| Vanity |
I used this little mini-system in one of my games. I had gotten mixed feedback from the players so I'll post it here too.
Precocious Casting
This ability works for Wizards and Sorcerers. When an arcane caster finds himself in a dire situation and greater magic is needed, he may choose to cast precociously. All that is required is a spellbook or a scroll with the spell you are attempting to cast. By holding it in hand and channeling your own magic, you attempt to conjure the effect. You must choose a prepared spell or unused slot to drop to fuel this spell. Then you roll a d% to determine success using the following algorithm:
Base = 80 - 10% per spell level you lack.
Example: Rachael Ray desperately needs a scorching ray, but is only a 2nd level Sorceress. She only has one scroll on hand and doesn't want to waste it, so she chooses to throw caution to the winds and cast precociously. She drops an unused first level slot and begins fueling her spell.
The difference between Level 1 Slot and Scorching Ray is 1 level, so her algorithm is 80 - 10% = 70%. If she rolls within that percentage, her spell is successful. She loses the Level 1 slot and Scorching Ray is cast, using her caster level, and she retains the scroll as the magic used came from her.
Example 2: Syntaria Vainglory is a 1st Level Wizard in need of a Polar Ray. She drops Shield and tries to cast precociously using the algorithm 80 - 70% = 10%. If she succeeds this percentage her Polar Ray will cast using her caster level (1d6 ice damage). If she fails then...
Failing this check: If an arcane caster fails this check then they lose control of the energy they are wielding. This results in them losing their dropped spell, and ends in an Arcane Burst. The burst affects everything within 30 feet of the caster and deals 2d6 damage per spell level of the spell you were precociously casting. Everyone except the caster gets a reflex save for half using the spells DC as if it were successful.
Desperate Prayer
This ability works similarly with slight differences. A Cleric who needs a spell greater than he is able to wield, may attempt a desperate prayer. As divine casters are given all their spells from the gods, they do not need a spellbook or scroll to attempt this. A Cleric simply chooses the spell they wish to have and follows the above algorithm.
Difference: This is where it flips. If the Cleric fails his check, nothing happens. The gods simply say "no", and his dropped spell is wasted. If the Cleric succeeds, the gods grant him his prayer and it goes off according to his level. However, the Cleric begins channeling divine energies his body is not ready for and it takes it's toll. The Cleric takes 1d6 damage for each level of the spell he was desperately praying for as it tears through him and enters the material world.
Regardless of the version of this ability, you cannot have a higher than 80% success rate when doing this, regardless of if you're dropping an equal or higher level spell than the one you seek.
So what do you all think?