Eldan
2011-05-27, 05:15 AM
I was reading about Vancian Magic in the "What do you like about D&D" thread. Some, like me, like the flavour of Vancian Magic, but many seem to think it's not perfectly implemented in the rules. That's fine.
So, I thought a little more about the fluff of Vancian magic as I see it. The short version is this:
A spell, in Vancian magic, is an incredibly complex construct of arcane energies. Casting it takes a long time; quiet, careful preparation and complex rituals. Wizards who expect that they will have to use magic on the fly, in battle, instead go about it a different way. Long before they have to cast their spell, often days in advance, they prepare and cast their spell, almost to the end. They then bind the spells in question in their heads, as a kind of potential energy, a pattern that wants to be released, but can't, thanks to the mental control of the wizard.
How does this work in mechanics?
First of all, many spells that are long-term buffs, mostly have out-of-combat applications or create permanent changes in something become rituals (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177176), so they will mostly be cast out of combat. I have already started to rewrite some of the core spells as rituals. (I've also changed the ritual mechanics quite a bit from what's been proposed in that thread).
Second, wizard casting would work like this: a wizard would, in his spell book, have any number of spells (or a limited amount, that's more of a balance question). However, they would only have a very limited amount of spells prepared at any one time, probably something like 2 spells at first level, and another one every two levels. (So, 3 at level 2, and so on).
Spells have two effects: they have, basically, a safe release, or minor form. Wizards can draw a bit of the magic energy of the spell in their head and unleash that for a small effect. These are your everyday combat applications. Using these does not release the spell from the wizard's memory, it is still prepared. Second, the wizard can choose to release the spell. This has a devastating effect, but removes the spell from the wizard's mind, so from then on, he can cast neither it's major nor minor effect until he has time to prepare a new spell, which takes a lot of time and can usually only be done in the wizard's off-time. This means that, essentially, the wizard gets only a handful of spells and has to carefully hoard them, but also gets, more or less, reserve feats included with every spell he learns.
Example: the wizard Barragor knows that he and his party will be facing a small warband of orcs, so he prepares the fireball spell. As they first meet a small group of orcs, the combat goes well for them. Barragor draws only a little on the spell's energy, blasting individual orcs with jets of flame.
However, as they encounter the warband's camp, the group's fighter accidentally alerts their sentries, meaning that now a full thirty orcs attack them, more than they can normally handle. Barragor unleashes the fireball bound in his head, incinerating nearly two thirds of the orcs in the flash. However, he now has no fire left until he has a few free hours to meditate and replenish his power.
There could be any number of complications added to this system. Binding a spell in your head is difficult. Maybe failing a concentration check means that a randomly chosen spell escapes from a wizard's head. Maybe casting a spell's minor form means that there is a chance for a spell escaping without the wizard wanting it. Perhaps releasing a spell fully fatigues a wizard.
Thoughts? It would require quite some work, essentially rewriting tons of spells. However, I think it would be worth it. The resource management of the wizard is unique, and I like it very much, for all it's flaws, and I think it should, in it's basics, be preserved in the game.
So, I thought a little more about the fluff of Vancian magic as I see it. The short version is this:
A spell, in Vancian magic, is an incredibly complex construct of arcane energies. Casting it takes a long time; quiet, careful preparation and complex rituals. Wizards who expect that they will have to use magic on the fly, in battle, instead go about it a different way. Long before they have to cast their spell, often days in advance, they prepare and cast their spell, almost to the end. They then bind the spells in question in their heads, as a kind of potential energy, a pattern that wants to be released, but can't, thanks to the mental control of the wizard.
How does this work in mechanics?
First of all, many spells that are long-term buffs, mostly have out-of-combat applications or create permanent changes in something become rituals (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177176), so they will mostly be cast out of combat. I have already started to rewrite some of the core spells as rituals. (I've also changed the ritual mechanics quite a bit from what's been proposed in that thread).
Second, wizard casting would work like this: a wizard would, in his spell book, have any number of spells (or a limited amount, that's more of a balance question). However, they would only have a very limited amount of spells prepared at any one time, probably something like 2 spells at first level, and another one every two levels. (So, 3 at level 2, and so on).
Spells have two effects: they have, basically, a safe release, or minor form. Wizards can draw a bit of the magic energy of the spell in their head and unleash that for a small effect. These are your everyday combat applications. Using these does not release the spell from the wizard's memory, it is still prepared. Second, the wizard can choose to release the spell. This has a devastating effect, but removes the spell from the wizard's mind, so from then on, he can cast neither it's major nor minor effect until he has time to prepare a new spell, which takes a lot of time and can usually only be done in the wizard's off-time. This means that, essentially, the wizard gets only a handful of spells and has to carefully hoard them, but also gets, more or less, reserve feats included with every spell he learns.
Example: the wizard Barragor knows that he and his party will be facing a small warband of orcs, so he prepares the fireball spell. As they first meet a small group of orcs, the combat goes well for them. Barragor draws only a little on the spell's energy, blasting individual orcs with jets of flame.
However, as they encounter the warband's camp, the group's fighter accidentally alerts their sentries, meaning that now a full thirty orcs attack them, more than they can normally handle. Barragor unleashes the fireball bound in his head, incinerating nearly two thirds of the orcs in the flash. However, he now has no fire left until he has a few free hours to meditate and replenish his power.
There could be any number of complications added to this system. Binding a spell in your head is difficult. Maybe failing a concentration check means that a randomly chosen spell escapes from a wizard's head. Maybe casting a spell's minor form means that there is a chance for a spell escaping without the wizard wanting it. Perhaps releasing a spell fully fatigues a wizard.
Thoughts? It would require quite some work, essentially rewriting tons of spells. However, I think it would be worth it. The resource management of the wizard is unique, and I like it very much, for all it's flaws, and I think it should, in it's basics, be preserved in the game.