The Memory Gap
by Trevor Holman from Threshold Magazine issue 35Wizard
Prompted by author with
Midjourney
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In my AD&D games, I’ve created a spell-casting system that enhances the spell-caster’s options for the way they choose their spells as well as the number of spells they can cast. It doesn’t use spell points, but it does add rules to balance the benefits the spell-caster receives—such as spell fatigue and exhaustion, spell erosion, etc., and more.
For my basic games I wanted something simple, but something that still offered a little more freedom for the spell-caster to have options should a situation arise, allowing more spontaneous gameplay for spell-casters.
Below is something I hope fits that bill.
In this variant, spells are learned normally per the rules of study and meditation. However, they remain in memory until discarded for other spells. The number of spells a character can memorize is based on their class level plus their intelligence or wisdom score, depending on the class (wisdom for clerics, intelligence for magic-users and elves). The effect below does not allow the character to cast additional spells but will enable them to memorize more spells to choose from. Thus, depending on the situation, the character becomes slightly more useful—and dangerous.
Intelligence/Wisdom Adjustments
Score Effect
13–15 +1 spell/level
16–17 +2 spells/level
18 +3 spells/level
I.e. a 3rd-level Conjurer can cast two 1st-level spells and one 2nd-level spell. If the Conjurer has an Intelligence score of 16 they can memorize two additional spells per level. Instead of the two 1st-level spells and one 2nd-level spell, the character would now have four 1st-level spells and three 2nd-level spells to choose from, but could still only cast two 1st-level and one 2nd-level spells in a day.
As mentioned, this is a simple variant and the DM can still require characters to study all their spells before each adventure or force spells to be lost on casting them. This variant can also be expanded to include casting additional spells during adventures where a character is desperate. There would be great risk involved, causing fatigue, exhaustion, or even death to the caster.