Post/Author/DateTime	Post
rigon 03-21-05, 02:54 PM	I remember seeing a reference either in a thread or as a thread, of magic based on feats. I was thinking about this idea. I wanted to have something like 4 feats that gave access to spells. But the spells wouldn't be set up by levels, so much as by a spellcraft/knowledge (arcana) check. The system would look something like this: Feat :Spell Types Adept : Cantrips (lowest form of spells; check range of 0-10) Student : Basic (the next lowest; check range of 11-20) Expert : Simple (next highest; check range of 21-30) Master : Complex (highest form of magic; check range of 31-40) All classes would have access to the feats, but there would be some form of check to make it difficult to be able to actually cast spell. Not really sure where I'm going with this yet, just wanted to put it out there and see what people thought. Thanks in advance R-
smithwick05 03-22-05, 05:13 PM	Well, you need a resevoir of some kind of spell power. Maybe certain kinds of things (Necromancy, Evocation, Conjurgation/Abjuration) require a different reserve... Necromancy might require Wisdom+Intelligence as its base of power. Conjurgation/Abjuration might need Intelligence+Charisma, etc. The current system uses the familar: at this level you can cast this many spells at this level and that level with this much power, etc. To create magic items, one'd research what could cause the desired effect (using a check), then produce the effect (expendature of magic power, using a check) within a feat system i.e. craft magic armor or what have you. The same thing could be done with certain Lovecraftian summoning (and dispelling!) of demons and the like. Healing of damage and curses could also be done in this way... The checks involved could be from various disciplines: say armorer checks involved with armor, calligraphy checks when involved with writing mojo to protect you from that demon you summoned, etc. Higher checks needed to make more powerful foci and executive elements of magical effects (wands, rods, etc). Scale the feats by both power as in the ability to channel magical energy and the ability to cause crazier effects. Maybe its harder to get certain things as well. Say, in one DM's world its really easy to get magical equipment like using Amazon or Barnes and Noble... in another you have to quest for such items. That and making this stuff might take some time in doing as well, or require massive amounts of saved up energy. Using published material to scale effects and maybe for ideas for spell components as well as old legends and books... and you've got yourself something quite interesting there. Styles could range from the runes of pseudo-Nordic Dwarves or cannibal Orcs to technomancy. Different cultures would use different languages and styles of accessing magic... information gathering would be key as to figure out another's magickal language and such but effects would be common (an area of dispell magic would dispell all magic of a certain level, etc.). Allow all core classes to use these feats and such but eliminate the magic using classes to make a "magic user" class... a beefed up expert with more skills and bonus feats and access to cool stuff. From what little I've read about Eberron such a system might work well there. I dunno. --smithwick05