Author Topic: [3.5] Versumage: Replacement for Most Spellcasters In A Setting  (Read 4070 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

SiggyDevil

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1111
  • Magmar, the ultimate butthead
    • Feybook Project
[3.5] Versumage: Replacement for Most Spellcasters In A Setting
« on: October 01, 2008, 02:03:28 AM »
Versumage v2
versum: Latin for passive participle of vertere, meaning "something rotated, rolled, changed"

This spellcaster sacrifices depth for breadth. True capabilities are determined by the spells they choose, acquire, and combine.
There is a major difference between this class and many other slot-based spellcasters; spell slots are for any spell level rather than assigned to specific ones.

HP: d6
BAB: 3/4
Best Saves: Will and Reflex
Skill Points: 6 + INT, but 2 + INT if Intelligence is chosen as the Versumage spellcasting ability score
Skills: All class skills from Bard, Wizard, Psion, and Cleric.

Weapons: Simple
Armor*: Light
* Spellcasting is not affected by armor.

Spellcaster Level: Full Arcane
Spell Slot Advancement: As Bard; new highest spell slot with every 3 levels.
Save DC: 10 + 1/2 level +  either INT, WIS, or CHA bonus (chosen when class is acquired)
Spells Known: Unlimited and +2 each level.
Spells Readied: A number equal to Spellcraft ranks.


Code: [Select]
Level   Highest Spell Level & Class Ability
___________________________________________
1       0th & 1st, Ability
2       Bonus Feat
3       Ability
4       2nd
5       Bonus Feat
6       Ability
7       3rd, Mana Efficiency 1
8       Bonus Feat
9       Ability
10      4th
11      Bonus Feat
12      Ability
13      5th, Mana Efficiency 2
14      Bonus Feat
15      Ability
16      6th
17      Bonus Feat
18      Ability
19      7th, Mana Efficiency 3
20      Ability


Learning SpellsBardic MusicPsionic PowersInvocationsRanger and Paladin spells may be learned, but Versumage levels must be at least as high as the warrior class levels required to normally access each spell. For instance, the Versumage must be at least level 4 to even begin learning these types of spells. The spell levels themselves are unchanged.


Readying SpellsCasting SpellsActive DurationsRegaining Mana
1 Mana is regained for every hour that passes in which a Versumage does not cast spells.
3 Mana is regained for every hour spent unconscious.


Bonus FeatsAbilitySpeak With AnimalsMana Efficiency

SiggyDevil

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1111
  • Magmar, the ultimate butthead
    • Feybook Project
Re: [3.5] Bard as Spellcaster Benchmarks, and Equipped Rune Magic
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2008, 05:50:18 AM »
Here's some addendums that may or may not be included:

SPELLS PER DAYhttp://www.rpgoracle.com/srd/bard.htmlhttp://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/unearthedIncantations.html, might be altered slightly in this project) provided to refresh all spells. The casting time is 1 hour.


SPELL EFFECTS




Stratovarius

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1215
  • Player Resource Consortium
    • Player Resource Consortium
    • Email
Re: [3.5] Versumage: Replacement for Most Spellcasters In A Setting
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2008, 11:35:01 AM »
Quote

Unless I'm reading that wrong, at, say, 10th level, I've got 13 spellcraft ranks, and a modifier of +7 from Int. Total mana of twenty. But I want to cast two 5th level spells, that's ten mana gone. So I can cast 4 5th level spells a day is all?
Arhosa Campaign World - Always Recruiting
Past, Present, and Future
Osteomancy - Rune Magic - Astral Magic
Class and Rule Collection
Player Resource Consortium
That is not dead which can eternal lie
And with strange aeons even death may die

SiggyDevil

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1111
  • Magmar, the ultimate butthead
    • Feybook Project
Re: [3.5] Versumage: Replacement for Most Spellcasters In A Setting
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2008, 04:46:17 AM »
Unless I'm reading that wrong, at, say, 10th level, I've got 13 spellcraft ranks, and a modifier of +7 from Int. Total mana of twenty. But I want to cast two 5th level spells, that's ten mana gone. So I can cast 4 5th level spells a day is all?

I plan to implement some form of 'recharge' every hour spent not casting spells, but can't decide on the amount to give back.
Perhaps as much Mana as your highest spell level.

Another option would be to have a ritual or incantation (UA) that refreshes a portion of Mana by performing an extended skill check against level-scaling DC. Failure means a bad effect occurs, such as damage or exhaustion.

However, you have read that correctly. It's not many spells at once.
Perhaps the Mana equation needs to be reworked, something like Mana equal to (Spellcraft + stat) x2.
Conversely the Mana cost itself could be halved.

Either way, I want to not repeat the psionics dilemma wherein a Psion using their best powers during a level-appropriate encounter blows their wad completely. That should be avoided.
Likewise the math shouldn't be complex with bigger numbers. Mana shouldn't be like using PP, with a cost equal to the effective manifester level of a power.



Also, once I figure out how, I'll also be adding unlimited usage of lower level spells as a Versumage levels up.
For instance, once access to SL 3 is gained all SL1 effects don't cost mana.
Conversely, there could be a discount of mana as one levels up so that even though an SL 4 effect normally costs 4 Mana it would be reduced by 1 or 2 Mana because of X reduction at Y levels. That would make the low ones cost nothing to very little, while the high ones don't drain everything.

edit: Added Mana Efficiency when gaining spell levels 3, 5, and 7. It reduces Mana cost by an additional 1 each time.
edit 2: Also added 7th level spells at L19 to maintain even progression.

veekie

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 9034
  • WARNING: Homing Miko
Re: [3.5] Versumage: Replacement for Most Spellcasters In A Setting
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2008, 06:53:51 AM »
Firstly, each special ability costs a number of points(lets call them power points for now) to use and each character has the same number of such points. At each level, the ability cost decreases by X amount and the power point pool increases by Y(where Y is the same for all classes).

Now, a character's most powerful ability for his level would cost 1/4 of the number of points he has at that level. These points are then tied to fatigue effects, with the character being fatigued when he has less than half of his points remaining, exhausted when he has less than 1/4 of his points remaining and unconscious(or rolling to avoid that state) when at 0 or below.

The points recover whenever a character rests sufficiently to otherwise remove the fatigue condition, resetting to the minimum level needed to maintain their current state of fatigue. For example, a character with a pool of 20 points, having expended 18 points in an epic battle, would be exhausted, and when he rests sufficiently to reach the fatigued state, he would now have 6 points. Should he continue resting, the fatigue state itself clears and he would now have 11 points, which would be all he can recover to until he turns in for the day(in a manner similar to the 8 hour rest recharge for spellcasters).

Powers which have their costs reduced to 0 become at will powers, which essentially promotes a character's lower level powers into at will abilities over the course of his career. With this, a character can then expend his power points for greater offense, though if he were to dig too deep into his reserves, it would negatively impact his ability to continue the fight following the attack.

Cinematic need is also provided for, someone can expend the last of his reserves, knocking himself out to deliver one last powerful attack. Finally, over the course of a day, power expended on significant encounters will eat away at a character's reserves, leaving him on the edge of fatigue. Resource management will apply here of course.

The levels of rest involved are as follows:
Fatigued(6-10 points remaining), just 10 minutes or so of catching your breath, equivalent to 4e's short rest.
Exhausted(1-5 points remaining), several hours of rest, after which the status is downgraded to fatigued
Unconscious(>0 points remaining), knocked out for some time(how long, I'm unclear), after which  the character wakes exhausted.

A simpler alternative of tracking resources is also possible, by having each character possess a flat 20 power points, and having the highest level ability he get cost 5 points, which decreases as he levels up until it becomes at will. Some might prefer the more complex resource management of having a pool of power points that expand as they level however.

EDIT:
The powers mentioned above are the character's most powerful abilities, lesser abilities usable at will exist as well without needing to go through the discount process. This could also coexist with semi-limited use abilities, such as /encounter powers, though bookkeeping might be an issue here.

Replace special ability with 'spell' and make them cost 4 points per use(assuming 20 total points), with a -1 discount for every spell level you can acces above that spell. Think that suffices for your purpose?
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."


SiggyDevil

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1111
  • Magmar, the ultimate butthead
    • Feybook Project
Re: [3.5] Versumage: Replacement for Most Spellcasters In A Setting
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2008, 05:01:05 AM »
OK, after deliberation and a review by Feybook comrade Talisman, I've decided to keep the Mana amounts low-scale.

Low numbers = less mental math for Siggy. Yes, third person is awesome.
You'll be dealing with probably no more than 4 Mana spent at any time, unless you count Metamagic.
I'll check the timing of Mana Reduction abilities to see if I've messed with casting costs too much. It was intended to make low-level spells more like Invocations in frequency of use and it does do that, but it also allows you to use Metamagic better much like how the Incantatrix does... but without broken-ness.

By Versumage 7 you can indeed Silent Spell everything you have.

Talisman didn't seem to have concerns for the frequency of spell use. He mistook the "readied spells" for something more like Vancian, though. Anyone else have that problem?

The decision to provide unlimited Cantrips/Orisons was something I brought from ancient, ancient, ancient house rules back in the days of 3.0 when some friends and I looked at it ,and said "Let's have unlimited Cantrips" and lo, it was done.