Topic: Regarding spell casting

I like how real LofFP rules feel, a lot. It makes the stakes that much higher in a game. But I have a few questions/reservations regarding casting spells.
    1. PCB: Rules & Magic (PCB) under Preparing Spells Each Day states that “Spells remain in memory until they are cast, and once they are cast, the power of the spell leaves the caster. However, the same spell can be prepared multiple times.”
    Let’s take 4th lv Cleric for example. She can cast 3 spells of lv 1 and 1 spell of lv 2. Does that mean, that if she wants to cast Cure light wounds (CLW) 2 times she has to allocate 2 of the spell slots for that, thus effectively reducing the number of 1st lv spells prepared to only 2 (2 slots for CLW and the remaining 1 for other spells), instead of 3? So the prepared spells would look like this – 1 lv: CLW, CLW, Bless; 2 lv: Augury. If she wanted to cast CLW for the 3rd time – she could not? Or can she prepare 3 different 1 lv spells and cast them any way she likes?
    2. Can a spell be cast at a higher lv? If the Cleric from before wanted to cast CLW again, but had no 1st lv spell slots available and only the 2nd spell slot was free.
    3. As far as I understand anyone able to cast spells can cast them even if wearing plate armor (lightly encumbered). They are not limited to just leather armor or robes.
    4. Casting and movement. PCB says that “A character wishing to cast a spell cannot drop anything at the beginning of the Round or move at all during the whole of the Round. His attention must be on casting the spell for the entire Round.” That seems to me to be very detrimental, though quite convincing. There are almost no spells that require the target to be in the line of sight, that could be cast during combat (damage wise), but the inability to move on your round, at all, if you want to cast a spell is so limiting. Furthermore – if you were hurt you can’t cast either. If you retreat, without being attacked, or step 10 ft from the cover – you can’t cast.
    Am I missing something? Sorry for a long rant.
    I will try to talk some of my 5e players to give LotFP a try, but these things I know will be very hard for them to digest.

Re: Regarding spell casting

1) That is how I read it. You must state the number of each spell being memorized. If the Cleric wants to cast 2 CLW, then they must declare that in the morning.

2) Yes.

3) Correct.

4) Correct. Spellcasting during combat is very dangerous!

I highly recommend you check out this and last year's Free RPG Day offerings from LotFP: Vagina's Are Magic and Eldritch Cock. They are available as free downloads from DriveThruRPG (and you can access them from the main LotFP web page). They present 42 new spells, and a new magic system that I believe is more fun than the traditional one.

Some highlights:
-All spells are available at first level.
-You actually only need to memorize each spell once, but then can cast it multiple times (using up a different slot).
-Instead of spell failure,  you have a chance of miscasting spells (like when taking damage).
-Taking on some risk, casters can cast unmemorized spells and/or beyond their allotment for the day.

Re: Regarding spell casting

I have read VAM and found them to be too weird. I love the spells though. smile While CBP puts a ton of restrictions on spells and casting (mostly I like that), VAM makes everything seem too easy. At least I think so. I'll just have to find "The Spot" that will satisfy the needs of my friends and me. Thank you for your help, Crunk.

Re: Regarding spell casting

Grotas wrote:

I have read VAM and found them to be too weird. I love the spells though. smile While CBP puts a ton of restrictions on spells and casting (mostly I like that), VAM makes everything seem too easy. At least I think so. I'll just have to find "The Spot" that will satisfy the needs of my friends and me. Thank you for your help, Crunk.

Well, if you find to restricting you can try some house rules.

At my game table I used the following:

A cleric does not need to prepare certain spells, as the magic the character uses it not his own (unlike other magic-users) but help from a deity. Thereby, my clerics are rather flexibel as they do not need to determine ahead which 1st and 2nd level spells (to use your example from above) they need to use. Made sense to me, and it gives the "healer"-class a little extra.

A magic-user may exchange any prepared spell for a different spell from his or her spell book immediately (I assuem that they are familiar with what is in their books, BUT those "non-prepared" spells are dangerous to use: a Save vs. Magic is in order BEFORE the spell takes effect, and a failure means that I will have fun (negative effects similar to the VAM table or the DarkHeresy psycher mishapped I used to be familiar with).

This way, you can offer your 5e-players something good while you feed them something bad as well wink

With kind regards
Gregorius21778
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Re: Regarding spell casting

My problem is that I am OK with these restrictions but my players - I know - would not be. That is why I will have to come up with something sightly different.

I think I will keep the restriction to cast spells if a caster was hit that round - it makes sense (to me at least).
If a caster wants to move and cast a spell - she has to make a saving throw vs. Magic. If fail - Miscast table.

Re: Regarding spell casting

I like the spellcasting system from VAM. But how do you handle miscasts with spells from the Rules & Magic book? Do you just roll 1d6 for the six effects remaining on the miscast table?

Gregorius21778 wrote:

A cleric does not need to prepare certain spells, as the magic the character uses it not his own (unlike other magic-users) but help from a deity. Thereby, my clerics are rather flexibel as they do not need to determine ahead which 1st and 2nd level spells (to use your example from above) they need to use. Made sense to me, and it gives the "healer"-class a little extra.

Your idea for cleric spells is very apealing to me. I think I will use it at my game table.
How many spells do you give the Clerics per day or long rest? Are all spells from every level available from the beginning at your game table?

Re: Regarding spell casting

I have written my own 1-6 miscast charts for spells, based on which school they are.

Re: Regarding spell casting

Olupo wrote:

Your idea for cleric spells is very apealing to me. I think I will use it at my game table.
How many spells do you give the Clerics per day or long rest? Are all spells from every level available from the beginning at your game table?

Thanks! smile I leave all the other rules (restrictions of spells per level, prep-time per spell) as it is. The time the cleric spends in devotion to /communion with "the deity" influences how much attention the cleric receives, and thereby what kind of divine intervention is generally avaiable.

But to be honest, that is currently just theorie. Even WITH these house rules, my LotFP-players still stick to the premade character I made as "try-out" PC for them on their first run through Dunnsmouth... they still use them.  No clerics at my table so far *sighs*

With kind regards
Gregorius21778
__________________
My blog

Re: Regarding spell casting

Andomedanaea wrote:

I have written my own 1-6 miscast charts for spells, based on which school they are.

I think the next few sessions I will only use the general miscasts until I have the time write my own.

Gregorius21778 wrote:

Thanks! smile I leave all the other rules (restrictions of spells per level, prep-time per spell) as it is. The time the cleric spends in devotion to /communion with "the deity" influences how much attention the cleric receives, and thereby what kind of divine intervention is generally avaiable.

But to be honest, that is currently just theorie. Even WITH these house rules, my LotFP-players still stick to the premade character I made as "try-out" PC for them on their first run through Dunnsmouth... they still use them.  No clerics at my table so far *sighs*

Well, I have two Clerics at the table sometimes (my players have two characters and can switch them at certain points if they want to). But I will keep the spell levels for the clecric spells and when they are avialable. Spells that are one level higher than the highest spell level available for the Clecric can also be prepared, but can only be cast risky.
As additional risky casting condition I will add for the Clerics: Casting spells that are one level above the highest spell level available to caster.