Substantially changing magic-user spell slots.

[Agrippa]

I should let every one here know that I'm not exactly an old-school gamer. While I like some old-school games and retro clones/semi-retro clones as basic chasis I tend to add on features inspired by more new school game. See, there are some old-school features I don't care for much. Such the first level magic-user's one spell per day. It's not that I want magic-users to be all powerful, certainly not at the start. I just don't think they should start out as basically walking once a day magic items. So to remedy this mistake as I see it, I'm going to make the following changes to magic-user spell slots and memorization.

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Looking at the basic casting system for LL and BECMI I've noticed two senseless extremes. On the one end magic-users get only one spell per day at first level but later gain an unweildy number of spell slots at higher levels. To fix this I'm barrowing a bit from 3.5s Tome of Battle's maneuver progressions. All magic-users may memorize and cast up to three seperate spells at first level. Every two levels the magic-user may memorize one more spell of any level allowed at a time up to 13 spells at any one time. Magic-users still gain the ability to cast more complex and powerful spells at the same rate under the normal rules. This means that a magic-user would still have to reach 5th level to cast 3rd level spells, just that those spells memorized are now taken from a standard pool of slots. No spell may be memorized more than once at a time and each one requires five minutes of memorization per spell level to cast. Once cast any one spell can be re-memorized without need for rest.

[Agrippa]

By the way I just deleted a duplicate thread. I'm sorry for any confuison I may have caused.

[Blood axe]

I wouldn't have a problem with it in my campaign. I would have some kind of limiting factor - not allowing multiples of the same spell ( sleepx3), having them "specialize" (like evoker, abjurer, conjurer), cast spells through a focus ( wizard's staff), etc.

[Agrippa]

I wouldn't have a problem with it in my campaign. I would have some kind of limiting factor - not allowing multiples of the same spell ( sleepx3), having them "specialize" (like evoker, abjurer, conjurer), cast spells through a focus ( wizard's staff), etc.

No spell may be memorized more than once at a time and each one requires five minutes of memorization per spell level to cast.

Already got you covered Blood Axe.

[Blood axe]

Good catch. Since the purpose is to show the magic users usefulness & that he is not a magic item. ( like a sleep wand)
One spell I see low level casters overlook is Charm Person.

[Agrippa]

Good catch. Since the purpose is to show the magic users usefulness & that he is not a magic item. ( like a sleep wand)
One spell I see low level casters overlook is Charm Person.

I hadn't quite thought of making Charm Person more attractive by altering how spell slots work, but I'm okay with it. Yes, it took me over a week to come up with that.