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Ok, I've tried recharge magic and I don't like how it works. So, here's my attempt at an alternative solution to the "Fifteen minute workday"
Game Variant: Magic Gathering
In this variant, gathering the magical energies to “refresh” a spellcaster’s “daily allotment” of spells takes less time.
A spellcaster must rest, pray, and/or meditate for one hour to regain his “daily allotment” of spells. The spellcaster must have peace, quiet, and relative comfort to gather the necessary energies.
If the spellcaster is subjected to sufficient distraction during this time period, such as loud noise, environmental damage, etc., she must make a DC 15 Concentration check every 10 minutes while gathering these energies. A failed check means she must begin the magic gathering over again.
If the spellcaster is subjected to extreme distraction, such as damage, moving more than his move rate in a single round, engaging in combat, subjected to a non-damaging spell, or casting spells, he must make a DC 15 concentration check, modified by the following chart each round he is so affected. A failed check means he must begin the magic gathering over again.
+1 for each point of damage (lethal or nonlethal) she takes
+2 per spell level of spell he casts
+1 per 5’ above move rate
+1 per spell level of non-damaging spell subjected to
If the spellcaster is a type who chooses her spells, she can switch a chosen spell by expending an additional ten minutes on this process (per spell switched.)
Example:
Miale, 3rd level Elven Wizard with 16 INT, has 4/3/2 Spells per day and currently has the following Spells Prepared: (0) Detect Magic, Daze, Light, Resistance, (1) Charm Person, Magic Missile, Sleep, (2) Blur, Scorching Ray. Her party has been trying to assault the Chapel of Terrible Aberrations, and she has used Detect Magic, Light, Magic Missile, Blur, and Scorching Ray. They have been running up against hordes of undead, so her remaining spells aren’t likely to be too effective.
Sealing themselves in a quiet room in an area already cleared, Miale decides it’s time to refresh her spells and perhaps make some adjustments to her choices. She decides to swap out Daze, Charm Person and Sleep for Disrupt Undead, another Magic Missile, and Chill Touch. She will need an hour and a half to successfully gather the magical energy and restructure her prepared spell list.
An hour into her meditations, something begins banging on the door. Each 10 minutes it attempts to get through the door, she must make a DC15 Concentration check, or this first hour will have been wasted and she will need to start again. It will be worse, however, if the creature makes it through the door and she has to fight. Her companions ready themselves while she concentrates and furtively hopes the door holds.
Opinions/Issues/Chalenges welcome. In fact, I'll throw out the first one: Rope Trick- after third level, a wizard with this spell can refresh rather easily as long as he keeps this spell handy.
Have you tried Spell Points using the Vitalizing Variant? This allows you to tie the use and recovery of spell points to fatigue, which sounds like what you're looking for.
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Have you tried Spell Points using the Vitalizing Variant? This allows you to tie the use and recovery of spell points to fatigue, which sounds like what you're looking for.
Actually, what I'm going for is the ability to cast more spells per day, which those variants don't allow for. The Spell points give you more flexibility in which spells you cast (reducing the strategic importance of selection of spells for the day while increasing the tactical selection of spells you cast during each combat.) but you still only end up being able to cast a few spells during a day and then you're done.
The variant I listed keeps the Vancian "fire and forget" methodology while shortening the time you need in between running out of spells and starting up again with the adventure.
The idea is that instead of going through 2-3 combats and then having to rest for a day before you regain your spells, you can hole up somewhere for an hour or so and then continue adventuring that same day. The concentration bit gives an added element of danger to trying this in enemy or unprotected territory. The added time for reselecting spells attempts to increase the tension of "do we have enough time for this before we're discovered?"
As I said, however, this tension is severely curtailed by the spell Rope Trick. Of course, they can't bring their portable holes, bags of holding, handy haversacks, or quivers of Ehlonna into a rope trick... so there is that....
Have you tried Spell Points using the Vitalizing Variant? This allows you to tie the use and recovery of spell points to fatigue, which sounds like what you're looking for.Actually, what I'm going for is the ability to cast more spells per day, which those variants don't allow for. The Spell points give you more flexibility in which spells you cast (reducing the strategic importance of selection of spells for the day while increasing the tactical selection of spells you cast during each combat.) but you still only end up being able to cast a few spells during a day and then you're done.
The Vitalizing Variant allows spellcasters to regain spell points with one or two hours rest. If the caster drops below 1/2 total spell points, they become fatigued; if the caster uses all their spell points, they become exhausted. Resting one hour moves the caster from exhausted to fatigued and they recover 1/3 total spell points; resting one hour when fatigued removes the fatigued condition and restores the caster to 2/3 total spell points.
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The Vitalizing Variant allows spellcasters to regain spell points with one or two hours rest. If the caster drops below 1/2 total spell points, they become fatigued; if the caster uses all their spell points, they become exhausted. Resting one hour moves the caster from exhausted to fatigued and they recover 1/3 total spell points; resting one hour when fatigued removes the fatigued condition and restores the caster to 2/3 total spell points.
I see. Thanks for clarifying. I'm not sure I like the way that affects spellcasters, though. I'll have to think about that. The whole 1/2 and 1/3 thing seems like it would encourage more rest periods during the day, plus it isn't very specific as to what happens when the rest is interrupted.
I like the concept. Lots. I find the once per day thing to be rather clumsy. Unless you worship the sun it is an arbitrary mechanic... but I digress.
I would like to balance it by introducing some form of fatigue into the mix. It takes quite a bit of effort to gather your magical energies. Fatigue could incrementally affect the concentration DC, as well as add penalties to other actions?
On a related note does anyone know a good way of dealing with fatigue in game?
There is the Fatigued condtion. You could create a doppelganger of it (call it Mental Fatigue) that penalized Int, Wis, and Chr instead of Str and Dex.