Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
tibbius
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 2881
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:10 pm

Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

#1 Post by tibbius »

Each time you cast a spell, roll 3d6+spell level. Pick any stat lower than the roll, and permanently subtract 1 from the stat. It's good if no stat is lower than the roll.
Neil Gaiman: "I started imagining a world in which we replaced the phrase 'politically correct' wherever we could with 'treating other people with respect', and it made me smile."..."I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking 'Oh my god, that’s treating other people with respect gone mad!'"
Fail States RPG
Mythistorical Bundle
माया | Gratitude

User avatar
tibbius
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 2881
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:10 pm

Re: Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

#2 Post by tibbius »

If you want to be really harsh, subtract the spell level from the stat. Or pick any stats lower than the roll, and subtract from those stats a total of points equal to the spell level.
Neil Gaiman: "I started imagining a world in which we replaced the phrase 'politically correct' wherever we could with 'treating other people with respect', and it made me smile."..."I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking 'Oh my god, that’s treating other people with respect gone mad!'"
Fail States RPG
Mythistorical Bundle
माया | Gratitude

User avatar
dmw71
POWAH!
POWAH!
Posts: 19543
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:18 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Contact:

Re: Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

#3 Post by dmw71 »

That's interesting.

It will really make spellcasting a risky proposition. Powerful mages or high-level casters will be rare indeed.
-- Project --
Playtest: Untitled Project (1e)
-- DM --
Greyhawk Campaign: Sandbox (1e)
(Status: Archived)

User avatar
tibbius
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 2881
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:10 pm

Re: Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

#4 Post by tibbius »

2d6+spell level, -1 to a stat less than the roll, would probably work better.
Neil Gaiman: "I started imagining a world in which we replaced the phrase 'politically correct' wherever we could with 'treating other people with respect', and it made me smile."..."I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking 'Oh my god, that’s treating other people with respect gone mad!'"
Fail States RPG
Mythistorical Bundle
माया | Gratitude

User avatar
tibbius
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 2881
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:10 pm

Re: Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

#5 Post by tibbius »

More thoughts about this.

"Spell slots" mean how many spells you can stick in your head. As long as a spell's in your head, you can cast it. Spells don't fall out of your head when you cast them. But there's a cost (in time) to get them in there, and a risk (in stats) to cast them.

The COST: to get a spell in your head, roll 1d6 per spell level. If the total is less than your INT+level, you get the spell in your head. You can roll once per day. This means it takes a long time to learn high level spells.

The RISK: when you cast a spell, roll 1d6 per spell level. For each die you rolled, subtract 1 from a stat that is already lower than the total. This means that most of the time, when you cast a high level spell you suffer.
Neil Gaiman: "I started imagining a world in which we replaced the phrase 'politically correct' wherever we could with 'treating other people with respect', and it made me smile."..."I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking 'Oh my god, that’s treating other people with respect gone mad!'"
Fail States RPG
Mythistorical Bundle
माया | Gratitude

User avatar
dmw71
POWAH!
POWAH!
Posts: 19543
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:18 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Contact:

Re: Idea for making D&D-y magic more swords-n-sorcery:

#6 Post by dmw71 »

DungeonCraft is constantly working on his own set of rules called Deathbringer. In the latest iteration (which I'll admit I haven't read yet), there's this:

"In the new version of Deathbringer, spells require HP to cast."

I'm really curious how this will work because I think it's an interesting concept.
-- Project --
Playtest: Untitled Project (1e)
-- DM --
Greyhawk Campaign: Sandbox (1e)
(Status: Archived)

Post Reply

Return to “House rules”