How bad would it be for Wizards to lose the ability to brew potions or create any magic item? I'm toying with saying that this requires an understanding of the way the world is made than only a Witch or Alchemist has. A wizard can scribe scrolls, but only other Wizards can use them (Witches can also scribe, but only another Witch can understand it). How is game balance effected by this change?
The creation of magic items would severely castrate the flow of magic in the world. If thats what your going for, be my guest. Wizards are the only casters with a somewhat large institution with which to create magic items and make them prevalent. Taking that away would make them quite scarce dontcha think? If the wizard isnt making them then who is? Why would an alchemist or Witch be any more gifted in the creation of a magical potion than one person with a lifetime of study and magic?
Honestly Blast spells tend to be on the lower spectrum of available effective spells so it probably wouldn't change anything at all. Keep in mind they aren't manipulating the elements, they are generating it through the use of arcane energy.
Yea, I decided right after I posted the thread that it doesn't really effect game balance for a Witch to be able to blast, but it isn't really thematically appropriate. Now I'm more worried about the other change I wanted to make, so I redid the thread.
Personally? I never play with GMs who let me use item creation anyway, so I wouldn't even notice the difference. Probably wouldn't hurt them that badly(if at all). They can still create scrolls for personal longevity and purchase magic items and potions(like everyone else).
A witch with the elements patron has fireball and winter has all of the cold blasts so I wouldn't worry about adjusting anything really. All witches can UMD elemental blast spells from wands with skill points invested if they choose.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As a gameplay element, I wouldn't mind making Magic items unable to be crafted by players. They simply don't have the time or my favorite, aren't the type of casters to sit around a bench for 3 months.
Edited my previous post on topic.
What I'm getting at is a setting where Wizard magic is highly scientific, new, and groundbreaking, while Witch magic is more traditional. Sorcerers fold into the Witch as an Archetype. Wizards understand things like physics, chemistry, and biology, and use this knowledge to manipulate magical energy to the desired result. Witches, meanwhile, can speak the language of the world that nobody else comprehends, which means they understand the magical properties of plants, stones, animals, the stars, and everything else. They cannot articulate this knowledge to those not born with the understanding. The understanding is necessary to enchant an item or brew a potion (Chemistry helps in potion brewing, but one needs to understand the ingredient to a level that science doesn't allow). The trade off is that the brain chemistry that allows a Witch to do this is the same chemistry that makes math and science confusing to them. Alchemists have the understanding that Witches, but they gain it through a different brain chemistry, and maintain the ability to learn math and science. The trade off here is that, while they can enchant and brew all day long, they can't actually cast spells, only direct energy into an object. This makes them able to improve their work with scientific principles, and makes them better at potion making than Witches (they know Chemistry, after all), and they sacrifice spellcasting in exchange for artificer-style stuff. It's sort of like a Witch being a cultural anthropologist, a Wizard being a lab scientist, and an Alchemist being an engineer.
The creation of magic items would severely castrate the flow of magic in the world. If thats what your going for, be my guest. Wizards are the only casters with a somewhat large institution with which to create magic items and make them prevalent. Taking that away would make them quite scarce dontcha think?
I do want to limit how many are available, yes. I'm quite fine with the PCs setting little bonuses through the levels (+1 deflection bonus here, +1d6 damage there) instead of getting magic items.
If the wizard isnt making them then who is? Why would an alchemist or Witch be any more gifted in the creation of a magical potion than one person with a lifetime of study and magic?
Every ingredient and materiel has it's own magical properties, but in each specimen these properties vary in strength and specifics. This means that in order to enchant or brew one must be able to discern these properties, which means understanding the language of nature. Only a few are born with the ability to comprehend it, and these are those who will be Witches or Alchemists. Wizards are not born with this ability, so they cannot craft things, only write down their mago-scientific formulas. Other Wizards can use these, but a Witch or Alchemist casts spells through understanding of the world, and therefore has no use for them.
The Magus is it's own class, and casts spells in the manner of a Wizard.
Basically, I've pulled Divine/Arcane in exchange for Mystical/Scientific.
Just be careful because the game does take into account characters who have magic items that complement their characters.
So are potions magical or alchemical in nature? Seems like your simply making your own magic system in which I wouldn't bother asking for advice since you can watch and fine tune things yourself.
Seems odd your making such a distinction from the Wizard when the Alchemist and Witch both gain their abilities from study and intellectual pursuit.
And besides flavor reasons, the witch is no more dis-positioned towards alchemy as a wizard would be.
Just be careful because the game does take into account characters who have magic items that complement their characters.
This can be handled with inherent bonuses that mimic magic items
Instead of a +3 weapon, take +3 to attack and damage for being a badass. Instead of a flaming weapon, add 1d6 to damage output. If you need fire, get incendiary rounds.So are potions magical or alchemical in nature? Seems like your simply making your own magic system in which I wouldn't bother asking for advice since you can watch and fine tune things yourself.
Input never hurt.
Seems odd your making such a distinction from the Wizard when the Alchemist and Witch both gain their abilities from study and intellectual pursuit.
My distinctions replace Paizo's in my world. Therefore, here Witches gain the ability to learn their magic via birth, but gain the actual magic via study. Patrons don't factor into it.
And besides flavor reasons, the witch is no more dis-positioned towards alchemy as a wizard would be.
I wanted to make the art somewhat mysterious.
To clarify, the problem with a witch's brain is an inability to understand math more complicated than arithmetic. This is what make them unable to understand science and technology. They can use technology without a problem so long as they don't need complicated math.