PIE: Proto-indo-european, copper age culture whose word for "iron" means "sky-metal" or "heaven-metal".
After the last winnowing session (it's amazing how productive "nope, that idea isn't what I'm quite looking for" can be), I've decided the following:
I like the "thematic pick" idea for spell selection and a "sorcerer" basis in that spells are not "prepared" but cast ad hoc from a "known" list. It would require close player-DM consultation, but I'm fine with that. Magic is neither "arcane" nor "divine", it's just "magic".
Other things I am considering:
d6 hit dice.
Light Armor (no casting penalties).
Simple weapons.
Wisdom or Charisma governs spellcasting, determined at level 1, player's option, but this would also determine other facets of the class. Charisma means an ecstatic magician while Wisdom means a non-ecstatic (amazing how the term "ecstatic" is so easy to find while a generic term for "guy who doesn't do trances or get all foamy at the mouth" isn't).
Fewer spells cast per day than the Sorcerer has--probaby same number as the Druid or the Wizard.
"Domain"-like abilities allied to the "Theme".
Figuring out how to balance the various Druidic abilities against "Domain" powers to permit them to be taken if that fits the "Theme".
Great reduction (elimination of many) of HP damage at range spells and/or converting many of them to touch only and permitting a Feat that allows "ranged touch" for an increase in spell level.
Some things I have determined, so I can use as a basis for the illusion of "balance".
Core character classes can never cast higher than 5th level spells. Anything more powerful requires a prestige class. The tradeoff is that higher-level core "magic guys" can cast more of those low-level spells but the prestige classes don't get more low-level spells for their prestige class levels.
The core "fight guy" class is the Warrior or a riff on the Warrior, just because. I've already got some serious smackdown combat prestige classes in the works (the House Carl--hell-on-wheels-with-turbo so long as he's wielding his great honking two-handed axe; the Bear Shirt Warrior--essentially a Barbarian crammed into a prestige class, etc.)
Magic items except for potions simply cannot be intentionally made in this world. Want an enchanted sword worthy of a hero? Do heroic deeds and your sword becomes imbued with "good stuff"--working out the mechanics on this. Another hero's sword might or might not work for you, depending on how close you are in bloodline and acts to the original hero--this allows for temporary "buff up" from clan treasures for times of great crisis.
Again, brainstorming is sought. I'll probably go "nah" on most of it, but somebody might see something I don't like and consider it worth incorporating.
After the last winnowing session (it's amazing how productive "nope, that idea isn't what I'm quite looking for" can be), I've decided the following:
I like the "thematic pick" idea for spell selection and a "sorcerer" basis in that spells are not "prepared" but cast ad hoc from a "known" list. It would require close player-DM consultation, but I'm fine with that. Magic is neither "arcane" nor "divine", it's just "magic".
Other things I am considering:
d6 hit dice.
Light Armor (no casting penalties).
Simple weapons.
Wisdom or Charisma governs spellcasting, determined at level 1, player's option, but this would also determine other facets of the class. Charisma means an ecstatic magician while Wisdom means a non-ecstatic (amazing how the term "ecstatic" is so easy to find while a generic term for "guy who doesn't do trances or get all foamy at the mouth" isn't).
Fewer spells cast per day than the Sorcerer has--probaby same number as the Druid or the Wizard.
"Domain"-like abilities allied to the "Theme".
Figuring out how to balance the various Druidic abilities against "Domain" powers to permit them to be taken if that fits the "Theme".
Great reduction (elimination of many) of HP damage at range spells and/or converting many of them to touch only and permitting a Feat that allows "ranged touch" for an increase in spell level.
Some things I have determined, so I can use as a basis for the illusion of "balance".
Core character classes can never cast higher than 5th level spells. Anything more powerful requires a prestige class. The tradeoff is that higher-level core "magic guys" can cast more of those low-level spells but the prestige classes don't get more low-level spells for their prestige class levels.
The core "fight guy" class is the Warrior or a riff on the Warrior, just because. I've already got some serious smackdown combat prestige classes in the works (the House Carl--hell-on-wheels-with-turbo so long as he's wielding his great honking two-handed axe; the Bear Shirt Warrior--essentially a Barbarian crammed into a prestige class, etc.)
Magic items except for potions simply cannot be intentionally made in this world. Want an enchanted sword worthy of a hero? Do heroic deeds and your sword becomes imbued with "good stuff"--working out the mechanics on this. Another hero's sword might or might not work for you, depending on how close you are in bloodline and acts to the original hero--this allows for temporary "buff up" from clan treasures for times of great crisis.
Again, brainstorming is sought. I'll probably go "nah" on most of it, but somebody might see something I don't like and consider it worth incorporating.
