Adamantrue
2011-10-01, 12:48 PM
This is a completely new direction to an idea I have played around with (unsuccessfully) over the years. It isn't about nerfing spellcasters (though it probably changes game balance), instead more about providing an interesting new dimension and flavor.
The basic premise is that the "energy" needed to power a spell is dependent on a spellcaster's physical location, which serves as a limit to how high a level a spell can be cast.
There would be relatively random stretches of ground, call them "ley lines" for the sake of this, that extend all across the world. Outside these regions, only the most basic magical energies can be harnessed. Say, up to 1st or 2nd level spells can be cast.
A spellcaster that wants to cast a higher level spell needs to stand on (or hover over, as the case may be, but with a predefined limit) needs to find one of these lines, increasingly less common as you try to work with higher level spells. You'd be able to locate these "ley lines" through subtle clues in the environment (either a Spellcraft or an appropriate Knowledge check), though a Detect Ley Line spell wouldn't be unreasonable.
Ley Lines would vary in potency, ranging from the fairly common 2nd level to the increasingly rare 9th level. Some may even have biases, based on alignment or elemental subtypes. These factors would also be true on other planes, where any given Ley Line was opposed to spells of certain alignments/elements. And of course there would be true "dead zones", where even Cantrips couldn't be cast.
Note that with this idea, just because a spell can only be cast in a certain spot doesn't mean that its effects are limited to those places. You can cast Fly, then zip around far away from any Ley Lines, and your Dimension Doors can have any old destination you want within the limits of the spell.
It adds interesting new tactics, too. You can limit a spellcaster's power with an early bull rush, but fear the wizard with the tower where many Ley Lines converge. Main roads may trace over a potent Ley Line, or parallel one for a bit more safety.
There are of course more things that need to be explored. How far above/below the surface does a connection to a Ley Line extend? Do wizards, clerics, and druids really draw their power from the same source, or are there different lines for each? Can you corrupt/destroy Ley Lines, or create new ones? What should the generation method be for random locations, and how do you tweak that method when you want some in specific locations?
Thoughts?
The basic premise is that the "energy" needed to power a spell is dependent on a spellcaster's physical location, which serves as a limit to how high a level a spell can be cast.
There would be relatively random stretches of ground, call them "ley lines" for the sake of this, that extend all across the world. Outside these regions, only the most basic magical energies can be harnessed. Say, up to 1st or 2nd level spells can be cast.
A spellcaster that wants to cast a higher level spell needs to stand on (or hover over, as the case may be, but with a predefined limit) needs to find one of these lines, increasingly less common as you try to work with higher level spells. You'd be able to locate these "ley lines" through subtle clues in the environment (either a Spellcraft or an appropriate Knowledge check), though a Detect Ley Line spell wouldn't be unreasonable.
Ley Lines would vary in potency, ranging from the fairly common 2nd level to the increasingly rare 9th level. Some may even have biases, based on alignment or elemental subtypes. These factors would also be true on other planes, where any given Ley Line was opposed to spells of certain alignments/elements. And of course there would be true "dead zones", where even Cantrips couldn't be cast.
Note that with this idea, just because a spell can only be cast in a certain spot doesn't mean that its effects are limited to those places. You can cast Fly, then zip around far away from any Ley Lines, and your Dimension Doors can have any old destination you want within the limits of the spell.
It adds interesting new tactics, too. You can limit a spellcaster's power with an early bull rush, but fear the wizard with the tower where many Ley Lines converge. Main roads may trace over a potent Ley Line, or parallel one for a bit more safety.
There are of course more things that need to be explored. How far above/below the surface does a connection to a Ley Line extend? Do wizards, clerics, and druids really draw their power from the same source, or are there different lines for each? Can you corrupt/destroy Ley Lines, or create new ones? What should the generation method be for random locations, and how do you tweak that method when you want some in specific locations?
Thoughts?