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View Full Version : Psionics + Incarnum = Spell Points: Interest Check (or "The Magic-User: Take II")



Ziegander
2013-11-07, 01:56 PM
As I lay in bed this morning, still half asleep, I conjured up the barest of rules for a spellcasting system similar but different from the rules and class outlined in this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227916) almost two years ago. Here's the basics:


You've got a pool of power points, or spell points, or essence points, or, hell, even just call it energy or mana if you wish. Maybe everyone gets some. :smallconfused:

A character uses these points to power special abilities and may either expend them or invest them, on a case-by-case basis determined by the special abilities themselves.

A character may not expend or invest points to power a special ability exceeding his or her character/class level (?). Most special abilities may be augmented above and beyond their normal cost to improve their effects. Doing so costs either a higher investment of points or greater expenditure of points.

Invested points may or may not be reallocated at any time, depending on specific classes or special abilities, and possibly requiring a special action, possibly not. When a special ability goes from having at least 1 point invested to having 0, it is considered "dismissed." Most buff-type special abilities involve investing points to maintain an effect over a long period of time. Concentration is sometimes required.

Expended points are "used up" reducing the total left available for any given period of time. Normally, expended points are recovered after 8 hours of rest, though special actions/circumstances, or class specific rules/class features may allow for more efficient methods of recovery. Most instantaneous effects require the expenditure of points.

Is this a system that would interest people? What would you think of applying a system like this to a wide variety of characters, fluffing it as Energy, and giving "mundanes" like fighter and rogue type characters access to it?

Ninjadeadbeard
2013-11-07, 04:13 PM
Love the idea! Might I humbly suggest building such a class for Trailblazer? It's a 3.5 rewrite that already assigns a Base Magic Bonus to all classes (Fighter/Wizard is actually scarily viable), so that would be one step down already.