Spell Usage/System Idea Kernel

[Deleted]

What if instead of memorizing spells, magic-users and clerics could only utilize magic items and scrolls in order to cast spells? In other words, no memorized spells. Would this create extreme unbalance, or could it work? Just throwing it out there.

[Falconer]

Arneson’s explanation of the whole memorize-and-forget mechanic in the first place was that the magic-user was actually preparing potions or other physical components for the spell. After it was cast, it couldn’t be cast again since the potion was used up. So you could actually use the same mechanic to do what you want to do, it just abstracts the whole aspect of keeping track of how many scrolls and such someone has in their possession. Note that when you find a new scroll, you can either copy it into your spellbook, i.e. it is the prototype for you to now create more scrolls like it. But if you cast off that scroll, you have lost it. So, see, it’s already all built in. All you have to do is make it more explicit.

TSR later spun out an Alchemist class, which did for potions what Magic-Users did with scrolls. However, you can simply turn back the clock and make all Magic-Users really just Alchemists. That gives it a *bit* of a magic-as-tech feel (which was not unusual in Blackmoor), which may or may not be the direction you want to go.

For Clerics, sure, a spell is a prayer, right? So, in order to be a really good cleric, you would start with a simple Prayer Book and gradually acquire the Psalter, the Euchologion, the Horologion, the Octoechos, the General Menaion, the Festal Menaion, the Triodion, the Pentecostarion, the complete Menaion, and the Typicon! This would allow you to perform ever-more complex and God-pleasing rituals!

[Finarvyn]

There's a system that I've used before with some success, and I created it because many of my players (okay, my wife who always plays magic-users) like the idea that spells don't get forgotten and that a magic-user should be able to remember them later.

What I have tried is to give a MU a number of "memory slots" a lot like a computer hard-drive. Those slots can be used as permenant memory and cannot be changed once chosen. The number of slots given is equal to the INT of the MU. A 1st level spell takes up one spell slot, a 2nd takes up two, a 3rd takes up three, and so on. So a MU could memorize a lot of low-level spells or just a few higher-level spells or a mix of low and high-level. I encourage the MU not to fill them all too fast, however, since once chosen you can't re-choose later.

The total number of spells cast in an adventure (or day or however you do it) does not change. A filled spell slot represents knowledge and not the magical energy needed to cast the spell. Spell-slot spells can be cast more than once, e.g. you don't need to use two spell slots to learn two Light spells, but the MU could cast as many Light spells as desired if he has a spell left that day.

Spells in spell-slot memory can be cast immediately, no matter what level. Spells not fixed in spell-slot memory must be read from the spellbook and take an extra turn (round, whatever you call it) to prepare.

As an example, a 4th level MU with an INT of 15 can cast four 1st and two 2nd level spells per day. She has memorized Invisibility (2), Levitate (2), and Detect Magic (1) as 5 of her 15 spell slots, leaving the remaining 10 to be filled later as she gains more spells. In the adventure she could cast Detect Magic anywhere between zero and four times if she wants, since that is a spell-slot spell. She could cast Invisibility and/or Levitate between zero and two times, as long as the total doesn't surpass her two 2nd level spells she can cast. Any other spells would have to be done more slowly, reading from her spellbook.

This gives the MU the advantage of not having to pick spells in advance, but the disadvantages that she must plan ahead somewhat for her career and must cast non-memory spells slower. I think it makes a nice balance, even if poorly explained by me.

Thoughts?

[Lord Kilgore]

Mar 30, 2010 7:06:26 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

There's a system that I've used before with some success...Thoughts?

That's a very interesting approach. We've gone to no-pre-memorize required with some restrictions on casting the same spell multiple times per day, but this idea is worth thinking about.

[tombowings]

I've been working on an idea of making magic users carry about and use up components when casting spells. Minor spells (such as the weaker of the AD&D cantrips from Unearthed Arcana) could be can without components, but otherwise, casting too many spells is going to get expensive. Not only that, but many components must be searched out in specific mountains and swamps (and other places) around the map (think Carcosian rituals).

[eris]

Mar 29, 2010 22:16:57 GMT -6 christopher said:

What if instead of memorizing spells, magic-users and clerics could only utilize magic items and scrolls in order to cast spells? In other words, no memorized spells. Would this create extreme unbalance, or could it work? Just throwing it out there.

Christopher,

I've been working on a system (Adventurers! Exploring the Unknown) where real Wizards and Priests do not go on adventures...adventurers, do. Real Wizards are too busy with their research in their towers and colleges and Priests are fully occupied with prayers, rituals, and communing with their gods to get involved in the dirty work of mucking around in ruins, dungeons or caverns.

However, adventurers can cast spells from scrolls (if they are literate) and use magical items (wands, potions, etc.) if they can get their hands on them. To get them, they have to pay large amounts of money to Wizards, make large donations to churches, or go out and find them for themselves.

So, yeah, I think your idea would work out fine.