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Sep 27, 2012 -- 4:39AM, Xerxes13 wrote:

Sep 26, 2012 -- 10:29PM, Fimbria wrote:

(There is a canonical reason why wizards forget their spells. They build their spells at the beginning of the day, then throw them later, in a manner reminiscent of the way that you or I might throw a hand grenade. They can't cast the same spell twice because the spell blows up when they throw it. So now you know.)

 

I have heard this reasoning before and it makes sense at first until you ask 'Why do I need to long rest to prepare spells?' 

The Wizard Spell Preperation says this: 
Preparing spells requires you to study your spellbook and memorize the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell, taking at least one minute per spell level for each spell you prepare. 

If preparing your spells is like 'loading all of your flintlock pistols with gun powder and rounds in the morning ' and casting is just 'pulling the trigger', then why can't you 'reload' during a short rest. It says it only takes one minute per spell level to prepare each spell. So basically preparing a spell is a ritual with casting time equal to spell level. This clearly cannot be the case, as it would be the equivalent of the Sorcerer regaining 5-10 Spellpoints every short rest.

Working with the assumption that Wizards "load" spells by preparing and casting is just "pulling the trigger", here is what I came up with for the Wizard (maybe it would make a good Generalist Tradition). 

Give Wizards Spellpoints equal to the amount the Sorcerer currently gets. Then change the Spells Per Day table to Maximum Number of Spells Prepared (at one time) and reduce each number in this table by 1 (you'll see why later).

During a short or long rest, the Wizard can spend Spellpoints to prepare spells. It costs 1 Spellpoint per spell level to prepare a spell, and the max number of spells you can have of a certain level is determined by the table. When preparing, you can choose to expend an already prepared spell to regain Spellpoints equal to its spell level.

As an action, a Wizard can COMPLETE the casting process of a prepared spell. That spell cannot be cast again until you prepare it again, unless you have prepared it more than once. (You are COMPLETING the casting process for the spell, and you can't use it again because it takes to long to cast. This is much more satisfying that "you forget the spell").

Here is how to think of it in terms of the pistol metaphor. Your 'Maximum Number of Spells Prepared (at one time)' is how many pistols you have. 'Spellpoints' are your gunpowder, they feul your spells but you only have a limited amount. And 'Spells' are your bullets, you have a bunch different kind and an infinite amount of each, but you can't use it without the pistol or the gunpowder.

Pistol Example:

You've got 2 pistols, 3 units of gunpowder, and an array of ammunition types. You think you are going wolf hunting (local livestock has been mauled recntly), so you load both pistols with gunpowder and standard bullets. You get in a fight and it turns out it is a werewolf. You use one bullet on him, but he is only wounded and runs away. After that fight, you unload your remaining pistol and then load them both with your remaining gunpowder (1 plus the 1 that you unloaded) and with silver bullets. And then you begin to track down the werewolf again.


Wizard Example: (numbers beside spells are their level and spellpoint cost)

You are level 3 and have 8 Spellpoints at the start of the day. You prepare Sleep-1, Charm Person-1, Thunder Wave-1 and Web-2. That cost 5 Spellpoints and you have 3 left.

You get in a fight with some [insert appropriate bad guys] and cast Thunder Wave, Web and Charm person. Your charmed enemy informs you that a troll will attack the town soon. So during a short rest you use your last 3 Spellpoints to prepare Melf's Acid Arrow-2 and Burning Hands-1 and then you expend your prepared Sleep-1 to get the 1 Spellpoint back and use it to prepare another Burning Hands-1. Then, with 2xBurnings Hands and 1xMelf's Acid Arrow prepared, you run off to intercept the troll before he reaches town.


Reducing the max number of spells you can have prepared (at one time) has 2 purposes. It prevents you from using all of your Spellpoints in the morning. And it reduces how much a Wizard can do in a single encounter (reducing Novas is a good thing) without reducing how much they can do in a day. 


I think this would work great for a Generalist Wizard tradition or something similar. Also this helps out people who want a Toolbox Wizard but hate having to long rest to get to repick their spells. I also think that this maintains the Wizard status as "The Vancian Caster", while removing some (not all) of the problems people have with vancian.

Let me know what you think, and give any additions or changes you think are good. Or post your idea for making the Wizard less likely to call for the party to go rest for the whole day cause he forgot to prepare the right spell.

Sep 27, 2012 -- 7:22AM, Sesdun wrote:

I like this system a lot, although I would probably rule that you cannot get back the full spellpoint cost of a spell when unpreparing (maybe return spellpoints equal to one spell-level lower?).

I would not place a limit on prepared spells. An unprepare cost would place a dynamic penalty to preparing all spells at once, but still keep the possibility.

Sidenote: Finally someoene on these forums that use the Prepare/Trigger fluff for vancian casting!  =D

This cost to unprepare could work as an incentive not to prepare all at once. Would you just not have a table at all and just have them prepare based on spell points and spells known? One issue is, are people ok with a level 3 Wizard preparing 4 level-2 spells and no level-1 spells? I seems ok for the Sorcerer, but feels weird for the Wizard. That might just be old habits dying hard.

Other issue is that 'incentive not to nova' is not the same as 'limit ability to nova'. But I can see capping spells prepared as punishing non-nova players as well and that would be a bad thing.