Continuing my odd queries, I was wondering how people handle spell point systems in their games.

I don’t mean just for the one class — I mean, completely replacing spell slots.

how do you find this interfaces with other systems in the game?

is there a spell point system you hate?

is there one you really like?

can players use spell points to make a spell more powerful?

what happens if they run out of spell points?

basically, thoughts about spell points. Yes, there are a few dead posts. This is a new one, lol.

We've never used spell points for D&D. The only reason we'd use spell points is if we were playing a different game system.

Quote from Farling >>

We've never used spell points for D&D. The only reason we'd use spell points is if we were playing a different game system.

 
A lot of folks don’t use the optional rules in D&D 5e for spell points. And ya can’t use them with DDB.

but many people do use them, and there have been a lot of versions of them, going back to the 80’s. So not necessary to play a different game.

I am curious about those that do 😉

thank you for commenting!

I struggle to understand the purpose of a spell point system in 5e - is there any point other than making spellcasters even stronger?

Quote from Kizzoap >>

I struggle to understand the purpose of a spell point system in 5e - is there any point other than making spellcasters even stronger?

It's just another way of tracking a resource.

Quote from Kizzoap >>

I struggle to understand the purpose of a spell point system in 5e - is there any point other than making spellcasters even stronger?

 
well, in my case, it is to support a concept of magic more readily encountered in fantasy fiction of the current era and the far more common way that it is portrayed in such. I mean, basically it is following the game trope if you step away from the fiction, as well. 

it is generally seen by most as making spellcasters far weaker in the 5e implementation. I find it makes them more creative, myself.

Historically, in the sense of game mods, spell points have been used to give spellcasters more options, but also to give pure martial more value, because of the potential downsides to running out of spell points after wiping one mob, and being a ready target for the cavalry…

I like that it provides a way to shift the focus for spellcasters towards only needing to memorize a spell once a day in some approaches, in D&D, while in others it means they have to deal with the simpler tracking aspect.

in some systems I have seen it is joined by a casting time mechanic that makes it riskier to use higher spell levels because they take much more time to cast (usually one round per spell level).

Some folks just hate the spell slot approach — it has very little cinematic capacity, is a pain to try and role play, and is based in the mechanics of the game, not the lore (and it further breaks the rules of magic).

so lots of purposes — enough that it is an official option — that move beyond making spellcasters stronger.

I allow players to use the spell point system from the DMG if they wish. It's more difficult to keep track of, but is grants players slightly more versatility.

Other than that, I don't use any point system. Though I recently came across a "spell fizzling" system. You have no spell slots; a spell you have prepared is either Useable or Fizzled.

When you cast a spell, you must make a check using your spellcasting ability + your proficiency bonus, against a DC of 10 + the spell's level. On a success, the spell is cast as usual. On a fail, the spell fizzles out and cannot be cast again until you finish a long rest (or short rest for Warlocks).

If you roll a 20 on the die, you perform a critical cast, and can choose to increase the spell's power (from a list of options) or to regain the use of a fizzled spell.

If you fail the check, you can use your reaction to force it to be cast before fizzling. You take necrotic damage equal to 5 x the spell's level, which cannot be reduced in any way.

I've playtested it a little, and it seems to work fairly well thus far.

Yeah, that’s what I was looking for!  Thank you!

that is a rather cool mechanic for the fizzle sizzle, lol. Iirc, you really like soft RP modes a lot more than crunchier stuff, and I can see that mechanic really being a wild sort of way to do things. I also like that it is a really great potential mechanic for a “low magic” setting.

as you can probably guess, I am a bit of a fan girl about game mechanics in general. I am less bound to rules than a lot of folks, but I still really like a good creative solution that still enables the rule of cool and such.

Magic is an integral part of the game as a whole, and for as long as I have been playing the game, there have been folks who wondered what in the hell they were doing taking the edge-case works of Vance for their system basis, lol. So, magic systems are always a big point of interest to me because they give so much more flexibility and creativity to a design state.

Thank you!

I have not used Spell Points, but I do have a houserule which is active in my game called Overcasting:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/17Z_fYTEi6cuf1_bHoflxVkGujMRJ7L-2azn9WcaJJLKo

which hasn't actually come up yet, I may need to remind the party that this is a thing!

Quote from ThorukDuckSlayer >>

I have not used Spell Points, but I do have a houserule which is active in my game called Overcasting:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/17Z_fYTEi6cuf1_bHoflxVkGujMRJ7L-2azn9WcaJJLKo

which hasn't actually come up yet, I may need to remind the party that this is a thing!

 
That is actually a really cool house rule that could have significant impact on a spell point based system. I can see some incredible outcomes potentially from it…

example: in some spell point systems, a spell’s effect can be increased through expending additional spell points after casting. Something like this could be a effect of pushing too much magic into the spell, causing it to react strangely or generate secondary effects (the table).

for a reminder, slip a note to a Wizard or something then have them encounter a caster of some humanoid et al sort who is using it — show them what it can do! Then have the wizard explain it to the party, lol.

add in some unreliable narrator stuff for fun, lol.

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Yeah, that’s what I was looking for!  Thank you!

that is a rather cool mechanic for the fizzle sizzle, lol. Iirc, you really like soft RP modes a lot more than crunchier stuff, and I can see that mechanic really being a wild sort of way to do things. I also like that it is a really great potential mechanic for a “low magic” setting.

as you can probably guess, I am a bit of a fan girl about game mechanics in general. I am less bound to rules than a lot of folks, but I still really like a good creative solution that still enables the rule of cool and such.

Magic is an integral part of the game as a whole, and for as long as I have been playing the game, there have been folks who wondered what in the hell they were doing taking the edge-case works of Vance for their system basis, lol. So, magic systems are always a big point of interest to me because they give so much more flexibility and creativity to a design state.

Thank you!

 I've found a link to the video I stole the idea from (though the necrotic damage rule is something I added):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rafB8p9Eddo

House DM has some pretty good videos in general.

I hadn't thought of using spell fizzling for a low-magic setting, but it would definitely fit. The idea (paraphrasing from House DM) is that magic in 5e tends to be rather predictable, always working exactly the same way. This rule (in my experience) makes magic slightly riskier and less static.

I'm in a bit of a weird position regarding gameplay vs thematics; I tend to enjoy unique mechanics that inform the themes of the game, but also to figure out mechanics that fit the story and themes. Mechanics are there to support the story, but occasionally the mechanics can provide the idea and basis for a unique part of a setting or story (such as magic).

I really like to figure out fun/unique gameplay mechanics (I play a lot of video games and board games) but if they conflict with an enjoyable story in a TTRPG or prevent a player from doing something that they logically should be able to, the mechanics get the proverbial axe.

I have a player using spell points instead of the warlock spell slots. It added a ton of versatility to their spell spellcasting, since they're not forced into this situation where they're worried about wasting a 5th level spell slot to cast a shield spell or the like.

You can use them in DnD Beyond if you don't mind loading browser scripts. Just need a browser plugin that lets you do it.

https://github.com/Mwr247/DnDBeyondSpellPointsV2