So, I'm seriously considering adding a mechanic to all my games to allow spellcasters of all stripes to cast beyond their daily allowance of spells. Unfortunately I haven't hammered out the fine points, and would welcome input on this.
What I have in mind is allowing casters to make a Spellcraft or maybe caster level check to cast a spell they have either memorized and expended from their daily casting, or in the case of sorcerers and casters like them, no longer have spells per day available from that level.
But this ability needs to come with a cost, to represent the caster expending some part of herself in order to cast beyond her limits. I was thinking either some kind of CON damage, or non-lethal damage (with a failed check causing lethal damage, maybe). Damage should be serious on a failed attempt, but I also think it should come with some kind of minimum damage, even on a successful check, to put a hard cap on the number of times this can be attempted, even for maxed out PCs that can make the check easily.
The question then becomes one of setting the approprate check DCs and the amount of damage.
What do you think? Players in my PbP games are especially welcome to give input.
I like this idea and thought about using something similar in my game. I was going to use Con damage. I was thinking con damage equal to or double the spell level.
Fizz
I worked out a system like this a while ago- basically, for every spell, you took actual hp damage equal to the spell's level (I'd been playing Shadowrun for a while) so I buffed sorcerers/wizards (actually, I made a single new class called "mage") to a d6 HD instead of d4, allowed "spellcasting DR" equal to 1/4 class level.
They had a thing like psionic focus which boosted your caster level and lowered your hp drain, but after it ended, you got a new condition: drained. While you were drained, you took double damage from spellcasting and a temporary -2 Int (your brain went fuzzy).
The main balancing factor is that you couldn't just have a cleric/mage spell machine as hp damage from spells couldn't be healed by spells, only rest.
I think I also made some "bitterroot tea" or something that could restore up to 1d4 hp from spellcasting drain, it just had some wierd addictive side effects (I'd also been reading the Farseer series by Robin Hobb).
Ability burn always works well. Either 1 or 2 points of constitution burn per casting, or even one point per spell level.
Ability burn is like ability damage, except that it can only be healed by a good night's sleep (which will get rid of all of it.)
This touches the game balance for spell casters seriously, so it needs to be costly. I think non-lethal damage equal to the spell level is at least called for, and I would perhaps let them take on point of lethal damage per overcasting for the day - so, two poins for the second time, three points for the third time, and so on. Or one point of constitution damage, or burn, as proposed above, per overcasting.
The kind of damage depends on how hard it should get - hp damage is rather easy healed, con damage not.
And I would require a spellcraft check as well, with the cost independent of the result of the check. The DC for the spellcraft check could be 15 + spell level - a novice caster with 4 ranks and +3 from the stat for +7 total still needs to roll a nine for a first level spell, which makes it a gamble to pull off. But overtaxing yourself should be hard to pull off successfully.
More experienced casters with maxed out ranks will have an easier time, as it should be, but the cost will keep them from overusing it.
Stefan
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You could use the "recharge magic" variant from the Unearthed Arcana.
It grants that no too-powerful spell is cast too many times (like more than once a day), and its Open Game Content (available through d20srd.org).
Also, you could use the "Curse of the Magi" option rule from the Dragonlance Campaign Setting, which I cannot refer to because it's IP.
Aritz
Also, you could use the "Curse of the Magi" option rule from the Dragonlance Campaign Setting, which I cannot refer to because it's IP.
Aritz
I actually looked this up in my DL campaign guide when this thread opened. I don't think it would be harsh enough. I wish I could post it...but...all those laws and things...
Fizz
I am playing with a similar idea, but it requires me to add a condition track (SW Saga) to my D&D games. Then casters would take a persiostant condition move when they tried it, and I could give non-spellcasters some kind of massive effort abilities tied to the condition track as well (for balance).
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This is something I've been thinking about for my campaign. I've almost decided to make all zero level spells free, and allow other spells to be cast after the daily alottment by giving up a portion of their life force. I'm not quite sure as to the cost, however. I like the ideas posted so far(ability burn, hitpoint loss).
Mmm. I think HP/Subdual damage is not that good an idea because of magical healing: wizard casts spells, looses hp, cleric / wand heals / baam / wizard back at full hp and continues casting, etc...same with ability damage. A possible solution would be to not allow healing spellcasting damage through magic, but natural healing only?
You could always steal the second option from Vitalizing Spell Point Variants: Make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or take both lethal and non-lethal damage equal to the spell level. If you want a minimum damage mechanic, the caster can take the non-lethal automatically and must make a Concentration check to avoid the lethal damage. If you want to make it even more dangerous, you can have the caster automatically take lethal and non-lethal damage and make a Concentration check to avoid Con damage equal to the spell level.
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maybe add a feat called
Strength Channeling
You are able to channel magic beyond your normal capabilities, though doing so is very taxing on your body
Prerequisites: 13 Str, Caster level 1st
Benefits: By voluntarily taking 1 point of strength damage, the caster can cast an extra spell of up to the highest spell level they can cast. Unlike normal ability damage, this damage heals only after 8 hours of rest, at which point it all heals. If this rest is interrupted, you must get another full 8 hours before the damage heals.
and maybe even
Greater Strength Channeling
Prerequisites: 13 Str, Caster level 1st, Strength Channeling
Benefits: By taking 2 points of strength damage, you can apply any metamagic feat you know to a spell without increasing it's casting level. This is chosen when the spell is cast, and it does not increase the casting time.
either that or combine the two if it's not worth getting two feats
And there was a blood magic variant I believe that mentions something similar. I think it was UE, but I could easily be wrong.