Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mesinock Sep 05, 2008 22:14:42	Now some of this I took from Unearthed Arcana, it is higlighted. Magic and Ki in Sundered Spell casters and Ki users of Ghana have learned to channel the natural energies of the world to produce extraordinary effects. They both begin play with a pool of energy (Mystic Energy – spell casters and Ki Energy – ki users) from which they draw an amount to produce the effect they desire. The size of the energy pool is level and key ability dependant. Characters gain 100 energy points per level, plus an additional 10 points per bonus point of their key ability modifier. i.e. A first level sorcerer with a charisma score of 14, has an ability modifier of +2, and would start play with 120 Mystic Energy points. Each spell or special ki ability costs a certain number of energy points to cast or perform. The higher the level of the spell or ki ability, the more points it costs. 0 level spells cost 5 ME to cast, all other spells cost 10 x the spell level to cast. Energy points are renewed at a rate of 12.5 points per hour of rest per level. [highlight]Spellcasters use their full normal caster level for determining the effects of their spells in this system, with one significant exception. Spells that deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as magic missile, searing light, or lightning bolt) deal damage as if cast by a character of the minimum level of the class capable of casting the spell. Spells whose damage is partially based on caster level, but that don’t deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as produce flame or an inflict spell) use the spellcaster’s normal caster level to determine damage. Use the character’s normal caster level for all other effects, including range and duration. For example, a fireball deals a number of dice of damage based on the caster’s level, so when cast by a wizard using this system, it deals 5d6 points of damage (as if cast by a 5th-level wizard, which is the minimum level of wizard capable of casting fireball). A sorcerer who casts the same spell deals 6d6 points of damage, since the minimum level of sorcerer capable of casting fireball is 6th. A character can pay additional energy points to increase the dice of damage dealt by a spell. Every 5 extra energy points spent at the time of casting increases the spell’s effective level by 1 for purposes of dealing damage. A character can’t increase a damage-dealing spell’s level above his own caster level, or above the normal maximum allowed by the spell. For example, even at 7th level, Boredflak’s lightning bolts deal only 5d6 points of damage (just like a 5th-level wizard) unless he spends extra energy points. If he spends 5 extra energy points (making the lightning bolt cost 35 points rather than 30), the spell deals 6d6 points of damage. A second extra energy point expenditure would increase the damage to 7d6 points, but he can’t spend more points than this, since his caster level is only 7th. Were he 10th level or higher, he could spend a maximum of 25 extra energy points on this spell, raising the damage up to 10d6, the maximum allowed for a lightning bolt spell. Similarly, his magic missile spell only shoots one missile unless he spends extra energy points. An extra 10 energy points increases the caster level from 1st to 3rd, granting his one additional missile. He can spend a maximum of 30 additional energy points in this manner, increasing his effective caster level to 7th for damage purposes and granting his a total of four missiles. If he were 9th level or higher, he could spend a maximum of 40 extra energy points, granting his five missiles (just like a 9th-level caster). Metamagic and Energy Points: Casters need not prepare special metamagic versions of their spells; rather they chose to apply the metamagic effects at the time of casting, and spend more Mystic Energy points to gain the metamagic effect. The character must pay for the spell as if it were a higher-level spell, based on the adjustment from the metamagic feat. If the metamagic effect(s) would increase the spell’s effective level above what he is capable of casting, he can’t cast the spell in that way. For example, at 7th level Boredflak is capable of casting 4th-level spells. He could empower a 2nd-level spell, or still a 3rd-level spell, or empower and still a 1st-level spell. He couldn’t empower a 3rd-level spell or still a 4th-level spell (since doing either of those things would raise either spell’s effective spell level to 5th). The spell’s caster level for purposes of damage-dealing effects (see above) doesn’t change, even if the metamagic effect increases the minimum caster level of that spell. For instance, a quickened fireball still deals damage as if cast by a 5th-level caster unless the caster chooses to pay additional energy points to increase the caster level. For example, if Boredflak empowered his magic missile, it would cost him 30 energy points (as if it were a 3rd-level spell) but would shoot only one missile and deal (1d4+ (casting ability modifier)
#2 pschirf Sep 06, 2008 1:30:55	The idea behind 4e is to have a unified mechanic for powers. This is a pretty large step away from that. Do you feel it's needed in your game?
#3 mesinock Sep 06, 2008 21:37:36	The idea behind this was not give everyone unified powers. As a matter of fact this for a 3.x game not a 4E. The idea is to give casters in the 3.x system more staying power, as it stands wizards and sorccers are done with adventuring after 2 or 3 encounters.
#4 sally_jones Sep 06, 2008 21:42:02	where are ki powers? i've yet to see any.
#5 mesinock Sep 06, 2008 21:47:16	where are ki powers? i've yet to see any. They are Ki Feats, the only ones I know of off hand are in a web book called The Book of Ki.
#6 Janx_14 Sep 06, 2008 22:26:52	So this way the casters can outshine the melee guys even more then?
#7 mesinock Sep 06, 2008 23:00:14	I have always seen it the other way around. casters throw out a couple big spells, maybe a buff and they are done till they rest for 8 hours, while the meleers keep going and going.