blydddreug
Apprentice Douchebag
BAAAAD doggie!
Posts: 69
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Post by blydddreug on Dec 29, 2014 21:06:25 GMT -8
After many years away from the D&D fold (haven't played it since 2e), I'm considering returning. I was never really a fan of the Vancian system of magic (spells are memorized and used like bullets in a gun - one shot and it's gone forever). From what I've read of D&D 4e & 5e, the magic system seems to work an awful lot like MMO powers. If I wanted that I would just go play GW2...
I'd prefer something that was more manna powered. Anyone have suggestions on how to hack 4e / 5e to provide manna powered magic, or a suggestion on a system that does this already?
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 29, 2014 23:45:46 GMT -8
Castles and Crusades Castle Keepers guide has a point based option for magic. CnC is a hack of the d20 OGL so it is possible to use these options in mainstream DnD. Aaron
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Post by ayslyn on Dec 30, 2014 5:51:44 GMT -8
5e doesn't have Vancian magic as a default. You do still memorize spells, but you don't forget them when you cast them.
Think of it this way. You can learn as many spells as you can get your greedy little adventurer hands on, but your brain can only hold a certain amount of arcane knowledge at one time. So you have to memorize a subset of those spells every day. Separate from that is the amount of raw power that your body can channel. Now you can channel that through any of the spells that you had memorized that day, even using more power for simpler spells to boost their effect.
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sbloyd
Supporter
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Post by sbloyd on Dec 30, 2014 6:46:01 GMT -8
I always did 1e and 2e D&D with a spell point hack for magery - you got as many spell points as you could memorize levels of spells, and each spell cast was a spell point per level. You could select from the spells you studied the night before, but they didn't autoerase from memory when cast.
This allowed for a lot more diversity in wizard spell memorization and use - you didn't have to memorize, say, Sleep three times in order to use it thrice... just memorize it and two other spells, and if you need to cast Sleep three times you're fine, but if you need Detect Magic you're not boned, either.
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Post by kurtpotts on Jan 8, 2015 15:57:57 GMT -8
I think the DMG has alternate spell use rules. I distinctly remember seeing a spell point system.
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Post by lowkeyoh on Jan 9, 2015 0:29:59 GMT -8
I think the DMG has alternate spell use rules. I distinctly remember seeing a spell point system. Yep, spell points in there
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Post by Kainguru on Jan 9, 2015 10:12:21 GMT -8
I think the DMG has alternate spell use rules. I distinctly remember seeing a spell point system. Yep, spell points in there "Yep" [ Points at a random page] "see, spells . . . " Aaron
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Post by lowkeyoh on Jan 9, 2015 12:19:01 GMT -8
Yep, spell points in there "Yep" [ Points at a random page] "see, spells . . . " Aaron BEHOLD! Words!
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Muddyboots
Apprentice Douchebag
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Post by Muddyboots on Jan 9, 2015 18:31:46 GMT -8
You mean you can draw sounds!?!
make a sanity roll...
Muddyboots
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Post by Kainguru on Jan 19, 2015 2:56:58 GMT -8
Gah, ' spell points' as in ' points at a spell' . . . Aaron
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carrollesque
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Post by carrollesque on Feb 5, 2015 9:39:51 GMT -8
Dragon Age RPG has a mana-based spellcasting system. It's not a perfect system, but it is built out in a very engaging (and popular) game world.
It's also the simplest DnD-esque system to learn and run that I've come across.
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Post by Stu Venable on Feb 5, 2015 13:27:32 GMT -8
DnD5E has a sort of hybrid system. You have cantrips, that don't take up spell slots and can be cast at-will. You also have spell slots depending on your level, and a set number of spells you can memorize daily. You can cast as many spells as you have slots, and you can use a spell multiple times, as long as you have an unused slot.
It allows for more flexibility that the, "I just cast magic missile, and I will now nag the party to take a nap."
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druggeddwarf
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Post by druggeddwarf on Feb 6, 2015 2:36:20 GMT -8
Not to mention there is the option to use a lower spell at a higher spell slot for more effect / better control / BIG BOY DAMAGE / etc
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oldnemrod
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Post by oldnemrod on Feb 12, 2015 14:35:44 GMT -8
I always thought of magic coming from your soul. Raw creation molded by your will. I then saw Vancian magic as safequard so you didn't waste yourself. I had a setting where mages learned how to get around this and be more reckless with their magic. Treat the level of the spell as non-lethal damage. Or roll a d6 when cast and 3 or lower deals a point of damage, non-to-very lethal.
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Post by stanleytweedle on Jul 12, 2015 20:20:24 GMT -8
I like the sound of the 5e magic system, minus the cantrip issues I have.
I'm not sure what truly Vancian Magic would be, since I read those books and I could not find the part where they forgot their spells after casting them, even when I specifically looked for it. Mostly they just conveniently needed them once each, and then later it's just... whatever. And there's always aliens, demons, and ancient super-science.
I think the most Vancian thing would be to allow every character to use his or her dying breath to utter a single curse.
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