A modified magic system...

[JackRackham]

My question is about a magic system I'm putting together, but first some background:

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I'm designing a campaign world in which I will use some ffx-inspired races (and one of my own). We have:

The Ronso, who will have a +4 CON, +2 STR, -2 CON and -2 CHA.

The Al-Bhed who get two extra skillpoints per level, receive no penalties for multiclassing, are proficient with all mechanical devices and can choose any two skills as always class skills.

The Guado who have +4 DEX, -2STR and -2 CON, can sense ethereal creatures (and the ethereal element in other PM creatures - the planar sytem in this campaign is VERY different) within 60ft, have an at-will SLA that allows them to interact with ethereal creatures (grapple, hit, talk and hear, etc), and always have knowledge: the planes as a class skill

The Half-Guado (LA +1) who have +4 DEX, a -4 circumstance penalty to bluff, diplomacy and gather information checks in all dealings with Humans, Guado and Ronso and ethereal sense 30ft. Those who live with humans gain a bonus feat at 1st level, an extra skillpoint/level, and favored class: any. Those who live with Guado gain the at-will SLA and knowledge: the planes is always a class skill.

The Aldgammel, who have +6 INT, -2 STR, -2 CON, -2 DEX and 3 racial HD with spell progression as wizards. I'm debating whether I should add a level adjustment here or go with +4 INT instead.

As I mentioned, the planes work differently in this world. Specifically, the ethereal plane shadows the material plane and borders all others.

So, my ideas. First off, I want primary casters to be tier 2, possibly high tier two. I have no issues with magic being powerful, but I don't want any one spellcaster to be able to do everything better than a non-spellcaster for this campaign world. I decided this only after what follows.

In addition, due to the feel I want for this world, there will be no teleportation, flying, invisibility, charm effects and a couple others. I really want skills to be more relevant here. Plane Shift and similar will exist, but at a much higher spell level.

Sorcerers will work differently. In effect, Sorcerers will have free silent spell and still spell from level one (free in that this will not effect spell level). That is, they think it and it happens. Their powers will be linked to an element (fire, air, water, earth, possibly life or death or nature, etc) and they will be able to cast any spell of appropriate level associated with the element. In addition, they can use their element creatively and spontaneously. That is, they can do things not specifically described by a spell (ie: I want that stack of paper to burn to a crisp or I want a tornado to pick up that meat shield and fling him into the canyon), in which case it's up to DM discretion as to whether they're powerful enough to achieve the desired effect and what level spell must be sacrificed. They can only cast spells related to their element. So, they're limited, but within their specialty, they have supreme flexibility. Sorcerers will have been raised for much of their lives in monasteries, to learn to control their thoughts and moods with meditation (which they must do daily, lest their control should waver).

They will gain spell levels at the same rate as wizards. I want them to be roughly equivalent in power to wizards. Frankly, I wouldn't mind them being more powerful than wizards.

Wizards, on the other hand, will be mostly unchanged except that they will be limited to (3-5?) schools of magic. I'm leaning towards four here, but I'm open to feedback. I want to limit their versatility more so than their power with this restriction. On the note of power, however, there will be no 9th level spells. Rather, at 17th level wizards will get 9th level slots (for metamagic purposes) and the ability to craft custom spells as described in the Epic Handbook (all spells subject to DM discretion), but with limitations in the overall power of the effect (this limit disappears at Epic levels). These spells will be assigned spell levels based on the spellcraft DC of the spell (and some good 'ole DM discretion).

Does anybody have suggestions? Any elements or themes for sorcerer spells that would be interesting? Is there a reason this would not work or some way of exploiting this I've not anticipated?