Your Fantasy Craft Wish List

[Crafty_Pat]

On Over-Reach - Besides playing with the preselected spell list it also will let me address one of the semi-whiny complaints I know I'll hear from one of my players. She's not going to like having to wait until third level to cast a first level spell. That, suitably cleaned up, will work quite nice to restore her Magic Missile security blanket.

Yeah, there's a reason so many people love Magic Missile at Level 1. No attack check or resistance? Yeah, that's balanced. 

The truth of the matter is that Magic Missile isn't a Level 1 spell - it's just mislisted. 

[Krensky]

On Over-Reach - Besides playing with the preselected spell list it also will let me address one of the semi-whiny complaints I know I'll hear from one of my players. She's not going to like having to wait until third level to cast a first level spell. That, suitably cleaned up, will work quite nice to restore her Magic Missile security blanket.

Yeah, there's a reason so many people love Magic Missile at Level 1. No attack check or resistance? Yeah, that's balanced. 

The truth of the matter is that Magic Missile isn't a Level 1 spell - it's just mislisted. 

Well, to play devil's advocate it was... well... say less unbalanced in in earlier editions where a first level wizard couldn't wear anything other then a robe, carry anything other then a staff, only could cast it once, and stood a better then even chance of getting killed by a stray house cat.

[Morgenstern]

Well, not being able to cast 1st level spells until the 3rd class level does a couple of good things from my perspective.

It means that people multiclassing into the wizardly professions get an actual sense of having to master a dificult and arcane process. There is an on screen apprenticship of sorts for ALL casters. It's also very cherry picking resistant. The long time soldier does not add Magic Missile to hos tool box for just one level of investment.

It creates an effective penalty for multiclassing multiple specialist caster classes (lose an overal level of spells you can fire off) without that penalty being an absolute deal breaker (you still advance your profession skill, gain an new range of spells to work with, and continue to acquire those oh so critical Spell points).

It creates a breaking-in period where you learn to leverage your infinite supply of level 0 spells - a bit of play experience that is going to be critical throughout your career, followed by time to master the changes brought on by the Level 2 class ability before you start the intricacies of Spell Point management. It also lets spell points be granted at a linear rate, but have built up to a nice little starting pile before you start using them.

A feat that lets you bring Level 1 spells to bear at Career Level 1 - at some substantial cost above and beyond the feat slot itself - isn't a terrible notion, but it would definitely be a balancing act. Especially in light that that character only has 2 spell points to bargain with.

[Krensky]

Don't get me wrong Morg, I like the progression as it is, more so since you pointed out a thing or two I missed.

I whipped that up since it is one of the dramatic elements of "over-casting" and then realized that as a feat it might also help me placate a player of mine. I'm not sure it'll be something first level appropriate though. Also, rereading Spellbound I and the Hobble Casting Time trick leaves me feeling its penalties need to be at least equivalent with that trick.

[MilitiaJim]

The overcasting penalties should be really nasty.  Like lose half your spell point capacity until healed, or lose them permanently.  (Though if you just need one more and roll well, you could be left with a headache  and a -1 to skill checks for the day.)

Extra SPs used	Skill check passed by >5	Skill check passed by <5	Skill check failed by <5	Skill check failed by 5-10	Skill check failed by >10
1	None	None	Ow, -1 Profession checks for scene/day	OW, -1 all skill checks for scene/day	OW dammit!  -1 skill checks and saving throws for scene/day
2-5	None	Ow, -1 Profession checks for scene/day	OW, -1 all skill checks for scene/day	OW dammit!  -2 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 2scenes/one week	OMG the pain, -2 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 2scenes/one week
6-10	Ow, -1 Profession checks for scene/day	OW, -1 all skill checks for scene/day	OW dammit!  -2 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 2scenes/one week	OMG the pain, -2 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 2scenes/one week	It burns!  Loss of half spell points for 2 scenes/1 week, -4 any task that requires concentration for 2 scenes/1 week.
11-15	OW, -1 all skill checks for scene/day	OW dammit!  -2 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 2scenes/one week	OMG the pain, -2 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 3scenes/two week		AAARRRGGGHH! *thud*  Reduced to -1 wounds, but stable.  SP cap permanently reduced by half.
>15	OW dammit!  -3 skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls for 2scenes/one week		AAARRRGGGHH! *thud*  Reduced to -1 wounds, but stable.  SP cap permanently reduced by half.	Hmm.  That didn't even tingle:  Permanent loss of all spell points.

*Permanent may not be forever.  Some sort of healing, divine intervention for example, may be possible.  (Yeah the character will probably have to retire.)

This table is sorta rough, but do y'all see where I'm going with this?

[Krensky]

I don't know Jim, that feels too nasty.

I'm not sure I can honestly see a spell caster actually using overcast with that table.

[MilitiaJim]

It is supposed to be nasty, but I can see your point.  Some tweaking is in order, but it shouldn't be used in any of the most dire of moments.  And should it work a nice pension should be in order.

[Krensky]

Ok, version two:

METERED SPELLS v2.0
You have learned to finely control the casting of your magic, alternatively spending power recklessly to ease the casting of complex spells or stingily controlling the flow of power with massive effort.
Prerequisites: Casting Level 2+.
Benefit: You gain 1 additional spell point at the start of each scene, which may only be used to pay meta-magic costs. Further, you gain the following spellcasting tricks.
Overpowered Spell (Spellcasting Trick): When casting a spell you may spend more spell points then required. For every additional point of meta-magic cost you add to the spell with this trick, you gain a +1 bonus to your Profession/Spellcasting check, up to your number of starting action dice.
Underpowered Spell (Spellcasting Trick): When casting a spell you may reduce the total cost of the spell by up to your number of starting action dice. However, you take a penalty to your Profession/Spellcasting equal to four times the number of spell points you reduced the spell's cost by.

I chose the 1 SP : -4 ratio based largely on it being the middle of the ground of Morg's suggestions and because that is the same penalty the lack of a kit I would impose.

Now... the hard one...

OVER REACHING SPELLS v2.0 This could use a better name.
Fluff.
Prerequisites: Casting Level 1+.
Benefit: You may spend an Action Die in order to attempt to cast a spell you know whose level is one higher then you can normally cast. Your Profession/Spellcasting check suffers a penalty equal to 5 + the level of the spell and you must pay a meta-magic cost of 4 spell points. Regardless of the result of the Profession/Spellcasting check you become flat-footed and fatigued and suffer the total cost of the spell in subdual damage. You may not apply a 'Hobble' trick or any other trick, feat, or effect that lowers the level of a spell when Over-Reaching.

For the moment, one of my goals for this is to allow it to be potentially used by a first level caster. Granted, as it stands now that first level character needs a specific build (Loremaster + Spell Power + Over Reaching Spells) but I'm not sure that's a downside.

[tenebrae]

I can see some potential for brokenness when Over-reaching spell is combined with any of the Hobble spellcasting tricks. Casting something that'd normally be 2 levels above your maximum level seems pretty strong.

[Krensky]

Hmmm. Well, that would incure both sets of penalties... but since I had meant to include verbage to that effect... Edited.

[Gentry]

A feat that lets you bring Level 1 spells to bear at Career Level 1 - at some substantial cost above and beyond the feat slot itself - isn't a terrible notion, but it would definitely be a balancing act. Especially in light that that character only has 2 spell points to bargain with.

Don't some of the metamagic feats already let you do this, using the "make your casting a full-round action to treat a spell as a level lower" language?

[Gentry]

People might find my old d20 single strike dueling rules (originally an offering for d20 L5R settings) somewhat interesting. While it created a fun secret bidding system, had a definite endpoint (there will only be X number of rolls before a decisive outcome is determined) and could convert various dueling oriented card effects from the CCG as they were introduced pretty casually, it's not quite up to my current standards. The see-saw bidding mechanism is cool, but I'm finding a more directly opposed checks to give a better sense of the vigorous clash with death awaiting the loser.

I'll make the case that the Stand-Off action *is* the iajutsu duel of the Crafty system.  Reflavoring it into a staredown with a single strike at the end that puts the opponent down is as classic, and as simple, as it gets.

[Desertpuma]

As Gentry points out above, the Stand Off is so ripe for the Iaijitsu duels which is why Advocates and Facemen rock the shit out of them....

There's your duel mechanic.

"There's the raised platform. That's your damn skywalk right there." -- Marvin, Die Hard 2

[Krensky]

As Gentry points out above, the Stand Off is so ripe for the Iaijitsu duels which is why Advocates and Facemen rock the shit out of them....

Which dovetails so nicely into L5R and the Cranes ownage of dueling.

[MilitiaJim]

I still think of a stand off as something particular to guns, and mostly pistols (except maybe that bit in Kill Bill vol I with the Bride and the 88.  Crunch wise I can think of no reason why a standoff can't include bouncing around a courtyard crossing blades and rutting speech, it just isn't quite working inside my head, yet.