NaGaDeMon 2012, Status Check November 19

5 Comments

1. David Lamb

   November 19, 2012 at 11:51 am 12 years ago

   Reply

   Thanks for the update. I hope to see something on the basics of spellcasting sometime fairly soon. What I gather is that
   – caster level starts at level/2 (level bonus)
   – talents give + to caster level and give access to specific spell lists. I did find GreyKnights’ eldritch threads post from 2011, which gives me an idea of how that might work.
   – caster level determines what level of spell the mage can cast
   But I don’t know *how* CL determines spell level. The usual 2*CL+1? That would mean CL=1 at 2nd level gives cantrips, and I have the impression you once said cantrips come in at character level 3. But I can’t find where you might have said that.

   Also, are there still spell slots, and did you come up with a formula for them or are they listed specifically in the talents descriptions?

   • kjdavies

     November 19, 2012 at 12:57 pm 12 years ago

     Reply

     Right now in my head is something like:

     • Caster Level = Level Bonus + Caster Training Bonus
     • Steeped in Magic (cornerstone) gives +1 Caster Training Bonus/tier and some spell-like abilities such as detect magic
     • Caster Training (common) gives +1 Caster Training Bonus/tier, and possibly knowledge of common spells
     • Maximum Castable Level = Caster Training Bonus, and I am tempted to increase RSRD spell levels by 2 (no practical difference, it just makes it so you must be fifth level to cast what used to be first-level spells)
     • Eldritch Weaver Thread talents (and possibly Domain talents) give spell knowledge beyond common spells

     This means

     • Caster Training alone will get you knowledge of common spells and cantrips at fifth level (half-caster), with a maximum of RSRD-fifth-level spells at Legendary.
     • Steeped in Magic alone will get you some spell-like abilities but no spell knowledge at all.
     • Caster Training Bonuses from Caster Training and Steeped in Magic stack, to a maximum of the allowable Training Bonus, and you know common spells equal to or less than that.

     This feels a little clunky yet. I’m not sure how I want to handle magical traditions, I can see a few ways (including using cornerstones and/or capstones).

     • kjdavies

       November 19, 2012 at 3:06 pm 12 years ago

       Reply

       Yep, I think I was overthinking.

       • Spells are only increased by one level (cantrips are first-level spells now).
       • Spells cost spell points equal to caster level applied (like Expanded Psionics Handbook), to a maximum of your caster level (Level Bonus + Caster Training Bonus). These are typically ‘fatigue’ magic points (recover on resting), some spells will require more time to recover (see the Trailblazer rest mechanic.
       • Minimum casting cost is twice spell level.
       • Your maximum spell level castable is your Caster Training Bonus.
       • You have magic points calculated similar to hit points: (Level Bonus+Caster Training Bonus)*Tier — yes, this is somewhat lower than hit points.

       This lets me simplify the relationship between spell level, caster level, and Caster Training Bonus. It does mean a character can cast a a spell one level earlier than I had previously planned, where signature spell levels (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) can happen at the beginning of a tier, but I’m no longer quite so attached, given how the capstones are working out.

       • GreyKnight

         November 20, 2012 at 6:02 am 12 years ago

         Reply

         Caster Training Bonus is available up to +10, is that right? (+5 from Legendary talent, +5 from Legendary cornerstone). That means, if my numbers are right, a caster can exert his full caster level approximately (tier) times between rests if he casts nothing else.

         Number of cantrips castable without a rest, assuming maximum training bonus: Basic caster 1–2, Expert 10–12, Heroic 27–30, Master 52–56, Champion 85–90, Legendary 126–132. If you only have the ordinary training talent then it lags behind a bit, up to 96–102 at Legendary. Doesn’t lag too much, the limitation on maximum spell level = CTB is probably the main restriction on effectiveness.

         • kjdavies

           November 20, 2012 at 9:23 am 12 years ago

           I may have written the wrong thing yesterday, I was really tired.

           I may go back to having spells at SL*2+1, so cantrips (now level 1) are at third level, first-level (now second) at fifth, and so on. I haven’t decided.

           Caster Training Bonus can be as high as +2/tier, so taking Basic tier into account a dedicated caster could have +12 at Legendary (level 23).

           Your estimate of spells per unit time is correct, since they top out at (LB+CTB)*(TN) and you can spend at most (LB+CTB) on a spell. You are not required to spend the entire amount, but you are also no longer limited (you may drop 23 points on magic missile and get around 12 of them if you want… probably not terribly efficient, really, but you are allowed to).

           Note that some spells will have more significant cost — same number of magic points, but don’t recover on simple rest, requiring instead either a more significant rest (sleep!) or other conditions altogether (performing ritual sacrifice, say). For now I’d probably use the list described in the Trailblazer rest mechanic, linked in my previous comment.

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