Magicka (3.5e Variant Rule)

Magicka
Spellcasting has been fun in pretty much any incarnation of Dungeons and Dragons, but the Vancian magic system brings with it a variety of problems. Being able to fire off continuous volleys of top-level spells in a big battle may lead to spellcasters to have an overwhelming advantage over the more linearly progressing martial classes, and the stacking of buffs and active effects can make them nearly impossible to beat down to boot. This Magicka system aims to counter these two problems, and make playing spellcasting types a more tactical experience that revolves around more than simply overpowering encounters with overwhelming arcane power.

This variant is partially inspired by Mana-Based Spellcasting and partially the way mana tends to work in video games.

How it Works
The Magicka system forces you to make choices as to how to play your character. A spellcaster using this system is unable to cast his top level spells one after another, and must choose whether to conserve his power for big spells or go for weaker spells that can be used more repeatedly. Powerful buffs and debuffs also factor into how much power you can put to your spells. The Magicka system works as follows.

Magicka: This is the fuel that powers your spells.

Magicka : You draw magicka from your power source as a free action at the start of every turn, whether it be the Weave, a Deity, some inherent source of power, or nature itself. This is called tapping. The amount of magicka you can tap per turn is equal to your spellcaster class level. You can use this tapped magicka to cast spells immediately, or save it for later.

Magicka Pool: This is the magicka you have set aside for casting spells with. The amount of magicka your magicka pool can hold is 5 times your spellcaster class level. Any tapped magicka left-over from your last turn is added to your magicka pool before you tap again.

Casting Spells
You can use your magicka pool and your tapped magicka to cast spells, or a combination of both. All spells have a magicka cost to cast based on spell level.

This is the magicka cost required to keep the spell going. You don't have to pay maintain costs during the round of casting. At the start of your turn after you tap, you subtract the total maintain of your active spells. As such, having many or powerful spells active limits the amount of magicka you can recover every round.

Spells with longer duration are less draining on the caster. For the sake of determining maintain, spells with a 1 minute/level casting time or those counted in multiple minutes count as being 1 level lower. Spells with a 10 minute/level casting time or those counted in multiples of 10 minutes or up to 1-2 hours count as being 2 levels lower. Spells with a 1 hour/level casting time or those counted in multiple hours count as being 3 levels lower. Spells with a day/level casting time or those counted in multiple days count as being 4 levels lower. Spells that are permanent count as being 5 levels lower. Spells made permanent with permanency cost no maintain.

Magicka Strain
Excessive use of magicka causes physical and mental strain that makes it more difficult to draw in magicka to continue casting. For every 100 points of magicka spent on the casting of spells (not including magicka lost through maintain), you incur one point of magicka strain. When you tap at the beginning of your turn, you subtract your total magicka strain along with your total maintain from your spellcaster class level to determine how much magicka you are able to tap. If your total magicka strain plus your total maintain becomes higher than your class level, you must dismiss at least one active spell that costs maintain.

Magicka strain can be recovered at a rate of 1 point per hour.

Magic Attacks
In order to compensate for the lesser density of spells cast, spellcasters using the Magicka system gain the ability to channel raw magical energy into damaging bolts, allowing them to attack normally between castings. They gain a magicka bolt attack with a range of 30 feet that deals 1d6 points of damage per 2 class levels, and the attack roll is based on their casting-relevant ability score instead of Dexterity. The magicka bolt is an attack action that has no magicka cost, and can be used in a full attack.

Work in progress.