Magic Mechanics

[chuckro]

So, I was musing on magic system mechanics for various roleplaying systems, and I figured I'd put this out there: Of the following, which do you prefer as a GM or as a player? Why?

1) Spells per day, typically that need to be memorized ahead and are expended when cast.

2) Spell-slot or spell-points systems, where each spell uses up a certain amount of MP or a slot that you regain when you rest. (A variation on this is spell-fatigue, where you don't get a MP limit, but casting tires your character and give you penalties to other rolls.)

3) Backlash systems (Paradox, primarily), where you have theoretically limitless magic, but risk backlash from using it/using it too much/using it in certain ways.

4) Percent-failure systems, where you again have theoretically limitless magic, but have to roll to succeed in using it and/or have a fixed percent-failure chance.

The follow-up/related question is whether you prefer free-form magic or a set spell list. And I'm not going to p[ost my opinions until I get a few responses, so as not to bias my sample.

Comments

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

My least favorite is the first one - I hate stuff that limits flexibility. I hate having to choose spells to memorize ahead of time - it means in practice that you never take the interesting fun spells (like Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter) because the chances of using them are so slim. You end up with a possible list of a hundred interesting spells, can only learn a few of them, and then end up just loading up on Magic Missile and Fireball pretty much every game. I also get kind of irritated, especially at lower levels, at how few spells you get. It makes sense for world balancing, but in actual playing results in casting something nifty for the first few rounds and then singing a happy song because there's nothing else to do. Or worse, singing a happy song at the beginning because you're afraid to use up your good spells, and then not needing them in the end.

I like the free-form paradox-inhibited option best, as everyone knows, but I'm content with any of the last three options. They've got advantages and disadvantages. I think the ability for a spell to fizzle on its own (not because of spell resistance, which tends to just be annoying) is very helpful for the DM, and keeps players from getting too uppity. I just hate the feeling that more creative spells might be useful, but I can only practically take the boring old workhorses because otherwise all I'll have to face the horde of monsters is a Polymorph Self.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Good points, bad example: Polymorph Self will turn you into any number of splatbook-described hideously-overpowered forms. War troll? Chain devil? The wizard will be a blender for the purpose of this combat...

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Ok, true. Sorry, I'm actually having trouble remembering some of the less generic spells right now, given that I never used them. You know what I mean, though - you find yourself needing "kill stuff" spells, and you've got some carefully calibrated spell that would be exceedingly useful in a handful of situations, but will not actually keep monsters from eating your head.

[edgehopper.livejournal.com]

See my cleric's memorization of Banishment or Zone of Truth for a better example. Or the frequent taking of spells that work on all living creatures, only to get into a fight with undead.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Exactly. And the DM can't really tell you, because that would ruin the plot, but you have to pick spells with no hint of what would be useful.

And this is why I probably will never play anything but spontaneous casters again for D&D magic users.

[gaudium-et-spes.livejournal.com]

In D&D at least, this is what Scribe Scroll is for. For all of those "wow that's pretty cool, but I probably won't need it spells" keep 'em as a scroll instead. Take Knock for instance. Every wizard should have a scroll of Knock lying around.

-Chris

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

My sorceror in a current D&D campaign has been doing that with spells I think a awesome but wouldn't use regularly. I have yet to use a single one of them.

Honestly, all I want is someone with a Fort save low enough that Baleful Polymorph would work on them...