Asmotherion
2017-01-03, 12:46 PM
So, we are starting a magic academy campain (think of it as a Arcane Brotherhood meets Harry Potter and the Wizarding World kind of setting... Pure medieval though). My players want me to make up a way to make magic feel more free to use, without breaking it, and making the combat experiance boring.
My initial thought was the variant rule with 10 minute short rests/1 hour long rests and unlimited amount of rests. After we discussed it though, they seem to want something closer to an MMORPG cooldown effect.
So, here is my proposal: Every spell slot can be re-charged in an amount of minutes equal to the spell level x 2. This keeps the use-per-encounter rate balanced, and allows them to effectivelly use higher level spells as part of every encounter, rather than a once per day thing. Also, for this to apply, they need their spellcasting focus on their person, or their spellcasting will work as normal in the book. This is mostly fluff, but also allows for making spellcasting focci more precious to the spellcaster, and a possible side-quest to retrive them.
An other thing I'm considering is limiting this to up to 5th level spells, and have each level above 5th recharge in one hour per level above 5th. So, a 9th level spell slot would recharge in 4 hours, wile a 6th in one hour.
To balance off pact magic, I made it so that it recharges it's spell slots as a 1 minute ritural.
Mystic Arcanum recharge reguardless of the rule about spell slots above 5th, so a 9th level Mystic Arcanum would recharge in 18 minutes, and a 6th in 12 minutes. This last part is optional, and I don't think I'll include it, I just put it here to open it up for discussion.
Since all characters will have access to a spellbook, I made some alterations to the classes:
Spells Known Classes: They keep their spells known, however at the end of a short or long rest, they can choose to swap up to their intelligence modifier number of spells (never cantrips as usual) with other spells in their spellbook. Transcribing spells in their spellbook is the usual process as described in the Wizard's spellbook, however they are never considered specialist in any school of magic. I feel this is balanced, and gives a reason for non-wizards to invest in INT, instead of dumping it altogether. Tbey can scribe their known spells in their spellbook with no cost, even if they loose their spellbook. However any additional spell must be paid the full price to transcribe, even if they only intend to make a copy of their spellbook.
Divine Casters also have a spellbook; However they never need to pay to add new spells in it, as they have some sort of epiphany that allows them to write down their spells in a spellbook as sacred text. When they prepare their spells, they only need to study those sacred texts.
Wizards keep their spellcasting as is.
Those are the baselines more-or-less. I hope to hear feedback, change proposals and wether this whole idea is balanced or not. Please note that all characters will be spellcasters, not necesserally full-casters though.
My initial thought was the variant rule with 10 minute short rests/1 hour long rests and unlimited amount of rests. After we discussed it though, they seem to want something closer to an MMORPG cooldown effect.
So, here is my proposal: Every spell slot can be re-charged in an amount of minutes equal to the spell level x 2. This keeps the use-per-encounter rate balanced, and allows them to effectivelly use higher level spells as part of every encounter, rather than a once per day thing. Also, for this to apply, they need their spellcasting focus on their person, or their spellcasting will work as normal in the book. This is mostly fluff, but also allows for making spellcasting focci more precious to the spellcaster, and a possible side-quest to retrive them.
An other thing I'm considering is limiting this to up to 5th level spells, and have each level above 5th recharge in one hour per level above 5th. So, a 9th level spell slot would recharge in 4 hours, wile a 6th in one hour.
To balance off pact magic, I made it so that it recharges it's spell slots as a 1 minute ritural.
Mystic Arcanum recharge reguardless of the rule about spell slots above 5th, so a 9th level Mystic Arcanum would recharge in 18 minutes, and a 6th in 12 minutes. This last part is optional, and I don't think I'll include it, I just put it here to open it up for discussion.
Since all characters will have access to a spellbook, I made some alterations to the classes:
Spells Known Classes: They keep their spells known, however at the end of a short or long rest, they can choose to swap up to their intelligence modifier number of spells (never cantrips as usual) with other spells in their spellbook. Transcribing spells in their spellbook is the usual process as described in the Wizard's spellbook, however they are never considered specialist in any school of magic. I feel this is balanced, and gives a reason for non-wizards to invest in INT, instead of dumping it altogether. Tbey can scribe their known spells in their spellbook with no cost, even if they loose their spellbook. However any additional spell must be paid the full price to transcribe, even if they only intend to make a copy of their spellbook.
Divine Casters also have a spellbook; However they never need to pay to add new spells in it, as they have some sort of epiphany that allows them to write down their spells in a spellbook as sacred text. When they prepare their spells, they only need to study those sacred texts.
Wizards keep their spellcasting as is.
Those are the baselines more-or-less. I hope to hear feedback, change proposals and wether this whole idea is balanced or not. Please note that all characters will be spellcasters, not necesserally full-casters though.