Vitality for Spells?

[0-hr]

A friend is putting together a homebrew D&D 3.5 game and likes this idea of using a Wound/Vitality system in conjunction with spell casting (like how the Force powers work in d20 StarWars).

Is there any exisiting work (published or homebrew) that already does this? We're not looking for spell points or fatigue saves - but a Wound/Vitality system that ties into the 3.5 D&D spells and class mechanics.

Any help will be much appreciated!

 

[Pyrex]

The D&D spell system isn't well geared for that, but what you could do is use the 3.5 Psionics rules, drop Power Points and then require characters to expend Vitality in place of PP.

This, of course, seriously penalizes Psions & Wilders, but that's going to be a problem with any magic system that requires casters to expend Vitality to cast...

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

Hrm... not quite, but the T20 sorcery does have something similar... basically, you take subdual damage with every spell cast. The amount of damage is based on the spell, and you can cast as many spells as you have HP... until you fall unconscious, that is. I love the system, as it also allows you to create your own spells on the fly - however, if you want to just use the base D&D spells, they can all be recreated in the system, and most of them already are as examples.

I think it might be a bit more complex than you are looking for, but maybe you can draw elements from the book into your campaign. I, personally, cannot give enough praise on the product (other than the fact that it does have a distinct learning curve, so be warned). It is what I use in my own homebrew D&D 3.5 world in place of the sorcerer, cleric, wizard and psion.

 

[Geoff Watson]

You'd have to change or get rid of healing magic, as the spellcasters could fully recharge between battles by using cure light wounds, or recharge mid-battle with more powerful healing spells.

Geoff.

 

[Nadaka]

You'd have to change or get rid of healing magic, as the spellcasters could fully recharge between battles by using cure light wounds, or recharge mid-battle with more powerful healing spells.

Geoff.

Not exactly. With W/VP you recover your vitality every hour anyway.

I would however change healing in that it can heal 1 wound point per spell level or grant temporary bonus vitality points (that can not be used to cast spells). That should be sufficient to keep the spellcasters from recovering spell power in the middle of a battle.

 

[Nifft]

ISTR what SWd20 does is basically allow you to use magic to heal Wound points, but nothing can heal Vitality points (except the passage of time).

Seems straightforward after that.

-- N

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

You'd have to change or get rid of healing magic, as the spellcasters could fully recharge between battles by using cure light wounds, or recharge mid-battle with more powerful healing spells.

Geoff.

Actually, in True20 Sorcery healing doesn't work like that. (And it is made to replace the basic D&D casters, not in conjunction with.) Yeah, I could heal myself, but I would take additional drain (subdual damage) for doing so. Basically, you usually wait for it to heal by itself, as it usually doesn't get you much to heal in between battles... for example, if I have 10 points of subdual, I could cast the equivalent of cure light - and take a d8+2 in subdual. The gain isn't worth it most of the time. And the subdual damage scales depending on what you add to the spell. You could actually end up with more drain than you had before you cast the healing spell.

 

[0-hr]

I don't supose there is an existing system that turns the D&D spells into skills (again, like d20 StarWars and the Force)?

 

[Simm]

If you want skill based spell casting maybe you could modify epic spell casting for normal use.

 

[Goddess FallenAngel]

True 20 Sorcery uses Spellcraft checks to cast the spells, but that is the closest I know of.