Dungeons & Delvers: More Stuff for 2nd Edition Wizards

At something like nearly 30 talents over a 20-level spread, wizards currently gain the most out of any other class. Along with their pitiful d4 Hit Die, this flexibility is part of what differentiates them from other spellcasting classes, which generally gain only one talent per level, if that.

Another advantage is that while anyone can feasibly learn wizard spells from books and scrolls (which aren't destroyed upon use), wizards are able to cast from them more quickly, and are less likely to have to deal with maximized or even doubled Drain and Sustain costs.

They can take longer to cast (generally multiple rounds at the least), but are effectively a way for wizards to gain access to even more spells.

Here's a rundown of how some of that is going to change, as well as new additions in 2nd Edition:

Spell Have Something Like Levels

We've revamped the base Drain values for most spells. Before they went something like 1d4, 1d6, 1d6+2, and 2d6, the average results of which corresponded to D&D static spell point costs for spells of an equivalent level, though I think beyond that we just kept adding more d6s to the pile. Enhancing spells meant adding more dice, static values (ie +1 or +2), or both.

Now it's all d4s (and no more static modifiers), and the number of d4s rolled will be used to determine a spell's potency for the purposes of abilities and effects such as Dispel Magic and Detect Magic. So, to use 3rd Edition terms, something like 1-5 dice will radiant a faint aura, 6-10 will be moderate, 11-15 will be strong, and 16+ overwhelming.

While this means that the average Drain cost tends to be higher than what you'd see in an "official" Dungeons & Dragons spell point system, wizards can recover some of their Willpower multiple times a day (allowing them to regain three-quarters of their initial amount over the course of the adventuring day), and they can also offset the cost through spell components and sacrifices.

Of course, given that they also burn through their WP and VP once they run out of Willpower, wizards could also down mending and vigor potions once they start damaging themselves.

Casting a Learned Spell

Casting a spell you've merely learned is a slow process: unless otherwise specified, it takes 5 minutes to draw the diagram (assuming you don't have it prepared in advance), plus another 10 minutes per die of the spell’s base Drain (ie, 10 minutes for 1d4, 20 minutes for 2d4, etc).

However, the wizard can reduce this time by suffering more Drain: for every additional 1d4 suffered, the casting time is reduced by one minute, to a minimum of one minute. Sounds like a lot, and it is, but again there are ways to offset this (including skill points to reduce the base casting time), which I'll get to in a bit.

Mastering a Spell

Spell Mastery is a wizard-only talent that you use on a spell you've learned, reducing its casting time to a Standard Action (unless otherwise specified) without any added cost. You also don't need the spell in front of you, nor do you need a diagram: you've committed the entire thing to memory.

For the most part, we expect wizards to only spend talents mastering spells that they think they'll routinely need on the fly. For something like, say, teleport? You can always cast it as a Learned spell, and just dump some Skill Points on it to reduce the casting time (and permanently enhance it).

Researching Spells

You can take time researching spells in order to create new ones, or "discover" one that you really want. It takes twice as long to research a spell as it would to learn it, and you still need to attempt an Arcane Lore check: a failure in this case means that you weren't able to create/discover a new spell, while a success means you not only do, but simultaneously learn it as well.

Having a laboratory gives you a bonus on your skill check and can reduce the research time (yeah, going to add in stronghold elements for this edition, and make them really worthwhile).

Enhancing Spells

As mentioned above, it's all in sets of d4 now. No more d4s for some things, d6s for others, or even +1 or +2. Many spells have been tweaked to account for this, and wizards can spend Skill Points and use magic focuses to passively upgrade/modify their spells.

Skill Point Upgrades

Skill Points have been changed, so wizards now get 4 per level to play with. This is because skills can go beyond a +5 proficiency bonus (think 3rd Edition), there are multi-point Skill Perks to be had (and can now require more than one Skill Point to purchase), and wizards can use them to upgrade spells.

(They can also do other things, like grant Attack Bonuses with specific weapons, though this is a spendy buy-in.)

For example, 1 Skill Point might increase the range of a spell by 30 feet, while 4 Skill Points increases the amount of damage a spell inflicts by one die, without having to suffer any additional Drain. Many of these can be purchased multiple times, so wizards can focus on one spell and make it incredibly potent while keeping the cost down (though that will hinder or delay skill advancement).

School Mastery

Largely unchanged. Gained at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. Some bonus or kicker effect when researching, learning, mastering, and casting spells from a specific school. There are non-spell talents that require specific school masteries as well (such as one that lets you change the appearance of your clothing at will, but you need to have an Illusion Mastery, first).

Given that you don't automatically gain access to new spells via a level up (and spending a Talent), this makes School Masteries that make it easier and faster to learn/research spells more enticing.

But they might end up being part of a tree, where the first School Mastery does one thing, then the next one does something better, and so on and so forth, similar to the fighter's Weapon Specialization. Of course we could also let you spend Skill Points to have School Mastery apply to other schools, too.

Spell Components

You can buy or find spell components, which are effectively the same materials, substances and items that you saw in 2nd and 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Every 10 sp you spend reduces the Drain cost by 1, to a minimum of 0. It isn't necessary to specify precisely what you're carrying (though you can if you really want), just noting x sp worth of components is fine. 

Power Components

There was something like this in Black Book, or perhaps one of the Appendix D volumes, but power components are generally monster parts that can enhance specific spells, or spells from specific schools. They can reduce the Drain cost, increase your effective wizard level, double the duration, increase the damage (or even scale up the damage die), area of effect, etc.

Unlike Spell Components, these need to be individually tracked, and aren't generally something you can buy. 

Ritual Sacrifice

You can sacrifice creatures to pay Drain costs. You just use the creature's current WP and VP amounts, and it translates directly into Drain reduction (though beasts and similar animal-like creatures are only worth half). If you have some sort of container, you can also store souls this way and use them later.

We're mostly intending this to be something for villainous NPCs to employ, put in an actual system for sacrificing virgins and the like.

Magic Focuses

As with 1st Edition, exceptional focuses grant various bonuses, and with a magic item crafting system you can make focuses that grant access to spells and/or enhance them. Yet another way for wizards to get access to more magic.

EXAMPLE SPELLS

Armor

Abjuration

Drain 1d4

Range Touch or Personal

Duration One hour

The wizard or creature touched is encased in a shimmering field of force, vaguely resembling a suit of armor; the target gains DR 1, which stacks with other armor worn. It is destroyed after absorbing 5 points of damage.

• +1d4 Drain The damage that the armor can absorb before being destroyed is increased by 5. The wizard can continue suffering additional Drain to increase the amount of damage that the armor can absorb, but it cannot exceed 5 points per wizard level.
• +1d4 Drain The duration is doubled.
• Upgrade 4 Skill Points. The amount of damage the spell can absorb before being destroyed is increased by 5. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times, but the total damage absorbed cannot exceed 5 points per wizard level.
• Upgrade 1 Skill Point. The DR can be increased to 2.
• Upgrade 1 Skill Point. The DR can be increased to 3.
• Upgrade The duration is increased by 1 hour. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times, but the base duration cannot exceed one hour per wizard level.

Cone of Cold

Conjuration, Evocation

Drain 1d4

Area of Effect 30-foot cone

Drawing forth and intertwining elemental essences from the planes of air and water, the wizard unleashes a gale of icy wind. Every creature in the area of effect must attempt a Constitution save: on a failure they suffer 2d8 cold damage and are Slowed until the end of the wizard's next turn.

• +1d4 Drain The damage is increased by 1d8. The wizard can continue suffering 1d4 Drain to increase the damage by 1d8 each time, but the total dice cannot exceed his wizard level.
• +1d4 Drain The area of effect is increased by 30-feet.
• +2d4 Drain Medium-sized and smaller targets that fail their save are also Restrained. During their turn, affected creatures can attempt Strength checks to break free. Otherwise this condition lasts for 1 round per damage die that the spell inflicted.
• Upgrade 4 Skill Points. The spell’s base damage is increased by 1d8. The wizard can purchase this upgrade multiple times, but the base damage cannot exceed his wizard level.
• Upgrade 1 Skill Points. The area of effect is increased by 5-feet. The wizard can purchase this upgrade multiple times, but the base length of the cone cannot exceed 5-feet per wizard level.
• Upgrade 1 Skill Point. The spell’s effect can be condensed into a freezing ray, affecting a single creature within the area of effect. The Drain cost is unaffected. 

Gelatinous Air

Alteration

Drain 2d4

Range 30 feet

Area of Effect 5-foot cube

Duration 1 minute

The wizard partially solidifies the air within the area of effect. This effect is difficult to spot, requiring a DC 20 Perception check: on a success the creature detects a very faint shimmering effect.

Creatures in the area of effect can breathe, though it is difficult: use the rules for holding your breath, except creatures are only effectively Dazed upon failing this save. They continue making saving throws, and fall unconscious after failing a second time. Once removed from the area of effect (or after the spell ends), they regain consciousness after 1d6+1 rounds.

It is also difficult to move through: treat it as Difficult Terrain, though it is thick enough that creatures can effectively "swim" through it. Should a creature fall or jump into a cube, it suffers no damage so long as the distance was 10 feet or less. Otherwise they still strike the ground, though the effective distance is reduced by 10 feet (so a 20-foot fall would only inflict 1d6 damage, instead of 2d6).

For each additional cube entered, reduce the distance by another 10 feet.

Normal missiles such as arrows, daggers, and javelins can pass through it, but upon striking the area of effect any remaining distance it would travel is immediately halved, and any damage inflicted is reduced by 1. This effect is cumulative for every 5-foot cube the projectile enters.

For example, if an arrow strikes the area of effect and has 100 feet of distance left, it would be reduced to 50 feet and suffer a -1 penalty to damage. If, after traveling 5 feet it enters another cube, its remaining distance is reduced to 22.5 feet and it suffers a -2 penalty to damage.

Large missiles such as boulders, rocks thrown by giants, and siege weaponry simply treat the area of effect as difficult terrain. In any case, weapons that run out of distance while within the area of effect stop, and gradually sink to the ground.

Finally, the cubes also dampen sound: every 5-foot cube imposes a -1 penalty to any check made to hear noise.

• +1d4 Drain The area of effect is increased by a 5-foot cube (additional cubes must be contiguous, connected via a face). The wizard can continue suffering 1d4 Drain to increase the area of effect by another 5-foot cube each time, but the total number of cubes cannot exceed his wizard level.
• +1d4 Drain The duration is doubled.
• +1d4 Drain The range is doubled.
• Upgrade 4 Skill Points. The spell's base area of effect is increased by a 5-foot cube. The wizard can purchase this upgrade multiple times, but the base area of effect cannot exceed more than one 5-foot cube per wizard level.
• Upgrade 1 Skill Point. The base duration is increased by 1 minute. This upgrade can be purchased multiple times, but base the duration cannot exceed 1 minute per wizard level.
• Upgrade 1 Skill Point. The base range is increased by 30 feet. The wizard can purchase this upgrade multiple times, but the base range cannot exceed 10 feet per wizard level.
• Upgrade 2 Skill Points. Additional cubes do not need to be connected to each other.