Author Topic: Low Magic Versions of Casting classes[3.5] PEACH  (Read 3285 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

axenome1

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 42
    • Email
Low Magic Versions of Casting classes[3.5] PEACH
« on: January 07, 2010, 07:03:02 AM »
Low magic campaigns are a great change of pace from standard D&D fare. Trouble is, the party always insists on taking a spellcaster (or two) in the campaign, because let's face it, being a magic user is FUN. In a low magic campaign, a spellcaster with a few item creation feats becomes a sudden powerhouse for the party, often imbalancing things worse than they could in a more contemporary setting. At times like this, what can a DM do?
Submitted for your approval, I give you the following versions of wizard spell progression and feats in a low magic campaign. This doesn't take into account most material from splatbooks, although the more exotic magic using types with essentially unlimited magic per day I would just remove as an option. It's more of a test/demo that permits conversion to cleric or druid fairly well, once a moderate nerf is made to wild shape. If you find the party is having a great deal of difficulty due to healing issues between fights, you may want to consider adding Lay on Hands to the Cleric... but that might hamper your attempts to make the world low magic.

Wizard Spell Slots
[spoiler]
Level 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
131--------
241--------
3420-------
4521-------
55220------
66321------
763210-----
873221-----
9742210----
10843210----
118432210---
129432210---
1394332210--
14104432210--
151044332110-
161144332210-
1711443332110
1812444332110
1912444332110
2013444432211
[/spoiler]

At 20th level, the total number of spells the wizard receives per day is still an incredible power house, but the slowed spell progression, especially in the higher level spells, means that at no time can the wizard really afford to use any of them carelessly, and the number of contingencies he can keep prepared for, especially higher level contingencies, is sharply curtailed. Spells for high ability modifiers is treated normally, with one exception: The caster receives a number of additional 0-level spells per day equal to his Int modifier (or primary casting attribute, for conversion to other class lists).
Wait, what? WTF do they need all the 0 level spells for? For feats.

Metamagic feats
[spoiler]The meta magic system is altered as well. With this reduced magic system metamagic feats are pretty damned useless if taken as they are listed in the PHB. A wizard has barely got enough spell slots for the essentials, much less highly situational spell memorizations such as a Silent Dispel Magic. But a single Silence spell can screw over the caster even worse in this scenario than normally. How to fix this?
Metamagic rating system.
Rather than increasing the level of the spell, the metamagic to be applied to a spell is given a rating according to how many levels it would normally increase the spell slot by. The metamagic desired is applied to the spell at the time of casting rather than during memorization, but to make use of this, the caster must make a Spellcraft check, with a DC equal to 10+(spell level * (metamagic rating + total number of metamagic feats applied)). When applying multiple metamagics to the same spell, all metamagic ratings are added together, to give the total metamagic rating. During such applications, expending a 0 level spell slot allows you to reduce the metamagic rating by 1, up to a maximum number of times as the number of metamagics being applied to that spell. If the spellcraft check fails, the spell and all slots expended to cast it are lost to no effect.
The beauty of the Metamagic rating system is that the cheeseball low level stuff can have a lot more interesting effects and alterations applied to it while the high end stuff is so complex all by themselves that while it's THEORETICALLY possible to add Quicken to a Meteor Swarm, only a madman or a true genius would attempt it and expect any real chance of success.
An example of a spell being metamagicked:
Elaine wants to Empower a Fireball. Since she only has one memorized, she decides to expend a 0 level spell to reduce its metamagic rating by 1. The Metamagic rating of Empower is 2, and the level of Fireball is 3. 2+1(for 1 metamagic applied) -1 = 2, multiplied by 3, gives a total DC of 16 to the spellcraft check. Since she has an intelligence of 17 and 8 ranks in Spellcraft, she's got a +11... meaning that she still has a 20% chance of botching the application and losing the spell. Had she not expended the 0 level spell, the DC would have been 19, meaning she would fail on a natural 7 or less- 35% chance. Feeling lucky?  :smirk
Jarret, on the other hand, wants to apply Quicken, Silent, and Still to his Magic Missile spell. Magic Missile is a first level spell, and Quicken has a metamagic rating of 4, while Silent and Still each have a metamagic rating of 1. 4+1+1+3(for 3 metamagics applied)+10 = 19. This means that with no expenditure of 0 level spell, the DC for this casting is 19. Jarret has a base +18 to his spellcraft, so he could do this one in his sleep. If he was distracted, suffered from negative levels, or had some other effect that penalized his skill checks, he might decide to trot out the 0 level slots to drop the dc a bit, however... [/spoiler]

Reserve Feats[Spoiler]
The only other major alteration to feats that are added to this system are Reserve feats. Reserve feats ordinarily allow an unlimited use of a spell like ability at will- but this mechanic would circumvent the flavor and mystique of a low magic campaign. Despite this, they can be a fun and useful thing for a wizard to take, allowing them to extend their meager resources over a longer period of time. The compromise I have put forward is this: Rather than getting that ability for free, every time a Reserve feat is used, it filters through the foundation spell slot a 0-level spell that provides the spark needed for the effect to occur. This permits the use of Reserve feats to help a wizard conserve their ammo, so to speak, without breaking the flavor of the campaign. [/spoiler]

Alright, I know that was a little bit to have to read through and some rather funky mechanics, but I've playtested them a little and they work surprisingly smoothly in bridging the gap between lower tier classes and the high end guys, not to mention helping along the flavor of a low magic setting. Item Creation Feats I have yet to address in depth, which is why I haven't fully writtin out a campaign for this yet, but I imagine having to divide their feats between the now more versatile Metamagics and snapping up the much needed extension of their powers that Reserve feats provide, they end up with fewer item creation feats than they might have otherwise.

Comments? I welcome any and all well intended feedback, so long as abuse is limited to my idea and not extended speculatively towards my ancestry, hygeine, and likely financial traits. Intellect and education is alright to abuse  ;)
"I would love to just run out the end of that building dressed as a sperm..."
-Internet comment regarding the Yas Hotel, constructed in Dubai

axenome1

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 42
    • Email
Re: Low Magic Versions of Casting classes[3.5] PEACH
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2010, 10:24:32 PM »
Four days and no responses?  :bigeye Is anyone out there?
"I would love to just run out the end of that building dressed as a sperm..."
-Internet comment regarding the Yas Hotel, constructed in Dubai

The_Mad_Linguist

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 8780
  • Simulated Thing
Re: Low Magic Versions of Casting classes[3.5] PEACH
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2010, 10:57:01 PM »
Not really sure this will work as intended; reducing the number of spell slots available doesn't really help that much -  a wizard who can still abuse polymorph isn't any less magical even if he can only abuse it two times instead of three.

Given how easy it is to max out skills, you're essentially allowing for a lot of free metamagic at low levels ... consider

I am a cleric, and want to cast persistent lesser vigor!

DC=10+(spell level * (metamagic rating + total number of metamagic feats applied))=17
I am level one, so I have four ranks in spellcraft.  I also have a nice masterwork book that gives me a +2 circumstance bonus.  I can sacrifice a single orison for a +1, or just have put a 12 in int, and succeed by taking 10.

Or, at level 20 (for a Codzilla, who presumably is min/maxing persistant spell)

I'm persisting a ninth level spell at level 20.
DC = 73.
23 (ranks) +2 (masterwork too) +23(item familiar) + 20 (guidance of the avatar) +2 (synergy with knowledge(arcana))
That's a bonus of +70.  So... yeah.
Linguist, Mad, Unique, none of these things am I
My custom class: The Priest of the Unseen Host
Planetouched Handbook
Want to improve your character?  Then die.

axenome1

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 42
    • Email
Re: Low Magic Versions of Casting classes[3.5] PEACH
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2010, 04:56:46 PM »
Fair enough. Hadn't really considered persistent spell, since I don't allow it in my campaigns anyways. I dislike the idea of being able to turn a spell that lasts only one round into a 24 hour munch fest.
"I would love to just run out the end of that building dressed as a sperm..."
-Internet comment regarding the Yas Hotel, constructed in Dubai

RobbyPants

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 7139
Re: Low Magic Versions of Casting classes[3.5] PEACH
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2010, 10:00:29 AM »
If you want a low-magic setting, you may simply say that you don't want any full casters in your game.  Alternately, you might allow them, but only if they multiclass a certain amount (one level every three to four in another class maybe).  You might want to remove multiclassing penalties this way.  A similar result might be to simply slow their spell progression.  I'm not so much worried about the number of spell slots, but rather the level of the spells themselves.  Picture something akin to a bard's spell progression or so, but using the same number of spells per day as the base caster.  Personally, I'd prefer the forced multiclassing route because it slows the spell progression but still allows for interesting multiclassing.  Although, this isn't a perfect fix.  Slowing spell progression helps, but there are still plenty of low level "win" spells that can be spammed, like Glitterdust.  These spells may need attention.

If you're worried about clerics falling behind on healing (or if there aren't clerics around due to it being low magic), consider more available mundane healing.  Implement a house rule where once per day, each character can get a "second wind" or something.  As a swift action, the PC can gain a number of HP equal to 1d6 per level, but not more HP than their max HP.  It's thematic, and it won't break them game if applied evenly to everyone.  The exact idea can be tweaked, but you might like the results.

Regarding magical items: if they're rare in your world, they need to be rare for a reason.  If any PC can take item creation feats, it begs the question why other NPCs don't do the same.  Maybe cost is higher (a deterent, but not a fix really).  Maybe you have to be epic level or immortal to make items, which allows them in the campaign, but doesn't let the PCs make them.  I'd suggest the latter approach, personally.  It keeps the flavor, but allows there to be items in the game when you want them with a plausible reason why they're rare.

As for metamagic feats, that's always tricky.  Some feats are good and others suck.  Still, many of the good ones are only good in certain circumstances.  It's next to impossible to make a catch-all rule to fix them all.  Of course, in their standard implementation, metamagic feats come with two costs: taking a feat and raising the level of the spell you cast.  Unearthed Arcana has a few metamagic variants you might consider.  Each gives a way to spontaneously apply metamagic feats in a limited fashion.

As far as reserve feats go, I wouldn't touch them.  Most of them are pretty low powered compared to the spell slots required to fuel them, and they also come with two costs: taking a feat and saving a spell slot (more of an opportunity cost for the latter).  I've never seen any of these as overpowered.  In fact, lowering the prereq to 1st level spells and allowing them at level 1 is a nice way to help with caster vitality at lower levels.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]