Wytches and experience

[hollow49]

I was very taken by the Lone Wolf recommended level advancement method in the main book - no tracking experience points by kills, levels bing gained in the middle of a combat etc. However, Magic of Magnamund contains some elements that don't mesh well with this system, to wit experience costs. If levels are gained "per story" then any experience cost is going to result in a high level Wytch being a level lower than her comrades for entire stories at a time, regardless how small the experience diference is - and once one experience penalty applies, the others become irrelevant, as they won't make up more than 1 level's worth of penalty, and expereince is gained only in level-sized chunks. The wytch isn't the only source of experience cost, but is the only class that requires it.

Was the recommended method of advancement abandoned in this book? Or is there some other solution? Giving all the players a 10% bonus in experience over that needed to reach the next level at all times will still end up with other players taking a 2-level jump at some stage and then loses the sense of the cost that the experience penalty implies. Ignoring experience costs altogether then makes Forbidden Knowledge less attractive - it's easier to make up experience than permanent ability loss.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to how to balance this out?

 

[mthomason]

Tricky one...

You could take the Wytch PC through a solo adventure every once in a while so they can "keep up".

Alternatively, just live with the fact they're not keeping up with the rest. It shouldn't hurt as long as everyone in the group is within a couple of levels of one another. How do you handle it if a player in the group has to miss playing a scenario? They're still going to lag one level behind the rest.

 

[Anonymous]

When I first read the wytch entry, I too wondered how I would respond to a player that wanted to play such a class, i.e., how would it be worked out with respect to power stones and key's. Basically, I figured its up to the narrator; I would allow a wytch to start of with a certain number of power stones and key's, dependant on starting level. Not too many that the wytch starts casting spells like any other spellcaster, and not too few that it would make the class unplayable in combat.

During the course of an adventure, allow the wytch to 'make' a new powerstone per game week. No xp cost, but she can only make one or two. She needs to pay for materials as well.

Also, keep in mind there are spells that do not require the wytch to use key's or stones in order to be effective in combat without requiing the wytch to be in a sanctum and inside a pentagram; many spells from the 'Flames of the ancients' path come to mind. Some of these, such as fan of flames, can be cast as a standard action.

Lastly, for the other spells, through effeective use of stealth the wytch could sneak up on foes, and then cast her spells taking the normal penalty of a much longer casting time, if she does not have key's or stones to spare. If the wytch knows she will come under attak at a certain time of day, she could also prepare by starting casting these spells before combat truly begins. Heck, I would allow a wytch in such a situation to hastily convert an inn room (or some such) into a temporary sanctum if she has the time, pentagram and all. This would require some chalk, ranks in perform (ritual), Knowledge (ritual), occult, etc etc.

Hope that helps.