Macrovore
2010-02-02, 09:50 PM
Rationale:
In DnD, spells are very specific. You may know fireball, and can cast it 6 times per day, but without other fire spells or expensive metamagic feats, all you can do with your magic is make a 20ft radius ball of fire. This is inherent with the system, both in 3.5 and especially in 4e, in which every character has a big list of extremely specific effects.
While this system works fairly well to balance characters, I do not like it. It treats magic spells like formulas which do not translate into anything besides their specific combat applications. I hope with this system, to allow characters to be more creative with their spells, by increasing the effects each spell can accomplish.
Note: In this system, the sorcerer and wizard classes have been subsumed in to the Mage class. The entire magic system is actually built around a new class system I am developing, collapsing all base classes in to 4 generic 10-level classes (Mage, Adept, Warrior, and Expert), and having both Advanced classes (characters, usually of a specific class, who focus on a specific playing style, such as Priest, Fire Mage, Spearfighter, and Barbarian), and Prestige classes (classes which focus on specific organizations, such as Mage of the Arcane Order, Eye of Gruumsh, and Assassin).
Spell Seeds
I have been able to reduce every spell in the game (or at least almost all that you would want to do with a spell) to 51 specific spells, or Spell Seeds.
A 1st level mage starts out with 2 spells known, and uses spell points. The number of spell points they get average out to slightly fewer than Psions get. Every 3 levels after that, they learn one new spell.
The spells are organized by school, and there are many dual-school spells. Also, there are four advanced spells (storm, time, fate, and undeath) that require certain spells and caster level in order to be known.
Each spell will have:
cantrip: One minor magical effect usable at will
augments: Between one and three augments that can be applied to any spell in the seed
spells: spells that anyone who knows the spell type and has the requisite caster level can use (all of which can be augmented individually)
This is only the list of spells, not their actual descriptions. That comes later. Remember the [WIP] at the top? That means I can post as little as I want.
Well, here goes:
ABJURATION
Shield: Protect allies from attacks
Protect: Protect allies from effects
Dispel: Dispel, turn, and absorb spells
Ward: Guard and trap objects and areas
CONJURATION
Acid: Conjure globs of acid to throw or spray
Fog: Conjure fog, which can sicken or impede foes
Bind: Trap foes in vines, tentacles, or cages
Summon: Summon creatures to fight for you
Create: Conjure objects to use
Water: Create and control water
Earth: Create and control earth and stone
Transport: teleport creatures and objects
DIVINATION
Detect: Detect magic, creatures, auras, and the like
Insight: See things before they happen
Oracle: Predict the future, and commune with spirits
Scry: View and track people and objects from a distance
Fate: Alter your own and other's fates (advanced spell)
ENCHANTMENT
Stun: Daze, stun, or paralyze foes
Enchant: Charm and dominate others
Fear: Make foes cower and flee in fear
Control: Control others' bodies, minds, even possess them
Curse: Curse your foes
EVOCATION
Fire: Create fire. need I say more?
Lightning: Zap foes with bolts of lightning
Ice: Blast foes with cold, and freeze them
Force: Explosive blasts of force damage and throw foes
Wind: Create and control wind and air
Light: Sear away the darkness with blinding light!
Darkness:..sear..the light..with..darkness? Does that even make sense?
Communication: Communicate between short and long distances instantly
Sonic: Deafen, damage, and shatter creatures and objects
Color: Blind or fascinate creatures with bright colors, and blast them with prismatic effects. Oooh. Shiny...
Storm: Control the weather. Or just strike people with lightning. (advanced spell)
ILLUSION
Figment: Conjure figments to trick your foes
Mask: Protect against detection and mind control
Shadow: Duplicate conjurations or evocations with partially real shadows (advanced spell)
Infiltrate: Use invisibility and silence to sneak around 'n stuff.
Color: I'm not going to repeat that.
NECROMANCY
Drain: Steal enemies' health, energy, and abilities
Weaken: Drain a foe's strength and energy
Heal: Heal other's wounds and cure their ailments. Now in Necromancy!
Death: Kill people. that's pretty much it.
Undeath: Create and control undead minions (advanced spell)
Curse: *sigh* no. you figure it out.
Blight: Destroy nature and spread disease
TRANSMUTATION
Time: Speed up, slow down, or stop time.
Boost: Augment your allies' abilities
Transform: Alter your form to give you wings, or turn you into a dragon, or change green beans to cupcakes, and the like. the kids love that stuff!
Wind: more dual-school spells.
Earth: There are a bunch of them, aren't they.
Water: It's all these elemental spells. stupid dual-school spells. makin' me type it over again.
Weapon: create and augment weapons
Telekinesis: Control objects and people from a distance with your mind. or just pinch barmaid's rear ends.
Travel: Travel farther and faster overland or through the air. Handy when escaping the father of that aforementioned barmaid.
Communication: too bad.
Metal: Create and control metal. or something.
Nature: Various nature-related effects. like plants and weather or some such nonsense. Also useful to get some pot, for all you hippie mages out there.
Storm: Call upon the power of dual-school spells!
Fate: Woah. Deja Vu... or is it?
there are 51 spells. tell me if you think I'm missing anything. I'm reserving the next few posts to put the actual spell descriptions in.
Thank you very much,
-Macrovore
In DnD, spells are very specific. You may know fireball, and can cast it 6 times per day, but without other fire spells or expensive metamagic feats, all you can do with your magic is make a 20ft radius ball of fire. This is inherent with the system, both in 3.5 and especially in 4e, in which every character has a big list of extremely specific effects.
While this system works fairly well to balance characters, I do not like it. It treats magic spells like formulas which do not translate into anything besides their specific combat applications. I hope with this system, to allow characters to be more creative with their spells, by increasing the effects each spell can accomplish.
Note: In this system, the sorcerer and wizard classes have been subsumed in to the Mage class. The entire magic system is actually built around a new class system I am developing, collapsing all base classes in to 4 generic 10-level classes (Mage, Adept, Warrior, and Expert), and having both Advanced classes (characters, usually of a specific class, who focus on a specific playing style, such as Priest, Fire Mage, Spearfighter, and Barbarian), and Prestige classes (classes which focus on specific organizations, such as Mage of the Arcane Order, Eye of Gruumsh, and Assassin).
Spell Seeds
I have been able to reduce every spell in the game (or at least almost all that you would want to do with a spell) to 51 specific spells, or Spell Seeds.
A 1st level mage starts out with 2 spells known, and uses spell points. The number of spell points they get average out to slightly fewer than Psions get. Every 3 levels after that, they learn one new spell.
The spells are organized by school, and there are many dual-school spells. Also, there are four advanced spells (storm, time, fate, and undeath) that require certain spells and caster level in order to be known.
Each spell will have:
cantrip: One minor magical effect usable at will
augments: Between one and three augments that can be applied to any spell in the seed
spells: spells that anyone who knows the spell type and has the requisite caster level can use (all of which can be augmented individually)
This is only the list of spells, not their actual descriptions. That comes later. Remember the [WIP] at the top? That means I can post as little as I want.
Well, here goes:
ABJURATION
Shield: Protect allies from attacks
Protect: Protect allies from effects
Dispel: Dispel, turn, and absorb spells
Ward: Guard and trap objects and areas
CONJURATION
Acid: Conjure globs of acid to throw or spray
Fog: Conjure fog, which can sicken or impede foes
Bind: Trap foes in vines, tentacles, or cages
Summon: Summon creatures to fight for you
Create: Conjure objects to use
Water: Create and control water
Earth: Create and control earth and stone
Transport: teleport creatures and objects
DIVINATION
Detect: Detect magic, creatures, auras, and the like
Insight: See things before they happen
Oracle: Predict the future, and commune with spirits
Scry: View and track people and objects from a distance
Fate: Alter your own and other's fates (advanced spell)
ENCHANTMENT
Stun: Daze, stun, or paralyze foes
Enchant: Charm and dominate others
Fear: Make foes cower and flee in fear
Control: Control others' bodies, minds, even possess them
Curse: Curse your foes
EVOCATION
Fire: Create fire. need I say more?
Lightning: Zap foes with bolts of lightning
Ice: Blast foes with cold, and freeze them
Force: Explosive blasts of force damage and throw foes
Wind: Create and control wind and air
Light: Sear away the darkness with blinding light!
Darkness:..sear..the light..with..darkness? Does that even make sense?
Communication: Communicate between short and long distances instantly
Sonic: Deafen, damage, and shatter creatures and objects
Color: Blind or fascinate creatures with bright colors, and blast them with prismatic effects. Oooh. Shiny...
Storm: Control the weather. Or just strike people with lightning. (advanced spell)
ILLUSION
Figment: Conjure figments to trick your foes
Mask: Protect against detection and mind control
Shadow: Duplicate conjurations or evocations with partially real shadows (advanced spell)
Infiltrate: Use invisibility and silence to sneak around 'n stuff.
Color: I'm not going to repeat that.
NECROMANCY
Drain: Steal enemies' health, energy, and abilities
Weaken: Drain a foe's strength and energy
Heal: Heal other's wounds and cure their ailments. Now in Necromancy!
Death: Kill people. that's pretty much it.
Undeath: Create and control undead minions (advanced spell)
Curse: *sigh* no. you figure it out.
Blight: Destroy nature and spread disease
TRANSMUTATION
Time: Speed up, slow down, or stop time.
Boost: Augment your allies' abilities
Transform: Alter your form to give you wings, or turn you into a dragon, or change green beans to cupcakes, and the like. the kids love that stuff!
Wind: more dual-school spells.
Earth: There are a bunch of them, aren't they.
Water: It's all these elemental spells. stupid dual-school spells. makin' me type it over again.
Weapon: create and augment weapons
Telekinesis: Control objects and people from a distance with your mind. or just pinch barmaid's rear ends.
Travel: Travel farther and faster overland or through the air. Handy when escaping the father of that aforementioned barmaid.
Communication: too bad.
Metal: Create and control metal. or something.
Nature: Various nature-related effects. like plants and weather or some such nonsense. Also useful to get some pot, for all you hippie mages out there.
Storm: Call upon the power of dual-school spells!
Fate: Woah. Deja Vu... or is it?
there are 51 spells. tell me if you think I'm missing anything. I'm reserving the next few posts to put the actual spell descriptions in.
Thank you very much,
-Macrovore