Alternative Caster for Low Magic Campaigns

[Bosh]

The Magic User

BaB: medium
HPs: d6
Saves: two good and one bad
Skills: 6+Int
Skill selection: as expert
Free casting-related feats at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th levels. Can spend one feat to get a familiar.

Spell casting:

One level of magic user = one caster level
Is affected by arcane spell failure if wears non-light armor (as bard)

Spells/day = as bard of the same level + 1 (so you can cast 6th level spells at 15th level) but extend the spell chart so that Magic Users can cast 7th level spells at 18th level).

Spells known: As bard of the same level + 1 PLUS an additional number of spells known per each level of spell you can cast equal to your Int bonus.

What spells can be known? Anything on Druid, Cleric or Wizard spell lists.

Magic Users can either spontaneously cast one of the spells that they know or memorize any of the spells in their spell book at the beginning of the day (so for example if a character can cast two 3rd level spells he can either cast both of them spontaneously or replace either or both of those two spontaneous spell slots with a spell memorized from his spellbook or a scroll).

Int: determines additional spells known.
Wis: determines bonus spells/day.
Cha: determines saving throw DC.

There you go, a caster with a lot of flexibility but a lot of the oomph taken out of them at higher levels. Probably pretty weak if compared to ToB etc. classes but should be balanced just fine if they're the only casters in a Core-only game or a low magic game.

[Fizban]

So, baisically the Spellcaster generic class, but based off of the bard spell tables and getting more spells known to compensate for the loss of power.

If it works for your game, go for it. One thing I like that you did makes me mad that I didn't think of it: trying to combine spontaneous casting and prepared casting always seemed so hard. But the almost moronically simple ploy of literally just doing both should work well. Though you'll have to add some more limitations on preparing spells, specifically since a wizard can prepare his spells later in the day in only 15 min, you've just given them the spontaneous power of a sorcerer with the any effect you need in 15 min of a wizard, assuming that you meant them to only be able to prepare in the morning. The loss of high level spells of course drops the threat level, but since we don't know your exact reasons behind nerfing casters, I can't say how much the preparation will matter. Course, you can always say that they have to designate their slots as spontaneous, prepared with spell, or open for preparation when they wake up, and make my entire post worthless.

[Bosh]

So, baisically the Spellcaster generic class, but based off of the bard spell tables and getting more spells known to compensate for the loss of power.

Basically, I conceived it as more of a buffed-up adept but same difference. I also gave them a big pile of MAD and a few goodies to make up for lost spell-casting power. I don't like the level of raw power that D&D spellcasters have, I would prefer them be less portable artillery (leave that to the archers) than flexible sources of various utility spells. I also think that the above class would be easier to port into various ficitonal fantasy worlds.

One thing I like that you did makes me mad that I didn't think of it: trying to combine spontaneous casting and prepared casting always seemed so hard. But the almost moronically simple ploy of literally just doing both should work well.

Yeah, it seems that it would work well without adding the complication of adding spellpoints. Was inspirted by a feat that let you swap out a known spontaneous spell for a spell-like ability of lower level usable three times a day.

Though you'll have to add some more limitations on preparing spells, specifically since a wizard can prepare his spells later in the day in only 15 min, you've just given them the spontaneous power of a sorcerer with the any effect you need in 15 min of a wizard, assuming that you meant them to only be able to prepare in the morning.

Yeah that's the part of the design that I'm most uncertain of. Maybe something like have players get all of their spontaneous spell slots back every morning than then have it take 10 minutes/spell level to swap out a spontaneous spell slot for a memorized spell. That way if you're willing to wait around a bit and the caster hasn't used up all of his spells then he can pretty much cast any spell in his spell book if you give him a little time. I don't see this as a big problem (in fact I think it would be pretty cool) especially in a low magic world in which spellbooks are rare and very expensive.

since we don't know your exact reasons behind nerfing casters

1. They're too powerful.
2. If you play in a low magic world most of the things that counteract the power of casters disappear.
3. I don't like casters being played as brute force characters. I think that the class that I outlined above would be VERY useful due to its flexiblity in a lot of situations without having excessive raw combat power.

[Yakk]

This thread:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32637
contains some stealable rules to make a more friendly spellcaster.

Note that in that system, weapons do double damage, and each melee level is roughly the same as two SRD levels (with some minor tweaks). Spell damage is boosted x3, to make up for weaker other spells and HP.

Here is another attempt at a low-magic spellcaster class:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...rd#post1653087
which is closer to your attempt.

[Matthew]

Try this thread: Low Magic Campaign - Arcane Scholar