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Drachasor 11-07-06, 03:27 PM

Like the previous system I posted, this one is designed to decrease the spell power of a caster in a combat. It works by reducing how often you can cast high-powered magic in a short time. Unlike my previous effort, this also is much easier to keep track of, and shouldn't require much (if any work) more than what people were already doing. I'm open to thoughts and constructive feedback on improving this system and balance concerns. I'm also going to post some feats that are designed to interact with this system (and, in particular, this system and the Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords combat system on which this is based). Modified Magic System: Caster Level: A Character has a Base Caster Level determined by all the Classes he has taken. Classes are divided into 4 catagories for Caster Level progression, Bad, Poor, Medium, and Good. To determin the Caster Level of your Character, do the following: 1. Add up all the Class levels your character has in Bad Progression Classes. 2. Consult the chart below to determine the caster from these classes. 3. Repeat the same process for Poor, Medium and Good progression classes Example 1: Razgar is Fighter 3/Rogue 3/Wizard 6, he has a Caster Level of 7 (his Bad progression Classes, 6 levels, give him 1, and his Wizard Class gives him 6). Example 2: Tyrok is a Cleric 5/Paladin 2/Ranger 2/Fighter 3. He has a Caster Level of 7 (1 from his Ranger and Fighter levels, 1 from his Paladin level, and 5 from his Cleric level). Example 3. Lilgoth is a Cleric 4/Wizard 4. She has a caster level of 8. Class Progression Level Sum Bad*1 Poor*2 Med*3 Good*4 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 5 6 1 3 4 6 7 1 3 5 7 8 2 4 6 8 9 2 4 6 9 10 2 5 7 10 11 2 5 8 11 12 3 6 9 12 13 3 6 9 13 14 3 7 10 14 15 3 7 11 15 16 4 8 12 16 17 4 8 12 17 18 4 9 13 18 19 4 9 14 19 20 5 10 15 20 *1 Barbarians, Fighters, Paladins, Rangers *2 Paladin, Ranger *3 Bard *4 Cleric, Druid, Wizard, Sorcerer Mana: Whenever a spell is cast it uses Mana. The amount of Mana used is equal to the Spell Level (including modifications from metamagic feats). A Character has an amount of Mana determined by his Base Caster Level. Base Caster Max Level* Mana 1 3 2 6 3 10 4 14 5 19 6 24 7 30 8 36 9 43 10 50 11 58 12 66 13 75 14 84 15 94 16 104 17 115 18 126 19 138 20 150 *Only use Caster Level that comes directly from Class Levels, ignoring any feats or special class abilities. Spells: Spells Readied: All characters ready a number of spells each day. A non-spontaneous caster readies as many spells as he could normally prepare (in the normal game), with no bonus for a high ability score. Non-spontaneous casters have all spells known automatically readied. Metamagic effects are not readied on spells, but used spontaneously by every caster (there is no casting time penalty for this). Spell Levels: To cast a spell, a Caster needs more than a spell readied and the mana to cast the spell. The Spell Level of the Spell (including metamagic effects) must be charged. When the spell is cast, the spell level it is from is then discharged. It must be recharged before a spell of that level can be cast again. The exception to this is 1st level spells. A caster's 1st level magic is always charged and is never discharged. Rechaging: A Spell Level can be recharged in several ways. Low Level Recharge: As a standard action, cast a spell of a level that equal to half or less of the spell level you wish to recharge. Instead of the regular amount of mana, spend a total amount of mana equal to the spell level you wish to recharge. You cast the spell, discharging that spell level, and recharge the higher spell level. Spontaneous Casters using this recharge all lower level magic as well save the one they used when doing this. Example: Pozak, a 7th level Wizard starts off a combat casting and Empowered Scorching Ray, discharging his 4th level spells (and spending 4 mana). The next round he can spend 4 mana, a standard action and cast a 1st or 2nd level spell. Pozak decides to do this, and casts a normal Scorching Ray. This expends his 2nd level magic, but recharges his 4th level magic. Over two rounds he has cast a 4th and 2nd level spell and spent a total of 8 mana. If Pozak had been a Sorceror, and had cast a 4th level spell, 3rd level spell, done a Low Level Recharge using a 2nd level spell, he would have recharged his 3rd and 4th level magic at once. Full-Round Action: As a full-round action, you can recharge a number of spell levels equal to your highest level of spells you have access to. Spontaneous casters recharge all of their spell levels by spending a full-round action. Working with pre-existing feats, abilities, etc: Abilities that expend spells and such: An ability that requires that you expend a spell or spell slot to use requires the Spell Level you wish to use is charged. You then expend the appropriate amount of Mana and the spell level remains charged. Reserve Feats: Using a reserve feat requires that you have the appropriate spell ready, and that the spell level you wish to use is charged. Bards: At 5th level a Bard gains a +2 bonus to his Caster Level (this doesn't affect his spell points). This increases to +3 at 10th, +4 at 15th, and +5 at 20th.