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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nyeshet" data-source="post: 2368136" data-attributes="member: 18363">When the PC chooses two new spells upon gaining a second level, I allow the player to create new spells for free if they wish instead of taking some from the PBH/etc. So I've seen things like Cone of Fire (cone of cold), Ball Lightning (fireball), Wall of Crystal (wall of iron), etc. I've also seen spells not really comparable to anything on the PHB list. Of course, to learn new spells later - even ones from the offical list(s) - they have to research or find them. And in the latter case, assuming wizards, they have to make checks to understand them. There are. They just didn't make the final printing <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" /> Anyway, they can be if you want them to be. Its up to the players to ask for it when choosing their new spells (or researching them), and it is up to the DM to allow or disallow it (based on what the DM thinks is fair). For instance, sonic is a rare immunity, and it affects objects more readily than other energies, so I would only allow a sonic ball if the damage were lowered - either to 1d4 per level or perhaps even 1d6 per two levls. I would need some playtesting to decide which. Save or die spells are often more trouble than they are worth, particularly if the PC has no better than half a chance of success. In games where raise dead and resurrections are rare, they often are not worth the trouble. I pushed many of them up a level (unless they had and inherent limit - such as an hp limit, etc) and require researching for all such spells. As for level one: it would be too powerful. Magic missile is the only 'save or die' equivalent first level spell (as has already been pointed out). In fact, if you limit all of its damage to one target and rename it 'Evil Eye' or something similar it would work just as well as a save or die spell (rather like a super weak version of Power Word, Kill: if you have less hp than dmg rolled, you die). This is an entirely arbitrary decision on the part of the game designers. If you look at non-domain cleric spells, they are composed mostly of healing, buffs, protections, and classic miracles (walk on water, etc). For all other needs, a cleric uses domains, the 3.x version of spheres - albeit with far less spells and an additional 'domain ability'.If a player decided - upon character creation - that their sorcerer had his power due to celestial blood, I would likely allow that player to choose healing spells along with the traditional sor/wiz list. But then, the sorcerer should have different lists for different backgrounds. Wizards I would likely allow to research healing (esp as buffs, etc are already a part of there lists). After all, spells affecting negative and positive energies - often in ways far more complex than mere healing - are already part of their lists. At present, however, no sorcerer PC has thought to ask for a healing spell, and no wizard PC has thought to ask about researching a healing (or inflicting) spell. Of course, I think the only reason Inflicting spells were not given to Sor/Wiz was the game designers were worried about losing their rationel for not allowing arcane healing. Entirely arbitrary. Perhaps also to allow a spell at a lower level than normal for a particular class by pointing out it is higher on another class. Also, I think - as some others have stated - that they wanted to emphasize certain spells for certain classes. This again is entirely arbitrary. Also, they likely looked to some animals as inherently more 'fiendish' (in appearance or nature) than certain other animals. For instance, if celestial unicorn were on the summon monster list, would you want fiendish unicorn beside it? Or would you prefer fiendish nightmare? Its still arbitrary, but it makes a little sense. However, as I do not have my books in front of me at this instant I cannot say whether their lists similarly made sense or not. A fiendish wolf, for instance, would be playing directly to fairy tales (in fact, nearly all pre-modern european stories had a decidely negative slant towards wolves), while a celestial lion would also be playing towards popular conceptions (lion-hearted, etc; sorry, but personally I view most male lions as far less than noble in any respect; the mane, however, convinced most of europe, it seems, that they were 'crowned' amongst the feline kingdom).Personally, I am using the vancian magic system less and less often, and the Elements of Magic, Revised system more and more often. I haven't fully transferred over. I still sometimes use the vancian system (as it is still more familiar, at present, for myself and my players), but the system you seem to want is the EoMR system. It has internal consistancy and is very balanced, as best as I can tell. The main issue is that many classes and monsters need a little conversion - especially anything that uses casting (such as a bard). It is easier to use the (primary) casting classes the system provides than to convert the sor, wiz, clr, etc. If you don't mind recreating the druid, the cleric, and the bard, and also using another few classes instead of the sor or the wiz, then the EoMR system is your best bet for a consistant and balanced system. Note that initially it is more difficult to use, as the DM and players both have to work a bit more to make use of it. But once you are used to it you would be hard pressed to find a better system. And perhaps best yet, it is very easy to apply minor alterations to the system.</blockquote>

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