[FIX, PROPOSAL] Replacing Cost with Vancian slot

[ruemere]

This is a proposal for eliminating Cost lookups. As per my tentative estimate, 4 NPC Wordcaster Sorcerers of 10th level require 400% longer pause to allocate Target and Effect words, the biggest time waster of which is cost accounting. As a GM, I feel obliged to optimize costs expenditures, and so I need to look up costs at least twice per word being cast - once to make a decision, and the second time, to check if I cannot allocate leftover budget.
Granted, this could be optimized by memorizing costs, yet, at this moment, I am unlikely to do so due to the system being fairly new.

DEFINITIONS

spellword - spell assembled and cast using words of power.
spell slot - caster resource in vancian spell system. Used to store and power up magical effects known as spells and spellwords.

THE PROPOSAL

• Observe standard limits for wordcasting for composition of spellword: one target word, up to three effect words, minimum spell levels for words (and see below for levels 16-20).

• Maximum number of words within spellword is determined by caster level:
  1-5: Target + Effect,
  6-10: Target + up to 2 Effects,
  11-15: Target + up to 3 Effects,
  16-20: up to 2 Targets + up to 3 Effects (yes, you can cast spellword with more than two target types)

• (Wizards and those who prepare spells) Memorize Target and Effect words just like you would memorize spells, one word per slot. When casting a spellword with words allocated to different slots, use highest level slot to determine caster level. At the end of the casting, mark a single spell slot of your choice used in the casting as used-up. For every word beyond 3rd, mark additional spell slot as used up.

  Examples:
  - 2-word spellword - uses up any one of two slots used in the casting
  - 3-word spellword - uses up any one of three slots used in the casting
  - 4-word spellword - uses up two of 4 slots used in the casting
  - 5-word spellword - uses up three of 5 slots used in the casting

• (Sorcerers and other spontaneous casters) As above, with the exception that words are not assigned to specific slots. However, when making up a spell slot as used-up, mark the highest spell slot used in the casting.
  Total sum of spells and words is subject to Known Spell limit.
  Unlike spells, words can be unlearned and learned again over the course of an hour, provided there is an arcane spellbook with words available.

• Learning spells and spellwords: any caster may learn any spell or spellword, as all of them use spell slots in the same way.

• Converting spells to spellwords: any caster may attempt to research breaking down a spell into spell words. The following limitations apply:
  - when determining target, assign most similar target word
  - when determining effect, assign most similar effect word and increase minimum level by one

• Converting spellwords into spells: any caster may attempt to research producing a spell out of spell words.
  - determine spell level as a sum of minimum word levels less one

Regards,
Ruemere

[Evil Lincoln]

I would very much prefer a system like this. The lookup table is not for me.

I'll be looking over all the suggestions and I will find one to allow in my playtest. If Mr. Bulmahn were to move in this direction, I would be far more likely to work this into an existing game.

[mad_mac_hl]

Am I right in my interpretation of point 3 above:

to use, for example, a 2-word spellword you would have to have two spell slots available even though only one is being used? If so, that could leave a player open to wasted spell slots that they can't use. I don't think this limitation is necessary - it penalises a character for being a higher level yet having to pay more for their high end spells. Costs usually decrease with increasing level so this goes against the grain.

Otherwise, I like the above system. I'd suggest controlling the words available for use by correlating them to either a spell level or character level to stop people coming up with too-powerful spells at low level.

[ruemere]

mad_mac_hl wrote:

Am I right in my interpretation of point 3 above:

to use, for example, a 2-word spellword you would have to have two spell slots available even though only one is being used? If so, that could leave a player open to wasted spell slots that they can't use. I don't think this limitation is necessary - it penalises a character for being a higher level yet having to pay more for their high end spells. Costs usually decrease with increasing level so this goes against the grain.

Otherwise, I like the above system. I'd suggest controlling the words available for use by correlating them to either a spell level or character level to stop people coming up with too-powerful spells at low level.

Replying to the first question:

The variant of the system was intended to allow all spellcasters to use both systems, side by side. So, someone not comfortable with losing a spell slot due to lack of pairing, would be fine using standard spells only at lower levels, while at higher levels, when versatility and high DCs become important [1], loss of a single spell slot should not present a problem.

So, yes, the fact that you need two slots at all times is a limiting factor. It is intended limitation for lower level characters.
Unfortunately, I have made an error - the system proposed above makes you lose one slot per one target word memorized, so I am open to suggestions how to make memorizing target words less punishing.

Proposals for making the restriction less punishing:
- allow to un-ready slot reserved for target word and ready it again for a different target word without a need to rest, requiring 15 minutes break
- allow to memorize several target words in a single slot (one per 5 levels)

Replying to the second question:
All words of power come with a minimum spell level needed to cast them. Along with a loss of a spell slot (see above) I have considered both to be sufficient limitation (it's not like you can cast Servitor IX at lower spell level than nine).

Do you have in mind any specific example of such abuse?

Regards,
Ruemere

[1] The system is intended to reward memorizing wordcasters with opportunity to improve DCs by putting a target word at highest available spell level and using that slot to produce maximum DCs while using lower level slots.
Meanwhile, spontaneous casters, as they do not need to assign words and spells to slots, are granted higher flexibility. At the same time, since they lose highest slots used for wordcasting, they are denied this benefit.