Spells as SkillsI am just starting up a new game and decided to use this idea for all mages. I like it as it allows players to have access to some of the more powerful spells that they would never have gotten if they had to pay the normal cost. It also allows me to make the skill more interesting
I accomplish this by first making it an Int or Pre roll with no modifier to the roll (-0). Then I allow some of the limits to be bought off with iether the increase skill penalty rule or the increased END rule to allow flexibility. I also have magical zones where various +1-+3 modifiers exist. There is also materials that aren't needed by the spell but if used will give the caster an increased chance of success.
I also have added a bunch of 5 active point spells, costing the player 1 point and a roll of 8 or less. The same modifiers above apply but these spells pretty much all have a duration of 1 min + 1 min per success of the roll. They aren't powerful but there are alot of them and this just furthers the mages flexibility that I felt was lacking before.
So my mage player who had 10 spells costing 30 points now has 8 full spells and 6 minor spells. Plus we created a spell book which he invested 3 points into and another 10 spells are in it that he can learn later, the three points will be subsumed into the first three spells he buys. Now as it is a spell book he can't use the spells from the book with out some major effort as we made them uncontrolled (-2). But if he takes alot of time and really plays it out I'll let him use a spell once and it will still be in the book but more then that risk losing the spell.
I hope these thoughts help you.
