[Advice/Interest D&D 3.5]
So designing a continent right now and eventually maybe a world to run some games. A brief summary of concept: It will be a rather corrupt world filled with many contradictions and fanatics. Where religion and religious ideals are a very big deal though perhaps not fairly enforced. Many arcane classes are outlawed; Sorcerers, hexblades, warlocks are all seen as devil and demon worshipers and burned at the stake; Archivists, truenamers, Shadowcasters, and binders(maybe others) are seen as apostates and similarly burned at the stake; and what is left over is tightly controlled by countries, religions, and perhaps some over arching organizations. In this case spells over level 3 are tightly controlled and sparse to the point that many countries, religions and organisations may only have a few spells over level 3 which they guard as national treasures.
My aim is to make religious classes more focused on the intricacies of their respective religions and how the goals of the gods interplay and conflict with politics. As well as make wizards a more interesting class since thematically they are supposed to be focused around research and understanding of the world but have been reduced to walking weapons that automatically evolve in power as they kill.
As such I have been milling over a revamp of how wizards gain spells. I want to make getting spells interesting and challenging but still possible and better utilize the skills given to wizards. Here is the frame work please let me know your thoughts:
Wizards:
Healing is added to wizards skill list and its use is explained below.
Upon gaining levels wizards do not automatically gain new spells. The two new spells shown in the PHB are representative of resources offered as congratulations upon advancement by the organization backing said wizard. level 1, 2, and 3 spells from the PHB are considered common enough that almost all organizations have them and they can be bought by wizards that do not belong to any organization, though this often takes greasing the correct wheels. Similarly a wizard without an organization would gain no free initial or new spells upon leveling up and would have to obtain them in some other way. To continue gaining new spells beyond 3rd level spells wizards must bind themselves ever closer to the organizations supporting them and achieve ever greater merits. Furthermore, not all organizations are equal and many have few higher level spells. With that said there are of course other ways of obtaining new spells, such as finding them in ancient ruins, obtaining other wizards’ spellbooks, scrolls, or even performing tests and experiments. As such wizards without backing and high leveled wizards tend to struggle greatly for each new spell and guard them zealously once obtained.
Testing and experiments covers many different things. For example analyzing and decomposing a spell to create a better understanding of magic and applying that understanding to creating a new spell. Or capturing a creature with spell-like abilities and performing experiments and even dissections to learn the secrets behind their skills. Some desperate or perhaps crazy wizards even try random combinations of words, gestures, and materials; Though this method is highly unreliable because of the inherent danger involved. Mechanically, these methods function by use of skill checks.
In the case of analyzing spells: decipher script, spellcraft, and knowledge arcane or planes depending on the spell. Each analysis takes a week per spell level of spell being evaluated to analyze, formulate, and test the new spell. All skill checks are made together each day and must be passed together 3*spell levels(of new spell) times during this time period in order to successfully learn the new spell. Furthermore, the new spell will be inline with the old spell analyzed and the original spell must be one in your spellbook.
The experimenting on creatures requires healing, related knowledge, and spellcraft skill checks. A creature experimented on in this way tends to be a useful test subject for 1 week per spell level. During this time all three checks must be made each day and passed together on once per spell level.
In both cases extraordinary successes can also give bonuses to said skills.(after rolling a natural 20, roll a 1d100 getting a 95+ gives a permanent +1 to said skill.)
Mechanically random trial error is based on 3d100, a 3 is automatic disintegration and 300 is the successful creation of a new spell. Everything in between is something varying from something interesting happening, nothing, and varying levels of injury.
Furthermore, there are still other methods, such as bargaining with demons, devils, fey, or other such intelligent beings. Wizards are also capable of learning spells from sorcerers and other arcanists.
Though these methods take a bit of time and understanding to convert the spells over from other intelligent beings or arcane spell models they are still much easier and faster than aforementioned testing or experimentation.
Mechanically, it takes one day per spell level being learned and requires a successful Spellcraft check.
I am still mulling over DCs I want it to be challenging and scale-able to succeed but not impossible for the testing or experimentation. In the case of learning spells from intelligent beings and other spell casters I am thinking the check should be similar to identifying a spell and the key is the time taken as well as the tutelage of the teacher.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas.