This had started out as a way to make a class ability for a song-based spellcaster, but then it took off as a way to mechanically differentiate the varying styles of spellcasting altogether without a complete overhaul of how spells work.
I tried to make any bonuses worthwhile, and at the same time not intolerably high. Most of the feats have you give up a possibility to get something in return, with the notable exception of Ritualist (and because of that I'm a little worried about it).
This would add a crunch variety to the different fluff interpretations as to how magic works for a character... I was a little dissatisfied that two seemingly exclusive explanations for magic in 3.5 had no trouble sharing, copying, identifying or stealing spells from one another.
I really love your idea! It adds some flavor to magic that is otherwise lacking.
I skimmed through the whole document quickly, and the one thing that caught my eye as a problem was "Should a spell require material components (and you do not have Eschew Materials), it instead requires Focus components of comparable cost". That's a game breaker! All the spells that have expensive material components are ones that shouldn't be cast over and over. For example, once you have a 25,000 gp focus, you can cast Wish with no additional cost! This is true for spells that create permanent or long lasting magic items, resurrection, etc.
I really love your idea! It adds some flavor to magic that is otherwise lacking.
I skimmed through the whole document quickly, and the one thing that caught my eye as a problem was "Should a spell require material components (and you do not have Eschew Materials), it instead requires Focus components of comparable cost". That's a game breaker! All the spells that have expensive material components are ones that shouldn't be cast over and over. For example, once you have a 25,000 gp focus, you can cast Wish with no additional cost! This is true for spells that create permanent or long lasting magic items, resurrection, etc.
Aha. That was meant only for low-cost materials... I'll put a limit on that (something like 100 GP or something). Definitely not meant to modify Wish (still thought it cost XP for some reason, even though I knew Pathfinder did away with that. Blearg)
Edit: Patched.
. . .still thought it cost XP for some reason, even though I knew Pathfinder did away with that. Blearg)
I just read Wish from the Pathfinder core book, and it doesn't mention any XP cost.