Spell casting using spell/mana points

mordrene · Post by **mordrene** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:09 pm

Recently, I've seen people in other threads talking about their spell point system. So what does everyone use? I previously used a system of mana that was the average of str,con, and int or wis depending od divine or arcane times a third of the players level. spells then cost teir level squared. however, this limited high level mages to 1 ninth level spell at 18 level where the vacian system gave 2. So in summation, what does everyone else use?

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:42 pm

I use a Magic Point System where Spell Casters get 1-3 points per Level (depending on the Spell Caster). They also start with a number of additional points equal to their Intelligence/Wisdom Modifier. Spells cost a number of points proportional to their power, so Magic Missile costs 1 Point at Level 1, but if a character is high enough level to cast multiple missiles in one casting, it costs +1 MP for every additional Missile.

Magic Points are regained very slowly, usually at a rate of 1 per eight hours of relative rest (i.e. at the same rate as HP are recovered).
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Zudrak · Post by **Zudrak** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:19 pm

Has anyone used Elements of Magic from EN World? I bought it, downloaded it, and printed it out, but have yet to use it. I got it in its pre-3.5e state. I'm thinking I should dig it out and give it another look-see.
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mordrene · Post by **mordrene** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:57 pm

Zudrak wrote:
Has anyone used Elements of Magic from EN World? I bought it, downloaded it, and printed it out, but have yet to use it. I got it in its pre-3.5e state. I'm thinking I should dig it out and give it another look-see.

I have no clue what that is. can u sum it up?

Lately I been think on using a new mana stat that is d4 = int/wis modifier per every odd level and spells cost double its level + 1. thus zero level spells cost 1 where first level costs 3, etc. if a caster runs out of mana, they tap their con points.

Zudrak · Post by **Zudrak** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:24 pm

mordrene wrote:
I have no clue what that is. can u sum it up?

Lately I been think on using a new mana stat that is d4 = int/wis modifier per every odd level and spells cost double its level + 1. thus zero level spells cost 1 where first level costs 3, etc. if a caster runs out of mana, they tap their con points.

I cannot, unfortunately, as it's been 3+ years since I've looked at it. Here are some reviews, though:
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12730.phtml
http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=p ... tid=118396

On sale for $1.00 here in its original form:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php? ... rers_id=87
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AD&D, Amish Dungeons & Dragons.

"Galstaff, ye are in a cornfield, when a moustachioed man approaches. What say ye?"

"I shun him."

-----

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-- E. Gary Gygax

mordrene · Post by **mordrene** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 5:29 pm

I think I'm going to doo some readin this afternoon. thanks Zudrak

Zudrak · Post by **Zudrak** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:11 pm

mordrene wrote:
I think I'm going to doo some readin this afternoon. thanks Zudrak

You're welcome. Glad to assist!
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AD&D, Amish Dungeons & Dragons.

"Galstaff, ye are in a cornfield, when a moustachioed man approaches. What say ye?"

"I shun him."

-----

"Knowledge, logic, reason, and common sense serve better than a dozen rule books."

-- E. Gary Gygax

pactmaster · Post by **pactmaster** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:27 pm

I use the Atomik Grimoire system: http://www.pigames.net/store/product_in ... cts_id=250

This is combined with spells from the C&C PHB. This adds hundreds of spells to the spell pool, but these are more specialized. Instead of a pool I allow spellcasters to cast as per the spells/day chart in the PHB, however there is no "fire and forget", the magician can cast the spells they know in any combination as long as they don't go over their daily limit. When they roll to cast, there is a -1 Con for each cast (recovered after 8 hours of rest), unless a 1 is rolled, in which case Con is halved. A subsequent 1 in 24 hours drops Con to 0.

edit: I forgot to note that if a 20 is rolled for the casting of the spell there is no Con drain. A minor note, just trying to make my system complete.
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Lucifer_Draconus · Post by **Lucifer_Draconus** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:45 pm

pactmaster wrote:
I use the Atomik Grimoire system: http://www.pigames.net/store/product_in ... cts_id=250

This is combined with spells from the C&C PHB. This adds hundreds of spells to the spell pool, but these are more specialized. Instead of a pool I allow spellcasters to cast as per the spells/day chart in the PHB, however there is no "fire and forget", the magician can cast the spells they know in any combination as long as they don't go over their daily limit. When they roll to cast, there is a -1 Con for each cast (recovered after 8 hours of rest), unless a 1 is rolled, in which case Con is halved. A subsequent 1 in 24 hours drops Con to 0.

I'm planning on doing something like this myself.I never understood the whole "fire n' forget it" thing.
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Aladar · Post by **Aladar** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:36 pm

In the past, I have used a system where all spell casters get half their Int or Wis (depending on class) rounded down times their class level in Spell Points (SP). So a 4th level Wizard with an Int of 18 gets 36 SPs per day.

A spell costs its level squared in SPs to cast, so a 2nd level spell would cost 4 SPs, a third level spell would cost 9, etc.

A caster can cast any spell they know from their spell lists as long as they still have SPs remaining.

SPs recover at 1/4 their base for every two hours of rest/sleep, so eight hours of sleep will fully recharge one's SPs.

This seems to have worked out fine for our group.
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mordrene · Post by **mordrene** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:35 pm

Alwyn wrote:
In the past, I have used a system where all spell casters get half their Int or Wis (depending on class) rounded down times their class level in Spell Points (SP). So a 4th level Wizard with an Int of 18 gets 36 SPs per day.

A spell costs its level squared in SPs to cast, so a 2nd level spell would cost 4 SPs, a third level spell would cost 9, etc.

A caster can cast any spell they know from their spell lists as long as they still have SPs remaining.

SPs recover at 1/4 their base for every two hours of rest/sleep, so eight hours of sleep will fully recharge one's SPs.

This seems to have worked out fine for our group.

How did this work out at high levels?

Aladar · Post by **Aladar** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:40 pm

mordrene,

It worked out ok. We only got to about 14th level in that campaign. The cost for the higher level spells caused the spell casters to manage their spell resources more carefully which seemed to be a good thing. The spell users were able to cast a lot more lower level spells and maybe one or two really high level spells a day, which seemed to balance out in power with the original AD&D (1st Ed) "X" number of spells per day by level.
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BASH MAN · Post by **BASH MAN** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:22 am

Matthew wrote:
I use a Magic Point System where Spell Casters get 1-3 points per Level (depending on the Spell Caster). They also start with a number of additional points equal to their Intelligence/Wisdom Modifier. Spells cost a number of points proportional to their power, so Magic Missile costs 1 Point at Level 1, but if a character is high enough level to cast multiple missiles in one casting, it costs +1 MP for every additional Missile.

Magic Points are regained very slowly, usually at a rate of 1 per eight hours of relative rest (i.e. at the same rate as HP are recovered).

Yikes! I wouldn't play a caster in your campaign, I think! Instead of the 15 minute adventuring day, it would be more like the 15 minute adventuring week! Maybe 1mp per hour would make wizards a little more worthwhile..?
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BASH MAN · Post by **BASH MAN** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:34 am

My idea for a Magic Points system:

2 your new level is added. So Level 1 gets 2mp.

Level 2 has 6mp.

Level 3 has 12mp,

Level 4 has 20mp,

Level 5 has 30mp

Level 10 has 110 mp

Level 15 has 256 mp

Level 20 has 420mp

Add your INT/WIS bonus to the TOTAL. So w/ 18 INT, a level 4 Wizard has 23MP.

The ammount of MP a spell costs is its level SQUARED +1. So a level 1 spell costs 2mp, Level 2 is 5mp, level 3 is 10 mp, level 4 is 17mp, level 5 is 26 mp, level 6 is 37 mp, level 7 is 50 mp, level 8 is 65 mp, and level 9 spells are 82 mp. A Cantrip is 1mp.

So, yes, a level 20 wizard could cast cantrips and 1st level spells all day long if he wanted to-- but only 5 level 9s in a day. 42 fireballs a day! I have no problem with this.

The spells recover at a rate of 2x caster's level / hour. So a 1st level wizard with 18 INT would have 5 mp, and recover 2mp per hour. So long 15 minute adventuring day.
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Mythago · Post by **Mythago** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:50 am

maybe just unhitch cantrips from MP - otherwise 1st level wizard can caste 1 level 1st spell per day but then no cantrips. BTB a 1st level wizard can caste 4 cantrips and one 1st level spell.

I like it lots otherwise as was creeping towards a similar equation.

rumcove · Post by **rumcove** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:06 pm

Alwyn,

Nice system. I may have to test it out.

To clarify - did you count the cost for 0-level spells as 0 SP or 1 SP?

Zudrak · Post by **Zudrak** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:46 pm

BASH MAN wrote:
My idea for a Magic Points system:

2 your new level is added. So Level 1 gets 2mp.

Level 2 has 6mp.

Level 3 has 12mp,

Level 4 has 20mp,

Level 5 has 30mp

Level 10 has 110 mp

Level 15 has 256 mp

Level 20 has 420mp

Add your INT/WIS bonus to the TOTAL. So w/ 18 INT, a level 4 Wizard has 23MP.

The ammount of MP a spell costs is its level SQUARED +1. So a level 1 spell costs 2mp, Level 2 is 5mp, level 3 is 10 mp, level 4 is 17mp, level 5 is 26 mp, level 6 is 37 mp, level 7 is 50 mp, level 8 is 65 mp, and level 9 spells are 82 mp. A Cantrip is 1mp.

So, yes, a level 20 wizard could cast cantrips and 1st level spells all day long if he wanted to-- but only 5 level 9s in a day. 42 fireballs a day! I have no problem with this.

The spells recover at a rate of 2x caster's level / hour. So a 1st level wizard with 18 INT would have 5 mp, and recover 2mp per hour. So long 15 minute adventuring day.

I like this. Perhaps I shall try it -- once someone in my campaign ever decides to play a wizard. I shall at least suggest it to my sister's b/f, who plans on playing one if ever he gets time to play.
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AD&D, Amish Dungeons & Dragons.

"Galstaff, ye are in a cornfield, when a moustachioed man approaches. What say ye?"

"I shun him."

-----

"Knowledge, logic, reason, and common sense serve better than a dozen rule books."

-- E. Gary Gygax

Aladar · Post by **Aladar** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:34 pm

rumcove,

Actually, at the time when I was using this system, there were no zero level spells in AD&D.

However, I suppose you could have zero level spells cost 1/2 a spell point. Or, you could let the casters cast them at no SP cost, but limited the number of allowable zero level spell castings to their INT or WIS per day.

I would gravitate towards the 1/2 spell point per zero level spell.

Just my 2 coppers.
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