Notice
The spell points alternative rules are currently being phased out of use. Existing characters using this system may continue to do so, but this system is no longer available for use with new characters.
Spell points
The spell point system presented here allows casters to more freely pick and choose which spells they cast each day.
Every spellcaster has a reserve of spell points based on class and level (see Table: Spell Points Per Day). Characters also gain bonus spell points from a high ability score; see Bonus Spell Points and Bonus Spells, below. These spell points provide the magical power behind the caster’s spells: They spend a number of spell points appropriate to the spell’s level to cast the spell (see Casting Spells, below). Once spent, spell points are expended until the caster has sufficient time to rest and prepare new spells (see Preparing Spells, below).
Preparing Spells
With this variant, spellcasters still prepare spells as normal (assuming they normally prepare spells). In effect, casters who prepare spells are setting their list of “spells known” for the day.
Bonus Spell Points and Bonus Spells
Any spellcaster who would normally receive bonus spells for a high ability score receives bonus spell points instead. In effect, the character can simply cast more of their spells each day.
To determine the number of bonus spell points gained from a high ability score, first find the row for the character’s ability score on Table: Bonus Spell Points. Use whichever ability score would normally award bonus spells for the character’s class (Wisdom for clerics and druids, Intelligence for wizards, and so forth).
Next, find the column for the highest level of spell the character is capable of casting based on their class level (even if they don’t have a high enough ability score to cast spells of that level). At the point where the row and column intersect, you find the bonus spell points the character gains. This value can change each time their ability score undergoes a permanent change (such from an ability score increase due to character level or one from a wish spell) and each time their level changes.
A character who would normally receive bonus spells from a class feature (such as from wizard specialization or access to a domain) can instead prepare extra spells of the appropriate levels, domains, and/or schools. The character doesn’t get any extra spell points (and thus can’t cast any more spells than normal), but the added flexibility of being able to use the bonus spell more than once per day makes up for that.
For instance, a specialist wizard can prepare one extra spell from the chosen school of each spell level that they can cast. A cleric can prepare one domain spell (chosen from among their domain spells available) of each spell level that they can cast.
For class features that grant bonus spells of a nonfixed spell level (such as the dragon disciple’s bonus spells), the character instead gains a number of bonus spell points equal to twice the highest spell level they can cast, minus 1 (minimum 1 point) each time they gain a bonus spell. This is a fixed value—it doesn’t increase later as the character gains levels—though later rewards may be larger as appropriate to their spellcasting ability.
Spontaneous Spellcasting
Characters who cast all their spells spontaneously—such as bards and sorcerers—don’t have to prepare spells. They can cast any spell they know by spending the requisite number of spell points.
Characters with the ability to cast a limited number of spells spontaneously (such as druids, who can spontaneously cast a summon nature’s ally spell in place of another spell of the same level) are always treated as having those spells prepared, without spending any spell slots to do so. Thus, they can cast such spells any time they have sufficient spell points.
Regaining Spell Points
Spellcasters regain lost spell points whenever they could normally regain spells. Doing this requires the same amount of rest and preparation or concentration time as normal for the class. Without this period of rest and mental preparation, their mind isn’t ready to regain their power. Spell points are not divorced from the body; they are part of it. Using spell points is mentally tiring, and without the requisite period of rest, they do not regenerate. Any spell points spent within the last 8 hours count against their daily limit and aren’t regained.
Casting Spells
Each spell costs a certain number of spell points to cast. The higher the level of the spell, the more points it costs. Table: Spell Point Costs describes each spell’s cost.
Spellcasters use their full normal caster level for determining the effects of their spells in this system, with one significant exception. Spells that deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as magic missile, searing light, or lightning bolt) deal damage as if cast by a character of a level equal to the spell points spent. Spells whose damage is partially based on caster level, but that don’t deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as produce flame or an inflict spell) use the spellcaster’s normal caster level to determine damage. Use their normal caster level for all other effects, including range and duration.
A character can spend additional spell points, up to their caster level, to increase their effective level for the purpose of determining damage dice. Damage is still subject to the limits of the spell.
For example, a fireball deals a number of dice of damage based on the caster’s level, so when cast by a wizard using this system, they would normally 5 spell points and it deals 5d6 points of damage. They could instead spend up to their caster level in spell points to deal that many d6 points of damage, up to fireball's maximum of 10d6 damage.
Whenever a spell is cast, there is a chance that the memorized spell is lost, as though it had been cast under normal casting rules. After a spell is cast, the caster must make a Concentration check. The
Difficulty Class of the check is equal to 10 plus twice the spell points spent casting the spell (DC = 10 + 2 * spell lvl). On a failure, that slot is lost, and cannot be replaced again until the caster completes a full rest. Spontaneous casters are not subject to this effect, as well as spells that can be cast spontaneously in place of a memorized spell (such as a cleric's cure spells).
Metamagic And Spell Points
Metamagic modified spells do not need to be memorized; metamagic effects can be applied to spells spontaneously. If the metamagic effect(s) increases the level of the slot required, the spell point cost of the spell is that of the higher level spell. If the effective level of the modified spell is higher than what the caster is capable of casting, they cannot cast the spell with those metamagic effects. The higher effective level of the spell increases the DC required to keep the slot (see above), and Additional spell points spent on metamagic effects also increase the caster level of the spell for the purpose of determining damage dice (see above).
Multiclass Spellcasters
A character with nonstacking spellcasting ability from multiple classes (such as a cleric/wizard) has a separate pool of spell points for each spellcasting class. Such characters may only spend spell points on spells granted by that class. Bonus spell points from a high ability score apply to each pool separately, even if the same ability score is tied to more than one spellcasting class. In the rare situations when a character has prepared or knows the same spell in two different slots (such as a druid/ranger preparing delay poison as both a 2nd-level druid spell and a 1st-level ranger spell), the character can cast the spell using either pool of spell points, but the spell is treated as being cast by a caster of the level of the class from which the spell points are drawn.
Miscellaneous Issues
When a character would lose a spell slot (such as from gaining a negative level), they also lose the number of spell points required to cast a spell of the lost slot's level.
Spells that allow a character to recall or recast a spell don’t function in this system. (It doesn’t make any sense to have a spell that gives you more spell points, since you’re either paying more than you get, getting nothing, or getting more than you paid.) Items that function similarly can work, but differently— they restore a number of spell points required to cast a spell of that level. A pearl of power for 3rd-level spells, for instance, would restore 5 spell points to a character’s pool of available points when activated (though it would also restore slot lost to a failed concentration check if one of the appropriate level was lost).
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