Realms of Chaos
2011-08-16, 11:16 PM
Well, it would seem that everyone and their grandmother has created a spellcasting nerf so I figured that I might as well get a piece of the action. Though this uses mechanics that may be like other fixes, I think that I’ve given it a pretty unique twist. Though there are a few details that I’ll cover in this post, the core of this fix rests in three very simple steps:
Step 1: Spellcasting is Difficult: This variant generally does away with the notion that spellcasting is as simple as a snap of your fingers and a magic word. Instead, arcane casting is a delicate and exacting process while divine casting may involve lengthy prayers, vows, and/or supplications. With this variant, every spell and spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 minute/spell level (unless its normal casting time is longer). This length can be increased through the use of metamagic feats. The casting time of orisons and cantrips are unchanged unless their spell levels are increased.
Step 2: Spell Points: But RoC, you may be screaming as you grab for pitchforks, this variant makes spellcasters utterly worthless on a battlefield. That, I would answer while cowering beneath my table, is what spell points are for. For every level that you have in a class that grants spellcasting or spell-like abilities (whether or not you have access to such abilities yet), you gain two spell points. For each level you possess in other classes, you gain a single spell point.
When you start casting a spell or spell-like ability, you may spend a number of spell points equal to the spell’s level (this amount may be increased by metamagic feats). If you do, the casting time is reduced to the spell’s normal casting time or 1 round/spell level, whichever is higher. For each additional spell point you spend as you start casting the spell or spell-like ability, you may reduce the casting time by an additional round to a minimum of 1 round or the spell’s normal casting time, whichever is higher.
All spent spell points are regained after receiving 8 hours of rest or sleep, though this can only be done once per 24-hour period.
Step 3: Spell Cancellation: As a free action, a spellcaster in the midst of casting a spell may cancel the casting. The spell (or spell slot) is not expended and you regain any spell points spent as you began casting that sepll.
Additional Rules and Notes:
Although the basics of the system are written above, DnD is a vast game and so a certain amount of additional rules are necessary to make this variant truly compatible with the rest of DnD.
Spell Points and High Ability Scores: If a character has a mental ability score above 11, they gain bonus spell points equal to their highest mental ability score modifier. These points are spent lasts, meaning that you lose points if your ability scores should be damaged. If your highest mental ability modifier is increased, you do not gain additional spell points until you next regain your spell points.
Spell Points and Casting Defensively: Though it may seem a bit odd, the rules for defensive spellcasting aren’t being changed (that’s a job for another fix). The simple fact that enemies have longer to hit you and disrupt your spells in most conditions (see below) is a move in the right direction.
Spell Points and Metamagic Feats: As mentioned above, applying metamagic feats can increase the casting time of a spell and the number of spell points that must be spent to reduce its duration. In addition, you must spend a single spell point every time you apply a metamagic feat to a spell in order to do so, whether the metamagic is applied while preparing the spell or while casting it.
Spell Points and Magic Items: When using spell-completion and spell-trigger items such as wands, staves, and scrolls, the amount of time needed to activate the item increases as though casting the spell, though the user can spend their spell points to reduce this duration as always.
Items that require actions to activate in other ways (such as potions and items that require command words, mental commands, and/or physical manipulation to activate) can be activated in the normal amount of time. To activate such an item, however, you must spend a number of spell points equal to half of its caster level (rounded up) when doing so.
Items that provide constant benefits (such as bags of holding, bracers of resistance, or rings of evasion) aren’t affected by this system. Items that are triggered into activation without spending any additional action (such as contingent spells and effects that trigger automatically with a successful attack or critical hit), however, do not exist and can’t be crafted when using this system.
Spell Points and RHD/LA: You gain spell points equal to the sum of your RHD and the LA of your race (or twice that if you possess racial spells or spell-like abilities). For each template you possess, you gain spell points equal to its LA (or twice that if it grants spells or spell-like abilities).
Spell Points and “fast” spells: Spells with a casting time of 1 swift action or 1 immediate action can be used with this variant, as can the quicken spell feat. To use such spells, however, you must spend enough spell points to reduce its casting time to 1 round.
Spell Points and level-less effects: If a spell or spell-like ability has no spell level (such as the ability of fiends to summons others of their kind), treat the spell level of the ability as equal to half of its caster level (rounded up, maximum 9th).
Contingent Spell Effects: Spells that have contingent effects at a later time such as Contingency, Death Pact, and Fortunate Fate function normally in this variant. The initial casting of such spells, naturally has its casting time increased as normal for this variant.
Miscellaneous Notes:
What This Fix Doesn’t Do:
This fix doesn’t fix what spellcasters can do in their downtime (whether they choose to ruin economies with walls of iron or break WBL with crafting).
This fix doesn’t stop spellcasters from going off of the rails (they can still contact other planes to ruin your mysteries, planeshift when they get bored of your plot, and so forth).
This fix doesn’t stop the 15-minute work-day (rope trick works just as well as it always has) if the sheer ridiculousness of a 15-minute workday doesn’t stop such a situation from emerging.
This fix doesn’t stop broken spells in any direct way (polymorph any object, shapechange, wish loops, and so forth are still OP).
What this fix DOES do (at least in theory): This fix is intended to do one thing and I personally think that it does so relatively well. Namely, it is aimed at making sure that an average spellcaster doesn’t end up doing everyone’s job in a normal day of adventuring. By making spell points a valuable resource, the idea is that it will often make more sense for team mates to handle more jobs rather than having the spellcaster waste spell points.
For example, consider the common spell knock. In most cases, the knock spell has been known to make the open lock skill entirely obsolete. Now that knock has a casting time of 20 minutes, however, it makes a lot more sense to let the Rogue at least take a try at that lock (or even take 20) before you waste a bunch of time on it. Even if you spend 3 spell points on it to lower its duration to 1 round (that’s half the spell points that a level 3 wizard would have, for reference), the full-round action of an open lock check is still faster and far less wasteful. Only if you spend 11 spell points for a quickened knock spell (over 1/4th of what a level 20 spellcaster can do) would you have any chance of being faster than that rogue. The knock spell still has a place, of course (if a rogue is unavailable/unconscious/dead, the lock is too complex for the rogue, or you really need to make sure that you get through on your first try), but the open lock skill is suddenly a very good alternative.
As a second example, let’s consider the DMM cleric who loads herself up with persisted buffs to out-fight the party fighter. First, the metamagic rules of this variant means that you are still charged a spell point for every persisted spell you cast, no matter what. Next, this DMM cleric is forced to choose between keeping herself and her entire party still for hours while she buffs herself each day or blowing a lot more spell points in order to let the party proceed (limiting the cleric’s ability to respond to danger later on in the day and, among many things, actually heal people who desperately need it).
While spellcasters with this variant are still the only people who can utterly break reality and they are technically capable of doing anything, they are often better served by letting teammates fill in whenever they can so the spellcaster can save resources for combat and other close calls.
FAQ 1: Why do you grant spell points to non-spellcasters?
1. It makes multiclassing and gish builds in general a bit more attractive.
2. It allows non-spellcasters to utilize magic items in a way that seems pretty fair.
FAQ 2: On that note, why do you need to spend spell points to activate certain items?
Well, when I started writing up how magic items would work, it was obvious to me that staves/wands/scrolls would work as though you were casting the spell, which was easy enough. I quickly realized, however, that accounting for other effects like command words and potions would require another tact. It wouldn’t make much sense to make a potion of cure light wounds or dust of invisibility take a while to kick in but giving such effects no cost whatsoever would inspire everyone to custom craft command word items for everything. Putting in a spell point cost seemed like a decent compromise.
FAQ 3: As spellcasters have more spell points, doesn’t this mean that they can use the most items?
I think that I can see where you are going with this question and I don’t think you have cause for concern. While its true that spellcasters have more spell points to activate magic items with (which kind of makes sense), these are the very same spell points that they need to reserve for their normal spells. If anything, the non-spellcasters who don’t have any other use for their spell points gain the most use out of these items.
FAQ 4: How does this work with other magic systems?
Well, if you are using essentia, binding, or truenaming (Pelor help you), your mechanics are entirely unchanged by this system.
Artificers gain spell points at the same rate as spellcasters and invocation-users fall into this fix pretty nicely as they utilize spell-like abilities.
If using shadow magic, your gain spell points at the same rate as a spellcaster and your spells/spell-like abilities function normally for this variant. Your supernatural abilities, however, regain their original casting time of 1 standard action (giving the class a bit more bite).
As far as psionics... proceed at your own risk. This system theoretically could be adapted to psionics with minimal alteration (perhaps granting mind points). If you do so, however, you'll end up with two separate pools of points (power points and mind points) and that might be a headache waiting to happen.
FAQ 5: What precisely do you mean by “Items that are triggered into activation without spending any additional action”?
Oh god, I saw this one coming. Unfortunately, I don’t have a precise definition to what this is (and would appreciate better wording) but I can probably give a bit more illumination.
Giving a bonus to damage with a successful hit isn’t counted as being triggered even though it only comes up when you hit a foe. Similarly, increasing a critical multiplier or threat range doesn’t count even though it only rarely comes up. Most other effects that you could add to a weapon on a successful hit (knocking them back, causing fear, fatiguing them, giving them disease), however, probably do count.
This line of text was intended to prevent players from trying to load up on contingent spells or from making custom items that release buffs/debuffs either on a time release or whenever some trivial condition is met.
If anyone can help me get this text to actually do what I want it to do, I would be very much obliged.
Step 1: Spellcasting is Difficult: This variant generally does away with the notion that spellcasting is as simple as a snap of your fingers and a magic word. Instead, arcane casting is a delicate and exacting process while divine casting may involve lengthy prayers, vows, and/or supplications. With this variant, every spell and spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 minute/spell level (unless its normal casting time is longer). This length can be increased through the use of metamagic feats. The casting time of orisons and cantrips are unchanged unless their spell levels are increased.
Step 2: Spell Points: But RoC, you may be screaming as you grab for pitchforks, this variant makes spellcasters utterly worthless on a battlefield. That, I would answer while cowering beneath my table, is what spell points are for. For every level that you have in a class that grants spellcasting or spell-like abilities (whether or not you have access to such abilities yet), you gain two spell points. For each level you possess in other classes, you gain a single spell point.
When you start casting a spell or spell-like ability, you may spend a number of spell points equal to the spell’s level (this amount may be increased by metamagic feats). If you do, the casting time is reduced to the spell’s normal casting time or 1 round/spell level, whichever is higher. For each additional spell point you spend as you start casting the spell or spell-like ability, you may reduce the casting time by an additional round to a minimum of 1 round or the spell’s normal casting time, whichever is higher.
All spent spell points are regained after receiving 8 hours of rest or sleep, though this can only be done once per 24-hour period.
Step 3: Spell Cancellation: As a free action, a spellcaster in the midst of casting a spell may cancel the casting. The spell (or spell slot) is not expended and you regain any spell points spent as you began casting that sepll.
Additional Rules and Notes:
Although the basics of the system are written above, DnD is a vast game and so a certain amount of additional rules are necessary to make this variant truly compatible with the rest of DnD.
Spell Points and High Ability Scores: If a character has a mental ability score above 11, they gain bonus spell points equal to their highest mental ability score modifier. These points are spent lasts, meaning that you lose points if your ability scores should be damaged. If your highest mental ability modifier is increased, you do not gain additional spell points until you next regain your spell points.
Spell Points and Casting Defensively: Though it may seem a bit odd, the rules for defensive spellcasting aren’t being changed (that’s a job for another fix). The simple fact that enemies have longer to hit you and disrupt your spells in most conditions (see below) is a move in the right direction.
Spell Points and Metamagic Feats: As mentioned above, applying metamagic feats can increase the casting time of a spell and the number of spell points that must be spent to reduce its duration. In addition, you must spend a single spell point every time you apply a metamagic feat to a spell in order to do so, whether the metamagic is applied while preparing the spell or while casting it.
Spell Points and Magic Items: When using spell-completion and spell-trigger items such as wands, staves, and scrolls, the amount of time needed to activate the item increases as though casting the spell, though the user can spend their spell points to reduce this duration as always.
Items that require actions to activate in other ways (such as potions and items that require command words, mental commands, and/or physical manipulation to activate) can be activated in the normal amount of time. To activate such an item, however, you must spend a number of spell points equal to half of its caster level (rounded up) when doing so.
Items that provide constant benefits (such as bags of holding, bracers of resistance, or rings of evasion) aren’t affected by this system. Items that are triggered into activation without spending any additional action (such as contingent spells and effects that trigger automatically with a successful attack or critical hit), however, do not exist and can’t be crafted when using this system.
Spell Points and RHD/LA: You gain spell points equal to the sum of your RHD and the LA of your race (or twice that if you possess racial spells or spell-like abilities). For each template you possess, you gain spell points equal to its LA (or twice that if it grants spells or spell-like abilities).
Spell Points and “fast” spells: Spells with a casting time of 1 swift action or 1 immediate action can be used with this variant, as can the quicken spell feat. To use such spells, however, you must spend enough spell points to reduce its casting time to 1 round.
Spell Points and level-less effects: If a spell or spell-like ability has no spell level (such as the ability of fiends to summons others of their kind), treat the spell level of the ability as equal to half of its caster level (rounded up, maximum 9th).
Contingent Spell Effects: Spells that have contingent effects at a later time such as Contingency, Death Pact, and Fortunate Fate function normally in this variant. The initial casting of such spells, naturally has its casting time increased as normal for this variant.
Miscellaneous Notes:
What This Fix Doesn’t Do:
This fix doesn’t fix what spellcasters can do in their downtime (whether they choose to ruin economies with walls of iron or break WBL with crafting).
This fix doesn’t stop spellcasters from going off of the rails (they can still contact other planes to ruin your mysteries, planeshift when they get bored of your plot, and so forth).
This fix doesn’t stop the 15-minute work-day (rope trick works just as well as it always has) if the sheer ridiculousness of a 15-minute workday doesn’t stop such a situation from emerging.
This fix doesn’t stop broken spells in any direct way (polymorph any object, shapechange, wish loops, and so forth are still OP).
What this fix DOES do (at least in theory): This fix is intended to do one thing and I personally think that it does so relatively well. Namely, it is aimed at making sure that an average spellcaster doesn’t end up doing everyone’s job in a normal day of adventuring. By making spell points a valuable resource, the idea is that it will often make more sense for team mates to handle more jobs rather than having the spellcaster waste spell points.
For example, consider the common spell knock. In most cases, the knock spell has been known to make the open lock skill entirely obsolete. Now that knock has a casting time of 20 minutes, however, it makes a lot more sense to let the Rogue at least take a try at that lock (or even take 20) before you waste a bunch of time on it. Even if you spend 3 spell points on it to lower its duration to 1 round (that’s half the spell points that a level 3 wizard would have, for reference), the full-round action of an open lock check is still faster and far less wasteful. Only if you spend 11 spell points for a quickened knock spell (over 1/4th of what a level 20 spellcaster can do) would you have any chance of being faster than that rogue. The knock spell still has a place, of course (if a rogue is unavailable/unconscious/dead, the lock is too complex for the rogue, or you really need to make sure that you get through on your first try), but the open lock skill is suddenly a very good alternative.
As a second example, let’s consider the DMM cleric who loads herself up with persisted buffs to out-fight the party fighter. First, the metamagic rules of this variant means that you are still charged a spell point for every persisted spell you cast, no matter what. Next, this DMM cleric is forced to choose between keeping herself and her entire party still for hours while she buffs herself each day or blowing a lot more spell points in order to let the party proceed (limiting the cleric’s ability to respond to danger later on in the day and, among many things, actually heal people who desperately need it).
While spellcasters with this variant are still the only people who can utterly break reality and they are technically capable of doing anything, they are often better served by letting teammates fill in whenever they can so the spellcaster can save resources for combat and other close calls.
FAQ 1: Why do you grant spell points to non-spellcasters?
1. It makes multiclassing and gish builds in general a bit more attractive.
2. It allows non-spellcasters to utilize magic items in a way that seems pretty fair.
FAQ 2: On that note, why do you need to spend spell points to activate certain items?
Well, when I started writing up how magic items would work, it was obvious to me that staves/wands/scrolls would work as though you were casting the spell, which was easy enough. I quickly realized, however, that accounting for other effects like command words and potions would require another tact. It wouldn’t make much sense to make a potion of cure light wounds or dust of invisibility take a while to kick in but giving such effects no cost whatsoever would inspire everyone to custom craft command word items for everything. Putting in a spell point cost seemed like a decent compromise.
FAQ 3: As spellcasters have more spell points, doesn’t this mean that they can use the most items?
I think that I can see where you are going with this question and I don’t think you have cause for concern. While its true that spellcasters have more spell points to activate magic items with (which kind of makes sense), these are the very same spell points that they need to reserve for their normal spells. If anything, the non-spellcasters who don’t have any other use for their spell points gain the most use out of these items.
FAQ 4: How does this work with other magic systems?
Well, if you are using essentia, binding, or truenaming (Pelor help you), your mechanics are entirely unchanged by this system.
Artificers gain spell points at the same rate as spellcasters and invocation-users fall into this fix pretty nicely as they utilize spell-like abilities.
If using shadow magic, your gain spell points at the same rate as a spellcaster and your spells/spell-like abilities function normally for this variant. Your supernatural abilities, however, regain their original casting time of 1 standard action (giving the class a bit more bite).
As far as psionics... proceed at your own risk. This system theoretically could be adapted to psionics with minimal alteration (perhaps granting mind points). If you do so, however, you'll end up with two separate pools of points (power points and mind points) and that might be a headache waiting to happen.
FAQ 5: What precisely do you mean by “Items that are triggered into activation without spending any additional action”?
Oh god, I saw this one coming. Unfortunately, I don’t have a precise definition to what this is (and would appreciate better wording) but I can probably give a bit more illumination.
Giving a bonus to damage with a successful hit isn’t counted as being triggered even though it only comes up when you hit a foe. Similarly, increasing a critical multiplier or threat range doesn’t count even though it only rarely comes up. Most other effects that you could add to a weapon on a successful hit (knocking them back, causing fear, fatiguing them, giving them disease), however, probably do count.
This line of text was intended to prevent players from trying to load up on contingent spells or from making custom items that release buffs/debuffs either on a time release or whenever some trivial condition is met.
If anyone can help me get this text to actually do what I want it to do, I would be very much obliged.