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9 months ago ::
Oct 08, 2012 - 3:58PM
#271
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Certainly, I think Haldrik's ideas are good. I don't particularly care for healbots either. I have my own ideas on the subject of healing in D&D, but I think if I go into them it might derail the thread a bit. Still, it is an interesting read.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 09, 2012 - 11:00AM
#272
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I wrote this in the L&L: Magic Systems article, but lets examine it here too.
So far, spell points seems to be the superior system. It is both very simple and very versatile. It can model both vancian spell slots (by using the points to prepare spells in advance) and spontaneous slots (by spending the points on the fly for known spells).
Also, spell points are an authentic part of the D&D tradition. Advanced D&D invented them for the 2e Wizard, and the 3e Psion epitomizes them.
So, consider we are going with spell points.
(Here a “mage” is anyone who uses “magic”, including Wizard, Cleric, Psion, Druid, Bard, and so on.)
Give every mage the ability to use spell points for both spontaneous spells and prepared spells.
• Those who like Vancian can use it that way
• Those who like Spontaneous can use it that way.
A mage “knows” by heart a number of spells equal to the number of their class spells table.
• For example, a level-5 Wizard knows by heart two level-3 spells.
A mage has a number of spell points equal to the sum total of their class spells table.
• For example, a level-5 Wizard has a total of: L1×4 + L2×3 + L3×2 = 16 spell points
• Therefore, a level-5 Wizard can cast a level-3 spell five times, plus a level-1 spell once.
• Of course, the Wizard can never spend more points on a spell than the highest spell level known.
Because of the ability to consolidate points, the formula for increasing points per level may need calibration for balance. Alternatively, casting a highest level spell is exerting and requires some kind of cool down or set up to cast an other highest level spell.
Both spontaneous and prepared.
• Spontaneous: The Wizard knows two level-3 spells, and therefore can use the 16 spell points spontaneously to cast either of these two spells.
• Prepared: If the Wizard wants to cast an unknown spell from the spell book, then the Wizard must prepare it in advance, pre-spending the points, to cast the spell later.
Spontaneous known spells must be a class focus.
• For a Wizard, known spells must correspond to their tradition.
• For a Cleric, known spells must correspond to their domain.
• This restriction of known spells to a focus helps balance the ability to do both spontaneous (which is tactically effective) and preparation (which strategically effective).
Names for “spell points”
• Spell points
• Mana (anthropology uses “mana” to refer to magical energy)
• Willpower (personal reserve, innate magic)
With regard to the Easy Setting
• The Wizard or any mage will only use the spell points spontaneously, to cast spells known by heart and chosen while leveling.
• In other words, in Easy, the Wizard would not prepare spells from a spellbook. This is simplest.
Once the players are familiar with casting the few known spells spontaneously by spell points:
• Then the rules *encourage* the player to use the option of the spellbook.
• This option still uses the spell points, but can spend them to prepare unknown spells from the book.
• Thus the mage can use points for both the vancian spellbook spells and spontaneously with any points left over.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 09, 2012 - 11:43AM
#273
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Refreshing spell points turns out to work beautifully.
Refresh a certain percentage of the total spell points per “breather” (at each 5-15 minute short rest).
• The mage can spend these new points spontaneously for the known spells of their tradition.
• The mage cannot spend these new points for extra spellbook spells because there isnt enough time to cast to prepare new spells from the spellbook.
• In other words, the per-breather spell points are the same thing as encounter powers. The mage can use these new points for their tradition spells at each new encounter.
Personally, I would like to see the Wizard be able to prepare more spells from the spellbook during a long day.
• At each 1-hour rest, such as during a meal.
• Prepare a number of spellbook spells equal to a certain percentage of the total number of spell points.
• Then the vancian-style mage will be able to keep up with the rest of the classes, whose features can keep on going and going and going.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 1:29PM
#274
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Here is a good list to start hashing out the minimal magic items for the Easy Setting. In case anyone is interested, here is a list of magic items found in all the previous editions.
implements:
staff of power
wand of fire
wand of frost
weapons:
weapon, +x
dagger, poison
sword, dancing
sword, dragonslayer
sword, flame
sword, frost
sword, holy avenger
sword, wounding (vicious)
sword, vorpal
armor:
armor and shield, +x
shield of deflection (additional + vs missiles)
potions:
healing
extra-healing (vitality)
misc items:
amulet of health (periapt of proof against poison)
amulet (scarab) of protection
belt (girdle) of giant/titan strength
boots of elvenkind
boots of striding (speed)
boots of striding and springing
bracers of defense
bracers of perfect shot (gauntlets of dexterity)
cloak of elvenkind
cloak of resistance (protection)
gauntlets of ogre power
ring of freedom of movement (free action)
ring of invisibility
ring of protection
ring of regeneration
ring of wizardry
wondrous items:
bag of holding
dust of appearance
feather boat (one of quall's feather tokens)
flying carpet
keoghton's ointment
portable hole
ritual (invocation) candle
rope of climbing
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 3:25PM
#275
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Date Joined:
Apr 16, 2009
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@ mael- no, exactly the opposite, a default assumes one style of play is superior and more preferable than another, if an optional rule was considered truely worthwhile, it would have made it into the default and would not have been optional.
Coming into the thread a bit late, I get to notice an interesting transformation.
Back at the beginning, "default" was equated to failure, and therefore rejected.
Now, "default" is equated to superiority, and therefore rejected.
A while back it was mentioned that for quite a lot of young people, the standard meaning of "default" comes from computers, and it means what you get if you don't specifically choose otherwise. I am not one of the young people referred to, but I'm a (retired) professional programmer - I was, at least in a few very limited contexts, one of the people who chose what you get when you don't specifically choose otherwise.
From that perspective, do you want to know what "default" means to me?
It means a safe and generally acceptable choice.
Nothing more, and nothing less. It isn't a failure - if not choosing is failure, I'll set things up so you can't get to the critical point without choosing. And it isn't superior - it's a default, rather than something you are given no choice about, because I expect that often something else will be superior (but what that something else is, I can't determine - maybe it varies). If I could reliably determine what's superior, I wouldn't offer a choice.
"The world does not work the way you have been taught it does. We are not real as such; we exist within The Story. Unfortunately for you, you have inherited a condition from your mother known as Primary Protagonist Syndrome, which means The Story is interested in you. It will find you, and if you are not ready for the narrative strands it will throw at you..." - from Footloose
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 5:20PM
#276
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My issue is when the table is discussing what modular rules to use, somebody invokes the "default" as being more "One True D&D" than the alternatives.
...whatever
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 5:25PM
#277
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My issue is when the table is discussing what modular rules to use, somebody invokes the "default" as being more "One True D&D" than the alternatives.
And the other five of you can't all smack him in the head and berate him for being a fool, and then move on?
So a rotten apple gets to spoil it for eveyone else?
Kalex the Omen Dungeonmaster Extraordinaire Concerning Player Rules Bias
Show
Gaining victory through rules bias is a hollow victory and they know it.
The argument goes, that some idiot at the table might claim that because there is a "default" that is the only true way to play D&D. An idiotic misconception that should be quite easy to disprove just by reading the rules, coming to these forums, or sending a quick note off to Customer Support and sharing the inevitable response with the group. BTW, I'm not just talking about Next when I say this. Of course, D&D has always been this way since at least the late 70's when I began playing.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 5:32PM
#278
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My issue is when the table is discussing what modular rules to use, somebody invokes the "default" as being more "One True D&D" than the alternatives.
And the other five of you can't all smack him in the head and berate him for being a fool, and then move on?
So a rotten apple gets to spoil it for eveyone else?
After 5 years of edition warring, yes, it does spoil things.
...whatever
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 10:18PM
#279
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Date Joined:
Mar 22, 2008
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My issue is when the table is discussing what modular rules to use, somebody invokes the "default" as being more "One True D&D" than the alternatives.
Anyone who does doesn't know what they are talking about. You can safely ignore that person and move on.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 10:18PM
#280
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Date Joined:
Mar 22, 2008
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My issue is when the table is discussing what modular rules to use, somebody invokes the "default" as being more "One True D&D" than the alternatives.
And the other five of you can't all smack him in the head and berate him for being a fool, and then move on?
So a rotten apple gets to spoil it for eveyone else?
After 5 years of edition warring, yes, it does spoil things.
Wait! You actually think that not having a default is going to prevent edition warring?
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