Half-finished alternative D20 caster framework

[Superfluous Crow]

EDIT: forgot to mention stuff you can do with sympathy. Now you can properly curse people.

I don't know why I wrote this. Perhaps it was just a lot of pent up frustration with Vancian spellcasters or maybe it's just an idea that has been rummaging around in my head for some time and I needed to get it out into the open. It's a class, or at least some elements for one, that would fit nicely into D&D or a similar rules system. Yet it is not for my setting or any campaign I run. It just is.  
It is based on my general conviction that traditional vancian (and classical point-based) magic rules don't properly represent the flexibility of being able to control the laws of nature. This is an attempt to correct that. Somewhat.
Admittedly, this isn't done. Who knows if it ever will be. But look it over, feel nostalgic about D&D, steal some stuff, argue about imbalance. All in all, enjoy.
(there is no level structure as of yet, but the labels should give some of the basic structure away. Some of the abilities (knot, kinetic key, antecedent fire) are obligatory, others are meant as optional abilities)    
   
Basecasters
Fragments (basic)
A Basecaster can only hold so much power at any one time. Whenever he exerts his will using his powers he uses one or more fragments of his power in one of four ways. Spending, releasing and burning fragments all require full-round actions, but ending the binding of fragments is usually faster. Being a Basecaster is thus not only about choosing the right powers to use but also about conserving strength and balancing preparation with force.
Spent Fragments: If a character spends a fragment it only hinders him temporarily. Spent fragments will be lost from the pool, but will return on the following round.
Bound Fragments: Bound fragments work like spent fragments except they are not returned to the pool before the effect they are maintaining is released. Binding fragments effectively lock away part of the Basecaster's power.
Released Fragments: Released fragments are lost for a short time. They return to the pool at the end of the encounter or after a short respite.    
Burned Fragments: Burned fragments represent an expenditure of great power. Burned fragments do not return until after an extended period of rest e.g. a night's sleep. Sometimes the burned fragments might take longer to return, as noted.  

Riddles (basic)
Riddles are the supernatural effects a Basecaster calls into being with the fragments. They come in two typical varieties:
Simple Riddle: Simple riddles take a standard action to cast and are usually minor or create less direct effects.
Complex Riddles: The complex riddles are more difficult and time-consuming, taking a full round to set in motion (the effect thus not appearing until the round after). Complex riddles which might come in handy are thus often knotted (see below).

The Eye (basic)
To work his will on the world the Basecaster must know the world and with the Eye he reaches out and sees the world for what it truly is. Opening the eye is in itself a complex riddle, but it continues to remain open until closed with no additional effort required. For every fragment he binds to the Eye the range of this ability extends a further five feet in every direction. Within this radius the Basecaster can see as by blindsense, gains a bonus on perception checks equal to the number of bound fragments and can see magical auras as per detect magic. In a round, a basecaster can choose to burn a number of fragments and double the range as many times, but in any round where this is done the Eye only extends forward in a cone.    

Metaphysics (mostly low level)
Mastering the laws of the universe is a difficult matter, but mastering the laws of change and arcana is a problem of even greater difficulty.
Knot: A Basecaster can knot an effect by binding it with fragments. Basically, the riddle being worked is suspended in time but can be unleashed with furious speed or simply held in place to provide a continous effect. Only effects that require spending or releasing fragments can be knotted. All the fragments that would have been spent or released are instead bound for the time being. Sadly, no riddle will keep forever and for every ten minutes that pass, the effect will diminish by one fragment. Burning a fragment will increase this half-life to one hour. In addition, the spell can be held taut, in what is called a coiled knot, so that it can be released with but a moment's notice. To coil a knot the Basecaster must burn a single fragment, but in return the effect can be released at any time as an immediate action. If the knotted riddles provide some kind of manifestation (a floating ball of light or flame for example) the knots can be designed to hold the manifestation in place instead of just having the riddle on standby. These choices must be made when first making the knot. Crafting a knot is difficult and takes 1 minute for every fragment involved.
Weaver: A Basecaster with weaver can make a knot in half the time normally required.
Preserve Riddle: A Basecaster with this arcana only sees his knots decay after 1 hour has passed and if he chooses to burn a fragment 4 hours
Great conservationist: The knots of a great conservationist only decay after a day has passed and last indefinitely at the expenditure of a burned fragment. The eternal knots still
Unravel (simple): The Basecaster can unbind the knots of other Basecasters. They make opposed checks using their Basecaster level and intelligence as bonuses. If the unraveller succeeds he can choose to dismiss the effect. If he succeeds by 10 or more he can choose to take control of the effect and redirect it. If the defender wins nothing happens. The Basecaster must release 3 fragments to do this. If he pays the price and burns an additional fragment he can treat this as a dispel magic spell using his Basecaster level as caster level.                    

Kineticism (mostly low level)
In the end the universe boils down to matter and energy, permanence and change. Using the ancient Kinetic Keys the Basecasters control the latter, changing the natural flow of the universe as they desire.
First Kinetic Key: Using the lore of the First Key, matter can be guided and moved by the mind of the Basecaster. Any object can be levitated and moved about freely in any direction with a speed of 10 ft. as a simple riddle. To lift tiny or smaller objects, a single fragment must be bound to do this. The cost of lifting larger targets can be seen below. If the target is currently moving at high speed (e.g. an arrow whistling through the air, a man falling from a tower, a hawk in flight) two additional fragments must be released. If the target is a living being (or simply ambulatory) it receives a will save to resist and can continue to move its limbs freely. The entirety of the desired target must be visible in the Eye for the effect to take place. A Basecaster can't use more points on a single levitation than he has levels.  

Size             Fragments
Tiny and smaller   1
Small                   2
Medium                   4
Large                   6
Huge                   8
Gargantuan          10
Colossal          12

In addition to levitation the Key allows more forceful interaction. Any thrown object can use intelligence as the ability score for calculating attack and damage by spending a single fragment to propel it forwards (a simple riddle). If more force is required, releasing one or more fragments can create powerful flows of air and matter (a complex riddle). Anything within the Eye can be thus buffeted with a ranged touch attack dealing bludgeoning damage equal to the number of released fragments. If he is in physical contact with the target he deals an additional +1 per fragment.
The Secret of Antecedent Fire (complex): A Basecaster who has been taught this secret has learned of the hidden link between fire and pure change which enables him to command the most destructive of nature's elements. Heating an object can be a slow and arduous process but using knots and raw power a Basecaster can create impressive displays of arcane fire. It is easier to heat homogenous masses such as weapons and balls of compressed air and few Basecasters trouble with the cost required to set a living organism on fire. Also, only objects of small size can be heated. Lighting a flammable object within range of the Eye only requires that the Basecaster spends a single fragment. If palpable heat is required the release of 2 fragments for every 1d6 of fire damage to be stored in the object is necessary and twice that for complex or organic targets. If the caster burns fragments instead of releasing them the price is halved. No more than his level can be spent on any one heating. If the object is susceptible to fire and heat the stored damage will often be dealt immediately to the object itself, but if used on conductive object the heat might instead be transferred to wielders or the like. Gasses and liquids can also be heated; gasses will store the energy and superheated air will quickly transfer the damage to anyone coming in contact with it, while liquids will boil away in most cases.      
Compress (complex): With this ability the Basecaster can create pressurized balls of air and crush objects held in his grasp. It is assumed the first Kinetic Key is used to levitate an object (or a sphere of pure air) before this ability is activated. The bound fragments required for the levitation are treated as released fragments as the held target substance is compressed to a size category one time smaller. The same cost can be released again to compress it once more and so on. Alternatively, the compressed object can be levitated immediately as an object of its newly reduced size and if this levitation is knotted the compression will stay in place. To crush a flexible object (such as most living creatures) the held target must be compressed twice (a living creature can survive under the somewhat cramped conditions of one compression). When the cost for two compressions is paid, the bubble of air surrounding the target will start to slowly constrict around him as long as the compression is held. A fortitude save is allowed each round, but otherwise the held target takes 4d6 crushing damage each round. Further compressions will add 4d6 additional damage per turn. If a compression of air is released the gas quickly expands into a sphere with a 15 ft. radius per compression. Under the right circumstances this might knock creatures close enough prone.            

Break (complex): A Basecaster can send a surge of wild kinetic power through an object, causing it to splinter and tear itself apart with a thought. This riddle requires the release of at least one fragment which gives the Basecaster the right to roll an intelligence check versus the break DC of the object. Treat this as an ordinary strength check. If the Basecaster is in physical contact with the object he receives a +2 and for every additional fragment he releases he gets another +2 bonus on the roll. This ability can only be used against inanimate objects and the GM should treat very large objects as either unbreakable or as divided into several target sections.    

Sympathy (mid level)
Sympathy is all about seeing the connection between things: between people, between words and the things they describe, between two halves of a whole. Where there is connection there is interaction as well, and using sympathy the Basecaster can work over long distances using this invisible network of shared moments and symbolism.

Hex (complex): Given a target within range of the Eye, a link can be forged between the target and an effigy at hand. Whether this link is of a successful nature depends on whether the effigy fulfills one or more of the following criteria: it is composed of the same material, it resembles the target's type (human, door, chair), it resembles the specific target, it is the same size, the model possesses the same functionality (e.g. a model of a door that can actually open) and it contains or is in contact with part of the target (a lock of hair). At least three of these criteria must be fulfilled. To forge the bond a single fragment must be released if the target is inanimate or burned if it is alive and to maintain it a single fragment must be bound to it plus an additional one for each criteria that wasn't fulfilled. After the bond has been forged it remains over any distance as long as the fragments remain bound to the link and the effigy isn't destroyed.                  

With a forged bond, the Basecaster can interact with his target through manipulation of the effigy. Time and space only bends so much, though, and the Basecaster must take care that the bond doesn't break under strain. You can't outright destroy an effigy: the effigy will itself be destroyed before the bond has the chance to transfer much more than a sting of pain. An effigy can be used as a lever for physical interaction though and the Basecaster can perform a combat maneuver through the doll as if he were standing right next to the character with a +1 bonus for each level of size difference. A break check can also be tried if the effigy is linked to an inanimate object, with a +2 to the strength check for every size difference. Both checks receive an additional +1 for every creation criteria the effigy fulfilled.
Pain can also be transferred through the bond to living creatures. Death and lethal damage is difficult to transfer as any ordinary weapon will overload the bond and any miniature weapon, such as a needle or a toy sword, won't possess the same symbolic associations with death. Yet a needle still hurts and if the effigy is stung the target can be made either shaken or sickened. They get a DC 10 + (number of fulfilled creation criteria) fortitude save each day to avoid the effect, but for every additional needle dedicated to that condition the DC goes up by one. The effigy can only effectively hold as many needles as the effigy has fulfilled creation criteria.


Thaumaturgy (high level)
Thaumaturgy is at the same time the most subtle and the most dramatic ability in the Basecaster's arsenal. Instead of merely playing with the laws of the universe the basecaster dabbling in thaumaturgy enforces his will on the very fabric of reality. Fabricating matter from thin air, altering circumstances to his favor, changing the nature of substance and perception around him; everything is within the realm of possibility for the trained thaumaturge. Thaumaturgy only follows a few rules. The more miracles you try to work in one day, the harder it gets. The first miracle has a cost of one burned fragment, but the next costs two, then three and so on. These costs reset after a day. In addition, working thaumaturgy is not a perfect science. The price allows you to try, but doesn't guarantee success. You must roll an intelligence check versus a DC set by the GM. Thaumaturgy takes a full-round action, but for every 5 minutes you spend working the thaumaturgy you receive a +1 bonus on the roll. For every fragment you burn in addition to the preliminary cost you receive an additional +1 bonus. What happens exactly and whether it is temporary or permanent is left to the player and GM to discuss. If the result is unsatisfactory a price in fragments might be negotiated.              

[Seraph]

I'm having trouble understanding in this system what these things ARE.  Are they spells?  Parts of spells?  Feats?  Class-granted abilities?  

Are they meant to be a part of a different system entirely?  

[Seraph]

Nevermind the last question.  I forgot that the title placed this in the d20 system.

[Superfluous Crow]

The idea was to escape the ever-present concept of spells. I have tried to infuse the class with a sense of occult mysticism so that people didn't immediately return to the same trains of thought as before, but here is a short translation guide:
Riddle: A riddle is a spell, or rather a component of one.
Fragments: Fragments are mana; a point-based mechanic to help adjudicate how much mojo your character can pull out of thin air. These points can be used in various ways as mentioned under the fragments header.
Knots: A way to make spells/riddles last longer or to save them for later.

The idea is that you are not limited by a list of fixed effects, but can pretty much do whatever you want with the tools at hand. These tools are currently limited to movement, heat and sympathetic magic, but with those simple things you could do a lot of different stuff.
A fireball is already within the realms of possibility, let's see how a Basecaster would make one of those:

*This spell will be made in the Basecaster's hand, so he doesn't need to open his Eye. If he wanted to do this at a range, that would be necessary.
*Take a hold of a medium-sized ball of air with the First Kinetic Key (levitation). This requires him to bind 4 fragments to the spell/riddle, to be released back into his pool when he ends the levitation.    
*release the 4 fragments used in the bind (this means they will be gone until the end of the encounter) and use them to make a compression to a small-sized ball of air. Release a further 4 fragments to compress it to tiny size.
*Use the Secret of Antecedent Fire to superheat the air and set it on fire. Let's say you are level 6 and you want this fireball to really hurt. You could release 6 fragments to store 3d6 damage or burn 6 fragments to store 6d6 damage. We'll do the latter; these fragments won't return until after a night's rest.
*if the fireball isn't needed at that moment the Basecaster can knot it. All the released and spent fragments will simply be bound until the fireball is thrown at the cost that the fireball will decay into a weaker fireball if left unused too long.  

This is a basic fireball, but this very basic framework already allows for a number of adjustments to the spell. You could use the Kinetic Key (again) to provide propulsion so it doesn't blow up in your face or coil the knot so that you can shoot it reflexively. You could use the Break riddle to shatter a sword, then compress the air around it, turn it into a fireball and thus put shrapnel into the mix. You might even make some sort of nested fireball, putting diminuitive fireballs into a larger one. If you are feeling really crazy, you might even find a way to include Sympathy or Thaumaturgy to the classic line-up.  

[Seraph]

Hmm.  I have mixed feelings about this.  It sounds cinematic and cool, but it also sounds complicated.  There would be a lot of fragment-tracking involved.  I take it one would have to have a lot of fragments for magic-users to do much.

Also, having to keep track of which used up fragments come back at the end of the encounter and which ones don't come back until the next day makes my head hurt.  

Out of curiosity, the term "Fragments" implies that they are fragments of something.  What provides mana in this system?  Crystals?  Or is it just fragments of you energy/soul/etc.?

[Superfluous Crow]

Yeah, some of it is a little math-heavy, but I didn't want to do a raw mana mechanic as that is almost as bad as vancian. Most of your fragments will probably be tied up in knots (pun not intended) since working complex riddles can be quite time-consuming. So you will have a staple of premade spells: fireballs just waiting to be unleashed, defensive spells ready to stop arrows or turn them on the archers, other similar spells where speed is of the essence. And you will probably have the fragment cost precalculated for these.
On the other hand, you can always string together a spur of the moment riddle with the fragments you have at hand. If you just need to tear open a chest or lift the keys of your jailor then time really is a minor factor. If you are lacking in fragments you can sacrifice some of your prepared riddles to return bound fragments to your pool.

So it all boils down to a balance between your powers: do you want to keep your fragments free for ultimate flexibility? Do you amp up the Eye to keep everything in range? Do you turn yourself into a well-prepared powerhouse with a sparse arsenal?

but yes, this is just a framework. I was hoping I could get some of you guys to think in the same veins if you ever wanted to try your hands at some D20 magic. My setting doesn't really have this kind of magic, so I just wanted to pass it on to someone who could use it.    

As to the word Fragments it implies fragments of your power or your soul. Energy is just not a very good word, mana has been used so many times that I just couldn't bear repeating it, threads and weaves implied more than I wanted and didn't bring anything new to the table, I feared Seeds might give the wrong associations and so on. The only source of fragments is yourself, but one can easily imagine basecasters fueling up objects of power with their own Fragments as a sort of arcane battery.  

[Weave]

Crow, you and I must be thinking on the same wavelength. I've been looking for a way to take Vancian spellcasting out of the D20 system and replace it with something that feels more like the caster is actually "crafting" the spells they want instead of drawing from a set list.

I really like what you have here, but I have to echo the sentiments of S_H in that it does seem a little complicated. Thematically, it sounds awesome. I love the idea of mages weaving riddles!

I think I'd need to see more of the crunch behind all this. It seems like spellcasters would need a solid pool of fragments to really do anything, so I'm wondering what sort of amount you're giving them to draw from.

[Seraph]

You know, in some ways this sounds rather similar to Pathfinder's Words of Power variant, wherein rather than taking set spells, you chose certain kinds of effects, areas of effect, and so forth, and just assembled them whenever you wanted to cast a spell.  

[Weave]

You know, in some ways this sounds rather similar to Pathfinder's Words of Power variant, wherein rather than taking set spells, you chose certain kinds of effects, areas of effect, and so forth, and just assembled them whenever you wanted to cast a spell.  

I thought the same thing when I read it, but after seeing the preview on the Paizo site, I'm not so sure how much I like them. Mechanical issues aside (of which there were a few large ones, but hey, it's a playtest), they seemed far less elegant than I imagined them. I loved the idea of them, but I don't know if I agree with their implementation. I, of course, will reserve final judgment until the product finally becomes available.

[Seraph]

You know, in some ways this sounds rather similar to Pathfinder's Words of Power variant, wherein rather than taking set spells, you chose certain kinds of effects, areas of effect, and so forth, and just assembled them whenever you wanted to cast a spell.  

I thought the same thing when I read it, but after seeing the preview on the Paizo site, I'm not so sure how much I like them. Mechanical issues aside (of which there were a few large ones, but hey, it's a playtest), they seemed far less elegant than I imagined them. I loved the idea of them, but I don't know if I agree with their implementation. I, of course, will reserve final judgment until the product finally becomes available.

Yeah, I don't think the playtest takes full advantage of the possibilities the idea puts forth either.  

[Superfluous Crow]

Just checked out the playtest and I'd say it still feels like the system is to restricted by the concept of "spells". Their effect words are basically just very diluted spell effects and then you can pick range and target variables... I'm not impressed.

My system might work more smoothly if fragments were more valuable, reducing pool size and cost simultaneously. All effects could be scaled to the cost of 1 fragment. It could also be made more dependent on level, so that a high level Basecaster could always lift the largest allowed size category when using the Kinetic Key.

I do want to keep the relationship between bound and free fragments. Let's say that weaving any kind of riddle using free fragments takes some time, for example a full round. Any effect knotted earlier in the day takes only a standard action, but locks the fragments and limits versatility. These knots can be tied together to make more complex knots: so a basecaster could choose to have two compress riddles (2 standard action to casts), or a compress-compress riddle prepared (a double compression; 1 standard action). The more complex the knot, the more fragments will be bound, but he will also be able to field more powerful effects in less time. Basically, the Basecaster will construct more and more complex building blocks from a set of very basic spell effects until he reaches a desired level of versatility and strength.

I'm a bit apprehensive about using time as the cost though, as it will quickly ramp up and leave the basecaster useless for large periods while he works his magic. Perhaps instead, each untied knot burns 1 fragment but the cost in time remains the same. So doing two compressions or a double compression will take the same amount of time, but the one will burn 2 fragments while the other one will one cost 1 point.

The suggested solution might have the unfortunate effect that extensive preparation will be much more rewarding than keeping a level of versatility. One limiting factor could be that a free fragment is necessary to unbind a knot. So if the caster has tied up all his fragments in powerful knots he will not have the power to untie them and will have to wait for them to decay or for some outside force to unravel them. I can already imagine a caster who accidentally ties up all of his power in eternal knots...  
     

[Superfluous Crow]

Okay, the following is a possible solution:

*The basecaster has access to a list of simple effects, called Tautologies. To use one or more tautologies to make an effect, the basecaster must spend a full-round action and burn one fragment for each Tautology used.
*Any Tautology can be tied into a Knot. One Fragment must be bound to make each Knot. This means that the Fragment can't be used for anything else, but also that it doesn't return until the Knot is untied. It takes 5 minutes to make one.
*To use a Knot the basecaster must burn one Fragment to activate the stored effect as a standard action. The Knot remains and can be used again!
*To unbind the Fragments used to make the Knot, the basecaster must use a full-round action and burn a Fragment to unravel the Knot. The Fragments are then returned to his pool.  
*Any number of Tautologies can be made into a single Knot at the cost of one bound Fragment per Tautology. Using the Knot still requires only one Fragment to be burned.
*Making a Knot limits the versatility of the effects. The basecaster must choose what effects each Tautology provides and how they work in concert. This combined effect is called a Riddle.
*A basecaster can choose to make a more complex effect in a single standard action by burning Fragments to use multiple Knots simultaneously. Only if he includes a Tautology will the time required be increased to one full round.        

So a basecaster could choose to never tie a Knot. He would have unlimited versatility, but his Riddles would be costly and slow as he'd only have Tautologies to work with. He could tie most of his power up in Knots, but then he would soon need to unravel one or more to replenish his dwindling energy reserves. Or he could try to go for a more balanced approach, but that is possibly not as simple as it sounds.

Terminology:
Tautology: the most basic building block the caster has available. Heat, levitate, expand, etc.
Knots: more complex building blocks constructed out of Tautologies and other Knots. compress-heat-propel
Riddles: the final effects produced by unleashing one or more Knots or Tautologies. fireball