[3.

5 Alt Spell System] Mana (and Sorcerer and Wizard)

OK, so this is very literally just an idea that popped into my head; the numbers are
very off the cuff. Input on those is appreciated, but what I really want to know is, is
this a good idea?

The goals here are to make multiclassing with Arcane casters more reasonable, to
make lost progression less damning, and to put some limits on the Wizard while
tossing a few minor bones to the Sorcerer.

Mana
All things that are self-aware (i.e. have a Wisdom and Charisma score, and are
therefore not objects) possess Mana, an intangible quality that is associated with
their life-force. The specifics of what Mana is or where it comes from are completely
unknown, though debated heavily and numerous groups and factions will claim to
know the 'truth' about Mana. It is not even clear whether or not different individuals
or species have more or fewer Mana than others, or if some are simply more skilled
in its use and therefore able to do more with the same amount. It is likely that no
one will ever be able to come up with a definitive answer on this.

Mana is used in spellcasting. By definition, anything that uses Mana is a spell.

Casting spells is draining, and though lack of Mana does not impair a creature's
mental or physical ability in any way, a creature can nonetheless 'feel' its lack.

Mana is replenished by sleeping. The average creature requires eight hours of

uninterrupted sleep in order to replenish their Mana.

Caster Level
A character's Caster Level is equal to the sum of his levels in any spellcasting
classes, plus half their levels in any non-spellcasting classes.

The Caster Level affects the potency of a character's spells, the amount of Mana they
can bring to bear in a given day, and the highest level spell they can cast. No
character may learn or cast a spell with a spell level higher than half their Caster
Level, with the sole exception of cantrips and 1st level spells, both of which may be
cast with a Caster Level of 1.

Bonuses to Caster Level of any kind do not affect the Mana gained each day or the
highest level spells that a character can cast, only the potency of their spells.

Mana per Day

Mechanically, Mana is quantized. This number is inherently an abstraction, but
creatures are aware at least of relative magnitudes of Mana. As mentioned above,
this may be the same 'amount' of Mana that is simply more powerful in the hands of
a more accomplished mage, but the number is larger to illustrate the increased
efficiency. Ultimately, the number is defined by the number and strength of spells
that that the owner of that Mana is capable of casting.

Generally, a creature wakes up in the morning with Mana equal to its Caster Level
multiplied by its Mana Multiplier. For characters without any levels in a spellcasting
class, the Mana Multiplier is 1. Spellcasting classes, like the Sorcerer or Wizard, have
a higher Mana Multiplier, depending on their level, and also gain bonus Mana for
having a high Ability modifier in their primary spellcasting Ability. Half-levels of
Caster Level are counted for determining how much Mana a character receives each
day, though half-Mana points do not actually exist. So a 4th level character who is
Sorcerer 3/Rogue 1 (Caster Level 3.5, Mana Multiplier 5) has 17 Mana, not 15 (or
17.5).

Spell Levels, Costs, and Minimum Caster Level

Spell Mana Caster

Level Cost Level
     
0th 0 1
1st 1 1
2nd 3 4
3rd 6 6
4th 12 8
5th 18 10
6th 27 12
7th 36 14
8th 48 16
9th 60 18
Casting Spells
Casting spells requires an amount of Mana equal to the amount in the table above.
For those who are interested, the formula is ¾(spell level)2. Beyond this, casting
spells has not changed in any way, and therefore all other rules of 3.5 D&D apply.

Metamagic
Metamagic feats increase a spell's level. The caster of a metamagic'd spell must pay
the Mana Cost of the new, higher Spell Level.

Casting Spells Spontaneously

Spells cast spontaneously involve the caster willing their Mana into the form of the spell,
powering its Arcane energies with this renewable resource. Learning a spell well enough
to form the Mana into the proper shape on the fly is difficult, and the number of spells
that a character might learn this way are usually very few. The advantages for doing so,
however, are obvious, since such a spellcaster may utilize any spell she knows on the
spot.

Metamagic changes the form that the Mana must take for a given spell, by adding to the
amount of Mana necessary. Since spontaneous casters function by having memorized and
practiced their spells to the point that they can form them on the fly, adding metamagic to
the mix complicates things. Whenever metamagic adds to the spell's Mana Cost by at
least half the spontaneous caster's Caster Level, the casting time of the spell increases
according to the following table:

Original Metamagic'd
Time Time
   
Swift or Immediate Move Action
 Original Metamagic'd
Time Time
   
Move Action Standard Action
Standard Action Full-Round Action (Move + Standard)
Full-Round Action 1 Round
1 or more Rounds 1 additional Round
Casting Spells Prepared from a Spellbook
A spellbook is a useful aid in spellcasting, because such a spellcaster does not need
to have the form of a spell completely memorized and practiced; they can take their
time and use their spellbook to help them prepare the spell. Of course, this process
still takes a fair amount of knowledge of the spells in the spellbook, so it is not as if
anyone could just pick up a spellbook and figure out the spells in it. It takes training
to do that, which is represented by levels in a prepared spellcasting class. During
preparation, the spell's Mana is actually shaped into the spell, but not yet cast. It is
held in this limbo state within the caster, who may then use it as easily as one who
has memorized the spell as thoroughly as a spontaneous caster. However, he must
always prepare these spells ahead of time, and has no ability to easily cast a spell he
hadn't realized he would need.

The rules for preparing spells has not changed other than the need to pay the Mana
Cost associated with the spell. This payment occurs during preparation; even though
they still have the Mana until they actually cast the spell, it is already shaped into a
spell and is therefore tied up. There is no way to recycle that Mana once thus
prepared.

Divine Spellcasting
Divine spellcasters do not actually use their own Mana in their spells. Instead, during
their morning prayers, they actually send their Mana to their deity. In fact, all
prayers essentially do this, even for those who do not have the ability to cast Divine
spells. These are essentially donations to the deity. In the case of those who do not
cast Divine spells, it is typically only a token donation; a prayer would not diminish a
Sorcerer's total Mana for their own spells. It is simply a show of faith to the god of
choice.

For divine spellcasters, however, the donation is anything but token. Divine
spellcasters typically send just about all of their Mana to their deity, and in return
their deity grants them already-formed spells. It is unclear how, exactly, this process
works; whether or not this is the caster's own Mana returned to them, whether or
not the "amount" of Mana sent back and forth matches, etc, is all unknown. Because
the numbers associated with Mana are based on the number of spells a caster can
cast, a divine spellcaster's Mana Multiplier represents the Mana value of the spells
they are granted each morning - which may or may not actually match their own
personal Mana. Such a thing is not actually quantifiable in-game, and is therefore
unknown.

Divine spellcasters may be spontaneous or prepared. They follow the same rules as
Arcane casters, but in both cases are not dependant on knowing the spells
themselves - instead, a deity may grant access to spells either by giving the
requested spells during morning prayers, or by having a set of the spells a
spontaneous divine spellcaster "knows" that the spellcaster may call for at any time.
Bonus Mana
A spellcaster gains a bonus to his Mana based on his primary spellcasting Ability.
Namely, he adds one-quarter of his Ability bonus (if any) to his Mana Multiplier when
determining his Mana for the day.

Multiclassing and Prestige Classes

Characters with levels in more than one casting class have separate Caster Levels in
each. They therefore also have separate pools of Mana for each class, each of which
is equal to that class's Caster Level times that class's Mana Multiplier. Mana from one
class cannot be used for spells from another class. Why this is constitutes one of the
biggest unsolved mysteries of the Arcane sciences.

Levels in a spellcasting class do add half a Caster Level to any other spellcasting
classes that a character may have. Therefore, a Sorcerer 4/Wizard 4 has a Caster
Level of 6 for both Sorcerer and Wizard, and may cast 3rd level spells in each.

Prestige Classes which add "+1 to the level of an existing spellcasting class" add 1 to
that class's Caster Level and advance that class's Mana Multiplier as if a level of the
class had been attained. They do not gain anything else that a level of that class
might have attained. They also add half a level to the Caster Level of any other
spellcasting classes that the character may have.

When a Prestige Class has levels which advance spellcasting, but other levels that do
not, the "dead levels" still add half a level to the spellcasting class. In some cases, it
may be necessary to add additional non-progressing levels to the class in order to
maintain balance, but in many cases the loss of a full Caster Level is more of a
penalty than is warranted by the class, and so many classes may be able to maintain
the same number of lost levels even as the effect of the lost level is softened
somewhat.

Sorcerer

The Sorcerer's spellcasting is much more intuitive and natural than the Wizard's.
While the Wizard's many hours of study generally provide more powerful spells, they
cannot match the Sorcerer's spontaneity, and the Sorcerer also enjoys greater free
time in which to study things other than magic. As such, Sorcerers tend to be
somewhat more well rounded individuals, a little hardier and a bit more multifaceted,
than the Wizard.

Hit Die: d4

Skills Per Level: 4 + Int; times 4 at 1st level

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Arcana), Profession (Wis),
Spellcraft (Int). A Sorcerer may also add additional Class Skills through their Diverse
Interests feature.
 Base
Fort Ref Will Mana Spells
Level Attack Special
Save Save Save Multiplier Learned
  Bonus  
         
 
Summon Familiar, Eschew
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Materials, Wild Magic, Diverse 3 2
Interests
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3   4 2
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3   5 2
4th +2 +1 +1 +4   6 2
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Diverse Interests 6 2
6th +3 +2 +2 +5   7 2
7th +3 +2 +2 +5   8 2
8th +4 +3 +3 +6   9 2
9th +4 +3 +3 +6   9 2
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Diverse Interests 10 2
11th +5 +3 +3 +7   11 2
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8   12 2
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8   12 2
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9   13 2
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Diverse Interests 14 2
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10   15 2
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10   15 2
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11   16 2
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11   17 2
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Innate Magic 18 2
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Sorcerer is proficient in all simple weapons, but
not in any form of armor. Armor may interfere with his Arcane spells if they have
Somatic Components, which most do.

Spellcasting: A Sorcerer may cast Arcane spells spontaneously, that is, without
preparation. To do so requires an amount of Mana equal to three quarters of the
square of the spell's level. The Sorcerer gains Mana each morning after a full night's
rest equal to his Caster Level times his Mana Multiplier, which is equal to 3 + three
quarters of his class level, plus bonus Mana for having a high Charisma score.

The Save DC of his spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + his Cha modifier.

To learn a spell, his Charisma score must be equal to or greater than 10 + the spell's
level, and his Caster Level must be equal or greater than twice the spell's level.

To use Metamagic, a Sorcerer must generally increase the casting time as per usual,
however, a number of times a day equal to 1 + his Sorcerer level divided by 8, he
may avoid doing so.

Cantrips: Each level, a Sorcerer may learn a number of Cantrips equal to one third
of his Charisma modifier (if the Charisma modifier is not evenly divisible by 3,
remember the remainder and add it to his Charisma modifier on the next level).
Summon Familiar: A Sorcerer may summon a Familiar, exactly as usual.

Eschew Materials: A Sorcerer gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.

Wild Magic: A Sorcerer's magic is inherently unpredictable. Before casting a spell, a

Sorcerer rolls 1d8, and adds the result minus six if that difference is positive to his
Caster Level (in other words, if he rolls a 7, his Caster Level increases by 1; on a 8,
by 2). He does this before actually selecting the spell to cast. In some cases, this
may allow him to cast a higher level spell than he normally could. Because he does
not know any spells of that level, he cannot actually cast a higher level spell, but he
may apply Metamagic to increase the spell's level (and therefore its Mana cost) to
take advantage of this feature.

Diverse Interests: A Sorcerer, when compared to a Wizard, has a lot more free
time. Since they are generally energetic and enthusiastic people, Sorcerers tend to
engage in a number of hobbies.

At 1st level, and again every 5th level before 20 (5, 10, 15), a Sorcerer may choose
any of the following:
 Armor Training - The Sorcerer ignores the Arcane Spell Failure chance of Light
armors, and gains proficiency in all Light Armor and Shields except Tower
Shields. This Interest may be taken a second time to gain proficiency in
Medium armors and shields and to ignore up to 15% of Arcane Spell Failure
from those.
 Bodybuilding - The Sorcerer's Hit Die increases to a d6. This does not
retroactively affect previous levels in Sorcerer, but does affect the level in
which it is gained and any that are gained thereafter. This Interest may be
taken a second time, to gain a d8 Hit Die, but not before 10th, and it may not
be taken again.
 Martial Training - The Sorcerer's Base Attack Bonus progression becomes
medium like that of a Cleric or Rogue. This does not retroactively affect
previous levels, but does affect the level in which it is gained. Use the
fractional BAB rules to determine the total when this is taken at odd levels.
This feature may be taken a second time, to gain full Base Attack Bonus like a
Fighter, but not before 10th level.
 Practice - The Sorcerer's Skill Points Per Level increases to 6+Int instead of
4+Int. This does not retroactively affect previous levels of Sorcerer, but does
affect the level at which this feature is gained. He may also select two of the
following groups of skills to add to his Class Skills list:
o Appraise, Decipher Script, Forgery, and Speak Language
o Balance, Climb, Jump, and Swim
o Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, and Intimidate
o Handle Animal, Ride, and Survival
o Hide, Move Silently, Listen and Spot
o all Knowledge skills (each taken individually)
o Perform, Sleight of Hand, Tumble, and Use Rope
o Use Magic Device

A Sorcerer may choose this Interest more than once; he does not gain more
skill points, but may select any three groups of skills to add to his Class Skills
list.
  Swordplay - The Sorcerer gains proficiency in all Martial weapons. This
feature may be taken a second time to gain proficiency in any one Exotic
weapon.

Innate Magic: At 20th level, a Sorcerer may choose one of the following bonuses:
 All spells are Stilled and Silenced, without increasing casting time or spell
level.
 All spells are Empowered, without increasing casting time or spell level.
 Apply any Energy Substitution, including Subdual Substitution, without
increasing the casting time, even if you do not have the Energy Substitution
feat for that energy type.
 Apply Reach Spell, without increasing casting time or spell level, even if you
do not have the Reach Spell feat.
 All spells are Extended and have the DC to Dispel them increased by 5,
without increasing casting time or spell level.

A Sorcerer also may now also add 1d8-4, if it is positive, to his Caster Level when
casting a spell (but since he can already cast 9th level spells, this only affects the
spell's potency, not the highest Spell Level).

Wizard

A Wizard is a very different take on Arcane magic than the Sorcerer. Where the
Sorcerer is wild and passionate, the Wizard is studious, disciplined, and patient. His
power comes from long hours spent studying magic itself, and he may learn a great
deal more spells than the Sorcerer.

Hit Die: d4

Skills Per Level: 2 + Int; times 4 at 1st level

Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int)
Knowledge (each taken individually), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). A Sorcerer may
also add additional Class Skills through their Diverse Interests feature.

Base Attack Fort Ref Will Mana

Level Special
Bonus Save Save Save Multiplier
   
         
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Summon Familiar, Specialization 2
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3   3
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 2nd Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 3
4th +2 +1 +1 +4   4
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 3rd Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 4
6th +3 +2 +2 +5   5
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 4th Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 5
8th +4 +3 +3 +6   6
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 5th Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 6
 Base Attack Fort Ref Will Mana
Level Special
Bonus Save Save Save Multiplier
   
         
10th +5 +3 +3 +7   7
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 6th Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 7
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8   8
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 7th Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 8
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9   9
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 8th Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 9
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10   10
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 9th Level Specialist Spell, 1/day 10
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11   11
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11   11
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12   12
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Wizard is proficient with the club, dagger,
heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not in any form of armor.
Armor may interfere with his Arcane spells if they have Somatic Components, which
most do.

Spellcasting: A Wizard may cast Arcane spells by preparing them each morning. To
do so requires at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep (or in the case of creatures
that do not sleep, general rest and inactivity), and then an hour spent studying his
Spellbook.

During this time, the Wizard may prepare as many spells from his Spellbook as he
has Mana for - this Mana is unused until the Wizard actually casts the spell, but
having the spell prepared effectively "ties up" the Mana so it cannot be used for any
other use. Each spell costs an amount of Mana equal to three quarters of the square
of the spell's level.

A Wizard need not tie up all his Mana in spells at the beginning of the day, but
preparation always takes a full hour to prepare new slots.

A Wizard gains Mana each morning after a full night's rest equal to his Caster Level
times his Mana Multiplier, which is equal to 2 + one half of his class level, plus bonus
Mana for having a high Intelligence score.

A Wizard may always prepare Read Magic, even without his Spellbook. Every other
spell requires his own Spellbook to study from (all normal Spellbook rules apply).

The Save DC of his spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + his Int modifier.

To learn a spell, his Intelligence score must be equal to or greater than 10 + the
spell's level, and his Caster Level must be equal or greater than twice the spell's
level (but see below). He learns the spell by scribing it in his Spellbook (normal rules
apply, but no free spells; all must be learned from scrolls or other Spellbooks, and
paid for in full).

Specializing: A Wizard does not have the intuitive knowledge of his spells that a
Sorcerer does, but his hours of study grants him better understanding of his spells.
However, there is only so much time in a day, and so a Wizard cannot possibly
master all of the schools of magic.

Therefore, he specializes: he chooses one school to be his specialization, and has two
schools which he is forced to ignore in their entirety. The specialized school is
important for his Specialist Spell feature. He must choose two prohibited schools,
from which he cannot learn or cast spells, not even from magic items, but he may
not choose Divination as one of his prohibited schools. Diviners must still ban two
other schools.

A Wizard also has the option to be a "Focused" Specialist - he must ban a third
school, but gains a number of bonus Mana each morning equal to the Mana cost of
the highest level Wizard spell he can cast, which must be spent on preparing any
number of spells from his specialized school. This Mana may be combined with his
normal Mana, but it must always be used to cast spells from his specialized school.

Cantrips: A Wizard's Spellbook starts with a number of cantrips equal to three times
his Int modifier, one of which must be Read Magic (even though he does not need
his Spellbook to prepare it, learning Read Magic from his Spellbook was an important
part of his entry into the Wizard class). From then on, he may scribe Cantrips into
his Spellbook as normal.

Summon Familiar: A Wizard may summon a familiar as normal.

Specialist Spells: At 3rd level, a Wizard gains the ability to learn and scribe 2nd
level spells from his specialist school into his Spellbook, and may prepare ny one
each day (paying for its Mana as usual).

Once he reaches 4th level (and is therefore capable of casting 2nd level spells
normally), this feature is obsolete and he may prepare 2nd level spells from any
schools except those that he banned normally, without the once per day restriction.

If he is a multiclass Wizard with a higher Caster Level (and therefore capable of

casting 3rd level spells normally), this feature does nothing.

This feature is not a part of his spellcasting and is therefore not included when
prestige classes grant "+1 to an existing (Arcane) spellcasting class".

At 5th level, he gains the same feature but with 3rd level spells. At 7th, 9th, 11th,
13th, 15th, and 17th, he gains the feature for 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level
spells, respectively.