Planar Sickness and Wizards

[Stranger]

I would like to suggest that the power and instability of wizard magic be heightened.

My first and preliminary suggestion is that the Arcane Focus either be removed. If they are not removed, then an active Arcane Focus should suppress all of the additional dangers and benefits I am going to propose below; eliminating risk at cost to power.

The effects suggested below are in addition to the existing modifications to saving throws  and ability scores (most of which are deleterious).

0: Unafflicted

No effects.

1 - 2500: Infected by the Planes

10% chance to call Lesser Horrors with any spell.

2501 - 5000: Afflicted by the Planes

+1 Wizard Caster Level, 20% chance to call Lesser Horrors with any spell.

5001 - 7000: Moderate Affliction by the Planes

+2 Wizard Caster Level, 30% chance to call Lesser Horrors with any spell, 10% chance to call Horrors with any spell

7001 - 8000: Heavy Affliction by the Planes

+3 Wizard Caster Level, 40% chance to call Lesser Horrors with any spell, 20% chance to call Horrors with any spell

8001 - 9000: Intense Affliction by the Planes

+4 Wizard Caster Level, 50% chance to call Lesser Horrors with any spell, 30% chance to call Horrors with any spell, 10% chance to call Greater Horrors with any spell

9001 - 9999: Planar Madness

+5 Wizard Caster Level, 60% chance to call Lesser Horrors with any spell, 40% chance to call Horrors with any spell, 20% chance to call Greater Horrors with any spell

Horrors would be dangerous, nightmarish creatures with many of the powers that Magic Eaters had in previous chapters of EFU, such as rapid teleportation, dispel on hit, and true seeing. There would be a very real possibility of Horrors killing the wizards who attract them, especially the stronger varieties, and perhaps others around them. Such peril would fast create the stigma that wizards have always been meant to have.

The possibility of a "Horror Mark" mechanic could increase the odds of the Horrors spawning for select characters who dabble in powers that they should not have, and even create the rare possibility of the suffering spreading from wizards to non-wizards.

Lesser Horrors could also replace Planar Gobblers as a random spawn for deeply sick characters.

[KuroKitten]

I would think not having any deleterious effects at low levels of plane sickness would be alright.

Also, I would rather have the deleterious effects in question have more variety than just "summon hostile monster". Stuff like mutations, unexpected spell effects, etc.

And given how often wizards cast spells, dramatically lower chances of spells "backfiring" like this should be considered - even a 5% chance would trigger multiple times per hour, most likely.

Furthermore, instead of removing arcane focuses or having them suppress effects, I would propose having them reduce planesickness gain by a percentage, instead of suppressing it entirely.

[Stranger]

Permanent mutations as a possible effect of heavy Planar Sickness would be really cool.

Anything from sprouting random body parts to being afflicted with inhuman colorations, the serious risk of becoming a freak and being ostracized from the Peerage, etc...

[Iconoclast]

The lack of magic eaters (or similar) in this version makes wizards much less socially stigmatized than previously. Which is seems contrary to the increased social pressure they are supposed to face. Nobody really gets mad at a wizard for giving them seamsick points like people would to a spellcaster who didn't have nightshade.

Planar sickness is an irritant, but doesn't seem to do more than act as a limiter to nonstop quest crushing. Don't get me wrong, I think that is great, but it could do with something more.

[Mymerian]

I agree with the spirit of Stranger's suggestion: make wizard magic a lot more inconvenient, unstable, dangerous and "weird" -- and I agree with everything KuroKitten wrote: while Stranger's idea of attracting lesser and greater horrors is flavorfully the single best idea, effects should also ideally have as much variety as possible, so as to become more interesting and, crucially, less predictable. And I agree with the idea of keeping arcane foci around, but have them only suppress effects slightly, instead of absorbing/blocking them entirely. I think making wizards stigmatized while sorcerers are accepted is one of the more interesting aspects of the setting.

[Diabl0658]

I dont agree that mechanical changes are needed to enforce stigma, just look at druids for example. Their spells have no ill effects yet they are universally hated. Wizards already have plenty of optional class features that make people angry, such as polymorph self, animate dead, unravel, and alchemy. If every spell a wizard cast had a chance to cause horrors to appear theyd be more hated than druids.

Full Disclosure: I am biased in favor of wizards

[cmenden]

Obviously a big wizard fan here too, but I think that planar sickness should never convey advantages

The closest to that I wouldn't mind seeing is what Wyrm and some others have suggested over the months, maybe some type of item that makes you get planar sickness faster but you get some mild benefit (+1 DC or spell damage, a bonus slot, etc)

But even then, I'd want it to be something wizards needed to use the entire rest cycle, like maybe an attunement (ala cleric) and that feels like a big scripting ask for something so specific

[Damien]

Stranger, you made this suggestion like a year ago, and we all agreed giving wizards buffs from planar sickness was dumb....or was it Lannister....same, same...

Anyway, I think they should just become freaks over time. They still get a complete free ride compared to changelings, and last I checked only one corrupts your body and destroys the rings.

[Dillusionist]

Suggestions like this pop up again and again...

I think the biggest issue is that systemized mechanics to make a base class controversial just do not work. There's a few reasons for this:

1) Wild mad scientists and creepy, monstrous changelings will become common-place and dull if everyone plays one. I can count on one hand the number of mad scientist wizards that were GOOD this chapter. These PCs were well characterized and used tools like Unravel and Alchemy to their fullest extent. They also got a lot of DM support, to be fair. But ultimately these characters didn't just rely on passively provoking controversy by existing.

2) People who don't want this conflict are going to be very meek about this. They'll just do what they can to minimize or game the risks.

Ultimately this stuff needs to rely on your story-telling and characterization ability as a player and writer.

[Mymerian]

Suggestions like this pop up again and again...

I think the biggest issue is that systemized mechanics to make a base class controversial just do not work. There's a few reasons for this:

1) Wild mad scientists and creepy, monstrous changelings will become common-place and dull if everyone plays one. I can count on one hand the number of mad scientist wizards that were GOOD this chapter. These PCs were well characterized and used tools like Unravel and Alchemy to their fullest extent. They also got a lot of DM support, to be fair. But ultimately these characters didn't just rely on passively provoking controversy by existing.

2) People who don't want this conflict are going to be very meek about this. They'll just do what they can to minimize or game the risks.

Ultimately this stuff needs to rely on your story-telling and characterization ability as a player and writer.

Good points! But isn't there a second issue here, apart from the "create stigma" goal -- namely the fact that wizards are in rather high demand as buffbots and questing buddies? In other words, they are just too popular and useful, and these suggestions would balance that out? At the moment, most PCs are not ambivalent about wizards -- they want wizards. In their Houses, on their quests, in their ringrunning groups etc.

[HowlingLikeAWolf]

I'd agree with Mymerian here. The reasons why druids get such hate is because frankly, they just aren't that necessary for the typical adventurer aside from the occasional deal on camouflage, one with the land, and bark potions.

Wizards are much more of a utility knife, and are therefore tolerated much more readily because they provide often unique benefits to a party that a druid would not aside a little bit stronger barkskin. 

So I think it's a good idea to make wizards have more upside -and- downside to their mechanics.  Playing a wizard-hunter this chapter so far is an exercise in suicide and futility from my perspective (with the exception of if they are a druid.)