They're called "Reserve Feats"

An interesting post over at Grognardia. James takes a brief segue into mechanics-land (something he doesn't do too often). I hadn't thought about 3.5 lately, but one of the later innovations that I actually really liked was Reserve Feats. If I played an AD&D or OD&D game with Vancian casting this is one thing I definitely think I would keep in.

A few ways you could handle it:

• Each and every spell has a rider effect that kicks in if still memorized, either baneful or boonful. The downside to this is that you must individually balance each spell. It also gets to be a lot to keep track of at higher levels.
• As above, but cap the number of active effects. This has fewer but still significant issues.
• Introduce "reserve feats" a la 3.5. Basically, in 3.5, you could take feats that said things like, "Throw a mini-fireball, affects one creature, deals 1d6 damage per spell level of the highest Fire spell you have memorized." You could come up with a list of 7+/-2 Reserve Feats then let players select them. I would either allow a number of feats equal to MU Weapon Profs (so 1 at level 1, then another at level 7), or perhaps a number based on INT score + extra ones with weapon profs (to create growth with level). I'd also consider allowing players to "retrain" their Reserve feat every level up.

The advantage to this system is that it beefs up low level casters without unduly affecting higher level ones, is easy to run, and creates great "specialty" caster flavor. For example, you could actually make the schools of magic significant; someone with the Divination reserve feat would sure want to have a Divination spell memorized every day!

Magic Items: Powered by Souls (tm)

Here's a quick idea re: magic items. Rather than being powered by Magic Pixie Dust, or gold infusions, or whatever, what if any magic requires the power of an actual soul to fuel it?

Souls could be willingly given, or forcibly bound to an item. For example, I can see noble knights giving themselves to be bound into a magic armor or something. Its like Fantasy Organ Donation ("He's flatlining! Check his shield... Yes, he's a Soul Donor! Quick, get him to the enchanter, stat! We need to get him into that Shield +1 before he flatlines!"). In this event, factions would be very unwilling to sell magic items except to close allies, and they would certainly try to recover lost items. They might have a compact to destroy the item after completion of a task or period of time, as well, so that the sould can be released to its final destination.

Souls could also be forcibly bound. This is obviously fantastic tactics for Evil, Inc. It also gives a great reason for bad guys to capture good guys.

Consumable magic items might just require part of one's essence. Instead of a whole soul, maybe just a healing surge/temporary ability score reduction/etc. Thus while still valuable they are not as sacred.

So, if the PCs want to make a Blade of Orc Slaying, they need to collect their masterwork blade and find a special forge or whatever reagants the GM wants them to get -- but they also need someone who can be bound to the item. Whether that's an orc chieftien or a fallen knight or whatever, it will certainly be an interesting quest.

It also encourages mages to be sketchy. Which is always good for fostering that "rare magic" feeling.