What Are Your Magic-User House Rules?

[SmootRK]

Was that more useful spells, or more useful spells?

LOL... MORE 'useful-spells'... meaning additional spells that can be added to the spell lists.

I see your point with the progressive damage.
Perhaps they might get minor damage bonus at higher levels commensurate to what higher level characters (fighters) might get through magical weapons. Or perhaps the ability can be channeled through magical daggers/staffs/wands granting the relevant magical bonus to their attack (or an assigned + in the case of wands/rods).
Perhaps also first level MU get only one type of energy (such as a generic magic damage). Higher level MU (such as 5th, 10th, 15th...etc) get to add alternate energy type which can be chosen each round. The alternate energies being useful against certain foes when the occasion is appropriate.

[Orpheo]

Watch the power creep on giving a MU innate progressive attack powers, though.

I agree with this, which is why I've made it simply 1d4. It might be an idea to allow Int bonus to damage though.

...And since I'm on a roll now, the "flavor" of the bolt could be tuned. Fire, ice shard, razor wind, purple lightning, necrotic energy pulse, "Mage Hand? No, Mage FIST!", etc. Weaknesses and resistances would come into play here as well - or it may just be a stylistic effect on the raw magical bolt. This might be something more appropriate to use just for specialists (I'm looking at you, pyromancer!) rather than a general trick.

Yep. I allow my players to flavour.

[Maliki]

For magic users, this is what I plan to do. (On the slim chance I ever get a group together again)

-Magic-users would get bonus first level spells equal to their intelligence bonus.

-Cantrips/0 level spells, one per level, plus additional cantrips equal their intelligence modifier. Also these do not have to be prepared in advance, the magic-use may cast the cantrips he knows in any combination.

Also I bump up starting hit points for all classes, Magic-Users start with 6 hit points plus their constitution modifier.

[dymondy2k]

WOW.. I like the idea of flavoring that innate ability then allow them to choose 1 from the list. I could see adding the int bonus to the damage, similar to the str bonus on melee.

[Dimirag]

Hi, first time poster (I'm not a native English speaker so sorry any errors)

Thing I'm considering change for mages:

Armored Casting: This is a side effect of another rule:
-When a character dons an armor for which he has no skill the suffer a penalty on their abilities, if the ability doesn't has a "value" simply use the penalty as a base chance of failure:
-Light Armor: -3/-15%
-Medium Armor: -6/-30%
-Heavy Armor: -12/-60%

Extra Spells based on Intelligence

And finally creating Spells that once casted it doesn't erase, but they have a chance of success based on the spell slot selected by the magic user, ex:
Arcane Bolt: 1d4dmg 10% +5% per spell level +5% per Int Mod.
Or making an Attack Spell using Spell Level + Int +d20 vs AC

And some special rules for making Specialized Magic Users.

[artikid]

These are my houserules, I apply them to all casters not only MUs:

Bonus spells a la 3.x (for Magic-users, Druids and Clerics)
Counterspells a la 3.x
I allow spell casters to use spell slots to memorize lower level spells a la 3.x

[Joe the Rat]

I allow spell casters to use spell slots to memorize lower level spells a la 3.x

I would have sworn this was a standard rule... but I do not see it listed as such.

[Solomoriah]

I allow spell casters to use spell slots to memorize lower level spells a la 3.x

I would have sworn this was a standard rule... but I do not see it listed as such.

It's not, though I have used such a rule in the past. Magic missile makes this rule tricky...

[Joe the Rat]

It's not, though I have used such a rule in the past. Magic missile makes this rule tricky...

What, letting your 10th level Magic-User load out on 14 Magic Missile spells (which translates into 42 missiles) is problematic? I'm okay with the rules allowing your party wizard to go play Spartan Mk-12, but with that much specialization for the day, he's not going to have many options. He'll be stopped by a Shield spell. Or Invisibility. Or a locked door. Or a gaggle of archers. Or darkness (big D or regular variety). Or having his shield-bearers Charmed against him.

I mean, If I was going to need that much firepower, I'd at least have a Fireball or 5 as well.

[dymondy2k]

I'm confused by slots? When I think of that, I think of the 'possible' spells a caster could cast from that level. So even though I can only cast 2 level 1 spells a day, I have the ability to memorize 4 and can choose my two from that list? Is that off the mark? Because I've been considering this as a house rule as well. I was thinking of using the INT bonus to allow you to memorize more than you can cast.