But the idea of horizontal power and reducing character resource costs for minor things and just putting more fluff into stuff is all good.
Magical Feats
Basically, all the blame for spells per day rests solely on the shoulders of Jack Vance and the tip of Gary Gygax's hard-on for Vance. In pretty much any other story, spellcasting doesn't use some kind of hard drive or pill-box of the mind, it's just a bunch of things you know how to do, and either takes time, meaning you're limited by how much you can stall and get enemies to not shoot you in the head while dropping that fireball, or it takes energy, meaning you're limited by just how much stamina you have. And often people have tons of tricks they can do all day even so.
While letting someone take a feat to use, say, Shapechange, at will is maybe questionable, letting them pick up always-on detect [whatever] is so innocuous that you get it free with first levels that give you other things. So there's definitely some room for at will magical abilities that you can pick up with feats, and even WotC recognized this and started tinkering with it with Reserve feats. I'm not going to allege that Reserve feats were any good, because I barely have the analytical tools for that assertion, and I haven't really even looked at that question, but I know they're cool and fun. So there's a promising concept there.
Also, I'm working on these to hang Arcane and Divine traits, a la Fiendish Traits, on, because there's no way to make late-series Voldemort in D&D short of very specific, sub-optimal, non-casting classes, and that's a shame.
[Arcane] and [Divine] Traits
In a lot of stories, magic shapes those who use or are exposed to it. In Harry Potter, Voldemort became less and less human as more and more horcruxes were destroyed, but also because of his exposure to dark magic. The fact that he began to take on snake qualities, specifically, is mostly aesthetic (I can only assume snakes burned down Jo's childhood home) and partially because one of his last horcruxes was a snake. In Fable, the changes to your appearance are based on your moral actions, but the idea is the same, and, frankly, you do tend to use and get exposed to a good bit of magic in Fable. Mozenrath traded the flesh of one arm for magical power, notably with no apparent loss of function. And then there's the litany of signs of magical and supernatural power you can find in folk lore (which actually tend to break down to "here, lets give you a reason to ostracize ugly people!").
In a lot of fantasy, people tend to just give their wizards a starry robe and a book, and their priests a garishly large holy symbol and the self-righteousness of the entire GOP, and be done with it. But that's really boring, and there totally needs to be a way to say that your sorcerer looks kind of dragon-y without having to use shitty races like spellscale, or eat LAs for shit like Draconic or Half Dragon. I mean, there's no particular reason for your wizard to have glowing eyes and runes etched on every inch of their body, but... c'mon, why not?
These work like Fiendish Traits- for every feat with the [Arcane] or [Divine] tag, you gain a physical trait. You may wish to have casters mentally diverge from non-casters as well. There are sample mental traits which can be acquired when a new spell level is, or in place of physical traits if this is desired.
Example Physical Traits
- Your eyes glow some color. Usually this corresponds to either typical moral color symbolism (red is bad, gold is good), or the kind of magic you use (orange for fire, blue for ice, etc)
- Runes cover your skin. Maybe they glow.
- Facial and body hair takes on the texture of fur
- Your ears and/or nose take on an appearance similar to those of your familiar
- Your eyes become inhuman (solid-coloured, hourglass pupils, slitted like a snake or cat, they protrude slightly on very small stalks, etc)
- An unfelt breeze or current constantly tussles your hair and clothing
- Your skin takes on a sheen
- One pair of appendages is a different color from the other(s)
- You sprout a pair or set of short tendril-like whiskers or spines around you mouth or on your chin
- You have a stylized wound which does not heal (but also does not impair you in any significant way)
- Fingers and toes have extra joint
- Hair grows down your middle fingers
- Hair becomes a vibrant shade of an unnatural color
- You glow faintly at all times. This doesn't produce light, but may make you slightly easier to spot (should never be more than a 1 point difference).
- Small magical constructs float around you at all times. These may appear as motes of light, sparkles, flower petals, butterflies or other flying insects, smalls stones, or anything else, really.
- Your touch causes plants to become modestly healthier (no mechanical effect), and flowers will bloom at it. Walking barefoot on natural materials will cause flowers to sprout and bloom in your path, and they will persist for a number of minutes equal to your casting stat mod
- One of your arms is transmuted (harmlessly and with no mechanical effect) into another substance or alien form (stone, metal, chitinous and ending in a pincer, bare bone, etc)
- Your hair takes on the appearance of your primary theme of magic (becomes like flame, vines, a shock of icicles standing straight out, etc). This has no mechanical effect.
- Distaste or condescension for people who cannot use magic
- Discomfort in environments or settings opposed to your theme of magic (evil temples for good clerics, meat lockers and cold terrain for fire mages, etc)
- You have a compulsive desire to hoard mundane wealth, such as precious metals, precious stones, and art.
- You cannot abide the presence of people diametrically opposed to your own alignment
- You believe you're above mortal contracts and will breach them unless otherwise coerced.
- You forget that noncasters are people and treat them as tools or toys.
In order to take an Arcane feat you must be able to cast arcane spells. To take a Divine feat, you must be able to cast divine spells. Arcane casters with the Arcane Disciple feat may take Divine feats and divine casters of gods with the Magic domain can take Arcane feats. All spells and abilities granted by [Arcane] and [Divine] feats are supernatural abilities unless otherwise stated. Other than being supernatural, using an spell-mimicking ability follows all the usual rules for the spell except for components (unless otherwise noted, they require the same casting time, last the same duration, etc, but never require material, vocal or somatic components).
Liminal Being
Though not actually a caster, you straddle the line between the worlds mundane and magical. It's kind of uncomfortable.
Benefit: When you select this feat, choose one of the following options-
Arcane Being: You are suffused with arcane energy, changing you on a fundamental level to allow you access to the mysteries of the universe. You gain Knowledge (Arcane) as a class skill regardless of your actual class, and may take arcane feats as a Sorcerer or Wizard of your character level-2 (your virtual caster level). In addition, you may derive nourishment from arcane energy. A 1st level spell slot is equivalent to food for one day, and you may also attempt to consume spell energy to heal yourself. In order to consume spell energy you must first overcome the spell (ie, make the relevant save, if any. For spells that use an attack action, roll a Fort save as if the spell allowed a save). Then you must make a DC (15+spell level) Knowledge (Arcana) check. If you succeed, you heal 1d6 hit points per spell level. Allied arcane casters may expend their spell slots purposefully to heal you, requiring neither of these rolls.
Divine Being: You have awakened a divine spark within yourself, and the multiverse recognizes this holy energy. You gain Knowledge (Religion) as a class skill regardless of your actual class, and may take Divine feats as a Cleric or Druid of your character level-2 (your virtual caster level). Also, your soul becomes very at home in your body. They are still distinct, so you still have a dual nature, unlike outsiders, but when you die, your soul does not move on unless you wish to and you are immune to effects which would trap your soul unless they originate from a character with at least 4 more levels than you have. Effectively, spells which raise the dead always succeed on you, so long as you want them to. Your body is still subject to the time limits of those spells, but you may double those limits. Further, you are sustained by the energies of the multiverse. You have no need to eat, drink, or sleep (though you may if you wish), and you may heal your body in meditation by taking fifteen minutes to rest and making a Knowledge (Religion) roll at DC 20 to heal 1d6 hit points. You may heal an additional 1d6 hit points for every 5 points by which you beat this DC. You may also replicate the effects of Regenerate with an hour of uninterrupted meditation and a DC 30 Knowledge (Religion) check.
Planar Being: A bud of planar energy has developed within you, and you have nurtured it into a planar bleed which courses through your body. You gain Knowledge (the Planes) as a class skill regardless of your actual class, and may choose to count as an Elemental (specific element), Fiend, or Celestial for the purposes of feats. You gain Resistance 5 to your choice of Acid, Cold, Electricity or Fire, and a healing ability. If you chose Elemental, you may heal through exposure to your element. This is identical to the healing ability of Divine Being, except that it requires contact with Air, Earth, Water or Fire as appropriate. If you chose Celestial, you may treat vials of holy water as potions of cure light wounds. If you chose Fiend, you may treat vials of unholy water or alchemist's fire as potions of cure light wounds.
If a feat would reference the highest spell level you can cast, use half your virtual caster level instead.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, choosing a different Knowledge each time. You may choose Knowledge (the Planes) three times, choosing a different category of feats to be able to take each time. Neither of these options are particularly recommended, but you can.
An Ice Personality [Arcane, Divine]
Some say you're a cold person. But given time, they see you're ice enough.
You have ice powers.
Benefit: Your touch is freezing. Given prolonged contact, you can create a thin layer of ice or frost on any surface. This ice is completely mundane and will thaw normally. Turning this off requires conscious thought, but not active concentration, and takes merely a free action to deactivate it for one turn.
Basic effect: Your touch deals 1 cold. A number of times per day equal to your casting mod, you may mimic Chill Touch. At 4th level, you may use Chill Touch at will.
Advanced effect--5th level: When you reach 5th level, you may mimic the spell Orb of Cold a number of times per day equal to you casting mod. At 8th level, you may use Orb of Cold at will.
Friend to All Living Things [Divine]
You walk around the woods and are surrounded by little cute animals like your own fuzzy entourage. The less cute animals tend to slink along out of sight.
Benefit: You are considered a friend to all animals and plants.
At Will: You may spend 1d4+1 rounds singing, talking, or similar to mimic the effects of the spell Calm Animals. In addition to the normal effect, you may also affect Plant creatures.
Hourly: A number of times per hour equal to your casting mod, you may mimic the effects of Charm Animal, also affecting Plant creatures.
Daily: A number of times per day equal to your casting mod, you may mimic a Summon Natures Ally spell of level equal to half your virtual caster level as a Calling effect. Other than being a calling effect, this effect functions in all other ways identically to casting Summon Nature's Ally.
Great Balls of Fire [Arcane, Divine]
You can conjure orbs of fire in your hand, and then throw them at people.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can conjure a number of orbs of flame equal to the number of attack actions you can take (including two weapon fighting and such), which appear in you hands and floating around you. You may then make a melee or ranged touch attack to hit someone with an orb of flame, dealing a number of d4s of fire damage equal to the highest level of spells you can cast, plus your casting mod. Each attack you make expends an orb of fire. Orbs remain until they are used, or until end of combat, and shed light as a torch. If conjured outside of an encounter, orbs exist essentially indefinitely (as they can be renewed as a swift action).
Healing Hands [Divine]
You've got the touch!
Benefit: You may mimic the effects of Bless Water at will. In addition, you may mimic the effects of Cure Wounds spells at an appropriate rate according to the following list. Spell level is as for a cleric, X equals your casting mod.
- Spell level equals half caster level: x/hour
- Spell level equals (half caster level)-2: 2x/hour
- Spell level equals (half caster level)-4: 1/minute
- Spell level equals (half caster level)-6: at will
Hot Headed (Arcane, Divine)
You have a fiery temper. Oh, and you can set people on fire.
Benefit: Your touch is burning. Given prolonged contact, you can ignite flammable materials. This fire is completely mundane and requires the same fuel and conditions as normal fire to exist. You may also conjure fire similar to a torch or lesser flame. Turning off your burning touch or conjuring flame requires conscious thought, but not active concentration, and takes merely a free action to deactivate it for one turn. At your option, if you have a trait which says a part of you is on fire, you may have this ability manifest as part of that trait so that it actually does damage. If you choose to do this, suppressing your fire takes a move action.
Basic effect: Your touch deals 1 fire. A number of times per day equal to your casting mod, you may mimic Burning Hands. At 4th level, you may use Burning Hands at will.
Advanced effect--5th level: When you reach 5th level, you may mimic the spell Orb of Flame a number of times per day equal to you casting mod. At 8th level, you may use Orb of Flame at will.
Hurting Hands [Divine]
You've got the power!
Benefit: You may mimic the effects of Curse Water at will. In addition, you may mimic the effects of Inflict Wounds spells at an appropriate rate according to the following list. Spell level is as for a cleric, X equals your casting mod.
- Spell level equals half caster level: x/hour
- Spell level equals (half caster level)-2: 2x/hour
- Spell level equals (half caster level)-4: 1/minute
- Spell level equals (half caster level)-6: at will
Magical Sleuth [Arcane]
Your eyes are open to the mysteries of magic. Mostly those mysteries glow, and sometimes it kind of hurts.
Benefit: You may use Detect Magic at will.
Basic Effect: You may mimic the effects of Identify at will with a fifteen minute ritual. This ritual mostly involves chanting and making magic sigils, not 100 gp of powdered pearls.
Advanced Effect--4th level: You may mimic the effects of Arcane Sight at will.
Nystul's Spying Apparatus [Arcane]
You are able to call into being an array of small magical sensors which convey information to you.
Benefit: You may use Arcane Eye once per hour per point of Int mod, except that you may create an Arcane Eye, Ear, Hand, Nose or Tongue which behaves as the spell in all ways but conveys the appropriate sensory information. At fifth level, you may use this ability at will. Multiple sensors can be conjured at once, but each one counts as a use of this ability.
Obiken's Mystical Hand [Arcane]
You can manipulate small objects at a distance. This is useful when you're too lazy to grab a beer or get up for the remote.
Benefit: You can use Mage Hand at will, except that the weight limit is 5 lbs per level. At 5th level, you may instead use Telekinesis with this same weight limit, adding your level to the pounds per level (ie, 5+level pounds per level, or 10 pounds per level at 5th level). At 15th level, you may use the Telekinesis with it's normal 25 pounds per level weight limit.
Potion Weaponizer [Arcane, Divine]
You can channel magical energy into a held potion, catalyzing a variety of magical reactions.
benefit: You may mimic the effects of the spell Energize Potion (BoED) on a potion within line of sight and line of effect. At 5th level, you can alter potions in other ways. By using this ability, you may choose to turn a potion into any poison (including positoxins and ravages), drug, disease (including afflictions) or alchemical substance instead of energizing it by expending magical reagents equal to 1/3 the cost of the desired substance. The range of this ability is the same as the spell (meaning, yes, you can prepare an action to use it on a potion and turn an enemy's Potion of Cure Serious Wounds into Black Lotus Extract if you're in range and have the resources).
This Little Light of Mine [Arcane, Divine]
You glow with the pure light of your god's love. Or his hatred. Whatever. Or maybe you just have a very bright personality.
Benefit: You may may mimic the effects of the spell Light at will with the additional option of making yourself or any part of yourself (like your eyes) the target. Doing so, even targeting your eyes, does not impair your vision in anyway, and you may choose to have the light manifest as though created by any kind of mundane light source (ie, candle, torch, lantern, etc), so long as you do not exceed the limitations of the spell light. At 6th level, you may mimic the effects of the Daylight spell in the same way. Your skin is considered light-proof for the purposes of covering your own light effects (ie, you can use this ability on your eyes, and then close your eyes to hide the light).
Triaj's Sight [Divine]
You know who's alive, who's dead, and who's close to dead.
Benefit: You may mimic the effects of Deathwatch at will. This is not evil in any way.
just holding onto the code for when I come back to this
Benefit: