See, I've long had a problem with magic systems. And I don't just mean the fact that a level 1 mage redefines the definition of both useless and liability in EVERY SYSTEM EVER WRITTEN.
No, the problem is that magic systems simply don't tend to feel very magical. A lot of this is of course due to the fact that rather than exploring the infinite arcane wonders of the cosmos you're always just shopping from a fixed list of spells with absolutely ZERO room for imagination or creativity on the past of the PC. However another issue is the managing of spells itself. Basically you have one of two systems depending on wether you're playing D&D or not.
If you are playing D&D then you get to cast a spell once per day whereupon you instantly forget it completely in what I an only describe as COMPLETE AND UTTER BULLSHIT. Or you have mana points. Now, mana points do work okay, and are obviously a big improvement over the D&D system as the idea isn't obviously retarded. But it's still very precise and scientific. There's no mystery there. Once you've used up your magic points you can't do anything else. At all. You don't even have the option to try, even at great personal risk or anything.
And somehow I've come up with an idea that strikes me as potentially being better than these standard options. I'm sure someone MUST have thought of this already, but I don't recall seeing it anywhere.
Basically, the idea is to have saving throws with a cumulative penalty. So the more you cast the harder it gets until eventually you simply can't do it any more. You know, like actually wearing yourself out or something.
So, for example we'll say we're using a d100 system (because it keeps the math simple). We'll take a fairly simple spell, say magic missile (because the darkness isn't going to attack itself).
And we'll say it has a difficulty of 10 for some reason. That is you need to roll over 10 on a d100 to cast it. The we'll give it a fatigue value of 2, why not? So every time you cast it adds 2 to the difficulty of all subsequent spells. So the first magic missile is 10, the next is 12, then 14, 16 etc etc. Big complicated spells have higher difficulties and fatigue burdens, simpiler ones have lower. If you've got a spell that needs maintaining then make the fatigue bigger. So continuing our example whilst our one shot magic missile has a low fatigue of 2 raising up a zombie minion could have a fatigue of like 15 or something silly, thus representing the mental drain required to maintain and direct the minions.
If you want a system with crunchy muchkin maths then make all the values bigger and give the pcs stats and feats to offset them. Reserves of willpower or arcane strength, masteries of whatever arcane schools are appropriate to the setting. If you want something rules light keep the numbers lower and just use it as gauge. Either way we then get some great fun working out what happens when a mage finally pushes past his limits and it all goes horribly wrong. Or, conversly the mage will always have a chance, no matter how slim, of getting of that one final spell.
Even better you can provide temporary offsets in the form of highly addictive mana potions, and watch as all the wizards try not to become complete crack heads.
Obviously the fatigue can be reset by whatever recharge is appropriate; a good nights rest, arcane meditation, fellatio or whatever.
It just seems like a fairly good idea to me. I'm certainly gonna give it a try in my next game. If nothing else it should help determine what point the idiot spellcaster passes out.
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