Has anyone done a spell "rarity" system?

[Mok]

This is one of those ideas that keep percolating in the back of my head, but I know it would be a fairly deep project, so maybe someone else has already foraged a path.

What I'm thinking about is to create a rarity system for spells, based on a mixture of potency and utility.

Thus, rather than having a wide open list of spells that are available anytime, instead everything would be rated with a rarity (common, uncommon, rare... and maybe very rare and unique).

Two benefits of categorizing spells in this manner:

1. There would be a cost adjustment in gold pieces on this rarity. Perhaps it might be that common spells would be cheaper than the RAW rate, uncommon would be the RAW rate, and rare and above would be more costlier, though still cheaper than the next spell level up.

2. The rarity categories could provide a more rich system for how spells are distributed within the world the GM is devising. So when players go to a town and want to see what the local sage has available, it wouldn't just be totally random for that spell level, but instead be adjusted for the rarity also.

That way searching for spells within the world is a bit more organic, and it provides a better framework for the GM to use in how to shape the "magic marketplace."

It also represents what I would think would reflect an older ancient and medieval mindset, where information is something that is guarded and secretive. The open ended nature of how spells are presented in the current system is a modern "information age" mindset in which the more open the content is the more lucrative and dynamic the marketplace can be. That's fine and all if you want that modern tone, but a traditional draw for the whole D&D genre is to get back to the quasi-medieval tone.

I can only imagine these kinds of discussions were happening in houserules and at cons back in the 70's, so people have to have fussed with this approach before. I'm just wondering if someone has tackled this in the 3.x age?

[Has'Kar]

I don't know of an official one, but I do my own on the fly.
I just add a few quantitiy of gold if I feel the need to, or say, "he doesn't have the spell, and now you've made him feel both bad and unacomplished."

The main problem with doing a rarity system for me is that each world, and each town and city in each world, are all so different. There would need to be multiple tiers for each of those settings.

Of course that's just for me specifically, that's why I do mine on the fly.

[Black Moria]

Arcana Evolved by Monte Cook has a system somewhat to what you are describing.

Arcane spells are in three categories - Simple, Complex and Exotic

All spell casters have access to Simple and usually one school of Complex. Simple spells are very common.

Only the Magister class have full access to Complex. Complex spells are more powerful and are uncommon.

Exotics need to be found, being the spells of the unusual or the ultra powerful for their level. Exotics are rare.

[Corrik]

Black Moria wrote:

Arcana Evolved by Monte Cook has a system somewhat to what you are describing.

Arcane spells are in three categories - Simple, Complex and Exotic

All spell casters have access to Simple and usually one school of Complex. Simple spells are very common.

Only the Magister class have full access to Complex. Complex spells are more powerful and are uncommon.

Exotics need to be found, being the spells of the unusual or the ultra powerful for their level. Exotics are rare.

That sounds like a very beneficial system to me, I could really get behind that.

[blue_the_wolf]

Corrik wrote:

Black Moria wrote:

Arcana Evolved by Monte Cook has a system somewhat to what you are describing.

Arcane spells are in three categories - Simple, Complex and Exotic

All spell casters have access to Simple and usually one school of Complex. Simple spells are very common.

Only the Magister class have full access to Complex. Complex spells are more powerful and are uncommon.

Exotics need to be found, being the spells of the unusual or the ultra powerful for their level. Exotics are rare.

That sounds like a very beneficial system to me, I could really get behind that.

I have considered doing something like this, for simplicity sake I generally say core spells are common, advanced players are uncommon, ultimate magic/combat are rare and all other books are even more rare or exotic. But players often complain that melee class get all of the available abilities why should the mage be limited.

also what about sorcerers and divine casters. divine casters are supposed to have access to all their spells on general principal as the spell is basically a request from their god. and sorcerers are supposed to spontaneously manifest their spells. if your going to limit a sorcerers access then you have to add a rule for allowing a sorcerer to change spells more readily when they are available.

not saying its a bad thing or impossible just highlighting some problems you may run into.