brian c
2007-04-07, 07:49 PM
This post is pretty long, but I'm gonna list my main points here first. I want to balance spontaneous casters with prepared casters; specifically to make the sorceror as strong as the wizard. I'm aware that Wizards are pretty much the strongest class in the game, but I want to make those two classes equal and then nerf them both by nerfing the spell lists and disallowing rods of metamagic (almost every "win button" I've heard for Wizards seem to involve a Sudden Maximized Time Stop via a metmagic rod). Also, I'm trying to have everything make sense with the "fluff" too. Here's what I'm basically saying in this thread:
Spontaneous casters use the spell points variant (prepared casters do not)
Sorcerors don't need to pay attention to spell levels, whenever possible
Spontaneous casters can use metamagic without increasing the spell level, only spending more spell points
No casting time increase for metamagic
Ability to spend less points on a spell in order to decrease damage
Use the Vitalizing variant on Spell Points to let casters spend more spell points, at a cost of fatigue/exhaustion/loss of consciousness.
Limit on the number of spell points that can be spend on one spell
Sorceror's draconic blood (which is what gives them magical talent) makes them better at using certain spells (by energy type)
I'm working on a campaign setting and trying to figure out how I want spellcasters to be. My idea is to have spontaneous casters work with spell points, and prepared casters by spell slots (ie standard D&D). This is mostly for fluff/flavor reasons; sorcerors are supposed to have magic essentially in their blood, and I don't like spell levels being a "visible" mechanic for them. What I mean is that with spell points, a sorceror doesn't need to know or care what level a spell is because all his spells drain from the same reserve of "spell points", his magical capacity. As they increase in levels, the sorceror gaines access to more powerful spells but they don't need to look at it as "this spell is level 3, i can cast it now" the way a wizard does. Wizards have learned magic, it is not inborn. Wizards need to categorize and separate spells, but sorcerors shouldn't.
(note: when I say sorceror, I'd probably have the same things apply to any spontaneous spellcasters, I just say sorceror for convenience and because I'm mainly thinking of them)
Metamagic and spell point expenditure
Now that I got that off of my chest, I'll get to the metamagic part. Going along the same ideas about spontaneous magic, how would they go about metamagicking? It should just be an expenditure of more spellpoints in order to make the spell more powerful, but still not paying any attention to the "spell level", so kinda what Unearthed Arcana says but not exactly. I don't think I've made myself clear, but here's an example that might help: According to the UA rules, a sorceror casting an Empowered Fireball would spend 9 spell points (empower does spell level +2, so it counts a a 5th level spell). Since that's a level 5 spell, the sorceror would have to be level 10 (able to cast 5th level spells), and I would do away with that. If you can cast a fireball, then you should be able to use more of your inherent magical abilities to cast a bigger fireball. To balance this out a little, metamagicked spells will cost an extra 2 spell points (per metamagic), so that Empowered Fireball would cost 11; An Empowered Enlarged Fireball would cost 15. Additionally, I would let casters spend less points to cast a weaker spell; if you can spend a point to do an extra d6 damage, why not hold back and do less damage, if you're running low on spell points or if your opponent is almost dead. One more thing to add on is that metamagicked spells would not have an increased casting time.
Whew! That was a lot to say. Two more things, then I'll give a handy recap.
Spell Point Variant: Vitalizing
I like this, kinda. I was thinking, what if spellcasters could use more than their max spell points, at the cost of fatiguing themselves? Say you let spontaneous casters cast a spell that drops them to negative spellpoints; if their negative spellpoints are less than or equal to their caster level/2, they are fatigued, between that and their level makes them exhausted, and between 1x and 2x caster level automatically drops them to -1hp, unconscious and dying. I like the idea of a party on the brink of losing a battle when a spellcaster sends out a spell to win the battle but knock himself out. This should only be used as a last resort; to prevent abuse I would rule that magical items or anything that prevent you from becoming fatigued or exhausted do not prevent this type of "magical fatigue".
With this variant, and with my general approach to metamagic, it would be necessary to limit the number of spellpoints a caster can use on one spell. I think the spell points/day for the class is a good baseline (Unearthed Arcana Table 5-3), maybe 1/2 that value.
Sorceror Heritage
This isn't related to spell points, but its just another flavor thing that I think makes sorcerors more interesting. Basically a sorceror chooses a type of Dragon to have ancestry from (possibly extended to include Fey or other magical things), and gets a corresponding energy type. The sorceror gets a +2 bonus interacting with that type of dragon (or half-dragon, etc) and all spells of that energy type cost 1 point less to cast (including if you energy substitute your favored energy instead of another kind). These benefits supplement the Draconic Heritage feats (from Dragon Magic), and can be taken along side them. This class feature DOES NOT give any sort of energy resistance, and the sorceror is NOT considered to have dragon blood for any other feats, resistances, racial bonuses, etc. A sorceror with this variant doesn't get a familiar.
(Psst, Fax Celestis: I noticed the sorceror variant on your website is incomplete but has some sort of heritage; I wouldn't mind having your input on anything, but I'm particularly interested in what you think about this since it seems as though you may have thought of something kinda similar)
Spontaneous casters use the spell points variant (prepared casters do not)
Sorcerors don't need to pay attention to spell levels, whenever possible
Spontaneous casters can use metamagic without increasing the spell level, only spending more spell points
No casting time increase for metamagic
Ability to spend less points on a spell in order to decrease damage
Use the Vitalizing variant on Spell Points to let casters spend more spell points, at a cost of fatigue/exhaustion/loss of consciousness.
Limit on the number of spell points that can be spend on one spell
Sorceror's draconic blood (which is what gives them magical talent) makes them better at using certain spells (by energy type)
I'm working on a campaign setting and trying to figure out how I want spellcasters to be. My idea is to have spontaneous casters work with spell points, and prepared casters by spell slots (ie standard D&D). This is mostly for fluff/flavor reasons; sorcerors are supposed to have magic essentially in their blood, and I don't like spell levels being a "visible" mechanic for them. What I mean is that with spell points, a sorceror doesn't need to know or care what level a spell is because all his spells drain from the same reserve of "spell points", his magical capacity. As they increase in levels, the sorceror gaines access to more powerful spells but they don't need to look at it as "this spell is level 3, i can cast it now" the way a wizard does. Wizards have learned magic, it is not inborn. Wizards need to categorize and separate spells, but sorcerors shouldn't.
(note: when I say sorceror, I'd probably have the same things apply to any spontaneous spellcasters, I just say sorceror for convenience and because I'm mainly thinking of them)
Metamagic and spell point expenditure
Now that I got that off of my chest, I'll get to the metamagic part. Going along the same ideas about spontaneous magic, how would they go about metamagicking? It should just be an expenditure of more spellpoints in order to make the spell more powerful, but still not paying any attention to the "spell level", so kinda what Unearthed Arcana says but not exactly. I don't think I've made myself clear, but here's an example that might help: According to the UA rules, a sorceror casting an Empowered Fireball would spend 9 spell points (empower does spell level +2, so it counts a a 5th level spell). Since that's a level 5 spell, the sorceror would have to be level 10 (able to cast 5th level spells), and I would do away with that. If you can cast a fireball, then you should be able to use more of your inherent magical abilities to cast a bigger fireball. To balance this out a little, metamagicked spells will cost an extra 2 spell points (per metamagic), so that Empowered Fireball would cost 11; An Empowered Enlarged Fireball would cost 15. Additionally, I would let casters spend less points to cast a weaker spell; if you can spend a point to do an extra d6 damage, why not hold back and do less damage, if you're running low on spell points or if your opponent is almost dead. One more thing to add on is that metamagicked spells would not have an increased casting time.
Whew! That was a lot to say. Two more things, then I'll give a handy recap.
Spell Point Variant: Vitalizing
I like this, kinda. I was thinking, what if spellcasters could use more than their max spell points, at the cost of fatiguing themselves? Say you let spontaneous casters cast a spell that drops them to negative spellpoints; if their negative spellpoints are less than or equal to their caster level/2, they are fatigued, between that and their level makes them exhausted, and between 1x and 2x caster level automatically drops them to -1hp, unconscious and dying. I like the idea of a party on the brink of losing a battle when a spellcaster sends out a spell to win the battle but knock himself out. This should only be used as a last resort; to prevent abuse I would rule that magical items or anything that prevent you from becoming fatigued or exhausted do not prevent this type of "magical fatigue".
With this variant, and with my general approach to metamagic, it would be necessary to limit the number of spellpoints a caster can use on one spell. I think the spell points/day for the class is a good baseline (Unearthed Arcana Table 5-3), maybe 1/2 that value.
Sorceror Heritage
This isn't related to spell points, but its just another flavor thing that I think makes sorcerors more interesting. Basically a sorceror chooses a type of Dragon to have ancestry from (possibly extended to include Fey or other magical things), and gets a corresponding energy type. The sorceror gets a +2 bonus interacting with that type of dragon (or half-dragon, etc) and all spells of that energy type cost 1 point less to cast (including if you energy substitute your favored energy instead of another kind). These benefits supplement the Draconic Heritage feats (from Dragon Magic), and can be taken along side them. This class feature DOES NOT give any sort of energy resistance, and the sorceror is NOT considered to have dragon blood for any other feats, resistances, racial bonuses, etc. A sorceror with this variant doesn't get a familiar.
(Psst, Fax Celestis: I noticed the sorceror variant on your website is incomplete but has some sort of heritage; I wouldn't mind having your input on anything, but I'm particularly interested in what you think about this since it seems as though you may have thought of something kinda similar)