Wizards of High Sorcery work in progress

[Cam Banks]

I'm using the Spellscarred from the FR Player's Guide as inspiration for handling the Wizards of High Sorcery from Dragonlance. Essentially, there's a feat you take when you pass the Test, and anybody who passes the Test becomes affected by the phases of the moons. Multiclass power swap feats allow access to new powers based on the mage's Order (Black, Red, White). This also keeps mages in Dragonlance focused on being a WoHS, since you can't multiclass into more than one "class."

Trying to determine however if some of the moon magic rules are sufficiently balanced. Here's what I have at the moment:

Lunar Influence: When you pass the Test, whether or not you take the Mage of the Robes multiclass feat, you become attuned with the phases of your patron moon. When your moon is full (High Sanction) your power increases, though when it is new (Low Sanction) the opposite is true. Once a day, when under the influence of your moon in High Sanction, you regain the use of a single daily power upon reaching your first milestone. In addition, creatures that attempt saving throws against your spells suffer a –1 penalty to the roll. If your moon is in Low Sanction, you are unable to use one of your prepared daily powers until you reach your first milestone, and creatures that attempt saving throws against your spells gain a +1 bonus to the roll.

What do you think? Too much? Should I limit it to utility powers? I don't want to bother with rituals and so forth, as they're not as immediately satisfying a mechanic for the influence of the moon phases on a wizard's power.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[keterys]

I'd suggest modifying attack rolls instead of saving throws. Too easy to game saves.

So, 1/2 the time there's no difference. 1/4 of the time, you gain an extra use of your most powerful daily. 1/4 of the time, you delay using your least powerful daily until at least the 3rd encounter. (Plus the save differences)

I definitely like where you're going with this, but it doesn't quite feel right at the moment.

 

[Cam Banks]

Right. I think I've got some of what I want, but it needs work.

The key issue also is that the moons have longer cycles. Solinari's is 36 days, Lunitari 28, and Nuitari 8. This means, depending on how you read it, a White Robed mage is going to benefit from High Sanction 9 days in a row, whereas a Black Robe gets the benefits for only 2 days. Of course, what goes around comes around, since Solinari is in Low Sanction for 9 days, too.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Henry]

The key issue also is that the moons have longer cycles. Solinari's is 36 days, Lunitari 28, and Nuitari 8.

Aren't Nuitari and Lunitari Backward? I thought it was the Red Moon that had phases faster than a spinning coin, and the Black Moon that was the moderately fast one.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Aren't Nuitari and Lunitari Backward? I thought it was the Red Moon that had phases faster than a spinning coin, and the Black Moon that was the moderately fast one.

Nope, Cam's got the right phases.

Cam, I think the days balance out. Remember, the Black Robes are supposed to gain power quicker, while the White Robes are supposed to take the slower route, but be more powerful in the end. I believe that's how DLA presents it, at least. So the lunar cycles can represent that.

Please bring this up on the DL boards, if you haven't already.

 

[Cam Banks]

Please bring this up on the DL boards, if you haven't already.

I went to the gearheads first, man. I'll post what I have to the DL boards once it's in better shape.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Khaalis]

Just to throw in my $0.02 worth... I'm not keen on the Refresh/Delay of the daily power as a mechanic to reflect the influence of "power" from your patron moon. It just feels... "off". It doesn't seem to fit with the cleaner feel to most of the 4E basic mechanics. Personally I would stick to basic bonuses/penalties such as any-and-or-all of:
* Bonus / Penalty to Attack rolls with powers
* Bonus / Penalty to Damage with powers
* Bonus / Penalty to Arcana checks
* Bonus / Penalty to Defenses against magic

 

[Cam Banks]

I'm keen on using the notion of milestones somehow in this, because I think that's an area of the game that has some legs and represents time in a way that can be measured fairly consistently. I could go the easy route and provide them with bonuses to things, but it seems as if that's missing out on an opportunity, and then it's far too easy just to stack those up with other things.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Khaalis]

I'm keen on using the notion of milestones somehow in this, because I think that's an area of the game that has some legs and represents time in a way that can be measured fairly consistently. I could go the easy route and provide them with bonuses to things, but it seems as if that's missing out on an opportunity, and then it's far too easy just to stack those up with other things.

Cheers,
Cam

The only problem I have with this is that the Milestone is a much argued issue with 4E. Most people feel it is clunky, artificial, and an unrealistic concept of breaking up the "adventuring day". Most people find it to feel like a last minute "add-on" to try and give SOME reason to not have a 1 encounter adventuring day.

What about the wizard that isn't 'adventuring' and wracking up 'milestones'? In such a case they have no effect from their patron moon at sanction. Its JMHO, but I think that the moon's effect's should be more consistent. It makes no sense that say during Low Sanction, I suffer no penalties whatsoever, so as long as I do nothing to wrack up a "milestone", but once I have I suddenly take a penalty.

Again, JMHO.

 

[keterys]

Most people feel it is clunky, artificial, and an unrealistic concept of breaking up the "adventuring day". Most people find it to feel like a last minute "add-on" to try and give SOME reason to not have a 1 encounter adventuring day.

The word you want is 'many'. There are people who object, but there's no reason to think it's most.

The milestone mechanic is a good one to build off because it also encourages not resting immediately. Especially when you've just given someone a reason that certain days matter to them and others don't, that's reasonable.

One nice thing about restoring the daily is that it feels more interesting than a static bonus. My concern is primarily around power.

Now, to take an entirely different tact - what if you did it something like expanded spellbook and said that the wizard had access to more spells during high sanction and less during low?

In such a case they have no effect from their patron moon at sanction.

Sure they do, +1/-1 to saves and one less daily during Low.

Though none of those really affect a mage not adventuring, but neither does almost anything.

Suppose you could give a bonus/penalty to Arcana based on moon. Or just a bonus during high.