Well the annoying thing about truename magic is that each time you make an utterance you need to make a truespeak chec just to be able to do it and it isn't a flat DC. It also didn't have many buffs for its DC against targets making it ineffective and limited. It was also knowledge nightmare to deal with as a player, having to find and know other truenames helping your utterances along while trying to hide yours so you wouldn't be more susceptible. It was cool flavor wise, but if you want to use it eliminate the truespeaking element and apply standard casting buffs/rules you deem appropriate. Since everyone will be using it I am assuming brokenness will be less of an issue.Actually that's the opposite of what I'm going for, it goes against theme, the HP setting has magic on tap and they don't ever seem to run out. That's why I was looking at Recharge Magic.
....Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that! I even have that book I just totally forgot about that system!
If I remember right the DCs were kind of borked resulting in a need for a particular magic item to even out the math, anyone else remember if it had statistical issues to deal with?
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Thoughts on Harry Potter d20
- Thread starter HeavenShallBurn
- Start date
I understand what you mean, but that's one problem between universes: what is somewhat trivial to do in one can be hard to perform in another.
What I meant is that 13-15 level characters are among the very strongest of most DnD campaign settings; a normal student getting to such a high level seems implausible at a first glance. I would imagine something like earning between 1 to 1 and a half levels worth of experience points per school year would be more sensible, and the higher levels would be gotten working as Aurors for the Ministry of Magic, for instance.
HeavenShallBurn
First Post
Absolutely, the biggest issue is trying to preserve the overall feel of the source material without turning it into a mechanical nightmare.
The problem is really one of how to place Potterverse wizards on the power scale, and there are some fundamental differences of setting assumption. In a standard setting 14-15 are some of the very strongest in the setting and there aren't many. Then you have the HPverse where any fifth year wizard is capable of colonizing Mars if they applied the magic seen in canon intelligently, where dragons are kept on reserves and treated as semi-domesticated animals.
It's an issue of setting assumptions more than anything else, standard setting have PCs of races that have no inherent power and advance through gaining class levels via adventures. Potterverse wizards are more like titans or dragons in that they are members of an immensely powerful race who need only mature into using the power within them, that any one of them is potentially capable of toppling nations single-handedly if they use that power to full potential. The ramifications of the demonstrated power of any fully educated Potterverse wizard place them in an equivalent position to upper-tier NPCs. Going by what the books show Aurors/Death Eaters/Ministry Personnel aren't any better at magic than any other Hogwarts graduate. The rare HP wizard that isn't satisfied with what they can already do with a seven year education (such as Dumbledore & Riddle) are epic characters whom we only see two of in all seven books, with another pair shuffled across the periphery as centuries old geniuses.
So while the PCs would level you need to make the campaign and setting about something beyond that. So that gaining a level is something that happens over time not a primary goal in itself.
Try this to adjust truenaming DCs and the like.
10+Base Intelligence Modifier to Cast the Spell+Caster Level+Spell Level.
For example, "Suggestion", a third level spell, as cast by a Wizard:
10+2+5+3= 20
A level 5 Wizard would presumably have an intelligence of at least 20 (for a +5 modifier), and at least 8 ranks in "Casting". Assuming they had no items which increased their casting skill level (and it'd be prudent to houserule that you could not buff this skill, at least not directly...) then a level 5 wizard would be able to successfully cast "Suggestion" a third of the time.
Keep in mind a level 5 wizard could cast a lvl 1 spell with a caster level of 1, making it much much easier to cast that spell.
Regardless, casting a spell increases the difficulty for casting another spell of that spell level by +1, and casting that specific spell again by an additional +1.
For example, if you had fireball and suggestion and cast suggestion it would increase the DC to cast Suggestion by +2 the next time around and increase the DC to cast Fireball by +1 (as it is also a third level spell).
Really, just put ticks next to the spell level and the spell to keep track.
As far as DCs go, just work it like normal spells.
The one thing about this system is how do you deal with all the pain in the ass +7827568234765 to Skills.
If simply writing them all out of the game sounds unappealing and players and the DM still wish to allow at least some skill bonus allow the creation of magic "wands" or "orbs" or whatever that have a new type of bonus..
The Omni Bonus.
Due to the inherent "weirdness" of magical items those items that are connected to the spirit of the one who wields it bend fate in such a way as to make all other bonuses null.
In other words The Wand (or whatever instrument) gives a permanent significant buff to your ability to cast spells successfully, but does so by bending fate in such a way that it nullifies all other buffs that could be cast on you, whether morale, circumstance, or whatever.
Let's say you're a 20th level Wizard who wants to cast WotB. Minimum caster level for that is 17, minimum intelligence modifier is +4. So 10+4+17+9 (for spell level)= 40.
A wizard with 36 intelligence would have a +13 bonus, and a +23 ranks in the Caster skill, for 36. Assuming you gave your Wizards a wand that buffed their skill by say +10, they should be able to cast WotB without failure at least a few times.
The Wizard still always fails on a 1.
10+Base Intelligence Modifier to Cast the Spell+Caster Level+Spell Level.
For example, "Suggestion", a third level spell, as cast by a Wizard:
10+2+5+3= 20
A level 5 Wizard would presumably have an intelligence of at least 20 (for a +5 modifier), and at least 8 ranks in "Casting". Assuming they had no items which increased their casting skill level (and it'd be prudent to houserule that you could not buff this skill, at least not directly...) then a level 5 wizard would be able to successfully cast "Suggestion" a third of the time.
Keep in mind a level 5 wizard could cast a lvl 1 spell with a caster level of 1, making it much much easier to cast that spell.
Regardless, casting a spell increases the difficulty for casting another spell of that spell level by +1, and casting that specific spell again by an additional +1.
For example, if you had fireball and suggestion and cast suggestion it would increase the DC to cast Suggestion by +2 the next time around and increase the DC to cast Fireball by +1 (as it is also a third level spell).
Really, just put ticks next to the spell level and the spell to keep track.
As far as DCs go, just work it like normal spells.
The one thing about this system is how do you deal with all the pain in the ass +7827568234765 to Skills.
If simply writing them all out of the game sounds unappealing and players and the DM still wish to allow at least some skill bonus allow the creation of magic "wands" or "orbs" or whatever that have a new type of bonus..
The Omni Bonus.
Due to the inherent "weirdness" of magical items those items that are connected to the spirit of the one who wields it bend fate in such a way as to make all other bonuses null.
In other words The Wand (or whatever instrument) gives a permanent significant buff to your ability to cast spells successfully, but does so by bending fate in such a way that it nullifies all other buffs that could be cast on you, whether morale, circumstance, or whatever.
Let's say you're a 20th level Wizard who wants to cast WotB. Minimum caster level for that is 17, minimum intelligence modifier is +4. So 10+4+17+9 (for spell level)= 40.
A wizard with 36 intelligence would have a +13 bonus, and a +23 ranks in the Caster skill, for 36. Assuming you gave your Wizards a wand that buffed their skill by say +10, they should be able to cast WotB without failure at least a few times.
The Wizard still always fails on a 1.
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Good points.
Samloyal23
Adventurer
I'm not fully up on the Potterverse. In game terms, what do their wands actually do? Are they just a focus, or do they alter the way spells are cast?
HeavenShallBurn
First Post
That depends on how you interpret setting canon. They clearly do serve a purpose since they react to contact with wizards and can "fit" a wizard with vary degrees of compatibility. They also clearly aren't entirely necessary because we see that both accidental magic is possible and we see some wandless magic in use during the series.
I favor the interpretation that they serve primarily as a mental focus, just like words. Potterverse magic is above all else a direct application of force of will and belief to alter reality. The words are a mnemonic device Potterverse wizards are taught in order to make the mental focus and effort of their magic easier and more controllable. But wizards are expected to learn casting silently before they leave Hogwarts. Similarly I think wands need to be matched in order to properly conduct the magical energy used by wizards, but their primary purpose is to serve as a mental key so that wizards aren't doing magic with every stray thought. By conditioning them in such a way that they only do magic in concert with the wand it creates a subconscious association that mostly prevents them from working magic without it.
But for primarily setting reasons they would be considered a focus item (required to cast) unless characters bought that off via a feat or feat chain. One I personally wouldn't make available without significant in-character roleplay to justify.
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