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View Full Version : [PF/3.X] Shadowrun-style Drain-Casting



Slipperychicken
2013-10-23, 03:07 PM
So my gaming group tried out Shadowrun 5th edition, loved the concepts, but disliked the mechanics. We quit that game, but we want to try to bring some ideas into Pathfinder.

In particular, I like the Force/Drain idea with magic being risky and dangerous (as well as the ability to choose the power level used, and risk proportional consequences for it), especially as opposed to the comparatively safe boring vancian "spells per day" mechanic. Additionally, I enjoy the feeling that a spellcaster dabbles in powers beyond his control, risks serious harm with magic, and that Drain can't be magically recovered.


So I want to hear ideas. How would you bring Shadowrun magic to life in Pathfinder?

CombatOwl
2013-10-24, 05:56 AM
So my gaming group tried out Shadowrun 5th edition, loved the concepts, but disliked the mechanics. We quit that game, but we want to try to bring some ideas into Pathfinder.

In particular, I like the Force/Drain idea with magic being risky and dangerous (as well as the ability to choose the power level used, and risk proportional consequences for it), especially as opposed to the comparatively safe boring vancian "spells per day" mechanic. Additionally, I enjoy the feeling that a spellcaster dabbles in powers beyond his control, risks serious harm with magic, and that Drain can't be magically recovered.


So I want to hear ideas. How would you bring Shadowrun magic to life in Pathfinder?

To be honest, I don't think it would work right. Pathfinder makes it way, way too easy to buff various skill checks, and hit point damage doesn't really do very much until the very last hit point. Unlike Shadowrun, where the condition chart penalties certainly can pose a problem for a character--a real limit to what they can do. I think that if Shadowrun style casting were to try to be brought into Pathfinder, it would need to do two things--nonlethal damage and lingering status effects.

The first place to start would be for spells to have a Drain DC--10 + twice the spell level, I think. This drain test ought to be made with a special Drain Test--a d20 roll with a bonus equal to the caster's CL + Constitution Bonus. As with concentration checks, there should be a line of feats introduced to provide bonuses to this drain test--perhaps +2 per step of the feat, as many as 3 such feats ("Spell Drain Resistance", "Great Spell Drain Resistance," and so on). Casting while using an arcane bond ought to provide a small bonus to the drain test (+2 maybe?). This should not apply for wands, scrolls, and potions (though there may well be merit in increasing the casting time on all scrolls to 1 round minimum, so as not to overpower them). If you go that route, increasing the difficulty of crafting may also be a good idea (by 5, also change the missing spell penalty to +10 DC).

Anyway, if the caster fails the drain test, they should take both nonlethal damage, an immediate status effect (staggered for a round is probably appropriate), and a step down the drain track (which I'll write out in a second). You might want to put in a rule that early spells do their status effect for 1 round, but spells of fourth or higher do their effect for 1d4 rounds, or something along those lines. Don't stagger your first level wizards, but the 20th level wizard that (ever so rarely) fails a drain test ought to have something spectacular happen. The nonlethal damage ought to be something like a d8 for every spell level of the spell. If you use this style of casting, the priority on Constitution will go up, and casters will start to get a lot chunkier. 1d8/spell level may indeed be insufficient--feel free to increase that if most of your wizards are running around with 16+ constitutions.

Mind you, even if they fail the drain test, the spell ought to still go off. All effects relating to spellcasting drain ought to happen after the spell is resolved.

Drain Track
First Failure: Fatigued, +1 to Drain Test DC
Second Failure: Exhausted, +2 to Drain Test DC
Third Failure: Nauseated, +3 to Drain Test DC
Fourth Failure: Unconscious, Cannot Cast Spells

The status effects from the drain failure can be cured by normal means, but the increase to the Drain Test DC (or prohibition on casting spells) must be resolved naturally. Characters naturally move one step up the drain track for every good night's sleep. Furthermore, a character may take a short rest (1 hour) and move themselves one step up the drain track. This may only be done once per drain condition--meaning that they may push themselves up the track once, but cannot do so again until the rest of the drain is completely resolved. There is a limit to how much good a short rest can do.

OTOH, this would make more sense for 3.5e, where the spells were rather more... robust. Pathfinder already nerfed most of the truly broken cheese on the arcane list.