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<blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 5484718" data-attributes="member: 45197">Hiya.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, seems nobody has mentioned it yet, so...&nbsp;&nbsp; My favorite magic system is an old one from a RPG called &quot;Powers &amp; Perils&quot; (which, by the way, you can get most of the rules for free from: <a href="http://www.powersandperils.org" target="_blank">www.powersandperils.org</a> ).&nbsp;&nbsp; Basically, you have a MEL (Magic Experience Level). This is basically how experienced you are in the magical arts (in D&amp;D'ism...your &quot;level&quot;). To cast spells you use Mana Points. &nbsp;&nbsp; Your spells all have an &quot;EL&quot; (Expertise Level)...this is how good you are at that spell. All spells start at EL 0 and increase only via actually casting them. You can choose to cast a spell at a lower EL than you have it at...this reduces your casting cost (Mana Points), but also reduces it's effectiveness. Spells also have a Base Mana Cost (which is how difficult and 'expensive' it is to cast...simple spells may have a BMC of 1 to 3, but the most powerful ones have BMC's of 10 to 15 or more). The BMC also determines how hard it is to increase your EL in that spell.&nbsp;&nbsp; Your total Mana goes up when your MEL goes up.&nbsp;&nbsp; The bottom line is that if you are a 20-year veteren arch-mage of 17th MEL, but you've only ever cast &quot;Foyson Theft&quot; twice in your lifetime...you're gonna suck with it; you'll cast it successfully, most likely, but it's not going to be very powerful at all, as your EL is probably still 0 or maybe 1.&nbsp;&nbsp; Anyway, the added benefit of this system is that wands, rods and staves help a wizard with casting spells (reduces casting cost and allows you to cast 'more mana' than you normally could). These can also be enchanted with specific spells and all that goodness that comes with it, as normal.&nbsp;&nbsp; I love that system! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Magic is quite powerful, to be sure, but it can also be dangerous...the three results for casting a spell are &quot;Success&quot;, &quot;Failure&quot;, and &quot;Abysmal Failure&quot;. You do NOT want to get the later! I once had the BBEG goblin shaman-warrior, for his first action of the combat, get an Abysmal Failure on a Chain Lighning spell...he died in a spectacular display of electrical fireworks and a satisfying &quot;BZZZ-KA-BOOOM!&quot;. His followers stared dumbfounded for a few seconds (as did the party). Then they promptly dropped their weapons and surrendered. Not *quite* the ending I had in mind for the adventure, but definitly memorable! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />&nbsp;^_^&nbsp;Paul L. Ming</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pming, post: 5484718, member: 45197"] Hiya. Well, seems nobody has mentioned it yet, so... My favorite magic system is an old one from a RPG called "Powers & Perils" (which, by the way, you can get most of the rules for free from: [URL="http://www.powersandperils.org"]www.powersandperils.org[/URL] ). Basically, you have a MEL (Magic Experience Level). This is basically how experienced you are in the magical arts (in D&D'ism...your "level"). To cast spells you use Mana Points. Your spells all have an "EL" (Expertise Level)...this is how good you are [i]at that spell[/i]. All spells start at EL 0 and increase only via actually casting them. You can choose to cast a spell at a lower EL than you have it at...this reduces your casting cost (Mana Points), but also reduces it's effectiveness. Spells also have a Base Mana Cost (which is how difficult and 'expensive' it is to cast...simple spells may have a BMC of 1 to 3, but the most powerful ones have BMC's of 10 to 15 or more). The BMC also determines how hard it is to increase your EL in that spell. Your total Mana goes up when your MEL goes up. The bottom line is that if you are a 20-year veteren arch-mage of 17th MEL, but you've only ever cast "Foyson Theft" twice in your lifetime...you're gonna suck with it; you'll cast it successfully, most likely, but it's not going to be very powerful at all, as your EL is probably still 0 or maybe 1. Anyway, the added benefit of this system is that wands, rods and staves help a wizard with casting spells (reduces casting cost and allows you to cast 'more mana' than you normally could). These can also be enchanted with specific spells and all that goodness that comes with it, as normal. I love that system! :) Magic is quite powerful, to be sure, but it can also be dangerous...the three results for casting a spell are "Success", "Failure", and "Abysmal Failure". You do NOT want to get the later! I once had the BBEG goblin shaman-warrior, for his first action of the combat, get an Abysmal Failure on a Chain Lighning spell...he died in a spectacular display of electrical fireworks and a satisfying "BZZZ-KA-BOOOM!". His followers stared dumbfounded for a few seconds (as did the party). Then they promptly dropped their weapons and surrendered. Not *quite* the ending I had in mind for the adventure, but definitly memorable! :) ^_^ Paul L. Ming [/QUOTE]

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