Spell Poinys

[LordOfCain]

How have they worked in games you have played in?

[Buufreak]

Simply put, not. It only added confusion to a group that struggles with the numbers already present.

[Cosi]

Spell points are bad design. It encourages people to nova, makes using low level abilities trade off with high level ones, and generally makes characters less interesting. The augmentation implementation in D&D is especially bad, because it makes a level appropriate low level power cost as much as a high level power.

[LordOfCain]

Spell points are bad design. It encourages people to nova, makes using low level abilities trade off with high level ones, and generally makes characters less interesting. The augmentation implementation in D&D is especially bad, because it makes a level appropriate low level power cost as much as a high level power.

So psionics are bad as well???

[Cosi]

So psionics are bad as well???

Yes, they are.

[Aleolus]

I wouldn't say they are bad, but they do have a number of flaws. I recently put an alternative magic system up on these forums you could consider using, if you want. Here's the link to the thread Alternate Magic system (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?475037-Alternate-Casting-system-opinions)

[Jormengand]

So psionics are bad as well???

Psionics manage to mitigate the problems because a lot of good low-level powers don't need augmenting to be good, and many of the low-level powers are as good as high-level ones when augmented (For example, Control Flames can control a colossal fire without you needing to augment it - assuming you have a colossal fire handy. Astral Construct is about as good as a summon monster spell of the same level as the astral construct's level). Some players may be tempted to cast nothing but high-level powers and quickly run out and feel a bit foolish (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0935.html), but that's on them.

[Afgncaap5]

I have a strong preference for spell points over spell slots, but a lot of the point based systems have problems. It's not for 3.5, but I've been loving how Spheres of Power handles things for Pathfinder. Also... this is gonna sound weird, but I've always loved Incarnum, even though other people tell me that the system is needlessly complicated. (I've never found it too complicated myself, but I can be sympathetic for people not getting it.) Psionics are okay as a nice middle ground between vancian magic and point systems, though I've never really embraced that system for some reason.

But... spell points as listed in Unearthed Arcana have never really worked for me, if that's what you're talking about. Too complicated for me to have fun with 'em, and not enough reward for the investment.