Did anybody ever use a spellpoint system in 2E?

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Back in the days when I had a group to play P&P D&D, we had decided we didn't like the way the memorization system worked, and came up with a variation. Basically, we made it so that you could memorize up to your maximum number of spells per level (those with extremely high int could only get one more spell/level for each point over 18) using standard rules, and you were assigned a number of spell points based on the normal spells/level. First level spells counted as 1, second gave your 2, third gave you 3, etc. To cast a spell, you put as many SP into the spell as it's level, ie first level spells cost 1, second cost 2, third cost 3...

We had it so that the spell points regenerated by resting, and took the same amount of time as if you had been rememorizing the spells.

Also, we did away with the limits on the number of spells in the spell books. You could scribe as many as you wanted into your book. It was how many you could keep in your head, ready to cast that mattered.

The idea was to give the players options other than combat spells. Let them use the spells more for everyday stuff instead of only using them for combat.

It did make the wizards a little bit unbalanced, as in a tough fight the wizard could expend his entire spell book on fireballs or magic missiles, but it also made them a lot more fun to play. Which was entirely the point. They could have a bunch of noncombat spells memorized that they would never waste a precious slot on under nomral circumstances. Using them generally meant they were LESS powerful in battle, even though the obvious exploits were still there. It also kinda rebalnced the spells, because lower-level spells became a bit more powerful due to their lower cost. One meteor swarm, three fireballs, or nine magic missiles?

Did anybody else ever come up with something like this? It's been a long time since my D&D group broke up for college (everybody going to separate schools all over the country), and with the new third edition rules out, I wonder if it would be possible to combine the Wizard and Sorcerer in a similar manor, or would that be way too powerful?

[ September 05, 2007, 17:41: Message edited by: Blackthorne TA ]

 

I once played a game with a friend of mine run by his father, and he had some real interesting house all over the place, i think he started with 1st and then carried the house rules over to 2nd were most of them didn't make sense but did basically work. Anyway, my wizard could cast a number of spells that totaled up to my caster level, so at 4th level i could cast 4-1st level spells or 1-2nd and 2-1st. The thing that really made it stand out was that my highest level spell was equal to my caster level, so i had Lighting Bolts at 3rd and some 4th level spell at 4th. It was pretty cool, i almost never used the higher spells since they basically killed my casting for the day in 1 shot, but it was cool to just have them.

 

Meh. If I ever wanted spell points, there are any number of video games that use that system. The Might and Magic series, the Wizardry series (with a nice twist on spell power), certain Final Fantasy games, etc. And even in D&D, the Psionicists used PSPs (Psionic Strength Points). So I never really saw any point in overpowering an already powerful class.

 

For third edition just read Unearthed Arcana, they have a Spell Point system for all the casters as optional rule. Been wanting to run it myself.

Can't say I've seen any for 2E, would really make the casters even more usefull than they already are I agree. On the positive side, AD&D/D&D isn't as dependent on internal balance as other games where you paly more VS games.

 

I was in a campaign where we planned to try that, but never got far enough to see the system for it's pros and cons.

 

I use it all the time, the Vaconian rule used by D&D is really stupid.

 

What is the "Vaconian rule"? I don't know what the word "Vaconian" means.

 

Yeah, Vancian it is.

 

Not to mention there was a point system for 2nd edition. I don't remember how the point system works but it was one of the last books published for 2nd edition.