| JTibbs |
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I've always disliked the exponential power progression of magic users, and the fact that very little benefit is derived from high stats, with most of it being from class level instead. I've also been annoyed at the magical UPS delivery truck that comes every 24 hours on the dot to return their magical powers in little brown wrapped parcels. This is my attempt to change it up a little.
Please let me know about anything that might work better, or your own ideas.
Wizards:
Use a spell point system, though scaling spells don't use more points. Spell points used are equivalent to spell slot level. so a magic missile cast at 9th level is still just 1 point.
Point progression is radically changed, however, to eliminate the exponential growth of power. Wizards get spell points pretty much identically to getting Skill points. 2+Tnt modifier per level.
I like this method because A: it removes exponential power growth from level (high level spells giving you more and more points), and it better rewards Int bonuses. The more brainymeats you have the better the wizard.
All of a sudden that Tome of Clear Thought +1 is looking pretty good to your 10th level wizard with 19 INT, since it means a 20% increase in spells memorized.
This method has the overall effect of raising the number of spells a low level wizard can cast, making them more than someone to carry an extra crossbow, and limiting the huge number of overpowerful spells a high level can cast. limiting the high level characters huge number of spells is meant to encourage the use and the utility of Wizard Staves, to increase their payload. A single staff with 10 charges of a 5th level can be a third or more of you total spell power (in spell points worth at least)!
Wizards, primarily limited by mental fatigue for spells, can however sleep and get back their spell capacity after a full nights rest. interrupted sleep nets you 1/2 your capacity, and half a nights sleep nets you 1/4 your capacity back.
So a wizard who blew their spells can take a nap, and get a little bit back, or sleep a third the day away and be ready to rumble again.
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Sorcerers change similarly, only they get 4+Cha bonus spells points per level. A 2nd level sorcerer with 18 Charisma is actually fairly dangerous, having 16 spell points.
Sorcerers change in one more way, similar to wizards. They don't gain back their spells every 24 hours, like a UPS truck comes to deliver them again. Instead they get 1/2 their sorcerer level (rounded down), plus half their casting stat modifier of spell points regenerated every hour. They are essentially magical creatures, and they generate their own magic, recharging themselves.
I'm only sorta happy with the Sorcerers recharge rate, so I'm open to suggestions on that.
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So basically, low level wizards and sorcerors are much more effective at BEING sorcerers and wizards, while high levels can't just point and say 'ha ha ha, i make your army go boom'.
Sorcerers arent quite as hurt as wizards are in spell allotment at high levels though. They can't however cheat with magical bedrolls and rings of sustenance though.