Magic and Psionics per Encounter [Archive] - Wizards Community

Magic and Psionics per Encounter [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Magocrat
01-24-07, 03:04 PM Author's Notes: This article provides house rules for players who are already familiar with magic and psionics. If you aren't familiar with these systems yet, I suggest that you read up on these systems before you read further. Furthermore, I advise everyone who wants to use these house rules to implement these house rules during the character's creation, and at the Dungeon Master's discretion.

The Player's Handbook and Expanded Psionics Handbook give magical and psionic characters a daily allotment of spells or power points, which they can use to cast spells or manifest powers. However, another supplement, the Tome of Battle (otherwise known as the Book of Nine Swords), gives martial characters maneuvers, which they can use during each encounter. Even before the Tome of Battle was in stores, many people wanted to make a variant that gave magical and psionic characters the ability to cast their spells and manifest their powers with an allotment of spells or power points for each encounter. This is my attempt at making such a variant. Whether you want to use it, is up to you.

Because this variant was made for magic and psionics, I have divided this article in these two parts. Each part has a paragraph of flavor text, followed by the house rules for that part. There are also feats that you can use in conjunction with these house rules, together with a complementary list of these feats. Finally, there is a part of this article that I have reserved for frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Magic

People who use magic are divided into two groups: Those who draw their magic from mystic energies (arcane spellcasters) and those who draw their magic from a divine source (divine spellcasters). These spellcasters can usually cast so many spells during each day. However, there are spellcasters who continually draw their magic from whichever source they use when they need it, instead of at the beginning of the day.

To acquire spell levels, you must concentrate. (A divine spellcaster must pray to his deity.) This concentration takes a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity. (You can be distracted while concentrating as if you were casting a spell, see page 170 of the Player's Handbook.) Whenever you concentrate, you acquire 1 spell level.

However, there is a limit to how much mystic or divine energy you can hold. Your number of spell levels may not exceed your caster level + your spellcasting ability modifier. If your number of spell levels exceeds this limit, you take 1 point of ability burn to your spellcasting ability score at the beginning of each round. You may dismiss any number of spell levels as a free action that provokes no attacks of opportunity. You automatically lose all of your spell levels if you fall unconscious or become confused.

Using these house rules, a spellcaster with enhancement or healing spells on his spell list can cast these spells as long as he wants, healing the party after each encounter. To prevent this, you could use the following rule.

Whenever you consecutively cast a spell on a target within a period of 8 hours, you must make a caster level check (DC 10 + the spell's level + twice the number of times you cast the spell). Failure means the spell fails and you can't cast the spell on that target for 8 hours. You only need to make this caster level check if you cast a spell of the abjuration, conjuration (healing), enchantment, and transmutation schools. The Dungeon Master may call for this caster level check with specific spells.

Psionics

Psionics – the power of mind over matter. Someone who uses psionics taps into the mind's potential. However, these talented people can usually only tap into the mind's potential for so often during each day. On the other hand, there are some manifesters who can manifest psionics as often as they want. These manifesters meditate to draw the mental energy needed to manifest psionics from their mind when they need it, instead of at the beginning of the day.

To acquire power points, you must meditate. This meditation takes at least a swift action and provokes attacks of opportunity. (You can be distracted while meditating as if you were manifesting a power, see page 54 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook.) Whenever you meditate, you acquire a number of power points depending on the action you take to meditate (see below). If you have levels in more than one manifesting class, you add the power point acquisition rate of each manifesting class up to determine the number of power points you acquire.

If you take a swift action to meditate, you acquire power points equal to one-half your manifester level (rounded down, minimum 0). If you take a move action, you acquire power points equal to your manifester level. If you take a standard action, you acquire power points equal to 1,5 x your manifester level. If you take a full-round action, you acquire power points equal to 2,5 x your manifester level. Each action you take to meditate provokes attacks of opportunity.

However, even a manifester's mind has a limit to the mental energy it can hold. Your pool of power points may not exceed (your manifester level + your manifesting ability modifier) x 2. If your pool of power points exceeds this limit, you take 1 point of ability burn to your manifesting ability score at the beginning of each round. You may dismiss any number of power points as a free action that provokes no attacks of opportunity. You automatically lose all of your power points if you fall unconscious or become confused.

Variants

Coming soon!

New Feats

Accelerate Acquisition

You can acquire spell levels faster.

Prerequisite: Caster level 10th.

Benefit: You may concentrate as a move action. In addition, you may use a full-round action to acquire two spell levels. (This counts as one action for the purpose of provoking attacks of opportunity.)

Normal: Concentrating is a standard action.

Augmented Acquisition

You acquire more power points when you meditate.

Benefit: You acquire a number of additional power points equal to your manifesting ability modifier when you meditate, to a maximum of one power point for every four manifester levels you have.

Improved Reserve

You can hold a larger number of spell levels or power points.

Benefit: You use your spellcasting or manifesting ability score – 10 when determining the number of spell levels or power points that you can hold.

Normal: You use your spellcasting or manifesting ability modifier when determining the number of spell levels or power points that you can hold.

Special: If you have levels in both spellcasting and manifesting classes, you must choose whether it applies to your spellcasting ability score or your manifester ability score.

Sudden Acquisition

You can acquire power points in a moment's notice.

Benefit: You may acquire a number of power points equal to twice your manifester level as a swift action. To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus (see the Concentration skill, page 37 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook).

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Why aren't there any frequently asked questions yet?
Answer: Because this thread is new!
Magocrat
01-27-07, 12:50 PM *casts raise thread*
Kintara
01-28-07, 02:27 PM Hmm, the more I think of it, the more it seems to work. It makes Confusion a better spell. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a reason not to take Lesser Confusion as a low level Bard.

How would the various spellcasters choose their spells known?
Magocrat
01-28-07, 04:28 PM The various spellcasters would still select their spells known as usual. However, I should add that only spontaneous spellcasters can benefit from these house rules as they are. The reason being that a preparatory spellcaster acquiring the mystical energy for his spells makes no sense. I hope that helped, and thank you for your comments.
Magocrat
01-30-07, 02:41 PM *casts raise thread*
kadeity
01-31-07, 12:45 PM good concept. bad idea.

It would be great if things could work this way, but they cant. Youd have to re-write every single spell.

The Maneuvers were Designed with the idea that they would be used per encounter. Spells and Psionics however, were not, and so will have obvious problems. Healing is your First one. Another Is Summoning. You may as well have a permanant cohort if you can re-summon them every encounter. Then there are the out of combat spells. Lots of them. Like Wish.

Only a few schools of magic could work like this.
NOW if you wanted to make the WARMAGE into a per encounter class, you could. Evocation would easily work this way. SO could abjuration and transmutation.

However, conjuration, necromancy, enchantment, illusions ect...they just might not be so cut and dry. Theyll complicate it to death and make working it out near impossible.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Magocrat 01-24-07, 03:04 PM	Author's Notes: This article provides house rules for players who are already familiar with magic and psionics. If you aren't familiar with these systems yet, I suggest that you read up on these systems before you read further. Furthermore, I advise everyone who wants to use these house rules to implement these house rules during the character's creation, and at the Dungeon Master's discretion. The Player's Handbook and Expanded Psionics Handbook give magical and psionic characters a daily allotment of spells or power points, which they can use to cast spells or manifest powers. However, another supplement, the Tome of Battle (otherwise known as the Book of Nine Swords), gives martial characters maneuvers, which they can use during each encounter. Even before the Tome of Battle was in stores, many people wanted to make a variant that gave magical and psionic characters the ability to cast their spells and manifest their powers with an allotment of spells or power points for each encounter. This is my attempt at making such a variant. Whether you want to use it, is up to you. Because this variant was made for magic and psionics, I have divided this article in these two parts. Each part has a paragraph of flavor text, followed by the house rules for that part. There are also feats that you can use in conjunction with these house rules, together with a complementary list of these feats. Finally, there is a part of this article that I have reserved for frequently asked questions (FAQs). Magic People who use magic are divided into two groups: Those who draw their magic from mystic energies (arcane spellcasters) and those who draw their magic from a divine source (divine spellcasters). These spellcasters can usually cast so many spells during each day. However, there are spellcasters who continually draw their magic from whichever source they use when they need it, instead of at the beginning of the day. To acquire spell levels, you must concentrate. (A divine spellcaster must pray to his deity.) This concentration takes a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity. (You can be distracted while concentrating as if you were casting a spell, see page 170 of the Player's Handbook.) Whenever you concentrate, you acquire 1 spell level. However, there is a limit to how much mystic or divine energy you can hold. Your number of spell levels may not exceed your caster level + your spellcasting ability modifier. If your number of spell levels exceeds this limit, you take 1 point of ability burn to your spellcasting ability score at the beginning of each round. You may dismiss any number of spell levels as a free action that provokes no attacks of opportunity. You automatically lose all of your spell levels if you fall unconscious or become confused. Using these house rules, a spellcaster with enhancement or healing spells on his spell list can cast these spells as long as he wants, healing the party after each encounter. To prevent this, you could use the following rule. Whenever you consecutively cast a spell on a target within a period of 8 hours, you must make a caster level check (DC 10 + the spell's level + twice the number of times you cast the spell). Failure means the spell fails and you can't cast the spell on that target for 8 hours. You only need to make this caster level check if you cast a spell of the abjuration, conjuration (healing), enchantment, and transmutation schools. The Dungeon Master may call for this caster level check with specific spells. Psionics Psionics – the power of mind over matter. Someone who uses psionics taps into the mind's potential. However, these talented people can usually only tap into the mind's potential for so often during each day. On the other hand, there are some manifesters who can manifest psionics as often as they want. These manifesters meditate to draw the mental energy needed to manifest psionics from their mind when they need it, instead of at the beginning of the day. To acquire power points, you must meditate. This meditation takes at least a swift action and provokes attacks of opportunity. (You can be distracted while meditating as if you were manifesting a power, see page 54 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook.) Whenever you meditate, you acquire a number of power points depending on the action you take to meditate (see below). If you have levels in more than one manifesting class, you add the power point acquisition rate of each manifesting class up to determine the number of power points you acquire. If you take a swift action to meditate, you acquire power points equal to one-half your manifester level (rounded down, minimum 0). If you take a move action, you acquire power points equal to your manifester level. If you take a standard action, you acquire power points equal to 1,5 x your manifester level. If you take a full-round action, you acquire power points equal to 2,5 x your manifester level. Each action you take to meditate provokes attacks of opportunity. However, even a manifester's mind has a limit to the mental energy it can hold. Your pool of power points may not exceed (your manifester level + your manifesting ability modifier) x 2. If your pool of power points exceeds this limit, you take 1 point of ability burn to your manifesting ability score at the beginning of each round. You may dismiss any number of power points as a free action that provokes no attacks of opportunity. You automatically lose all of your power points if you fall unconscious or become confused. Variants Coming soon! New Feats Accelerate Acquisition You can acquire spell levels faster. Prerequisite: Caster level 10th. Benefit: You may concentrate as a move action. In addition, you may use a full-round action to acquire two spell levels. (This counts as one action for the purpose of provoking attacks of opportunity.) Normal: Concentrating is a standard action. Augmented Acquisition You acquire more power points when you meditate. Benefit: You acquire a number of additional power points equal to your manifesting ability modifier when you meditate, to a maximum of one power point for every four manifester levels you have. Improved Reserve You can hold a larger number of spell levels or power points. Benefit: You use your spellcasting or manifesting ability score – 10 when determining the number of spell levels or power points that you can hold. Normal: You use your spellcasting or manifesting ability modifier when determining the number of spell levels or power points that you can hold. Special: If you have levels in both spellcasting and manifesting classes, you must choose whether it applies to your spellcasting ability score or your manifester ability score. Sudden Acquisition You can acquire power points in a moment's notice. Benefit: You may acquire a number of power points equal to twice your manifester level as a swift action. To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus (see the Concentration skill, page 37 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook). Frequently Asked Questions Question: Why aren't there any frequently asked questions yet? Answer: Because this thread is new!
Magocrat 01-27-07, 12:50 PM	casts raise thread
Kintara 01-28-07, 02:27 PM	Hmm, the more I think of it, the more it seems to work. It makes Confusion a better spell. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a reason not to take Lesser Confusion as a low level Bard. How would the various spellcasters choose their spells known?
Magocrat 01-28-07, 04:28 PM	The various spellcasters would still select their spells known as usual. However, I should add that only spontaneous spellcasters can benefit from these house rules as they are. The reason being that a preparatory spellcaster acquiring the mystical energy for his spells makes no sense. I hope that helped, and thank you for your comments.
Magocrat 01-30-07, 02:41 PM	casts raise thread
kadeity 01-31-07, 12:45 PM	good concept. bad idea. It would be great if things could work this way, but they cant. Youd have to re-write every single spell. The Maneuvers were Designed with the idea that they would be used per encounter. Spells and Psionics however, were not, and so will have obvious problems. Healing is your First one. Another Is Summoning. You may as well have a permanant cohort if you can re-summon them every encounter. Then there are the out of combat spells. Lots of them. Like Wish. Only a few schools of magic could work like this. NOW if you wanted to make the WARMAGE into a per encounter class, you could. Evocation would easily work this way. SO could abjuration and transmutation. However, conjuration, necromancy, enchantment, illusions ect...they just might not be so cut and dry. Theyll complicate it to death and make working it out near impossible.