Magic-User Options

[Sir Bedivere]

For release 3, I'm updating the list of MU-related supplements. Below is my list right now. Am I missing anything? Or, do you think any of these need a better description?

Supplements

0-Level Spells provides interesting but minor spells that add color to the Magic-User class.

Equipment Emporium provides costs and descriptions for a wide variety of goods and services for all classes, but it also includes a somewhat expanded version of the above equipment list and some additional discussion of gear for magicians.

Familiars offers rules for Magic-User familiars, an animal with a unique bond with a magician.

Fey Mage provides an alternate Sorcerer sub-class (see below) that draws power from the fey world.

Illusionist provides an optional sub-class that specializes in magical illusion.

Libram Magica is a compendium of supplemental spells. Some are new and some are found in other supplements.

Necromancer provides an optional sub-class that specializes in the dead and undead.

New Spells adds rules for seventh level spells and offers a number of optional spells that a GM may want to consider for his or her campaign.

Pyromancer provides an optional sub-class that specializes in fire magic.

Sentient Weapons provides rules for intelligent magical items.

Sorcerer provides an optional sub-class that uses magic spontaneously instead of requiring spells to be memorized.

Spell Channeling Items offers magical items that enhance a Magic-User's power.

Spellcrafters provides an optional sub-class that specializes in crafting magical items.

[Solomoriah]

Why keep a list of supplements in a supplement at all?

EDIT: Let me elaborate:

1) No other supplement lists other supplements.
2) It will be out of date almost as soon as it is released.
3) The website lists supplements already, and for the most part their names are adequately expressive of their content.

If we start doing this in every supplement, or even just in the constructive supplements, the work involved would become exponential.

Or in short words, I think it's a bad idea.

[Sir Bedivere]

Why keep a list of supplements in a supplement at all?

First, I find it more useful to have all the relevant supplements listed in one place. This is much more convenient to me than trying to find them all in their various places on the website.

Second, for completeness. The supplements are other MU options.

Third, a couple of people have specifically commented that it was helpful, and pixels are cheap.

Most other supplements, I would argue, don't need a similar list as there are generally fewer relevant supplements for them than there are for the MU Options. (Fighter is an exception, with about the same number of related supplements.) Besides, me doing it doesn't necessarily set a precedent; I'm certainly not suggesting anyone else should.

The supplement list from the second release, which I put out a year ago now, is almost up to date today. It's only missing two supplements, and one of those came out this week.

I'll think about this and maybe take it out in r4, but I think there's a place for it in r3.

[Sir Bedivere]

Here's my proposed 3rd release for comments.

Mostly, I have rewritten and reorganized to make the options more immediately useful (i.e., more 'bolt on' or 'plug & play,' if you will). There have been small changes in content as well, removing errors, tweaking, and so forth.

Whatcha think, y'all?

EDIT: This version was replaced with a new version for comments on 2/18/13.

[LibraryLass]

I might not mind having an option 6C where Arcane Bolt has a save. Up to you of course.

[artikid]

Hi,
The GM's option chapter (dealing with players) of BFRPG allows M-Us to use any weapon (at -5 penalty if they are not proficient with it) and wear any armor (they just can't cast spells in it).
This means it already deals with Combat Options in a rather simple way.

The Combat Options of this supplement -instead- looks rather fiddly to me.
Why not make it simpler?

Option 1: Allow all player characters (not just Magic-Users) to have the maximum hit points for their class at first level.

OK

Option 2: Magic-Users may cast spells while wearing armor.
Option 3: Magic-Users may wear any light or medium armor, up to and including chainmail.
Option 4: (To be used with either Option 2 or 3.) Magic-Users may only wear armor specially made to allow them a full range of motion. See Appendix B for a list.

Not so OK IMHO
Wouldn't a single option about spell failure chance according to armor worn be simpler?
Like:

Option 2: Magic-users can cast magic spells while wearing armor, however spell-casting in armor may cause the spell to fizzle. Whenever a Magic-User casts a spell in armor roll 1d20, if the roll is higher than -or equal to- the armor's base AC the spell is successful, otherwise the spell fails and the spell slot is expended.

Or something like that

Option 5: Magic-Users may use all easily-learned weapons, including clubs, quarter staves, spears, and crossbows, in addition to daggers and cudgels.

I'd remove spears and crossbows from the list and add slings

Option 6A/6B

I'd list only one way of making Arcane Bolt work, personally I think 6B works best.

Regarding Option 7 I'd drop it completely.


EDIT: BTW I think that the Combat Options as they stand now might allow for single class M-Us to overshadow class combos as the Ftr/MU and Th/MU.

[Sir Bedivere]

LL, I'll add that.

Artikid, great suggestions!

Thanks!

[Joe the Rat]

From over here: viewtopic.php?p=19577#p19577

I don't think my ideas on MUs would get much traction on a thread full of people who like to play MUs. No one wants to picture themselves as an Urkel with a cape, which is what a 1st level MU who has spent their youth in libraries and studying tomes would be.

But that isn't the only image of a first-level magic user. Modern egg-heads can be well-rounded (ha!); there's nothing precluding a magic user being reasonably hale and hearty - nor do they have to be college-trained. Hedge wizards, y'know.

But all magic-users do spend a significant amount of time learning to wield the eldritch might of the arcane, rather than falling out of trees and practice smacking one another around with sticks. They don't have motor memory for getting a solid swing in, haven't learned the List of Polearms, and they don't know how to take a hit. hence the crap BAB progression, hefty non-proficiency penalty and low HD. Even if you expand their training (such as for military purposes), they are going to have to split time between arms and arcane - they should always be behind the more martial characters.

Re: Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune
If you want damage balance, take sling. If you want realism, take crossbow. In addition to hella range, crossbows are easier to learn. Plus-side, MU is only shooting 1/2 or 1/3 rounds - and that's so long as he's spending that time reloading as opposed to running from melee or casting spells. House-ruling changes to reload (or allowing fast-load specialization to wizards from other sources) would futz this factor. Down side, crossbow wizards. Not everyone likes the image.

[LibraryLass]

Hi,
The GM's option chapter (dealing with players) of BFRPG allows M-Us to use any weapon (at -5 penalty if they are not proficient with it) and wear any armor (they just can't cast spells in it).
This means it already deals with Combat Options in a rather simple way.

Definitely not a bad option, of course.

Option 2: Magic-Users may cast spells while wearing armor.
Option 3: Magic-Users may wear any light or medium armor, up to and including chainmail.
Option 4: (To be used with either Option 2 or 3.) Magic-Users may only wear armor specially made to allow them a full range of motion. See Appendix B for a list.

Not so OK IMHO
Wouldn't a single option about spell failure chance according to armor worn be simpler?
Like:

Option 2: Magic-users can cast magic spells while wearing armor, however spell-casting in armor may cause the spell to fizzle. Whenever a Magic-User casts a spell in armor roll 1d20, if the roll is higher than -or equal to- the armor's base AC the spell is successful, otherwise the spell fails and the spell slot is expended.

Or something like that

I kinda like this one myself, but your alternative could work too.

Option 5: Magic-Users may use all easily-learned weapons, including clubs, quarter staves, spears, and crossbows, in addition to daggers and cudgels.

I'd remove spears and crossbows from the list and add slings

I could see removing spears, but firing a crossbow is pretty easy-- easier, in fact, than firing a rifle, because it kicks much less. And as we all know the reason for the proliferation of the rifle (and in some regions the crossbow prior to that) was because it was extremely easy to train peasant conscripts to shoot than a bow.

EDIT: Granted, my limited experience is that fighting with a quarterstaff applies pretty well to fighting with a spear, but I confess I know more about the making of weapons and armor than their actual use.

Option 6A/6B

I'd list only one way of making Arcane Bolt work, personally I think 6B works best.

6B is the thrown dagger one, right? If so I disagree. Having it work identically to a weapon makes it feel distinctly... unmagical.

EDIT: BTW I think that the Combat Options as they stand now might allow for single class M-Us to overshadow class combos as the Ftr/MU and Th/MU.

They're still a lot more fragile and hit a lot less often-- but that does come at the cost of spells. The combat options as they stand should probably be used judiciously.

From over here: viewtopic.php?p=19577#p19577
But that isn't the only image of a first-level magic user. Modern egg-heads can be well-rounded (ha!); there's nothing precluding a magic user being reasonably hale and hearty - nor do they have to be college-trained. Hedge wizards, y'know.

Oh my god, THANK YOU, Joe. I love me some witches and hedge wizards and herbalists and stuff like that as NPCs, and the handful of times I've played magic-users that's what they've been.

[Solomoriah]

Just thinking about some things we've done in the past, and I don't think this is in the supplement...

Back in the 2E era, I allowed a rule I called Cast at Will with Demotion. Basically, a spellcaster may employ any spell he or she knows, so long as the caster has an available spell slot of the correct or higher level (that's the demotion part). Using a higher level slot for a lower level spell grants no particular bonus; casting Magic Missile with a 3rd level slot, for instance, neither makes the magic missile any more powerful nor gives the caster any "change" back.

In a game where all spellcasters can do this, there are surprisingly few balance issues (though it's even more important to limit the casters in other areas so they don't dominate the game). It also makes it more likely that you'll see the "rare" spells get used, as the caster doesn't have to guess whether or not to prepare one on a given day.