Since I am not a fan of spell slots and psionics comes with a lot of unique flavor, I decided to create a magic system that combines the best from both.
In this version, it is meant for campaigns with a level range of 1st to 10th, so there are only 1st to 4th level spells and augmentation options are usually limited to what can be done by a 10th level spellcaster.
The system is intended for two spellcasting classes that can either replace or complement the normal spellcasters.
The Adept is basically a wizard with no arcane bond and arcane school.
The Shaman is pretty much an oracle without curse and no bonus spells (but revelations) from mysteries.
Both classes share the same spell list.
Spells known and spell points per day work just as with a psion for both classes.
Since it's a 25 page document, I won't format everything for this forum, but this pdf version should be perfectly serviceable.
The idea is to have a magic system in which spells are very versatile but correspondingly relatively few in number. The whole system has just over 60 spells as of now, of which a 10th level caster knows 21. (Or a bit more with the Expanded Knowledge feat.)
One of the main ways to achive this is augmentation. A spell only improves in duration and range as a caster gains additional levels, but the primary effect is based on the number of spell points used to cast the spell. A spell with augmentation options can be cast with more spell points to improve its effects. The maximum number of spell points that can be spend to cast a spell is equal to the characters caster level.
The first part of the document is basically the standard spellcasting rules with minor editing changes and people familiar with magic in Planescape might not really need to read it, and those who known psionics won't find anything new there. The meat is in the second part, where all the individual spells are described.
Any types of comments are welcome, but anything regarding the effects of the spells or ideas for additional spells that should be added to the list, are what I am particularly looking for.
This is really, really weird. I haven't really played a psion, so I have no idea how well this would work. But I do appreciate the amount of work that has been put into it.
I must have missed it, how many spell points do you get?
Spell Points are like this for spellcasters:
SP/day: Spell Points per day.
Spells known: Number of spells known by character.
Max. Spell Level: Highest level of spells the character can learn.
Lvl.___SP/day__Spells known__Max. Spell Lvl.
1st_____2___________3_________1st
2nd_____6___________5_________1st
3rd_____11__________7_________2nd
4th_____17__________9_________2nd
5th_____25__________11________3rd
6th_____35__________13________3rd
7th_____46__________15________4th
8th_____58__________17________4th
9th_____72__________19________4th
10th____88__________21________4th
You also get bonus spell points depending on your ability score in your primary casting ability. The amount of spell points is your ability modifier times your caster level, divided by 2 (round down).
[Ability Modifier * Caster Level] / 2
Prerequisite: Caster Level 3rd.
Benefit: You learn one additional spell of any level that is at least one level lower than the highest spell level you can currently cast.
Prerequisite: Int or Wis 13
Benefit: You gain 2 spell points per day. While you can not cast any spells, you can use these spell points to use certain magic items. You also have the ability to use spell-completion and spell-trigger items (like scrolls and wands) that cast spells from the creation, elements, entropy, and spirit schools.
If you later take levels in a spellcasting class, you add the spell points from this feat to your spell points total.
This is fascinatingly similar to the manacaster I just posted. Its as if we were having a competition to create an augment able spell system. The ways in which they are different is very interesting. Your augmentations are a part of the spells, where I've made them a part of the class.
One thing I noticed when creating my class, and that I see you doing here, is that you have to be very careful with increasing DCs. That's where the real power is. Make sure at look at any effects from both a player and GM perspective. I don't know if you are aware but Unearthed Arcana had a spell point variant that mostly mimicked psionics as well. It also followed the power level =(2*n-1). The doubling of coat allows for a lot of room in augmenting, but make sire that any augment cost you add is balanced against the opportunity loss of the spell you could have faster with those points.
All in all, it looks really good.