Magicka (3.5e Variant Rule)

Author: Sulacu (talk) Date Created: March 20, 2014 Status: Penguin Editing: Clarity edits only please

Ratings for this homebrew: Average: NA / 4  0 users favored it (4/4).  0 users liked it (3/4).  1 were neutral on it (2/4).  0 users disliked it (1/4).  0 users opposed it (0/4).

Rate this article Your rating for this article: Favor Like Neutral Dislike Oppose Submit | Cancel Discuss this article

Magicka

Spellcasting has been fun in pretty much any incarnation of Dungeons and Dragons, but the Vancian magic system brings with it a variety of problems. Being able to fire off continuous volleys of top-level spells in a big battle may lead to spellcasters to have an overwhelming advantage over the more linearly progressing martial classes, and the stacking of buffs and active effects can make them nearly impossible to beat down to boot. This Magicka system aims to counter these two problems, and make playing spellcasting types a more tactical experience that revolves around more than simply overpowering encounters with overwhelming arcane power.

This variant is partially inspired by Mana-Based Spellcasting and partially the way mana tends to work in video games.

How it Works

The Magicka system forces you to make choices as to how to play your character. A spellcaster using this system is unable to cast his top level spells one after another, and must choose whether to conserve his power for big spells or go for weaker spells that can be used more repeatedly. Powerful buffs and debuffs also factor into how much power you can put to your spells. The Magicka system works as follows.

Magicka (MP): This is the fuel that powers your spells. Magicka is measured in magicka points.

Magicka Pool: This is the magicka you have set aside for casting spells with.

Tap: You draw magicka from your power source as an automatic free action at the start of each turn, whether it be the Weave, a Deity, some inherent source of power, or nature itself. This is called tapping. The amount of magicka you can tap every round is reduced by the sum of your sustain and strain (see Casting Spells).

Overtap: By expending a full-round action, you may tap additional magicka over the normal amount, up to a maximum of your spellcaster class level.

Casting Spells

You can use your magicka pool and your tapped magicka to cast spells, or a combination of both. All spells have a magicka cost to cast based on spell level.

Sustain: Many spells with a duration also have a sustain cost. This is the constant amount of magicka required to keep such a spell going. A spell with sustain only costs half the magicka point cost to activate, but you pay an additional cost in the form of sustain for as long as the spell remains active. Spells with sustain have no set duration, and instead last as long as you 'sustain' them. Since your sustain reduces the amount of magicka points you can tap every turn, leaving several such powerful spells active concurrently will severely dampen your magicka recovery rate. Spells that have a sustain cost are the following:

• Any spell that is dismissible (has the (D) in its duration).
• Any non-instantaneous, non-permanent spell that changes your shape.
• Any non-instantaneous, non-permanent, non-targeted spell that creates an effect within an area or emanation.
• Any spell that may be made permanent with permanency. Applying permanency will remove the sustain cost.

Base Magicka Costs
Spell Level	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
Magicka Point Cost	1	3	6	10	15	21	28	36	45	55
Sustain Cost1	—	½	1	1½	2	2½	3	4	5	6
These are the sustain costs for round/level spells and spells otherwise measured in rounds. summoning spells and spells that change your shape are always in this category regardless of duration. Otherwise, spells with long duration have reduced sustain cost, as follows: Minute/level spells and spells measured in minutes cost 1 less sustain. 10 minutes/level spells and spells measured in 10 or more minutes cost 1½ less sustain. Hour/level spells and spells measured in hours cost 2 less sustain. Day/level spells and spells measured in days or even longer units of time cost 3 less sustain. The minimum amount of sustain a spell costs is ½. 0-level spells do not use the sustain system. Total cumulative sustain costs of all active spells are rounded up to the next integer.

Strain: Excessive use of magical power causes physical and mental strain that makes it more difficult to draw in magicka to continue casting.

When you cast a spell, you build up strain. Every time your total magicka point usage exceeds your strain threshold, you incur a point of magicka strain that reduces the amount of magicka you can tap.

• If your total strain equals or exceeds half of what you can tap normally, you become strained (as fatigued, except you will also gain a penalty to your casting-relevant ability score equal to the penalty in Strength and Dexterity. You cannot remove this condition with the help of magic.
• If your total strain equals or exceeds what you can tap, you do not recover any magicka points normally except by overtapping. In this situation, you become heavily strained (the exhausted variant of strained, see above). If you overtap while in this state, you suffer 1d6 points of backlash damage for every 2 magicka points you overtap.

You may recover from magicka strain by resting:

• One hour of complete rest will restore a heavily strained character to strained, and furthermore reduces your total magicka strain to half the amount that you can tap.
• Eight hours of complete rest will restore a strained character to normal, removing all magicka strain and resetting your total magicka point usage to 0.

Example: A 6th-level wizard with an Intelligence of 20 has a strain tolerance of 17. If he casts fireball 5 times (an mp cost of 50), he will incur strain tolerance twice (2×17 = 34). Casting even a cantrip more will push his total mp usage up to 51 (3x17), which will push up his total magicka strain to half his tap amount and strain him. He may expend a total of 51 points before becoming strained, and a total of 102 points before becoming heavily strained

Different Spellcasting Classes and Magicka

Since spellcasters and their classes are so many and varied, this variant rule will have a different impact on them.

Wizard

Your iconic spellcaster, oft complete with spellbook and scholarly demeanour.

Magicka Pool: 5×class level.

Strain Tolerance: 2×class level + Int bonus.

Special: Spells belonging to a wizard's specialized school have their magicka point cost reduced by half his class level, rounded up. This cannot reduce the magicka point cost of a spell below 1.

Sorcerer

A mass of magical talent and a conduit of great power, the sorcerer is blessed with an intrinsic understanding of the arcane and uncanny magical stamina.

Magicka Pool: 7×class level.

Strain Tolerance: 3×class level + Cha bonus.

Special: The overtap ability only requires a move action.

Cleric

A cleric is a master of maintaining and bolstering his allies, but has less power set aside for direct damage.

Magicka Pool: 3×class level.

Strain Tolerance: 2×class level + Wis bonus.

Special: Spells with a sustain cost require no magicka point cost to activate.

Druid

The druids are masters of form and easily enlist the aid of nature's denizens.

Magicka Pool: 5×class level.

Strain Tolerance: 2×class level + Wis bonus.

Special: The sustain cost of all summoning and shape changing spells is halved.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Variant Rules