Enhanced casting [Archive] - Wizards Community

Enhanced casting [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Corlindale
12-28-06, 09:59 AM I've recently started playing in a Wheel of Time campaign, and was quite intrigued by its magic system. Especially the feature called "overchanneling", where one can enhance the power of ones spells at personal risk was interesting. So I've attempted to come up with a similar system for regular D&D spellcasting. I've always felt that casters should have the option to attempt to use more power than they can safely control, at some risk to themselves. It should literally be a possibility to "die within ones own magic".

The rules for enhanced casting are as follows:
Any caster(It might make sense flavour-wise to restrict the feature to arcane casters, it is a non-issue for me, though, as divine casting doesn't exist in my campaign setting) can elect to increase the effective caster level of any spell they cast, usually affecting stuff like damage, duration and area.
They cannot increase the effective caster level beyond the listed cap for the spell they are enhancing, but otherwise there are no limits(this is one of the areas I'm a little unsure of, I might impose a caster-level dependant limit somehow).
Every time a caster uses enhanced casting, she must make a will save. The DC of the save is 10+spell level+desired increase in caster level. So enhancing a fireball 2 caster levels beyond the normal would be a DC of 10+3+2=15.
If the caster makes her save, she takes 1d4 subdual damage for each caster level increase. 2d4 in the above case. If the save is failed, the damage is lethal instead. If the save is failed by 5 or more, or botched, the caster also suffers a Wisdom drain equal to the caster level increase she sought to achieve. This wears off after resting. Regardless of the outcome of the save, the spell still goes off.

Enhanced casting can also be used to spontaneously apply metamagic feats to prepared spells. The character must have the appropriate feat. The "price" for applying a metamagic feat is twice as many effective caster level increases as the feat normally imposes spell level increases. So the DC of empowering a normal prepared Fireball would be 10+(2x2)+3=17, and the casting would deal 4d4 damage to the caster. Heightening a Fireball to a 9th level spell would be a DC of 10+(2x6)+3=25, and the casting would deal 12d4 damage to the caster. This system does allow a caster to, for example, quicken a fifth level spell even if she doesn't have any ninth-level slots yet. Various metamagic can be combined by stacking the costs, but this can quickly make casting very hazardous. Metamagic can also be combined with ordinary caster level enhancing.

I would like your thoughts and opinions as to whether this system is balanced, as well as suggestions for changes. I thought about changing the will save to a Concentration check, but I thought that it would eventually become too easy to make such a check. I also liked that my system increased the usefulness of Wisdom in my campaign-world, which might otherwise be considered a universal dump-stat in a world without divine casters.
Seerow
12-28-06, 10:36 AM Definitely unbalanced.

The saves are far too easy to make unless you try to go really overboard, and the backlash really isn't enough to scare even a Wizard. Seriously, nobody cares about 2d4 nonlethal, or even 4d4 lethal. I mean, a DC15 Will Save for a 5th level Caster isn't that hard. Especially considering he has spells that boost his will save!

I'd say it's a definite no. I'd change the save DC to the DC of the spell being cast plus half the caster level bump (so a 20 int Wizard casting a Fireball 2 CL higher than normal has a DC19 Will Save), and double the backlash penalties.
Corlindale
12-28-06, 10:48 AM Thanks for the comment.
I suspected that the system might be a bit too lenient. Your suggestions for changes are good, I was probably too influenced by my own wizards often being low Con and rolling dismally low hp when setting the penalties.
Delfedd
12-28-06, 11:23 AM change it to d8s, keep the wisdom damage the same, and you're golden.
IceFractal
12-28-06, 04:43 PM How about basing it on Psionic overchanneling?

At level 1, you can bump your CL by 1, but you take 1d8 damage.
At level 8, you can bump it by 2, but you take 3d8 damage.
At level 15, you can bump it by 3, but you take 5d8 damage.

No save against it, you just have to soak the damage (could be harder without Vigor, though). To help with this, you could make a version of the Talented feat:

Master Overchanneler
Preqs: Overchannel
Benefit: When you overchannel a spell of 3rd level or below, you can choose to be dazed for the next round instead of taking damage.

Losing the next round seemed the closest thing to spending Psionic Focus, as you'd need to waste a round to recover it.
Kage_no_Neko
12-28-06, 05:38 PM A similar system (found in the d20 The Red Star rpg I believe) allowed casters to overchannel. In effect there was a Constitution save (as you were putting more energy through your body than you were used to) somewhere along the lines of 11 + twice the CL boost. If you saved, fine; if not you took 1d4 Constitution damage per CL increase. I know there was some limit on just how many levels you could overchannel; but in the end the spell went off even if you died from the overchanneling, allowing you to sacrifice yourself quite easily to accomplish great things.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Corlindale 12-28-06, 09:59 AM	I've recently started playing in a Wheel of Time campaign, and was quite intrigued by its magic system. Especially the feature called "overchanneling", where one can enhance the power of ones spells at personal risk was interesting. So I've attempted to come up with a similar system for regular D&D spellcasting. I've always felt that casters should have the option to attempt to use more power than they can safely control, at some risk to themselves. It should literally be a possibility to "die within ones own magic". The rules for enhanced casting are as follows: Any caster(It might make sense flavour-wise to restrict the feature to arcane casters, it is a non-issue for me, though, as divine casting doesn't exist in my campaign setting) can elect to increase the effective caster level of any spell they cast, usually affecting stuff like damage, duration and area. They cannot increase the effective caster level beyond the listed cap for the spell they are enhancing, but otherwise there are no limits(this is one of the areas I'm a little unsure of, I might impose a caster-level dependant limit somehow). Every time a caster uses enhanced casting, she must make a will save. The DC of the save is 10+spell level+desired increase in caster level. So enhancing a fireball 2 caster levels beyond the normal would be a DC of 10+3+2=15. If the caster makes her save, she takes 1d4 subdual damage for each caster level increase. 2d4 in the above case. If the save is failed, the damage is lethal instead. If the save is failed by 5 or more, or botched, the caster also suffers a Wisdom drain equal to the caster level increase she sought to achieve. This wears off after resting. Regardless of the outcome of the save, the spell still goes off. Enhanced casting can also be used to spontaneously apply metamagic feats to prepared spells. The character must have the appropriate feat. The "price" for applying a metamagic feat is twice as many effective caster level increases as the feat normally imposes spell level increases. So the DC of empowering a normal prepared Fireball would be 10+(2x2)+3=17, and the casting would deal 4d4 damage to the caster. Heightening a Fireball to a 9th level spell would be a DC of 10+(2x6)+3=25, and the casting would deal 12d4 damage to the caster. This system does allow a caster to, for example, quicken a fifth level spell even if she doesn't have any ninth-level slots yet. Various metamagic can be combined by stacking the costs, but this can quickly make casting very hazardous. Metamagic can also be combined with ordinary caster level enhancing. I would like your thoughts and opinions as to whether this system is balanced, as well as suggestions for changes. I thought about changing the will save to a Concentration check, but I thought that it would eventually become too easy to make such a check. I also liked that my system increased the usefulness of Wisdom in my campaign-world, which might otherwise be considered a universal dump-stat in a world without divine casters.
Seerow 12-28-06, 10:36 AM	Definitely unbalanced. The saves are far too easy to make unless you try to go really overboard, and the backlash really isn't enough to scare even a Wizard. Seriously, nobody cares about 2d4 nonlethal, or even 4d4 lethal. I mean, a DC15 Will Save for a 5th level Caster isn't that hard. Especially considering he has spells that boost his will save! I'd say it's a definite no. I'd change the save DC to the DC of the spell being cast plus half the caster level bump (so a 20 int Wizard casting a Fireball 2 CL higher than normal has a DC19 Will Save), and double the backlash penalties.
Corlindale 12-28-06, 10:48 AM	Thanks for the comment. I suspected that the system might be a bit too lenient. Your suggestions for changes are good, I was probably too influenced by my own wizards often being low Con and rolling dismally low hp when setting the penalties.
Delfedd 12-28-06, 11:23 AM	change it to d8s, keep the wisdom damage the same, and you're golden.
IceFractal 12-28-06, 04:43 PM	How about basing it on Psionic overchanneling? At level 1, you can bump your CL by 1, but you take 1d8 damage. At level 8, you can bump it by 2, but you take 3d8 damage. At level 15, you can bump it by 3, but you take 5d8 damage. No save against it, you just have to soak the damage (could be harder without Vigor, though). To help with this, you could make a version of the Talented feat: Master Overchanneler Preqs: Overchannel Benefit: When you overchannel a spell of 3rd level or below, you can choose to be dazed for the next round instead of taking damage. Losing the next round seemed the closest thing to spending Psionic Focus, as you'd need to waste a round to recover it.
Kage_no_Neko 12-28-06, 05:38 PM	A similar system (found in the d20 The Red Star rpg I believe) allowed casters to overchannel. In effect there was a Constitution save (as you were putting more energy through your body than you were used to) somewhere along the lines of 11 + twice the CL boost. If you saved, fine; if not you took 1d4 Constitution damage per CL increase. I know there was some limit on just how many levels you could overchannel; but in the end the spell went off even if you died from the overchanneling, allowing you to sacrifice yourself quite easily to accomplish great things.