DCC Greyhawk - Magic-User

OK, due to our filling in GM being unable to make it, we launched our DCC Greyhawk game early -- I think I can keep ahead of them, I still have some changes to make, but they'll likely level up next session.  Let's tackle the next class ... the Magic-User.

A magic-user is not a wizard ... I wanted to make this feel more Vancian.  

First, I took the memorizing capabilities of the Magician from DCC Dying Earth and simplified memorization.  A magic-user studies their spell book, which will start with four spells, and they can memorize three each day.  They can re-memorize a spell in one turn, butt without rest they will cast it at -1d.  So spells aren't just lost for the day when they roll under 12, they are lost when they are attempted to be cast, successful or not.  Now that means less spellcasting than the Core DCC Wizard, so to balance that out is the re-memorization and the ability to spellburn 1 point to choose a lesser result if they wish. 

Magic-Users ultimately will have a wider spell repertoire than their Wizard cousins, but they will have to strategically pick which spells to memorize.  I did put in a 'maximum spells known' to keep it from getting out of hand.

The next thing I changed was spellburn -- rather than planning point by point for spellburn for a huge cannon effect, a magic-user can only spellburn 1d6 of one stat at a time.  It's a little riskier and unpredictable now.

And while I didn't list it here in the blog, I'm going to use the Lankhmar mercurial magic and corruption tables for the most part for more subtle effects...

What do you think?  Drop me a note at archadethered@gmail.com 

Magic-User

 

You are a pursuer of knowledge, seeking the secrets of dweomercraft in musty tomes and from reclusive sages.  You crave power that can only be gained by tapping into the planar energies just behind the veil of the mortal world.  You take arcane formulae and force unspeakable words into your mind, holding as much magic as you dare at the ready.

Magic-users wield magic as best they are able – not as unpredictable as Wizards from other mortal realms, not as proficient as Magicigans from other worlds.  Magic-Users covet spells to inscribe in their spellbooks and command a wide array of spells – should they be able to memorize them.

Hit Points: A magic-user gains 1d4 hit points per level

Weapon Training. A magic-user is proficient in using daggers, darts, or a staff.  Magic-users that attempt to wear armor will be impeded in their caster check by an Armor Check Penalty.

Alignment:  The pursuit of arcane knowledge is not the purview of any one alignment.  Chaotic wizards attempt to hoard knowledge, while Lawful wizards seek to use their powers to aid others.

Caster Level. Caster level is a measurement of a magic-user’s power in channeling a spell’s energy.  A Magic-user’s caster level is usually his level as a Magic-User.  For example, a 2^nd-level Magic-User has a caster level of 2.

Spellbook: A magic-user starts with a spellbook with 50 pages, and contains four randomly generated spells to begin.  Spells require one page per spell level.  If a spell is found in another spellbook or on a scroll, the magic-user can attempt to copy that spell into their Spellbook, which takes one day per level of the spell, requiring a Magic-User check (d20 + Intelligence modifier + Magic-User Level) vs a DC 10 + 2 x Spell Level.  Failure means this specific spell is not understood and cannot be copied, although the magic-user may find a different copy of the spell and try again.  An attempt to copy a scroll expends the magic on the scroll, successful or not.

A magic-user can use a spellbook authored by another caster, but must keep records of what spells they know in the book vs. those they do not.  Each spell is learned with a Magic User check vs DC 10 + Level of the spell.

Magic-Users cast spell using their Action die plus Magic User level plus Intelligence modifier.  In some cases, a Magic-User may use a different die due to a Mercurial Magic effect.

Memorization: A magic-user starts with the ability to memorize three spells at 1st level, plus or minus any adjustments from the Intelligence ability score.  Once cast, a memorized spell is lost.  To memorize a spell, a full night’s sleep (8 hours), and studying a spellbook for one turn per spell level for each spell that day is needed to commit them to memory.  A single spell can be memorized more than once.

Attempting to re-memorize a spell during the same day without a night of sleep still takes one turn per spell level per spell, but they are imperfectly memorized and are cast at -1d.

Attempting to cast a spell directly from a spellbook doubles the casting time and it is cast at -2d.  Any result of a natural 1 results in the spell in the spellbook being ruined.

Maximum Spells Known: A magic-user’s Intelligence determines how many spells can be known at each level, copied into their Spellbook or known from a borrowed spellbook.

Limited Spellburn: A magic-user may expend a small portion of their personal well-being to empower a spell, suffering 1d6 Ability drain from either Strength, Agility, or Stamina to increase the spell casting check by the same amount as rolled.  Each separate attempt at Spellburn can only use 1d6.  Ability damage heals at a rate of one point per day.

Taking Lower Results: A Magic-User may Spellburn 1 point of Strength, Stamina, or Agility to take a lower result on a cast spell.  This cannot be combined with augmenting a spell via Spellburn (above).

Luck. A magic-user’s Luck modifiers applies to rolls for corruption (page XX) and mercurial magic (page XX).

Languages. A magic-user knows two additional languages for every point of Intelligence modifier, as described in Appendix L.

Action Dice. A magic-user’s first Action Dice can be used for attacks or spell checks, but their second Action Die can only be used for spell checks.  At 5^th level, a Magic-User can cast two spells in a single round (assuming each spell has a casting time of 1 action).

Table M-1: Magic-User

Level	Attack	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice	Memorized Spells*	Max Spells Known*	Max Level	Fort	Ref	Will
1	+0	1d6/I	1d20	3	6	1	+1	+0	+1
2	+1	1d6/I	1d20	4	8	1	+1	+0	+1
3	+1	1d8/I	1d20	5	10	2	+1	+1	+2
4	+!	1d8/I	1d20	6	12	2	+2	+1	+2
5	+2	1d10/I	1d20+1d14	7	14	3	+2	+1	+3
6	+2	1d10/I	1d20+1d16	8	16	3	+2	+2	+4
7	+3	1d12/I	1d20+1d20	9	18	4	+3	+2	+4
8	+3	1d12/I	1d20+1d20	10	20	4	+3	+2	+5
9	+4	1d14/I	1d20+1d20	12	24	5	+3	+3	+5
10	+4	1d14/I	1d20+1d20+1d14	14	28	5	+4	+3	+6

* Memorized spells and maximum spells known are modified by Intelligence – see Table 1-1