Wizard Spell Overloading

[memesis]

This is a house rule for a game-world where magic is drawn from another plane inhabited by a LARGE number of beings.

Wizards prepare spells by "capturing" magical energy/beings (there is no real distinction) in a dreamlike trance, then releasing the energy into the physical world when they're ready to cast the spell. The spells per day in this case is merely the "safe limit" for a wizard of a given level.

Wizards can prepare extra spells, of any level they can legally cast. They make a Concentration check with a DC of 10+total number of levels being prepared today. Failure means, basically, monster attack - SOMETHING nasty comes through to attack the wizard, and the benefits of preparation at that time are lost. If the wizard retained spells from previous day(s), he loses a total number of prepared spell levels equal to how much the roll was failed by, GM's fiat which.

Wizards can also retain spells from the previous day, with this limit counting towards their total number of spells; thus, INT 11 level 1 wizard could prepare a spell on Day 1, keep it for Day 2 and prepare another spell, with a Concentration DC of 11.

The point of this rule was to provide wizards, especially low-level wizards, with a little more to do than just cast their magic missile and run away. The DC is flexible, as is the CR of any creature(s) that come through, so a wizard who makes a habit of overloading might attract something quite large and nasty.

 

[DreamChaser]

You say that the DC is based on the total number of levels prepared? Then this rule heavily favors lower level casters and is practially useless to high level casters (what level do cantrips count as?). A first level wizard is only going to be preparing 2 (maybe 3) (counting cantrips as .5 level) levels of spells making his DC 12 or 13.

A 10th level character prepares 45 levels making his DC 55 which is an epic level skill DC.

A 20th level character prepares 182 levels making his DC 192 which is simply impossible at any level really.

I like the idea of the ability but I don't think that this system is workable.

DC

 

[memesis]

You say that the DC is based on the total number of levels prepared? Then this rule heavily favors lower level casters and is practially useless to high level casters (what level do cantrips count as?).

Well, er.. that was sort of the whole point.

Low-level casters in my considered opinion DO need an extra boost, even if it puts them at a little risk (which gives wizards every reason to make and keep friends). By the time you are throwing around serious spells of level 5 and above, you're probably independent of the need to overload - you can compensate with scrolls, wands and so forth instead.

 

[DreamChaser]

but in theory, this should be a magical skill that is honed like others. It doesn't make sense that a wizard should become LESS capable of doing something as he becomes more skilled a wizard.

 

[memesis]

My counter to that is that memorizing more spells IS a skill wizards develop however, it's a skill that becomes progressively safer to use.

One approach is to let Wizards buy, as a feat (regular or bonus), the ability to lower the DC of overloaded Concentration checks. Finding the proper balance for the amount of reduction shouldn't be too difficult. "Any two metamagical feats" as a prerequisite should keep it out of PC's hands at very low levels.