An alternate spell system for use with Castles and Crusades™
By Al Krombach Requires the use of the Castles and Crusades Player’s Handbook
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reached out and yanked open the middle door. No trap went off…
Introduction Guarding the open corridor in front of him, Galwarth cursed when he heard the electric sizzling sound behind him. He turned just in time to see Pela, the dwarf, slump to the ground, his skin blackened and charred. Three doors, the dwarven thief had been investigating, and only one was a safe way out. Pela had chosen wrong. Muttering a quick incantation, Galwarth watched as the unintelligible runes scrawled on the doors seemed to swirl and reform.
Offering a silent word of thanks to Istus, Galwarth was through the door, the floating disk squeezing through behind him. Sunlight shined down from the far end of the corridor ahead of him. Shutting the door behind him and warding it so it would not be easily opened once the orcs took up the chase again, he set off with his hapless compatriots in tow. It had been a close one, this adventure, but Galwarth was sure the knowledge he had gained during it would nd allow him to reach 2 level at last…
The middle door, eh? Pela was a goner, but Franze, the Halfling cleric, was only unconscious, the victim of foul monstrous poison. He would revive eventually, if Galwarth could get him out of the dungeon. But even now, guttural orcish voices could be heard advancing down the corridor towards him. He would have to drive them off long enough to get his friends away.
ASC (Advanced Spell Casting) is an easy to use system of magic, intended for use with Castles and Crusades™. It is intended as an advanced alternative to the traditional Vancian systems (aka “fire and forget”) used with most popular RPGs. ASC features a simple “spell-point” system, and three new types of cast spells: Practiced Spells, Known Spells, and Recitative Spells. Despite the somewhat different mechanic ASC uses to determine which, and how many, spells a magic-user can cast, it still uses the same standard spells and levels that you already know and love! And, being solidly based on the Vancian framework, issues like balance and ease of use are already solved.
Barking another arcane word, Galwarth caused a sphere of light to spring into existence halfway down the corridor, suddenly illuminating the approaching humanoids. Guarding himself against their javelins with a spell of shielding, he sent one magic missile after another into the column. Shrieking, the orcs ran back the other way, leaving two of their number lying dead on the floor, smoking in the pale yellow illumination of the light spell.
ASC covers the following items: A) Spell Point use and generation-pg3 B) Casting Spells-pg5 C) New magic items-pg6 D) Spell Boosting-pg7 E) FAQ-pg8
Knowing it wouldn’t be long before the orcs mustered the courage to advance again, Galwarth muttered another incantation, though he was running low on strength to do so. A humming, blue disk of energy appeared beneath the dead dwarf, lifting him gently a few feet into the air. Galwarth carefully put Franze’s limp body on the disk next to him. Then, taking a deep breath, he
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st
Spell Point Use and Generation
being able to cast both 0-level and 1 level spells.
What is a Spell Point?
Arcane spell casters add their Intelligence modifier and 8 to their natural ability, whereas Divine spell casters add their wisdom modifier and 5 to their natural ability. For example, Franze, the Halfling cleric, has a Constitution of 10, a Charisma of 14, and Wisdom of 16. So he has a natural ability of 12 (10+14=24 divided by 2) plus a Wisdom modifier of +2 (for having a 16 Wisdom) plus 5 for being a divine caster, giving him a total of 19spp! Galwarth the Wizard has Con9, Cha13, and Int18, so he starts with 22spp (11+3+8=22).
ASC uses the term “spell-point” to represent a unit of magical energy that is stored or expended to cast a magical spell. Spell-point (or “spp” for short) is simply a generic term for ease of use, and GMs can easily use other terms like “power-units” or “mana” to spice up their individual campaigns. Casting any standard spell costs a number of spp equal to 1 + the level of spell being cast. st So a 0-lvl spell costs 1spp, a 1 level spell nd costs 2spp, a 2 level spell costs 3spp, and so on and so forth. While additional spp costs can be incurred by Spell Boosting, that is an optional rule set and not necessary for use of the basic ASC.
st
With 22spp, Galwarth can cast 11 1 level st spells, 22 0-lvl spells, 5 1 and 11 0-lvl, or any other combination he desires, until he runs out of energy.
It is important to note that spp use does not alter casting time in any way.
Recovering Spell Points
Your body and spirit are constantly replenishing themselves, but nowhere near as fast as they are depleted by using spell points. A character with no spell energy whatsoever (0spp) is treated as fatigued until they get some energy back.
Determining Starting Spell Points
The amount of spell energy an individual has is determined both by his bodily health and his spiritual strength. Thus, Constitution and Charisma are added together, and the average (half of the total, rounded down) is the amount of spell points that individual has, whether he is a spell-caster or not, though only a trained spell caster can consciously use such energy. Non-spell users tend to use their energy in more “accidental” ways, such as seeing a ghost, or getting a feeling of premonition, etc. So, for example, Pela the dwarven thief has a Constitution of 13 and a Charisma of 8, so he has a total of 10spp he will never consciously use!
Spell Points are regained at a rate of 1 point per level of caster every four hours of normal waking activity. Therefore, a spent st 1 level character simply traveling around town for eight hours would regain 2spp. While sleeping, spp are regained at a rate of 1spp per character level per hour, and while meditating (or praying), 2spp per character st level per hour. Therefore, a spent 1 level character who sleeps eight hours and meditates two hours regains a total of 12spp. Regardless of how depleted a character is, 24 hours of undisturbed sleep, meditation,
Spell casters, be they Arcane or Divine, know how to use their energy and have a few more points to start out with, as well as
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and relaxation will yield a complete recovery of all used spp.
6 th 7 th 8 th 9 th 10 th 11 th 12 th 13 th 14 th 15 th 16 th 17 th 18 th 19 th 20
Note that periods of disturbed sleep or meditation only have a recovery rate equal to that of normal activity. GM’s may rule under certain harsh conditions that no spp are recovered, such as periods of starvation, imprisonment, torture, disease, etc. Spell Point Advancement
Characters gain extra Spell Points as they advance in level, and can cast higher level spells, at the following rates:
+8 +7 +9 +9 +11 +14 +13 +16 +15 +19 +17 +22 +22 +14 +14
th
4 lvl spells th
5 lvl spells th
6 lvl spells th
7 lvl spells th
8 lvl spells th
9 lvl spells
Spell Point gain is cumulative, and should level loss occur, simply consult the chart for the appropriate level to see how many points were gained and adjust accordingly.
Arcane (Wizard, Illusionist) Lvl SPP Can cast nd 2 +2 rd nd 3 +3 2 lvl spells th 4 +3 th rd 5 +7 3 lvl spells th 6 +7 th th 7 +5 4 lvl spells th 8 +9 th th 9 +11 5 lvl spells th 10 +12 th th 11 +11 6 lvl spells th 12 +13 th th 13 +16 7 lvl spells th 14 +17 th th 15 +19 8 lvl spells th 16 +18 th th 17 +22 9 lvl spells th 18 +22 th 19 +14 th 20 +23 Divine (Cleric/Druid) Lvl SPP Can Cast nd 2 +3 rd nd 3 +3 2 lvl spells th 4 +5 th rd 5 +4 3 lvl spells
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Known spells are any spells the caster has properly learned and inscribed into his spell book. For Divine casters, all spells on the standard Player’s Handbook list are considered to be Known spells.
Casting Spells ASC uses three types of spell-casting methods: Practiced spells, Known spells, and Recitative spells. These are used in place of the standard Vancian system of memorizing a spell, carrying it around in your head, using it, and then forgetting it completely until you can read your spell book again.
New spells are added exactly as per the standard spell casting rules in the Players Handbook. A caster may use a Known spell only if he succeeds in making an Intelligence (if Arcane) or Wisdom (if Divine) check plus his modifier and level, using the spell’s level times 2 as the difficulty modifier. For rd th example, a 3 level spell has a DL of 6, a 5 level spell a DL of 10, and so forth.
Practiced Spells
Practiced spells are spells the caster knows well, inside and out. A spell caster can use a Practiced spell at will, with no chance of spell failure, as long as he has the appropriate amount of spp available.
If the Intelligence or Wisdom check fails, the caster loses the Spell Points and the spell fizzles out ineffectively. At the GM’s discretion, a natural roll of “1” on this check may result in something calamitous (or at least amusing) occurring.
The number of Practiced spells a caster has is equal to 1 plus the caster’s Intelligence bonus, if Arcane, or 1 plus the caster’s Wisdom bonus, if Divine, per spell level the caster is able to use.
Galwarth (Wizard1, Int18) needs to use a Comprehend Languages spell, which he Knows and has in his spell book. He must pass an Intelligence check of 14 to do so (12 st for his prime plus 2 for the DL of a 1 level spell). He rolls a 9, plus 3 for his Intelligence, plus 1 for his caster level for a total of 13. He fumbles the spell, and loses the 2spp he had committed to casting it.
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For example, a 5 level Wizard with 16 Intelligence has 3 Practiced spells of 0-lvl, 3 st nd rd 1 , 3 2 , and 3 3 . Practiced spells must be selected from the caster’s Known spells, and once selected, can not be changed. Optionally, at the GM’s discretion, the caster may be allowed to make one change during the leveling-up process.
Recitative Spells
If a caster wishes to use a spell that is not Practiced but is Known, and has the time to get out his spell book (or prayer beads, etc) he may use the slower Recitative method to cast the spell without the chance of failure.
Practiced spells may be chosen immediately upon gaining access to a new spell level, provided enough Known spells are available, or the character may elect to hold off until more Known spells are gained.
To use a Recitative spell, the caster must commit, uninterrupted, an amount of casting
Known Spells
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time an order of magnitude 10 times greater than that listed in the Player’s Handbook.
Spell Point recovery for the next 1d4+4 hours. (GP 350; EXP 100)
For example, Dispel Magic would take 10 rounds to cast as a Recitative spell; Identify would take 100 minutes, and so on and so forth.
Pearl of Power These pearls are determined as per normal rules, but they convey a number of spp to the wielder equal to 1 plus the spell level. st For example, a 1 level Pearl conveys 2spp.
If a Recitative spell is interrupted, the caster loses the spp and must start all over again.
Rod of Blasting This black iron rod can be used by wizards to direct raw energy at targets. A wizard can channel up to 5spp at once per round. If the caster succeeds at a ranged touch attack, the blast does 1d4 points of damage per spp used, and the victim may make a Charisma save to avoid half the damage. (GP 6,750; EXP 650)
New Magic Items Following are a few new magic items specifically relating to the ASC system, as well as suggested revisions for a couple of standard items.
Shroud of Healing This shroud is made of pearlescent fabric that is naturally attuned to Divine energy. A Cleric can wrap a person in the shroud and commit a number of spp up to his level into the shroud. After 8 hours of rest, the person so enshrouded will regain 1d6 hp per spp used. (GP 9,500; EXP 800)
Amulet of Power An Amulet of Power contains a reservoir of Arcane Spell Points that Wizards or Illusionists can draw upon at will. It typically contains 1d4+5spp, though some containing more have been rumored. The amulet recharges itself every 24 hours, at midnight, at which time it gives off a faint glow for 1 minute. (GP 5,500; EXP 500)
Stone of Illusion These enchanted stones are naturally attuned to an Illusionist’s arcane energy. If placed on a stable surface, they will maintain a Major, Minor, or Silent Image for up to one hour per spp committed to the stone. The stones may only be used once, as the energy stored in them eventually burns them out. There is no limit to the number of spp an Illusionist can commit to the stone, provided he has that number available. (GP 1000; EXP 200)
Charm of Focus This charm resembles a small silver holy symbol on a short silver chain. It allows a Divine caster to add +5 to a single Wisdom check while casting a Known spell. The charm may only be used once in any 24 hour period. (GP 3750, EXP 275)
Ring of Wizardry When used with ASC, these rings no longer double the number of spells a wizard can cast per day, but instead double the number of spells they can consider Practiced. These
Elixir of Mana This cloudy yellow substance tastes vaguely like tree sap and quickly numbs the tongue. When consumed, it doubles the amount of
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additional practiced spells are immediately considered Known again if the ring is removed.
Committing an additional 3spp to a nondamage-causing spell makes it last for 24 hours, instead of the normal duration.
Spell Boosting
Prolific Summoning By spending an additional 2spp, the caster doubles the number of creatures summoned with a Summon Monster spell. Note that this does not double the maximum HD the creatures can be, only the number of actual creatures.
Spell Boosting is a completely optional addition to ASC which may only be used at the GM’s discretion. Spell Boosting allows the caster to amplify or extend the effects of his spells by committing extra spp to them at the time of casting.
Lengthy Summoning By spending an additional 2spp, the caster increases the duration summoned monsters serve him to one hour per caster level.
The applications of Spell Boosting are conceivably limitless, so a few samples are provided here, and they may be used as guidelines for creating Spell Boosting techniques of your own.
Elemental Conversion By spending an additional 1spp, a caster may change the substance of a damagecausing spell to a selected element: Fire, Lightning, Cold, or Acid. Note that this does not change the amount of damage done, unless the victim would normally sustain extra damage from the new type of energy selected.
Minor Damage Amplification By committing an extra Spell Point to any damage-causing spell, the caster causes an additional 1hp of damage per die. For rd example, a 3 level wizard using Minor Damage Amplification does 2d4+4 points of damage instead of 2d4+2, or a 5th level Wizard would do 5d6+5 points of damage with a Fireball.
Split Spell By spending an additional 1spp, a caster can split a damage-causing spell in half, doing half damage but affecting twice as many targets. Any odd damage is rounded down. th For example, a 5 level wizard could fire off 6 magic missiles for 1d2 pts of damage each or 2 lightning bolts for 2d6 points of damage each.
Major Damage Amplification By committing an extra 3spp to a damage causing spell, that spell automatically does the maximum possible damage. For th example, a 5 level wizard would automatically do 30pts of damage with his fireball. Minor Duration Extension By committing an extra Spell Point, the caster causes any non-damage-causing spell to last double the normal duration. For example, a Fly spell would last 20min/lvl instead of 10.
Enhanced Load By spending an additional 1spp per person or weight increment affected, a caster can increase the number of people or weight he can lift or otherwise carry with him when using spells such as Dimension Door, Teleport, Levitate, Telekinesis, etc.
Major Duration Extension
Some other suggested Boosts are:
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ASC is actually a good friend to GMs, as players don’t have to stop and sleep for a day after every encounter (which most GMs seem to find frustrating) to regain spells and heal. Also, players are more likely to use divination spells like Read Magic and Speak with Undead, spells that allow the GM to bring more of his back-story and plot into play, quite a bit of his hard work that can often get missed or ignored due to simple lack of spells that aren’t either blowing things up or healing PCs.
Minor Healing Amplification Major Healing Amplification Enhanced Turn Undead Minor Area-of-Effect Amplification Major Area-of-Effect Amplification Prolific Animation Prolific Animal Summoning And so on…
FAQ
Will ASC turn clerics into “Heal Machines”?
While this Castles and Crusades™ version is very recent, ASC itself has been around, in one form or another, for nearly fifteen years. It has been ruthlessly play-tested by several groups and so far has not come up wanting in any critical areas. Some common questions I’ve fielded from other GM’s interested in using ASC include:
No more so than they already are! The big difference with ASC is not that they can heal that much more, but that clerics will experiment with other spells more and won’t have to bog down your game with endless rest stops. What if one of my players figures out a way to exploit ASC that seriously unbalances my game?
Won’t ASC make spell casters too powerful?
While “too powerful” can be sort of a relative thing, I feel “no” is the proper answer. “More effective” is a better description. Keep in mind; players do not get access to higher level spells any faster than they do with the standard Vancian system. Players can certainly cast more spells, but this difference is only noticeable at very low levels. Whatever its current incarnation, the number of spell points gained per level is always based on the Vancian spells-per-day charts given in each edition’s Player’s Handbook.
Players play to “win”, and if there is any way to exploit some part of ASC to break your game, someone will eventually find it. So far, no one has. If it occurs, simply ban the exploit, or inform the player he may choose to either ignore the exploit he has found or return to the Vancian system. Reverse conversion, btw, is every bit as easy as converting to ASC in the first place. Why did you come up with ASC in the first place?
Mainly to make my favorite RPG’s seem more like my favorite books. While I enjoyed Vance, there were many other books where mighty mages fired off lighting bolt after lightning bolt, or chanted for hours over dusty tomes and weird rituals, and the
Also, though lower level casters get more spells, this is somewhat balanced by a longer recovery time. Plus, giving them more spells and options is the whole point!
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current AD&D rules didn’t really support that unless you were loaded down with wands or other such items. I also felt like there were a lot of really cool spells out there that weren’t getting used due to the limited number of spells available; spells that benefited both the party as a whole and the GM’s story-line as well. There have always been a lot of spell point systems floating around out there, but they seemed to be very bizarre and unnecessarily complicated, so I set out to make sort of a hybrid; a spell point system based around the Vancian system already provided in the rule books. I hope you like it!
©2006 Al Krombach This rule-set is intended for free distribution only. Castles and Crusades™ is a Troll Lord Games product. Cover art is by Erol Otus and not used with permission, but because he is the best! All OGL stuff is explained here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/ welcome
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