To encourage magic PCs I homebrew magic mechanics: Characters have points on different levels on magic, and depending on their class and level they can make up whatever spell or effect they want
If someone's a fire mage for example, spending one level one point lights a candle, one level three point casts a fireball or let them use the same amount of fire as they want, all points of all levels let them just burst a wave of fire but makes them pass out
Sounds good, anyone tried something similar? More important, any official system that perfected something like this?
>>47165334
>To encourage magic PCs I homebrew magic mechanics: the player tells me what they want to do and I just eyeball it
Won't work for every group, but only your group matters.
>>47165357
I meant to say, to encourage my group to not create only roges and paladins
>>47165334
Spheres of Power for pathfinder?
>>47165373
Is this terrible bait? This seems like terrible bait.
>>47165334
Sounds hard to balance.
I guess you're playing D&D or some other d20 version?
Try True Sorcery D20, it's basically what you're trying to do. [Types] of spells, new types per level, Spellcraft to skill-check to cast it and increasing DC to do more / different / better things.
>>47165399
They've been playing variants of those 2 archetypes for almsot 3 years now, it gets tiring
>>47165391
>>47165512
I'll look those up, thanks
>>47165334
I've been doing something similar with my group for awhile now. I don't exactly let them make up spell effects on the fly (too ambiguous, leaves too much room for abuse), but I've completely scrapped Spells-per-Day and replaced it with a mana-point system. A level 1 spell will generally use 1 point of mana for example, but depending on the spell effect the price can be adjusted up or down if something seems too game-breaking
Also, give fighters and non-magical classes mana scores as well. They may not be able to produce spells, but it gives them a resource pool to tap into to activate their magic items. Instead of their enchanted fire sword being on fire because it's got X number of charges on it, it's on fire because they CHOSE to channel mana into it and activate that effect.
>>47165334
>someone's a fire mage for example, spending one level one point lights a candle, one level three point casts a fireball or let them use the same amount of fire as they want, all points of all levels let them just burst a wave of fire but makes them pass out
That sure won't encourage me to play as a mage.
It seems to me you just want to make something like the SaGa series' proficiency system.
Just give mages proficiency levels in magic, be it elements or schools, or both if you so like.
By the end of each battle make them roll for a chance of increasing their levels in the schools of magics they've used during the battle.
For each proficency level slightly increase the spells base damage and/or chances of success, after they reach a certain level of general proficiency, spells gain additional properties, a fireball at level 15 proficiency in Fire Magic would cause an explosion that causes slight damage to all the targets near the Fireball's main target, or maybe give it a chance of causing burn/damage equipment or whatever.
Just be sure that people don't get too many levels easily by properly calibrating the chances of a level up, SaGa does it neatly by forcing you to fight enemies that are always stronger than you by using various stats as reference since it's a series that doesn't use character levels, but you can really handle it a variety of ways.
This>>47165816 is also some good advice.
>>47165334
>If someone's a fire mage for example, spending one level one point lights a candle, one level three point casts a fireball or let them use the same amount of fire as they want, all points of all levels let them just burst a wave of fire but makes them pass out
I actually like this.
>>47165816
That's the idea, but letting them make up the effects. It is ambiguous, I'd have to moderate every spell they want to cast, but I want them to get more involved and let them be more creative for the sake of it.
Casting a icicle, a gush of frost or anything like that with the same points will do the same damage and effects, but I want them to use the points to completely freeze them instead of hurting them, for explame
I'll add the points to the other clases points too, I want them to need a mage to interact with artifacts and recharge / lend them points. Also, that nerevar a qt
>>47165931
That's what I amied for as well, they'd gain greater level points as they level up and each level allows better effects. However, I didnt know how to handle the leveling, I'll look up that system as well
Thanks for the advice
>>47166211
Don't make the other classes more dependent on mages than they already are, it causes enough resentment as it is. If mana recharges normally for mages, it should recharge normally for non-mages as well.
That being said, needing a mage to make you that fancy fire sword or figure out what an artifact does, that's fine... because it doesn't actually make the non-mages feel like they're fundamentally physically inferior to non-mages.
Ars Magica has custom magic, both researched spells you put in books and off-the-cuff spontaneous effects, and isn't dumb as hell.
But Ars Magica is all wizards and basically pic related.
It's also kind of weird with Parma Magica or whatever. Magic resistance is absolute, if you summon a hundred pound boulder and launch it at a guy's face if he makes the resistance check he won't even notice it hit him. But if you take a normal boulder and throw it up into the air once it starts to fall it's gravity, not magic, so it'll kill him.
So wizards can't actually kill each other with magic and end up just being indirect moves to distract or trip the guy so you can shank him. Which is actually kind of cool.
>>47166211
>However, I didnt know how to handle the leveling
If you use a level based system it's really simple, just increase and decrease the chances of gaining a level proportionally with the difference of levels between the characters and the encounters, a Lvl 1 mage that fights successfully against a lvl 10 Troll forn instance would get very high chances of getting a level in the magic schools he/she used, accordingly, a Lvl 20 mage that blasts a group of lvl 3 Goblins would get a miniscule chance of getting a proficiency level because there would be little effort in winning against such an opponent.
Do look up SaGa's system, it's one of the few videogames that is still deeply rooted in classic tabletop mechanics and it predated games like TES, but keep in mind that the system doesn't use character levels there, if you want to rip it off or something make sure you properly understand it beforehand because it's not really suited to be used as it is for systems with character levels.
What I'd suggest you to do is read the guides for games such as Unlimited: Saga, Romancing SaGa 2/3 and Minstrel Song, the system mechanics there are very interesting as a whole.
Another neat thing you could do with your magic would be adding reagents of some kinds so non spellcasters can also use consumable resources to cast certain spells, maybe add a HP/Mana cost as well to balance out high tier spells, you can have a lot of fun as long as you're creative and balance out the system properly.
>>47165334
Well homebrewing while using what system?
