v3.0 suggestions

[Joe the Rat]

Magic Duels could always use some exploration. The D&D model is very gunslinger-ish, but clever spell selection and a little extra description can make for an interesting show. Describe Saving throws as active deflections or dissipations of spells, rather than just luck or resistance. (Also good justification for INT save bonus against spells, at least for the MU).

Having some optional alternatives for a good old wizard duel would give you some choices to fit your personal preferences for cinematics. Emphasis on 'optional' (back next to the 'how to avoid dying at 0hp' rules).

2. Allow a Magic-User to apply the INT bonus to the number of spells of each level that they may memorise each day (but not cast - that would remain the same as it is currently, i.e. the table on page 8 of the rule book). So a high INT would NOT increase the spell-casting capacity of a Magic-User, but it would provide them with more spell-casting options.

Neither, I think, would be game-breaking, but would provide a tangible day-to-day benefit to the MU of having a high INT.

I like this one. Rather than a pure hot-swap, you've got to choose your options ahead of time.

On general usage, Intelligence also stands in for breadth of knowledge - how much information a character may know about a given thing. Attribute checks is an optional rule, but one that could easily come up to address the legends and lore of a given campaign world, or to help fill in the things a character should know, even if the player doesn't (I'd say or vice-versa, but I'd prefer not to make 'hamstring players based on character knowledge' a written rule).

[Zargul]

High intelligence scores for magic users could be made more attractive by allowing the use of high level spells only to those who have high scores. For example: Maximum spell level that can be cast by a magic user is four plus his intelligence bonus. Thus only the most intelligent wizards can reach true mastership in their profession (spell level seven).

The same with clerics and druids.

This makes much sense to me (an average guy simply cannot learn the arts of highest magic) and it would not change the basic feeling of the game as much as granting additional low level spells for high intelligence. Delving through a dungeon with only one sleep spell on first level is completely different to having three first level spells on first level. The latter is a bit too much AD&D for me.

However, I could live with the bonus spell idea if each class would get its power boost on first levels but it is not my first choice.