I'm finally starting a serious 3E campaign, and am putting together some house rules before I start... Figured this would be the best place to get my ideas ripped apart before my players do it...
These changes are the most significant I'm making, and therefore the most likely to be changed as we play. First, all spellcasting classes gain the Eschew Materials feat - I've always ignored all but the more expensive material components by just assuming everyone has them..
But the biggest change is that there are no limits to the number of times a spellcaster may cast a spell they know in a day. Spellcasting requires a d20 roll, just like melee; a natural '20' result is an automatic success, and a natural '1' is an automatic failure. The base DC for spellcasting is 10 + (spell level x3). The spellcaster may apply their appropriate stat bonus (WIS/INT), and a bonus equal their caster level (rounded up).
For example, a first level cleric with a WIS of 16 casts Bless: DC is 13 (10 + 3). Caster has a bonus of +3 (WIS) and +1 (level). So, the cleric would need to roll a 9 or better to cast the spell. An 18th level wizard with an INT of 22 (bonus of 6+18=24) casting Time Stop (DC of 10+27=37) would need a roll of 13 or better.
If a spellcaster fails the spellcasting roll, the spell is NOT cast, and the spellcaster takes subdual damage equal to the spell level. So, cast as many spells as you want, and knock yourself out. Literally…
Since all spellcasters (even Bards) still “prepare” their spells, casting times (and changes to casting time from metamagic feats) are based on the concept that all spells are prepared.
Concentration rolls for spellcasting are done before the spellcasting roll; a failed Concentration check counts as failing the spellcasting roll also, with the effects noted above (subdual damage).
No changes to spell preparation - Wizards still need spell books (and Bards now have songbooks, or something similar). If they don't have them, well, that's what the Spell Mastery feat is still good for. If a spellcaster is unable to prepare spells for any reason, they are considered to be out of slots for the purposes of casting below. Preparation just doesn’t equate to memorization anymore. Clerics now study and learn “prayers” similar to how Wizards learn spells, they just don’t carry books around (ie, the number of spells a cleric knows increases like wizards), and they automatically know the appropriate domain spell when they gain that level of spells.
[NOTE: We’re probably going to be tweaking this system a lot in play at first, esp. since this means high-level Wizards can cast Time Stop repeatedly; also, I’d like to figure out how to combine this with Concentration to require only one roll for spellcasting.]
These changes are the most significant I'm making, and therefore the most likely to be changed as we play. First, all spellcasting classes gain the Eschew Materials feat - I've always ignored all but the more expensive material components by just assuming everyone has them..
But the biggest change is that there are no limits to the number of times a spellcaster may cast a spell they know in a day. Spellcasting requires a d20 roll, just like melee; a natural '20' result is an automatic success, and a natural '1' is an automatic failure. The base DC for spellcasting is 10 + (spell level x3). The spellcaster may apply their appropriate stat bonus (WIS/INT), and a bonus equal their caster level (rounded up).
For example, a first level cleric with a WIS of 16 casts Bless: DC is 13 (10 + 3). Caster has a bonus of +3 (WIS) and +1 (level). So, the cleric would need to roll a 9 or better to cast the spell. An 18th level wizard with an INT of 22 (bonus of 6+18=24) casting Time Stop (DC of 10+27=37) would need a roll of 13 or better.
If a spellcaster fails the spellcasting roll, the spell is NOT cast, and the spellcaster takes subdual damage equal to the spell level. So, cast as many spells as you want, and knock yourself out. Literally…
Since all spellcasters (even Bards) still “prepare” their spells, casting times (and changes to casting time from metamagic feats) are based on the concept that all spells are prepared.
Concentration rolls for spellcasting are done before the spellcasting roll; a failed Concentration check counts as failing the spellcasting roll also, with the effects noted above (subdual damage).
No changes to spell preparation - Wizards still need spell books (and Bards now have songbooks, or something similar). If they don't have them, well, that's what the Spell Mastery feat is still good for. If a spellcaster is unable to prepare spells for any reason, they are considered to be out of slots for the purposes of casting below. Preparation just doesn’t equate to memorization anymore. Clerics now study and learn “prayers” similar to how Wizards learn spells, they just don’t carry books around (ie, the number of spells a cleric knows increases like wizards), and they automatically know the appropriate domain spell when they gain that level of spells.
[NOTE: We’re probably going to be tweaking this system a lot in play at first, esp. since this means high-level Wizards can cast Time Stop repeatedly; also, I’d like to figure out how to combine this with Concentration to require only one roll for spellcasting.]
