Your favorite alternate D&D magic system?

[jdrakeh]

What is the favorite alternate magic system of ENWorld posters? I'd love to know what I should be shooting for in my own games/campaigns.

[Edit: I voted for the Legends of Excalibur system, myself, as that is currently the system attracting my fancy.]

 

[blargney the second]

We use something very similar to UA spell points. I vastly prefer it to the Vanciish default.

 

[GlassEye]

Elements of Magic, Revised. I've heard EoM:Mythic Earth is also very good but I haven't yet looked it over.

 

[FireLance]

Blade Magic (Book of Nine Swords).

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Not trying to be snyde or argumentative here, but my favorite system is to eliminate magic altogether and simply use psionics.

That would get my vote. I suppose this would mean that I would vote for the UA variant. But, since I've never seen any of the other systems, my vote isn't really that meaningful. Go psionics!

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Other: Elements of Magic: Revised.. the ultimate 'build your own' spell system

I have an encounter based variant bouncing around in my head.. once it settles I will be posting around here about it

 

[Thaedrus]

Psionics is really the best "variant" magic system. Since it works similarly to the UA spellpoint system, that would get my vote if psionics doesn't work.

 

[3d6]

Psionics. The system is actually pretty easy to adapt to use the normal SRD spells, which is a plus.

 

[Thanee]

Other. None of the above.

I prefer something like Shadowrun, where spellcasting gives you fatigue.

Not sure, actually, if any of the above does this, but considering, that D&D has no real fatigue system (except for the fatigued/exhausted states), probably not.


Other than that, I like the Vancian Magic best, actually.

Anything with a reserve of Spell Points, Mana, or similar concept rates very low on the scale.
That's about the worst approach possible IMHO.

Bye
Thanee

 

[jdrakeh]

Other. None of the above.

I prefer something like Shadowrun, where spellcasting gives you fatigue.

Not sure, actually, if any of the above does this, but considering, that D&D has no real fatigue system (except for the fatigued/exhausted states), probably not.

You can gain fatigue in the form of non-lethal damage in True Sorcery and (IIRC) in the BCC system that it is built on. Magic is considerably less user-friendly in both.