No magic point costs?

[Bestial Warlust]

I'm completely new to TFT I don't even own the rules, but I've backed the KS. I've heard good things about the game. And while GURPS was never really to my taste TFT seems to be. With that said one of my biggest nit picks with many games is the use of spell points I just don't like the mechanic.
I generally prefer a skill roll or some other way of simulating magic casting. So has anyone house ruled the game and used the spell cost as something different? or am I in the minority and everyone uses spell points. I have a few ideas but was curious as to what the community here has done.

[JLV]

I'm not entirely sure I understand your question, so maybe some clarification of the way the rules currently work would be a good way for me to start:

When casting Spells, each spell has an "energy cost" associated with casting it. That cost can be paid for either with "fatigue" (temporary "hits") to the Wizard, or, under the new Staff rules, by using "mana" (the equivalent of fatigue) stored in your Staff. Once you run out of stored Mana AND personal Fatigue (presumably, you would use stored Mana first, and only drain your personal fatigue when you ran out of available Mana), you fall unconcsious (or, if you don't quite overdo it to that level, at least not be able to cast any Spells until you recover some fatigue).

These Spell costs are constant for a successfully cast Spell, and even an unsuccessful attempt to cast a Spell *usually* costs you one point of Mana (or Fatigue).

Determining whether or not a Spell is successfully cast, however, relies on your character's DX. Like any other attack, you have to roll your Adjusted DX (adjusted by such things as wounds, how much armor you're wearing, and so on) or less on three dice in order to successfully cast your Spell and "hit" your target. (So, if your AdjDX is, say, 10, then you would have to roll a ten or less on three six-sided dice.)

So, in effect, you DO have a "skill roll" to cast your Spell. The "points" part only comes in by figuring out if you can actually "power" your Spell (and if it's a continuing Spell, for how long).

Does any of that make sense? And, more importantly, does that help, in any way, answer your question?

[Bestial Warlust]

Yes that helps a lot and does answer the question. I like what the staff adds to casting.

[JLV]

Glad I was able to assist! ;-)

[zot]

Originally Posted by Bestial Warlust

So has anyone house ruled the game and used the spell cost as something different? or am I in the minority and everyone uses spell points. I have a few ideas but was curious as to what the community here has done.

Yes. Please check out my theurgy system, which uses ceremonial magic:

• Here is the discussion
• Here is the document

[JohnPaulB]

AW P9 says "If a wizard knows a spell, the ritual he must go through to cast a spell depends on the difference between his own IQ and the IQ required for the spell. ...Spell IQ at least 5 less than the wizards: The wizard may cast the spell without appearing to move a muscle."

No gestures or vocals
In my way of thinking, TFT magic is really a pidgin form of Psionics. It is for those who need symbols and actions to make it work (probably because they haven't realized they can do psionics.) Gestures and Incantations are the formulas for those who haven’t yet gotten the knack of Psionics. Psionics in GURPS uses a whole different gaming mechanic; Perhaps Superpowers from Supers in TFT article would work.]
I’m not saying put Psionics in the ITL book, but it’s almost there now.

No energy
As far as needing less energy, I have this modification:
GURPS 4e Magic: “each spell has an energy cost. When you cast the spell, you must pay this cost in either FP or HP. The better you know the spell, the less energy you need to cast it. If you know it well enough, you can cast it at no cost.”

This could be converted to TFT like:
Spell IQ at least 8 less than the wizard’s IQ: The wizard may cast the spell losing one less Fatigue.
At 10 less than wizard’s IQ, wizard may cast the spell losing two less fatigue.
At 12 less than IQ…. And on down the line.

However the risk is that Critical failure is worse for each fatigue empowerment. At the moment before casting, the wizard can choose whether to do the normal type of casting or psionic oriented. Automatic misses do regular miss results.
Roll result less IQ
14 automatic miss if 12 IQ less.
15 automatic miss if 10 IQ less
16 automatic miss if 8 IQ less
17 Consult Magic Backlash in TFT article for 17 Miss*
18 Consult Magic Backlash in TFT article for 18 Miss*
* http://thefantasytrip.game/tags/space-gamer/

Perhaps, once the high level wizard has an epiphany that it is doing psionic and what psionic is, maybe has a type of Apotheosis (ITL 57) without dying and converts to Superpowers?

This is way overpowering on high IQ wizards.
Its just something I thought would be interesting.