Vancian magic. A
magic system modeled after a series of novels called Thy Dying Earth, by Jack
Vance. Gary Gygax was a fan of Vance’s
writing, and when Gary designed Dungeons & Dragons, he used Vance’s
depiction of magic as his default magic system.
Spells are grouped by level, from weakest (1st level) to most
powerful (9th level). You can
study only so many spells per level per day.
And you forget them once you cast them, so you have to study them again
day after day after day. This magic
system became such a sacred cow of D&D that it persists into the most
modern versions of the game, including Pathfinder.
Players throughout the years have commented that, despite
being a genetic marker for D&D and its descendants, it’s an odd design
choice. The Vancian magic system is
rather restrictive in how it depicts spell casters, and doesn’t give much room
for players to create magic-users from other literary traditions. Elric didn’t use Vancian magic. Gandalf didn’t either. Neither did Merlin, or Harry Potter, or any
other wizard other than those in The Dying Earth series. Why are mages forced into such a narrow paradigm
for magic?
Spheres of Power by Drop Dead Studios is an attempt
to answer that question. This 229-page
book offers GMs and players a completely alternate magic system, replacing
Vancian magic with a very versatile toolkit that allows you to create virtually
any kind of magic-using character. The
book begins by explaining the core concepts of Spheres of Power, and how
magic works in the system. The next
chapter details 20 of the eponymous spheres.
Chapter 3 presents us with 11 new base classes that utilize the SoP
system. Also included in this chapter
are archetypes for converting core Pathfinder spellcasting classes to the Spheres
of Power system, and a prestige class.
It then moves on to discuss four advanced magic systems,
listed as optional by the publisher, all of which gives ways for potent magic
to be expressed in-game. Next up are
Player Options, which include spellcasting traditions, casting drawbacks and
boons. An entire chapter is dedicated to
using magic items with Spheres of Power, and how magic items are
affected by the system. We conclude the
publication with a chapter on how to use the book, and discusses using concepts
built around the use of magic to create thematic, evocative campaigns with
magic that helps to define the campaign world in specific ways.
What are the main differences that Spheres of Power
offers us? First, it eliminates the
schools of magic from Dungeons & Dragons and its iterations (abjuration,
necromancy, evocation, etc.) and re-groups magic effects into twenty thematic
‘spheres’: Alteration, conjuration, creation, dark, death, destruction,
divination, enchantment, fate, illusion, life, light, mind, nature, protection,
telekinesis, time, war, warp and weather.
Each sphere delivers what it promises on the label: Wanna call lightning
from the sky? Weather sphere. Get
answers to unknowable truths? Divination
sphere. Dominate people’s actions? Mind sphere.
Almost any spell in D&D or Pathfinder can be expressed through the
use of spheres.
Casters are classified into three groups. High casters are primary magic-users. Folks like wizards, sorcerers, clerics and
druids would be considered high casters in Spheres of Power. Mid-casters are your hybrid types, who have a
strong magical ability combined with other non-magic class abilities. The bard and magus would be good examples. Finally, low casters are classes that get
minor magical powers, but it really just isn’t their main shtick. Folks like paladins and rangers would be
examples of low casters.
Magic is accessed by selecting a sphere. Each sphere has a basic ability or two. For example, the Time sphere grants the
caster the ability the ability to use a limited version of either the haste
or slow spell. Once a sphere is
chosen, you may choose additional talents within that sphere as you increase in
level, or you can choose another sphere, granting you the base power of that
sphere as well. All casters begin with a
minimum of 2 talents. Talents are used
to gain access to a sphere, and then to learn talents within that sphere. Additional talents are gained at a fixed rate
based upon your class’s classification of high, mid- or low caster.
Here’s where Spheres of Power really differentiates
itself as a magic system: A talent can be used as many times as you want. Until the cows come home. Ad infinitum. No more ‘fire and
forget’ spells a la Vancian magic.
If you want to use a Destructive Blast (base ability from the
Destruction sphere) all day long, you can!
Now, you may be thinking that this is unbalanced and makes magic-users
far too powerful, but the system is very well designed to make base talents useful,
but not overly powerful. If you
want to add some oomph to your talents, Spheres of Power gives us a
spell point pool. Most talents require
the caster to concentrate on the effect in order to keep it persistent. But if you don’t want to concentrate on a
talent, you can spend a spell point to give it a fixed duration, allowing the
caster to use another talent without the first one expiring.
Each sphere features an average of about 20 talents, each
one allowing the caster to perform an additional magical effect in the
sphere. This provides a very wide array
of abilities for the caster to choose.
The caster can choose to sample from as many spheres as they
desire. You can hyper-specialize in a
single sphere or two, or you can sample from a dozen different spheres, it’s
all up to your concept of the character.
The classes presented in Spheres of Power do a nice
job of demonstrating the effectiveness of the system. From the Armorist, who uses Spheres to summon
magical weapons and armor to amplify his combat prowess, to the Incanter, a
‘build-your-own-caster’ who receives a metric crap-ton of talents, the classes
are diverse, well-balanced and thematic.
11 such classes are presented, each with its own unique use of the
Spheres system.
The Advanced Magic section is interesting in that it implies through its inclusion that the core Spheres talents really reflect the
power of spells in core Pathfinder to around 5th level spells. Advanced magic offers us ways to extend the
power of Spherecasting up to the traditional power of 9th level
spells. This is good to know as a GM; if
you want to run a low-magic game, the core Spheres of Power system would
be perfect. Advanced talents simply
extend the SoP system (with a minimum 10th level requirement) to
include talents that emulate high-level spells in Pathfinder. Rituals give Spherecasters a way to access
spells from the core game, but at a greater casting time, typically not usable
in combat. Spellcrafting is a way to
create new talents through the combination of different spheres and
talents. Incantations are similar to
rituals, but serve more as a plot device, as a way to fill gaps in the
character’s abilities and as a means of flavoring the campaign world.
The second main way that Spheres of Power
differentiates itself and adds a great amount of customization for both players
and GMs is the section on Casting Traditions.
These are like templates that you add to the Spheres of Power
system, which alters the ways that the character accesses and wields magical
power. Each tradition brings a set of
drawbacks and boons that constrain the application of spherecasting, giving it
a particular theme. For example, the
Runist tradition makes casting take longer, requires hand gestures to use a
talent, and requires a successful skill check to use a talent. Thematically, think of a type of runic magic
that requires the caster to inscribe a rune on a surface in order to draw forth
a magical effect. I see this as a really
great fit for dwarven magic users! There
are 14 different traditions offered, with advice on how to create your own
traditions.
I have used Spheres of Power in my current Curse of
the Crimson Throne campaign. The group
has an Armorist, an Incanter focused on the Fate and Life spheres and another
Incanter focused on the Dark and Fate spheres, so the system is getting a good
test-run. From what I’ve seen so far
through 6 levels of play, the Spheres of Power magic system is working
very well. Overall, it is less powerful
than the core magic system of Pathfinder, but in my mind, this is a feature,
not a bug. Casters still fill an important
role during combat, but don’t become so powerful that they eclipse other
non-magical classes at mid- to high levels.
My players seem to enjoy the openness of the system; they can realize
their character’s concept more easily, and the system gives them more
versatility to customize their characters to their exact specifications.
An added bonus (a huge benefit for me) is that Hero Lab
files are available for purchase for Spheres of Power. I have purchased and used these files, and
they are great! I can build characters quickly,
and the files comply totally to the source document. All classes, spheres, archetypes, prestige
classes, feats, advanced magic rules and traditions are included in the files. Furthermore, I have received great support
from the Hero Lab community when developing content that uses the SoP
system. For example, I was able to
successfully create an archetype for the Dragonrider class (Super Genius Games)
that uses SoP; with some help from the HL community, it works great. Well done, Hero Lab editors!
Conclusion:
If I created a d20 fantasy RPG, Spheres
of Power is the system I would choose as my core magic engine. The beating heart of the system is 20
spheres, each with a base power.
Additional powers in each sphere can be added through talents. It’s simple, it’s elegant, it’s balanced with
respect to other classes in the game, and it’s thoroughly functional. You can customize the power level of the
system through advanced magic, sculpt the thematic feel of magic in your
campaign world through traditions, and you can use the 11 new classes as a
delivery vehicle for Sphere magic in your game.
With Spheres of Power, I can shape magic into
whatever form fits my concept of the game world. It gives me a simple set of tools and a
robust engine with which to create my perfect concept of magic, whatever that
might be, and effectively execute the concept in my game. This is a great book, one that changes the
way that playing Pathfinder feels, in a positive way. Adam Meyers, Owen K.C. Stephens, Thomas Keene
and Ryan Ricks have produced a fantastic magic system which better allows GMs
to create the magic that they want in their world. The simplicity of the system, coupled with
the vast customization options, make Spheres of Power a highly
recommended replacement for the confining Vancian box offered by the Pathfinder
RPG. My rating: 10 out of 10! This wonderful book is available from
DriveThruRPG here.
A copy of this review will be posted to DriveThruRPG, Amazon and Paizo.
No comments:
Post a Comment