[Spheres of Power] Wild Magic Handbook Playtest

[stack]

Some of you may know me from such playtests as 'the Destroyer's Handbook (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/172719/The-Destroyers-Handbook?manufacturers_id=4790)' and 'the Shapeshifter's Handbook (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/196160/The-Shapeshifters-Handbook?manufacturers_id=4790)', or from about a thousand PBP games around here. In addition to the series of releases specific to each sphere in Spheres of Power (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/129448/Spheres-of-Power?hot60=1&src=hgrs) by Drop Dead Studios (http://www.dropdeadstudios.com/), I have put together a book expanding on wild magic. While the base book suggests using the rod of wonder table when using the wild magic drawback, I wanted something more appropriate to the effect being cast. Therefore, I began a project with the goal of creating full 100 entry tables for each individual sphere, along with feats, archetypes, etc.


Wild Magic Handbook (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xBfoH6YcTdD3kwjn3ikItWPBGzIm9g3SVkVvUQD1yUw/edit?usp=sharing)
Wild Magic Tables (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NU5bK1Dyzu66KgIdrHNaaXBw1eHVpcHZHOh5BDaxMzU/edit?usp=sharing)

You will notice that the tables are not full. Based on my previous experience, I expect there will be many creative suggestions and I wanted to leave plenty of room for them. In the meantime, just divide your percentile roll by 2 and round up for the tables with 50 entries. I know that entries are somewhat clumped together right now; they will be randomized for the final release.

Thanks for reading, your help is appreciated.

Other active SoP playtest:
Battlemage's Handbook (War Sphere) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?494623-Spheres-of-Power-War-Handbook-Open-Beta&highlight=war+sphere+playtest)
Nyctomancer's Handbook (Dark Sphere) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?499272-Spheres-of-Power-Nyctomancer-s-Handbook-Open-Playtest)
Creation Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505001-Spheres-of-Power-The-Creation-Sphere-Handbook-Open-Playtest)
Time Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?476362-Spheres-of-Power-Time-Handbook-Open-Beta&highlight=time+sphere+handbook)
Gear of Power (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505056-Spheres-of-Power-Gear-of-Power-playtest-(equipment-book))
Mentalist's Handbook (Mind Sphere) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505527-Spheres-of-Power-The-Mentalist-s-Handbook-Playtest)

[legomaster00156]

I'm not sure if there's any point in taking the Shift Effect feat. It gives no real reduction or increase in the probability of wild magic occurring, or any individual event occurring, so it looks like it gives no advantage whatsoever to the character who takes it.

[digiman619]

I'm going to post here, as I can't seem to get commenting on the doc itself to work.

* When discussing Wild Magic Events, "such as using the shift cost feat on a mageknight’s mystic combat ability" should probably read " such as using the shift cost feat or a mageknight’s mystic combat ability"
* In the Arcanophage archetype, shouldn't the change on bonus feats class feature be "modifies" rather than "replaces"? I mean, it's still bonus feats!
* Maybe you should have a header on the chaotic options for the Armorist and Mageknight, as it seems very "Oh, and there's these new Mageknight stuff... and a thing for the Armorist, too... I guess."
* Nothing negative on this one, but I'm getting a psionic feat vibe from the Wild Magic feats, by which I mean, that they care about having other feats of its type, and have bonus effects. The only other feat type that cares about its own type is metamagic/-psionic/-whatever, and only because they'd gate the more powerful ones behind having X or more of them.
EDIT: Now I think about it, the Luck feats from 3.5 are probably a closer fit. Anyway...
* The Wild Critical weapon ability should probably do something if the target doesn't cast, because if the target doesn't cast, then it won't trigger wild magic.

Looking forward to see how this works out!

[legomaster00156]

* The Wild Critical weapon ability should probably do something if the target doesn't cast, because if the target doesn't cast, then it won't trigger wild magic.
Dispelling weapons won't work, either. Planar weapons don't help against non-extraplanar enemies. Flaming weapons don't help against enemies with fire immunity. Bane weapons are specifically useful against only one type of enemy.

[digiman619]

Dispelling weapons won't work, either. Planar weapons don't help against non-extraplanar enemies. Flaming weapons don't help against enemies with fire immunity. Bane weapons are specifically useful against only one type of enemy.

Fair enough. Though now I think about it, low casters make it more likely that martials will be affected by this.

[stack]

Suggestions unfortunately don't seem to work on google sheets, but comments did as of a couple weeks ago. If other people have problems leaving comments, let me know.


* When discussing Wild Magic Events, "such as using the shift cost feat on a mageknight’s mystic combat ability" should probably read " such as using the shift cost feat or a mageknight’s mystic combat ability" No, you can use the shift cost feat on a mystic combat. That sentance is about determining the DC for a wild magic event that didn't trigger on a sphere effect.

* In the Arcanophage archetype, shouldn't the change on bonus feats class feature be "modifies" rather than "replaces"? I mean, it's still bonus feats! Its still bonus feats, but before it was bonus 'combat' feats specifically. 'Combat feat' was the name of the class feature.

* Maybe you should have a header on the chaotic options for the Armorist and Mageknight, as it seems very "Oh, and there's these new Mageknight stuff... and a thing for the Armorist, too... I guess." The headers are 'arsenal tricks' and 'mystic combats', just like in the other playtests. Granted, the armorist arsenal trick looks kind of lonely.

* Nothing negative on this one, but I'm getting a psionic feat vibe from the Wild Magic feats, by which I mean, that they care about having other feats of its type, and have bonus effects. The only other feat type that cares about its own type is metamagic/-psionic/-whatever, and only because they'd gate the more powerful ones behind having X or more of them.
EDIT: Now I think about it, the Luck feats from 3.5 are probably a closer fit. Anyway... PF also has damnation feats that build on each other. Probably a few other examples scattered here and there across 3.PF and 3PP. I like the idea of rewarding the commitment to the sub-system, though I want the feats to be individually worthwhile as well.

* The Wild Critical weapon ability should probably do something if the target doesn't cast, because if the target doesn't cast, then it won't trigger wild magic. Believe this has been covered above sufficiently.


I'm not sure if there's any point in taking the Shift Effect feat. It gives no real reduction or increase in the probability of wild magic occurring, or any individual event occurring, so it looks like it gives no advantage whatsoever to the character who takes it.

Its purpose is an 'oh crap not that one!' button, for when you are in a tight spot and the result you got was going to be really bad for the situation. I'm open to modifying it if needed, but that was the idea.

[legomaster00156]

Might I suggest adding alternate racial options for the ganzi and the elemental planetouched races? They seem appropriate to the theme of uncontrolled, chaotic magic.

[meemaas]

I have a suggestion for a Mageknight archetype for this book. Mind you this is all vague because I just came up with it and don't often do it, heck, I don't even care if it's actually Mageknight it's just that Mageknight seems most fitting.

Anyways, my suggestion is a Mageknight that wields Wild Magic as its weapon, forcing it's power on enemies through its class features. To be more precise, it would be things along the lines of being able to spend a spell point to project an aura of wild magic, being able to spend spell points to reroll enemies wild magic backlashes, and being able to force Wild Magic from triggering on other actions.

Swing with a magic weapon? Wild Magic. Use your supernatural flight speed? Wild Magic. With its own Wild Magic table it could be a brilliant battlefield controller.

Or I'm just crazy.

[A.J.Gibson]

I have a suggestion for a Mageknight archetype for this book. Mind you this is all vague because I just came up with it and don't often do it, heck, I don't even care if it's actually Mageknight it's just that Mageknight seems most fitting.

Anyways, my suggestion is a Mageknight that wields Wild Magic as its weapon, forcing it's power on enemies through its class features. To be more precise, it would be things along the lines of being able to spend a spell point to project an aura of wild magic, being able to spend spell points to reroll enemies wild magic backlashes, and being able to force Wild Magic from triggering on other actions.

Swing with a magic weapon? Wild Magic. Use your supernatural flight speed? Wild Magic. With its own Wild Magic table it could be a brilliant battlefield controller.

Or I'm just crazy.

Sounds more like an individual talent than an archetype. The caster can create an aura of wild magic. Could go into the Fate book.

[stack]

Meemas - its an idea I will give some consideration. Focusing too much on wild magic risks limiting them against non-casters, but as you suggest there could be ways around that. I'll have to think on it.

[stack]

Added links in the OP to other active playtests for convenience.

[digiman619]

Added links in the OP to other active playtests for convenience.

You missed Gear of Power (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505056-Spheres-of-Power-Gear-of-Power-playtest-(equipment-book))

[stack]

Crazy ideas for the tables are welcome. Even if I can't use them directly ideas often spark other ideas.


You missed Gear of Power (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505056-Spheres-of-Power-Gear-of-Power-playtest-(equipment-book))
I'll fix that. Thought I had them all.

[A.J.Gibson]

Crazy ideas for the tables are welcome. Even if I can't use them directly ideas often spark other ideas.


I'll fix that. Thought I had them all.

You did, you posted this thread before Gear was released.

[stack]

You did, you posted this thread before Gear was released.

I added the list of playtest afterwords though. Fixed now and mentalist's is added too.

[stack]

Added rules for including wild magic in spellcrafting and talent-based item crafting.

[legomaster00156]

Wild Magic effect suggestions of non-specific schools:

All plants within Close range lose all color and smell for 1 day per caster level. This does not affect creatures with the plant type.
The sphere's target is entangled for one round by a sticky sap (REF negates). If the sphere is an area effect, one creature of the caster's choice within the area is entangled.
The sphere's target changes to a random eligible target within the sphere's range.
The caster feels a surge of courage and competence, gaining a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls, caster level checks, and Will saves vs. fear for 1 round.

[stack]

The tables are full. I will now be reviewing each entry. Oddly enough, the entries I wrote two years ago don't always conform to how I want them to look now.

[master4sword]

We've been using the wild magic tables in one of my games (as it was the same adventure that was playtesting Spheres of Might, every caster took wild magic), and one thing I've noticed is that Life sphere wild magic effects rarely matter if cast outside of combat (typically because the side effect is a short duration).

Mind has been fun, though it almost caused a TPK once when the caster put his entire party to sleep while surrounded by monsters.

[stack]

The out of combat issue is one I have been seeking to address. I have added a (combat) tag to some results, so that if they are triggered out side of combat, the result is delayed until combat starts. This should help with the problem of long term buffs and out of combat magic feeling the impact less.

[digiman619]

Since Spheres of Might has come out since you started this, is there any support/interaction with combat talents? Not that I am expecting a way for a Conscript to get wild magic, but one of the problems with Vancian is that a lot of the abilites just didn't interact with martial characters and now that you have a system for both, I didn't want to have you fall into that trap again.

[stack]

Since Spheres of Might has come out since you started this, is there any support/interaction with combat talents? Not that I am expecting a way for a Conscript to get wild magic, but one of the problems with Vancian is that a lot of the abilites just didn't interact with martial characters and now that you have a system for both, I didn't want to have you fall into that trap again.

I've been considering a prodigy option, but haven't put anything in the playtest yet. As for general combat talent options, I don't see off the top of my head how that would work. SoM lacks general drawbacks (they didn't really fit) and applying wild magic effects broadly to them seems odd. Might be some ways to work it. You would mostly end up rolling on the universal table a lot if you did something, since I am not writing 20,000 entries for martial sphere wild results.

[Mehangel]

Wild Magic options for Spheres of Might that I would like to see would probably include:

An Alchemy sphere-specific drawback which gives a 10% chance of wild magic whenever someone uses a formulae you create. For simplicity sake, I suggest using the 'Cantrips Wild Magic' table. Alternatively, I could see a (Wild Magic) feat which does the same thing or a (Formulae) talent which has no effect except a 100% chance of Wild Magic.

A Troubadour persona perhaps called the 'Wild Card' or 'Gambit' focusing on wild magic, improvisation and random actions.

[stack]

I have added a material imposition for scholars, lead. The flashbang option creates a could that causes spells to go haywire.

Also added a wild magic option for the prodigy's imbue sequence.

Thought about the formulae idea; had some issues with it in that form, but lead to the train of thought that created the material imposition.

[Mithril Leaf]

Could there possibly be a goblin racial option in this book? It seems fitting considering their Incanter FCB. Plus they haven't gotten any love in Spheres really yet.

[stack]

Could there possibly be a goblin racial option in this book? It seems fitting considering their Incanter FCB. Plus they haven't gotten any love in Spheres really yet.

Never play goblins myself so it didn't cross my mind. I can look I to it. Wasn't really looking to add racial stuff, not really a fan of race locked material if it doesn't absolutely have to be though.