universal buff/debuff duration sounds like a good idea.

On the topic of Buffs/Debuffs, I believe some to be too powerfull. For example cat's Grace, Buls Strength etc. etc. give a +4 bonus to a stat. I think it should either be +2 per three caster level with a max of like +6.

I'm a fan of spells which are "cast and forget" like Wall of Iron, or Invisibility. Where you cas the spell, and the DM says "OK", and it's a done deal. Those are the easiest fastest spells in the game. No dice, no counter-rolls, no looking up charts or anything. Just instantaneous effects. Those are the best spells, IMHO.

Insantaneous spells are the most used, however its the spells that take more work to do which leave the lasting impression.

I have my begun my own effort at making the game a simpler, most streamlined game. One of things I'm attempting to do to create 20 levels of spells, not 9. But, I wouldn't ask you to go to that level of extreme here for my sake.

I'd also like to see a 20 level spell system instead of 9. It just makes sense for d20 games. Roughly, I would envision splitting each level in two, and putting spells that don't cause damage in the lower half and the damage spells in the upper half.

I don't think using a 20-level system instead of a 9-level system would really be much problem, just a matter of semantics and giving spellcasters access to more "fluff" spells per day.

I've never played a system (or at least not enough to ralize it had a) with a 20 level spell system, sound slike a good idea and interesting

A spell like permanency doesn't really need to be a spell. It can be a ritual / class ability. The same with wish.

With Permanancy I agree definately, but wish, I'm not so sure.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

With Permanancy I agree definately, but wish, I'm not so sure.

I'm not sure which way I want wish to go, but from the description, it just seems to be three things rolled into one: the ability to cast another spell that the wizard might not normally be able to cast (such as resurrection or that super teleport), the ability to cast a high-level heal/remove curse/restoration, and the ability to create or modify a magic item.

 

[der_kluge]

Kluge's version of D&D thread is here:
http://www.circvsmaximvs.com/showthread.php?t=24389

You may need to register to read it. CircvsMaximvs is Enworld's sister site. Registration is free.


My 20 levels of spells project starts in post #60 on page 2.

So far I've done Arcane only.

 

[der_kluge]

Dimensional Anchor
Abjuration, Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Ray
Duration: 1 min./level
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

Any creature or object struck by the ray is unable to extradimensionally travel. This includes blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt and gate, among others. It does not interfere with the movement of creatures already in ethereal or astral form, nor does it block extradimensional perception or attack forms. Also, dimensional anchor does not prevent summoned creatures from disappearing at the end of a summoning spell.


Something like this?

 

[der_kluge]

CASTING TIME
Of course, with this rule in effect, 1st-level spells like sleep and summon monster I become 2nd-level spells. A travesty!

Sleep is already really weak, since it doesn't affect HD past 5, getting it at 3rd level means no one would ever use. Bumping Summon Monster I up to 2nd level means Summon Monster IX becomes a 10th level spell.

I would suggest keeping the 1 round casting time, and just listing it as an exception in the header. Otherwise, if the casting time is not listed, it's assumed to be a standard action.