Spellcasting (3.5e Variant Rule)

=Spellcasting=

Casting a Spell
Using this variant set of rules, a spellcaster does not automatically succeed when casting a spell. Instead, the caster must make a caster level check (D20+ Caster Level+ Characteristic Modifier ). The DC for this check is 10+ the spell's level. If this check is passed, the spell is cast successfully as normal. If it fails, the spell is not cast (it takes no more than a standard action to fail a casting attempt ). If a natural one is rolled, then the spell goes horribly wrong. See the section on Critical Spell Failures for details of the result. If a natural twenty is rolled, then the spell is a critical success. See the section on critical successes for details.

A spellcaster that has a line of sight to the spellcaster casting the spell may make a spellcraft check (DC 10+ spell's level ) to see if they can tell that you are casting a spell or not. If they succeed, they can attempt to counterspell. See the section on counterspells for details.

Counterspells
A spellcaster attempting to counterspell a spell being cast by another spellcaster makes an opposed caster level check (D20+ Caster Level+ Characteristic Modifier ) against the caster level check made by the opposing spellcaster when he attempted to cast the spell. If the check is passed, then the spell is negated. Counterspelling can only succeed if the character attempting to counterspell is within range of the spell, and only is the caster is willing to use up one of his spells per day (level is equal to the level of the spell being cast).

Critical Spell Success
If a spell is a critical spell success, it automatically succeeds. In addition, the spellcaster makes another caster level check (D20+ Caster Level+ Characteristic Modifier ). The DC for this check is 20+ (2x Spell Level). If this check succeeds, then the spell's range, duration and damage caused/cured are doubled (if applicable), and the caster level check result to cast the spell is twenty higher than normal (i.e. D20 +Characteristic Modifier +20).

Critical Spell failures
If a spell is a critical failure, then not only does it fail, but something goes horribly wrong. The spellcaster must roll 1d% and consult the chart below7.