If you can, it might be worth checking out Dungeon Crawl Classics.  They have lots of random tables for miscasts and corruption.  And you could even just buy their reference guide for $9.95, which just has all the tables if you don't want the whole rulebook.  It should port to AS&SH quite easily.

Ah, nevermind about the VAM question, figured it out. 

Ghul wrote:

rhialto wrote:

Ah, nevermind about the VAM question, figured it out. 

I still have no clue!
 

Suffice to say, bereft of edgy cruft, it's a "roll a SV to overcast" system with random misfires if you fail. The table of spell names based on metal songs is useful, too. Worth the $0 I spent on it.

See attachment for what we're implementing in our forthcoming OSE campaign, cribbing a bit from DCC.  I'm worried it may get a bit clunky, but we are keeping regular spell effects unlike the complicated way they work in DCC.  I just wanted a bit of danger and randomness added.  And I like the idea of having to roll randomly for spells rather than choosing since it seems that people tend to choose the same few spells, especially at low levels.  The DCC clerical healing lay on hands ability is also quite cool and helps obviate the need to load up on healing spells...Ø  Spells must be rolled randomlyØ  All arcane casters must make a mercurial magic roll when they learn a new spell (See DCC chart)Ø  All arcane spells have a failure rate equal to their spell level.  So 6% for a 6th level spell.  Roll d100 every time a spell is cast to check for failure.  If spell fails for arcane casters, first roll on DCC misfire chart and apply result.  Then caster makes a Charisma check on a d20.  If they fail, corruption occurs.  For spell levels 1-2=Minor Corruption; levels 3-4=Major Corruption; levels 5-6=Greater Corruption.  Roll on appropriate DCC table.Ø  For divine spells, base chance of failure is 1 in 20.  Roll d20 every time a spell is cast; if roll is 1; divine disfavor may occur.  Roll Charisma check on d20 and if it’s failed, roll on the deity disapproval table.  For each failure on a given day, the chance of failure & disapproval increases by one.  So if you failed a check, the next spell the chance is 2 in 20, etc.  Resets each day.Ø  Clerics and druids may lay on hands as per DCC.  Roll d20+Cha modifier+level and consult DCC table

For spells cast from scrolls, base chance of failure is 1 in 20, unless it’s a thief, where the chance is 2 in 20.  Roll on spell mishap table.

Last edited by Spider of Leng (1/14/2021 10:16 pm)

rhialto wrote:

Ghul wrote:

Ahh, I see. I don't favor the concept, personally, but to each his own. The only time we used something like it to amusing effect was with the AD&D 2E Tome of Magic and its "wild magic." It was OK. Sometimes funny, more often annoying (IMO), so I suppose I'm not terribly fond of magic systems that are crazily random. 

Yes, me either, but I do like having as a players' option something like this: that is, the player can decide if they want to press their luck, but the Vancian system is the norm.

 
Yeah, Vancian as the norm with the ability to do something desperate with a chance of spectacular failure/success seems about right.

Have some kind of roll that determines if it's a critical success or a critical failure. One could even use the woe and crit tables we already have as a guide.

If the spell does damage then that's an easy thing, if not, maybe the duration or whatever is modified accordingly.

I'm not sure I would use it, but it seems like a simple mod that is closer to what Hyperborea is than a jump to something DCC-like.

Yeah, I might be trying to create another class in another thread, but I'm doing what I can to work within the bounds of the system and the systems it drew from. :-)

rhialto wrote:

gizmomathboy wrote:

Yeah, Vancian as the norm with the ability to do something desperate with a chance of spectacular failure/success seems about right.

Have some kind of roll that determines if it's a critical success or a critical failure. One could even use the woe and crit tables we already have as a guide.

If the spell does damage then that's an easy thing, if not, maybe the duration or whatever is modified accordingly.

I'm not sure I would use it, but it seems like a simple mod that is closer to what Hyperborea is than a jump to something DCC-like.

Yeah, I might be trying to create another class in another thread, but I'm doing what I can to work within the bounds of the system and the systems it drew from. :-)

Through Sunken Lands and Beyond the Wall are good models: Spells are Vancian (memorize, #/day, casting works unless caster is disrupted), but Cantrips (minor, non-damaging magic) and Rituals (lengthy casting times of 1hr./level of ritual) are rolled on a characteristic score or less = success basis, with failure meaning some Ref-generated side effect or loss of all magic the rest of the day (Cantrips) or success with unforeseen side effects (Rituals). Very easily added to AS&SH.

looking forward to seeing Through the Sunken Lands in print the PDF is great but I'm old and prefer books.
 

rhialto wrote:

mabon5127 wrote:

looking forward to seeing Through the Sunken Lands in print the PDF is great but I'm old and prefer books.

Me too, though it wasn't so bad on my iPad. I have the idea to use it for a Khromarium-based campaign now, using the playbooks as the background generator, then letting folks pick their AS&SH class.

I always thought this would be a good idea and it looks like they have done the work!