Magic focus

[heros271]

Well, casters in 3.5 are strong. We all know that. But what if magic veil got twisted? Consequences are quite big. Here they are:

- Spells require focus to be cast. Spellcaster have to craft such focus by himself. That require half hour of work per spell level, as well as twice the cost of scroll of such spell. No experience required.
- Casting without such focus IS possible, just very hard. Compare minimum caster level of spell with (half caster level of character -3). For each caster level missing there is increasing chance of spell failure:
((5% * level) + penalty of last level)
For example one level is 5% failure chance, two levels missing is 15, four is 50 and so on. It is highly recommended to prepare such calculations before game starts, in case of someone stealing/sundering your focus.
- Other casters of same kind (Arcane, Divine, Artificers count as both) can assist you in such check, adding one point per two spell levels known (rounded up, giving +5 for caster who can cast lvl 9 spells).
- You can have no more focuses with you of certain level than you have spells per day. If you can cast 4 level 3 spells, you can not have 5 or more level 3 focuses.
- Highly recommended to bump Caster Level of non-full casters to their class level.
- Rather than preparing spells during X amount of time, you re-attune focuses while you sleep. Time for re-attunement is same as for creation, meaning that 9th level spells require you to sleep 4.5 hour, even if your race allows less.
Variant rules
Add spell mishap. Roll 1d20 after spell fails. If result is equal to or lower to your no-focus caster level, you take damage equal to 20 - roll result. You pay for power.
After killing (not just stunning/robbing) someone you can spend half price to attune yourself to focus he had. If that spell is not on your known spells list, you can learn it for:
- Additional half price (Your class list)
- Full price (Your spellcasting type)
- Full-and-Half price (Not your spellcasting type)
- Twice the price (You are not spellcaster)

As you can see, at level 20 your level for focus-less spells is 7. You can (As Wizard) cast 4th level spells without any problem.

[Network]

Is the same focus used for all spells, for all spells of a given level, or only for a single spell? In fantasy stories, casters usually use the same focus (say, a wand) for all their spells, but I could also see how each spell can be so unique as to require a dedicated focus.

((5% * level) + penalty of last level)
For example one level is 5% failure chance, two levels missing is 15, four is 50 and so on. It is highly recommended to prepare such calculations before game starts, in case of someone stealing/sundering your focus.
You should simplify it as failure chance = 2.5 * (level + level^2) %. It's mathematically the same but it makes improvization much easier.


- Rather than preparing spells during X amount of time, you re-attune focuses while you sleep. Time for re-attunement is same as for creation, meaning that 9th level spells require you to sleep 4.5 hour, even if your race allows less.
Is this for each spell? If it it, the sha'ir suddenly becomes a better choice than the wizard. If it is for all spells, it reduces a wizard's preparation time by at least half (and possibly even more). And all races, even those that don't sleep, explicitely need 8 hours of rest to recover arcane spells.

[heros271]

Is the same focus used for all spells, for all spells of a given level, or only for a single spell? In fantasy stories, casters usually use the same focus (say, a wand) for all their spells, but I could also see how each spell can be so unique as to require a dedicated focus.
All snowflakes are unique, and every spell need own focus. Of course DM can rule otherwise.


You should simplify it as failure chance = 2.5 * (level + level^2) %. It's mathematically the same but it makes improvization much easier.
Ty for that formula. I was bit tired while making this.



Is this for each spell? If it it, the sha'ir suddenly becomes a better choice than the wizard. If it is for all spells, it reduces a wizard's preparation time by at least half (and possibly even more). And all races, even those that don't sleep, explicitely need 8 hours of rest to recover arcane spells.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/rings/ring-of-sustenance - just one example.

It is for ALL spells. Things should not be *this* hard, ok? ^^

[Zale]

Is the goal of this some sort of flavor or setting thing, or is this an attempt to weaken casters as a whole?

Because this simply makes spellcasting require a bit more bookkeeping. Making magic more irritating doesn't make it weaker.

I just need to make note of how many beads are on my focus necklace, make sure to rest the few days it takes to recover my spells, and I can happily continue to do everything a normal wizard does.

[Network]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/rings/ring-of-sustenance - just one example.

IIRC, the ring of sustenance was explicitely clarified as not shortening the rest time to regain spells (still 8 hours, although the character only needs to sleep for 2). The only item that shortens the time needed to regain spells is in Complete Mage, and even this item explicitely does not break the "spells cast in the last 8 hours aren't recovered" rule.