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Thinking Of Running A Campaign But Need Your Input

I want to run a campaign, but I'm thinking of changing a few things around.

For instance, I want to run spell casting differently in my campaign.

Here's how I would have spell casting work: First a character would choose a mundane item (it should be something that can be carried or something that can be worn). This item will have been in the character's possession for several years and thus be attuned to the character's true self and would be useless in the hands of another person.

A spell caster may attune spells at his or her current level of potency or below to this "spell totem," however the total number of spells per day is done away with. The number of spells that can be attuned to a spell totem is equal to the character's total number of skill ranks divided by 4 (rounded down).

Spell casters may cast 1 spell per attack phase regardless of whether or not that spell has been previously cast. The total number of spells per attack phase increases by 1 every 3 levels to a maximum of 6 spells per attack phase.

All spells will be rolled as a standard attack action unless they hit instantly (like magic missile) or are cast on party to members to heal of buff. In addition to this, spell casters will use their character level as their base attack bonus and add their intelligence, wisdom, or charisma modifier (depending on which attribute governs spell casting) to their attack roll.

My reasoning behind this is as follows: non spell-casting characters can make physical attacks equal to their total number of attack actions per round. Spell casters can make physically attacks as well, but let's face it, they're not fighters they're spell casters. That's what they do. Furthermore, a fighter can swing a sword all day long and not wake up the next morning and forget how to do it. The same should be true with spell casters.
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Furthermore, I'm thinking all characters (except monks) will start off with the following bonus feat:

IMPART ESSENCE
Through extensive focus the character has imparted a portion of their true self into a particular item. The character may apply a minor magical ability to that item. For instance a fighter may choose to add 1d4 elemental damage to a weapon or 1d4 AC bonus to a shield or armor. The enhancement bonus may be activated once per day plus one additional time every six levels as a free action (note enhancements DO stack) and remain active for 1 day. Enhancements would have to be approved before entering gameplay.

[Note: Enhanced items are specifically attuned to their owners and only function in their hands. Any other person wielding these items will suffer large penalties. For instance enhanced armor will impart massive check penalties and provide little resistance against attacks while weapons will suffer devastating attack and damage penalties.]

Monks, rather will start off with the following bonus feat:

ENHANCE ESSENCE
This is basically the same as above, however the ability applies to the monk's physical body rather than an item.

If any of that sounds interesting please reply with your comments and I'll post more about the setting and such.

Message Edited...
Support: Changed title from "Imput" to "Input".

Input Need Campaign Running Thinking

Sounds like you have it all worked out but what system is this... D&D or you're making something custom? Oh and is this for here or a game meeting?

Thinking Of Running A Campaign But Need Your Input Reviews RPG & Card Board

No, this would be for Play By Post. As to what type of game I would be running, it would still be D&D however I would simply run spell casting differently. I feel the 3.5 rules are a little restrictive concerning spell casters.

Edited: Felthalas on 22nd Aug, 2011 - 5:50am

Input Need Campaign Running Thinking

Just some random input:
I have always disliked playing a magic using character in d&d, mainly because I felt it was way out of whack. When I have read any fantasy involving a magic using person, I never saw anyone forgetting the spell right after and having to restudy it.
However one of the more common symptoms of spell casting is that it leaves the person weary/exausted. I think using a "mana" or in this case an "Essence" type system for spell casters would be more appropriate. This would allow a magic users a broader range of spell selection and would still fit into learning new spells as they level. Obviously the higher the level of spell the more mana it would consume, and negative mana could result in mental or physical damage as well.

One problem would be some of the spells would need to be reduced in damage or potency or its potency could be determined by the amount of mana put into it.
Lets take for example the basic magic missle....I could choose to place 1 or 2 mana into it and maybe cast it 4 or 5 times during a crawl. or I could put 10 mana into it for a major ballista shot.

The other thing this would invite is just as fighters need physical healing, clerics and the like could infuse mana into magic users, or a potion of mana, etc.

I just find it much more realistic that a magic user who spends the time studying would have knowledge and therefore the words of power or whatnot to use a spell without forgetting it.

I do really like your idea of embedding the arcane power into an object, almost like a charge on a wand. In my scenerio it would be like a receptacle that a magic users can store his excess mana in for when it is needed.

Anyway, just something I have always wondered about. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind forgetting a spell after you cast it, I am just curious what made them define it this way.

Edited: grindle on 14th Sep, 2011 - 9:07pm

Input Need Campaign Running Thinking

I agree with you that the way 3.5 handles spell-casting is a little bit restricted, and that your system makes a lot of sense. I would also like to make a suggestion of something I sometimes do with the sorcerer's magic when I"m running D&D -- since their brand of spell casting is more wild and random, perhaps rather than specific "spells" sorcerers should have categories of magic, concepts, or something along those lines and then they decide what they're trying to do with which element, then a roll could be made to determine the outcome.

Thinking Of Running A Campaign But Need Your Input

It doesn't matter anyway, he started a game and then in the first week said he had to leave and go study so I doubt he will be able to take up your suggestions. Funny, because I was out of it for awhile and wanted to get back in the games so it was a sore sport for me to build up a character and then be left hanging.

Thinking Running Campaign Need Input

That's a shame, I feel the same way about the Member Wars game I created a character for because after my opening post the DM never responded. This website needs some more active role-players.

Thinking Running Campaign Need Input Board Card & RPG Reviews

I think you mean active GMs. They have active players but the GMs are not as active well except for JB but you need to have an activity level to be in his and I'm so far below that. I was actually hoping that this game would give me an activity boost to get back into JB's games but that flopped.