First Impressions/First Character

[Krensky]

What concepts would get messed up? I dont know as much about FC as you guys which is why I am asking these questions here, so they can be vetted by people who know the game. I would like to know so I can alter or change things to mitigate any ripple effects.

Any concept not served by an attribute array, talent, and allocation of stat increases to get a 18 in Wisdom by level 19. It's actually a central design goal of the Spellcasting (ie, Arcane Magic) system.

Case in point, my PC from a defunct game here on the boards.

Strong Fighter Mage
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 12

Tying max spell level to Wisdom instead of your level in Circle of Power reduces the flexibility of the system. For instance, take Lina Inverse from Slayers. Decently physical, ok with a sword, awesome spellcaster, and has access to the most powerful spells in her world... but absolute crap impulse control and common sense and a small list of spells.

In fact, tying max spell level to an attribute pretty much forces Spellcasting magic users into a ver small list of builds. Pretty much none of which deviate from the smart guy in robes stereotype.

The best way to approach FC is to completely forget everything you know about D&D.

And ya multiclassing with a divine class could be "problematic" unless the spell slots gained from a divine class has to be used on a divine spell. *hand wave*.

Case in point. There is no such thing as a Divine spell. Path magic users (aka Divine casters) use a completely different subsystem.

Why cant i change the Roberts screwdriver for a Phillips, and my hacksaw to a jigsaw, if I think it will build the experience I am looking for, which is different than the experience you are looking?

Because a Phillips bit won't drive a Roberts screw, and a hacksaw is a more versitle tool then a jigsaw with a metal blade.

FC is great, and its modular as hell, which is why I want to play it, and play with it. I want to change some bits to suit a different flavor (just like different campaign settings, that offers different play styles and themes), people here are very helpful, but some seem a little resistant to the idea of modifying or changing parts of FC, but thats why I like FC, because of all the modular little bits and pieces that can be altered to fit my game table. I just dont want to make a change that alters FCs delicate balance between foes and party, and between difference species and classes.

FC isn't finely balanced, but it is subtlely balanced. Playing with mechanics is great, adjusting things to suit your playstyle is awesome. Retuning things without understanding how they work in the first place is never a good idea.

At the core, you want to spread spell acquisition out from picking most of your spells at first level. OK.

Alacapocus! (Permanent):
Spells known do not have to be choose when they are gained. Instead, you may elect to choose them when leveling up or when you have a week or more of Downtime. You may not reassign already chosen spells, but may fill any and all unknown spots.

Yeah, silly name, but I like silly names and it's not as silly as Walla Walla Washington.

Addendum: What about changing the Spell Library from spells = Lifestyle to spells = preudence? I don't see how having a high panache would help expand your library, but prudence could be investing resources, time, money into your library.

Except that as Gentry points out, it render the feat way underpowered. If you want to do that though, tie it to Panache. Prudence is your ability to scrimp, save, and resist the siren call of ale and whores. Panache is your dress, living conditions, possessions, etc. Panache makes far more sense to cover your unenumerated possessions.

[Mister Andersen]

One of the things I liked from Dark Inheritence's take on magic was, as I recall, that you had a small chance of casting spells of any level, and what you got as you leveled up was the ability to cast spells safely, thereby avoiding the often catastrophic results of failure

[Kaptn_Lath]

One of the things I liked from Dark Inheritence's take on magic was, as I recall, that you had a small chance of casting spells of any level, and what you got as you leveled up was the ability to cast spells safely, thereby avoiding the often catastrophic results of failure

Whats Dark Inheritance? sounds interesting.

[Mister Andersen]

Released in 2004 by Mythic Dreams Studios, Dark Inheritance (DI) was originally a d20 Modern campaign setting but converted across to the Powered by Spycraft banner using the Spycraft 1.0 rules. It describes an Earth that has been ravaged by ancient mystical powers, allowing Demons and other foul beasts access to this dimension. The setting book contains new rules that allow agents to play as Titans (powerful descendants of antediluvian demi-gods), worship the demonic forces and gain access to mystic powers (reprinted from the SFA world book).

[spinningdice]

Since if I ever get it together by next game will be with a bunch of AD&D players, I'm strongly considering, to say they start with 1/2 Wisdom spells (+ 4 0 level from Mage Core, +Spell Library etc), casters carry spellbooks in some form and you can learn others spells in game. The standard number of spell slots is a maximum.
I'm also tempted to do semi-random starting spells (or maybe 1/2 & 1/2) since that's they always do it.

[Gentry]

I love random starting spells. Just sayin'.

[paddyfool]

@Krensky,

For all the snarkiness, I have to concede that's a better solution.  I had been wondering about something vaguely similar - a feat called "I can fly", designed to represent casters who find new magical solutions as and when they really need them, but I wasn't at all sure how to balance it right.  So far, the idea goes something like this:

I can fly
New powers come to you by sudden inspiration
You may choose to postpone gaining new spells when you first gain a chance to learn them, and instead learn them later in one of two manners:
1/scene, you may spend an AD and a half action to learn one spell thus postponed, selecting any spell you are eligible to learn.  The error and threat ranges on the spellcasting check for a new spell gained in this manner are increased by 2 the first time you cast it.
1/downtime, you may spend a week researching one spell thus postponed.

Seems very hard to know whether it's balanced without playtesting, on the whole...

[Number Three]

I've been reading this thread and rolling around ideas about how to add a retraining option for arcane casters.

New Check - Spellcrafting / Rewrite Spellbook (Downtime):  This check has no DC; instead, the character's result is cross-referenced with the available Downtime on Table 2.3: Earning Income and Reputation (see FC 2nd Gig, page 69). A critical success yields an additional 50% (rounded up) and a critical failure yields 50% less (rounded down).  This check only produces silver, and it can only be applied towards changing the character's known spells.  Changing spells cost silver equal to the casting DC of the new spell or the spell being replaced, whichever is higher.  Silver from outside sources cannot be added to this purchase.  He can only learn new spells which he has physical access to via scroll, library, or other GM approved means.  Any unspent silver is lost (as this is a game extraction, and it never existed in the first place.)

I'm at a lost for a feat that improves this, but I'm thinking it somehow gives you a bonus based on your number of Gear feats.