hiryuu
2009-12-02, 02:20 PM
Our long-running D&D campaign ended last Saturday. My roommate has since come up with a new campaign and has changed the spellcasting rules rather dramatically.
Here we go:
There's maybe one or two spellcasters in a given country at any time.
To use magic, you must bind yourself with a spirit. Choose a vital body function or organ, such as a heart, ears, eyes, lungs, liver, etcetera. Your familiar is a spirit/demon that has removed this function and its very presence replaces it. Should you lose your familiar, this function is removed/greatly reduced (it can't kill you), and you can't cast spells until you make another bargain, which costs a second function/organ, and your new familiar upkeeps both.
Use the sorcerer spells known and per day. You can choose from any of the base class lists, except the paladin and ranger (though some with approval). You can, should you encounter scrolls or other spell sources "scribe" spells as if you were a wizard, but without a spell book. Transmutation is a stupid "common" school to have.
We are first level. You automatically know and can cast these spells at will:
Ghost Sound
Disguise Self
Magic Aura
Silent Image
Ventriloquism
...plus these:
Dead End
Net of Shadows
Serene Visage
At fourth level, you'll get these:
Blur
Hypnotic Pattern
Magic Mouth
Minor Image
Mirror Image
Misdirection
Phantom Trap
...and!
Delusions of Grandeur
Reflective Disguise
Shadow Radiance
Wall of Gloom
Other illusion lists will come later.
Casting a spell with a spell slot takes a Will save (DC 5 + the spell's level). Trivial, yes, but failure costs 1 point of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma burn. You can cast any spell that you know of from anywhere, no matter what level the spell is without using a slot, but doing so takes a Will save (DC 15 + (2*the number of slots you've used that day) + the spell's level). Success casts the spell and costs 3 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma burn. Failure costs 6 burn to those ability scores and no spell is cast. The spell is cast at your current caster level.
As far as skills, Knowledge (all), Profession, Craft, Perform, and pick a few others (run 'em by me). To make up for the fact that at the very least, you'll take ability score burn 5% of the time for using your class features, and because I am a general bastard, get 6 + Int mod skill points and light armor proficiency, and pick one martial weapon. Oh, yeah, and a d6 hit die, for what it's worth.
Magic Item Creation feats are banned. You want magic items, you've got to make a deal with a spirit (or your spirit), and they're made out of an organ/body function you give up. Yeah, this means it's bad news to get it stolen (It's also bad news to steal magic items, because of what people are willing to go through to get their normal eyesight back).
I'll explain the ranger, paladin, and classes with supernatural abilities later. For now, just avoid them. Use Scout for Ranger, Warblade for fighter, and so on. Ignore any maneuver that is supernatural and the healing maneuvers.
Oh yeah, and if you're a spellcaster, everyone hates and fears you.
...my question here is, what sort of things should he watch out for? Any way to tighten these up a little?
Here we go:
There's maybe one or two spellcasters in a given country at any time.
To use magic, you must bind yourself with a spirit. Choose a vital body function or organ, such as a heart, ears, eyes, lungs, liver, etcetera. Your familiar is a spirit/demon that has removed this function and its very presence replaces it. Should you lose your familiar, this function is removed/greatly reduced (it can't kill you), and you can't cast spells until you make another bargain, which costs a second function/organ, and your new familiar upkeeps both.
Use the sorcerer spells known and per day. You can choose from any of the base class lists, except the paladin and ranger (though some with approval). You can, should you encounter scrolls or other spell sources "scribe" spells as if you were a wizard, but without a spell book. Transmutation is a stupid "common" school to have.
We are first level. You automatically know and can cast these spells at will:
Ghost Sound
Disguise Self
Magic Aura
Silent Image
Ventriloquism
...plus these:
Dead End
Net of Shadows
Serene Visage
At fourth level, you'll get these:
Blur
Hypnotic Pattern
Magic Mouth
Minor Image
Mirror Image
Misdirection
Phantom Trap
...and!
Delusions of Grandeur
Reflective Disguise
Shadow Radiance
Wall of Gloom
Other illusion lists will come later.
Casting a spell with a spell slot takes a Will save (DC 5 + the spell's level). Trivial, yes, but failure costs 1 point of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma burn. You can cast any spell that you know of from anywhere, no matter what level the spell is without using a slot, but doing so takes a Will save (DC 15 + (2*the number of slots you've used that day) + the spell's level). Success casts the spell and costs 3 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma burn. Failure costs 6 burn to those ability scores and no spell is cast. The spell is cast at your current caster level.
As far as skills, Knowledge (all), Profession, Craft, Perform, and pick a few others (run 'em by me). To make up for the fact that at the very least, you'll take ability score burn 5% of the time for using your class features, and because I am a general bastard, get 6 + Int mod skill points and light armor proficiency, and pick one martial weapon. Oh, yeah, and a d6 hit die, for what it's worth.
Magic Item Creation feats are banned. You want magic items, you've got to make a deal with a spirit (or your spirit), and they're made out of an organ/body function you give up. Yeah, this means it's bad news to get it stolen (It's also bad news to steal magic items, because of what people are willing to go through to get their normal eyesight back).
I'll explain the ranger, paladin, and classes with supernatural abilities later. For now, just avoid them. Use Scout for Ranger, Warblade for fighter, and so on. Ignore any maneuver that is supernatural and the healing maneuvers.
Oh yeah, and if you're a spellcaster, everyone hates and fears you.
...my question here is, what sort of things should he watch out for? Any way to tighten these up a little?