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Unearthed Arcana

RECHARGE MAGIC

In this variant, spellcasters don’t have a hard limit on spells per day. Instead, it takes time to gather the magical energies required to cast a spell of a particular level, so characters must wait a number of rounds, minutes, or hours before casting such a spell again. Spells with an instantaneous duration or a duration measured in rounds can be cast dozens of times per day. Longer-duration spells cast outside of combat have recharge times measured in minutes or hours.

At its heart, the recharge magic variant is simple: A well-rested spellcaster can cast any spell he knows or has prepared, but then either rolls a die to find out how many rounds must pass before spells of that level become available again (if it’s a general recharge spell) or loses access to that spell for a specified time (if it’s a specific recharge spell). Spell slots are never expended; they just become temporarily unavailable.

Recharging doesn’t require any actions and doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. As long as a spellcaster is alive, he naturally recharges his energy.

With this variant, all spellcasters effectively become spontaneous casters like sorcerers, choosing a spell each round from a list. For sorcerers and bards, the list is fixed (just as it is for sorcerers and bards who aren’t using the variant), but other spellcasters set their available menu of spells when they prepare spells for the day. With the recharge variant, there’s no reason to prepare the same spell in more than one slot. Because sorcerers and bards don’t have the flexibility of choosing a new menu of spells each day, their general recharge times are shorter.

Some classes, such as the cleric and the druid, have limited spontaneous spellcasting ability. Such a character can convert any spell on his daily list into the appropriate spell (such as either cure wounds or inflict wounds for a cleric, or summon nature’s ally for a druid), but doing so replaces the converted spell on the cleric’s daily list with the spell cast in its place. This happens only once per spell level, because after that point the relevant cure or inflict spell appears on the spell list as if it had been prepared.

This variant distinguishes two kinds of spells: spells with general recharge time (usually no more than a few rounds) and spells with specific recharge times (which range from minutes to hours).

Recharge Times for Other Spells
Table: Spell Recharge Times includes all standard spells. Each one is indicated as having either a general recharge time, a specific recharge time measured in minutes or hours, or a notation that the spell is prohibited to casters when this variant is used. For spells from other sources that are not mentioned here, use those on the table as a guide, keeping the following in mind.

Combat-oriented and short-duration spells (those lasting up to 1 round per level) typically have a general recharge time. Conversely, spells with longer durations have specific recharge times (the longer the duration, the longer the recharge time). Any spell with an expensive material component or an XP component has a general recharge time.

Enchantments usually have a specific recharge time ranging from 30 minutes to 12 hours. This limitation prevents characters from simply charming everyone in the tavern in the space of a few minutes.

Spells that build things have a specific recharge time measured in hours.

Divinations typically have a specific recharge time, often in the neighborhood of 6 hours, to prevent their abuse in the hands of curious characters.

Powerful illusions and permanent "trap"-type spells have specific recharge times of 12 hours to 1 day, unless they’re expensive to cast.

GENERAL RECHARGE SPELLS
Spells that have general recharge times are those cast in combat, those with longer casting times, and those with an experience point or expensive material component. Once a character has cast a general recharge spell, he can’t cast another spell of that level until a number of rounds have passed.

Table: General Recharge Times tells how many rounds must pass after the casting of a general recharge spell before another spell of that level becomes available.

Table: General Recharge Times
Spell Level Bard, Sorcerer Cleric, Druid, Paladin,
Ranger, Wizard
Highest possible 1d4+1 rounds 1d6+1 rounds
Second highest possible 1d4+1 rounds 1d6+1 rounds
Third highest possible 1d4 rounds 1d4+1 rounds
Fourth highest possible 1d4 rounds 1d4+1 rounds
Fifth highest possible 1d3 rounds 1d4 rounds
Sixth highest possible 1d3 rounds 1d4 rounds
Seventh highest possible 1 round 1d3 rounds
Eighth highest possible 1 round 1d3 rounds
Ninth highest possible 0 1 round
Tenth highest possible 0 1 round

For example, Boredflak is a 4th-level wizard. His 2nd-level spells (the highest possible level he can cast) and 1st-level spells (the second highest possible level he can cast) take 1d6+1 rounds to recharge, and his 0-level spells (the third highest possible level he can cast) take 1d4+1 rounds to recharge. When he attains 5th level, his 3rd-level and 2nd-level spells take 1d6+1 rounds to recharge and his 1st- and 0-level spells take 1d4+1 rounds to recharge. (Specific recharge spells have their own recharge times that don’t match these values.)

Another example: Aliester the 10th-level sorcerer casts fireball in the first round of a fight. Once he casts the spell, he rolls 1d4 to determine his recharge time. He rolls a 2, so he must wait 2 rounds before he regains access to 3rd-level spells. In the following round, he casts cloudkill, one of his highest-level spells. Rolling a 4 on 1d4, Aliester is dismayed to learn he must wait 5 (1d4+1) rounds before he can cast cloudkill again. In the next round, he casts magic missile, rolling 1d3 afterward and getting a result of 1 for a 1-round recharge time. In the following round, Aliester regains access to his 3rd-level spells, so he can cast another fireball if he likes, or he can cast magic missile again (because the 1-round recharge time for his 1st-level spells has elapsed).

Metamagic and General Recharge Spells
Spellcasters who prepare spells simply put the metamagic versions of the spells they want in the appropriate spell slots, and they’re cast at their effective level. For example, casting a quickened magic missile forces a spellcaster to recharge her 5th-level spells, not her 1st-level spells. Sorcerers and bards take a full-round action to add metamagic to any spell they know, and casting that spell forces a recharge of the effective level of the metamagic spell. For example, an extended haste spell cast by a sorcerer would require a recharge roll for a 4th-level spell.
SPECIFIC RECHARGE SPELLS
Most long-duration utility spells have specific recharge times so spellcasters can’t just cast them on everyone they meet. These might range from a mere 5 minutes (for bull’s strength) to 4 hours (for teleport) to a full day, or 24 hours (for wind walk). A specific recharge time is the time that must elapse before a character can cast that particular spell again; he can cast another spell of the same level in the following round if he likes.
Metamagic and Specific Recharge Spells
Not only do specific recharge spells use higher slots if metamagic feats have been applied to them, but each +1 to the effective level of the spell doubles the recharge time. For example, a silent charm person spell takes up a 2nd-level spell slot and has a specific recharge time of 2 hours.
Countering and Dispelling
If a spell with a specific recharge time is used to counter or dispel another spell, the specific recharge time does not apply. Instead, treat the spell as a general recharge spell of that level.

For example, if a 5th-level cleric casts deeper darkness to dispel a daylight spell, he can cast another 3rd-level spell (including deeper darkness) 1d6+1 rounds later. If he instead casts deeper darkness to darken a passageway, he can’t use deeper darkness again for 24 hours, but his other 3rd-level spells are available to be cast.

Table: Spell Recharge Times
Spell Name Recharge Time
  1. You can’t recast this spell or prepare another spell in that slot until the subject uses the imbued spell.
Acid arrow General
Acid fog General
Acid splash General
Aid 5 minutes
Air walk 1 hour
Alarm 4 hours
Align weapon 5 minutes
Alter self 4 hours
Analyze dweomer General
Animal growth General
Animal messenger 6 hours
Animal shapes 24 hours
Animal trance General
Animate dead General
Animate objects General
Animate plants General
Animate rope General
Antilife shell General
Antimagic field General
Antipathy General
Antiplant shell General
Arcane eye General
Arcane lock 1 hour
Arcane mark General
Arcane sight 30 minutes
Arcane sight, greater 30 minutes
Astral projection General
Atonement General
Augury 6 hours
Awaken General
Baleful polymorph General
Bane General
Banishment General
Barkskin 1 hour
Bear’s endurance 5 minutes
Bear’s endurance, mass 30 minutes
Bestow curse General
Binding General
Black tentacles General
Blade barrier General
Blasphemy General
Bless 30 minutes
Bless water General
Bless weapon 5 minutes
Blight General
Blindness/deafness General
Blink General
Blur 5 minutes
Break enchantment 1 hour
Bull’s strength 5 minutes
Bull’s strength, mass 30 minutes
Burning hands General
Call lightning General
Call lightning storm General
Calm animals General
Calm emotions General
Cat’s grace 5 minutes
Cat’s grace, mass 30 minutes
Cause fear General
Chain lightning General
Changestaff 6 hours
Chaos hammer General
Charm animal 1 hour
Charm monster 1 hour
Charm monster, mass 1 hour
Charm person 1 hour
Chill metal General
Chill touch General
Circle of death General
Clairaudience/clairvoyance General
Clenched fist General
Cloak of chaos General
Clone General
Cloudkill General
Color spray General
Command General
Command plants 1 hour
Command undead 1 hour
Command, greater General
Commune 6 hours
Commune with nature 6 hours
Comprehend languages 4 hours
Cone of cold General
Confusion General
Confusion, lesser General
Consecrate 30 minutes
Contact other plane 6 hours
Contagion General
Contingency General
Continual flame General
Control plants 30 minutes
Control undead 30 minutes
Control water 1 hour
Control weather General
Control winds 4 hours
Create food and water 24 hours
Create greater undead General
Create undead General
Create water 30 minutes
Creeping doom General
Crushing despair General
Crushing hand General
Cure critical wound, mass General
Cure critical wounds General
Cure light wounds General
Cure light wounds, mass General
Cure minor wounds General
Cure moderate wounds General
Cure moderate wounds, mass General
Cure serious wounds General
Cure serious wounds, mass General
Curse water General
Dancing lights General
Darkness 4 hours
Darkvision 6 hours
Daylight 4 hours
Daze General
Daze monster General
Death knell General
Death ward 5 minutes
Deathwatch 4 hours
Deep slumber General
Deeper darkness 24 hours
Delay poison 6 hours
Delayed blast fireball General
Demand 30 minutes
Desecrate 30 minutes
Destruction General
Detect animals or plants General
Detect chaos General
Detect evil General
Detect good General
Detect law General
Detect magic General
Detect poison 5 minutes
Detect scrying General
Detect secret doors General
Detect snares and pits General
Detect thoughts General
Detect undead General
Dictum General
Dimension door General
Dimensional anchor General
Dimensional lock 24 hours
Diminish plants 4 hours
Discern lies 6 hours
Discern location 6 hours
Disguise self 4 hours
Disintegrate General
Dismissal General
Dispel chaos General
Dispel evil General
Dispel good General
Dispel law General
Dispel magic General
Dispel magic, greater General
Displacement General
Disrupt undead General
Disrupting weapon 5 minutes
Divination 6 hours
Divine favor 5 minutes
Divine power 5 minutes
Dominate animal General
Dominate monster 12 hours
Dominate person 12 hours
Doom General
Dream General
Eagle’s splendor 5 minutes
Eagle’s splendor, mass 30 minutes
Earthquake 12 hours
Elemental swarm 1 hour
Endure elements 6 hours
Energy drain General
Enervation General
Enlarge person 5 minutes
Enlarge person, mass 30 minutes
Entangle General
Enthrall General
Entropic shield 30 minutes
Erase General
Ethereal jaunt 30 minutes
Etherealness 30 minutes
Expeditious retreat 30 minutes
Explosive runes 24 hours
Eyebite General
Fabricate 4 hours
Continued...
Faerie fire General
False life 30 minutes
False vision 24 hours
Fear General
Feather fall General
Feeblemind General
Find the path 4 hours
Find traps 30 minutes
Finger of death General
Fire seeds 1 hour
Fire shield General
Fire storm General
Fire trap 24 hours
Fireball General
Flame arrow General
Flame blade General
Flame strike General
Flaming sphere General
Flare General
Flesh to stone General
Floating disk 6 hours
Fly 5 minutes
Fog cloud General
Forbiddance General
Forcecage General
Forceful hand General
Foresight 1 hour
Fox’s cunning 5 minutes
Fox’s cunning, mass 30 minutes
Freedom General
Freedom of movement 1 hour
Freezing sphere General
Gaseous form 5 minutes
Gate General
Geas, lesser General
Geas/quest General
Gentle repose General
Ghost sound General
Ghoul touch General
Giant vermin 30 minutes
Glibness 4 hours
Glitterdust General
Globe of invulnerability General
Globe of invulnerability, lesser General
Glyph of warding General
Glyph of warding, greater General
Good hope 30 minutes
Goodberry 6 hours
Grasping hand General
Grease General
Guards and wards 24 hours
Guidance 5 minutes
Gust of wind General
Hallow General
Hallucinatory terrain 6 hours
Halt undead General
Harm General
Haste General
Heal General
Heal mount General
Heal, mass General
Heat metal General
Helping hand 6 hours
Heroes’ feast 24 hours
Heroism 1 hour
Heroism, greater 30 minutes
Hide from animals 4 hours
Hide from undead 4 hours
Hideous laughter General
Hold animal General
Hold monster General
Hold monster, mass General
Hold person General
Hold person, mass General
Hold portal 5 minutes
Holy aura General
Holy smite General
Holy sword General
Holy word General
Horrid wilting General
Hypnotic pattern General
Hypnotism General
Ice storm General
Identify General
Illusory script General
Illusory wall 24 hours
Imbue with spell ability1 General
Implosion General
Imprisonment General
Incendiary cloud General
Inflict critical wounds General
Inflict critical wounds, mass General
Inflict light wounds General
Inflict light wounds, mass General
Inflict minor wounds General
Inflict moderate wounds General
Inflict moderate wounds, mass General
Inflict serious wounds General
Inflict serious wounds, mass General
Insanity General
Insect plague 5 minutes
Instant summons General
Interposing hand General
Invisibility 5 minutes
Invisibility purge 30 minutes
Invisibility, greater General
Invisibility, mass 30 minutes
Iron body 30 minutes
Ironwood 12 hours
Irresistible dance General
Jump 5 minutes
Keen edge 1 hour
Knock 5 minutes
Know direction General
Legend lore General
Levitate 5 minutes
Light 1 hour
Lightning bolt General
Limited wish General
Liveoak 12 hours
Locate creature 4 hours
Locate object 30 minutes
Longstrider 24 hours
Lullaby General
Mage armor 6 hours
Mage hand General
Mage’s disjunction General
Mage’s faithful hound 6 hours
Mage’s lucubration Spell is prohibited
Mage’s magnificent mansion 6 hours
Mage’s private sanctum 24 hours
Magic aura 24 hours
Magic circle against chaos 4 hours
Magic circle against evil 4 hours
Magic circle against good 4 hours
Magic circle against law 4 hours
Magic fang 5 minutes
Magic fang, greater 6 hours
Magic jar General
Magic missile General
Magic mouth 24 hours
Magic stone 5 minutes
Magic vestment 6 hours
Magic weapon 5 minutes
Magic weapon, greater 6 hours
Major creation 12 hours
Major image General
Make whole 6 hours
Mark of justice General
Maze General
Meld into stone 4 hours
Mending 6 hours
Message General
Meteor swarm General
Mind blank 12 hours
Mind fog 6 hours
Minor creation 6 hours
Minor image General
Miracle 12 hours
Mirage arcana General
Mirror image 30 minutes
Misdirection 6 hours
Mislead General
Mnemonic enhancer Spell is prohibited
Modify memory General
Moment of prescience 6 hours
Mount 6 hours
Move earth 1 hour
Neutralize poison 1 hour
Nightmare General
Nondetection 6 hours
Obscure object 24 hours
Obscuring mist General
Order’s wrath General
Overland flight 6 hours
Owl’s wisdom 5 minutes
Owl’s wisdom, mass 30 minutes
Pass without trace 6 hours
Passwall 6 hours
Permanency General
Permanent image 24 hours
Persistent image 30 minutes
Phantasmal killer General
Phantom steed 6 hours
Phantom trap 24 hours
Phase door 12 hours
Planar ally 24 hours
Planar ally, greater 24 hours
Planar ally, lesser 24 hours
Planar binding 24 hours
Planar binding, greater 24 hours
Planar binding, lesser 24 hours
Plane shift General
Plant growth 24 hours
Poison General
Polar ray General
Polymorph 30 minutes
Polymorph any object 12 hours
Power word blind General
Power word kill General
Power word stun General
Prayer 5 minutes
Prestidigitation General
Prismatic sphere General
Prismatic spray General
Prismatic wall General
Produce flame General
Programmed image 12 hours
Project image General
Protection from arrows 6 hours
Protection from chaos 5 minutes
Protection from energy 1 hour
Protection from evil 5 minutes
Protection from good 5 minutes
Continued...
Protection from law 5 minutes
Protection from spells 4 hours
Prying eyes General
Prying eyes, greater General
Purify food and drink 5 minutes
Pyrotechnics General
Quench General
Rage 5 minutes
Rainbow pattern General
Raise dead General
Ray of enfeeblement General
Ray of exhaustion General
Ray of frost General
Read magic General
Reduce animal 6 hours
Reduce person 30 minutes
Reduce person, mass 30 minutes
Refuge General
Regenerate General
Reincarnate General
Remove blindness/deafness General
Remove curse General
Remove disease General
Remove fear General
Remove paralysis General
Repel metal or stone General
Repel vermin 4 hours
Repel wood General
Repulsion General
Resilient sphere General
Resist energy 1 hour
Resistance 5 minutes
Restoration General
Restoration, greater General
Restoration, lesser General
Resurrection General
Reverse gravity General
Righteous might 5 minutes
Rope trick 6 hours
Rusting grasp 5 minutes
Sanctuary 5 minutes
Scare General
Scintillating pattern General
Scorching ray General
Screen 24 hours
Scrying General
Scrying, greater 6 hours
Sculpt sound 6 hours
Searing light General
Secret chest General
Secret page 12 hours
Secure shelter 12 hours
See invisibility 4 hours
Seeming 24 hours
Sending General
Sepia snake sigil 24 hours
Sequester 24 hours
Shades General
Shadow conjuration General
Shadow conjuration, greater General
Shadow evocation General
Shadow evocation, greater General
Shadow walk 24 hours
Shambler 24 hours
Shapechange 4 hours
Shatter General
Shield 30 minutes
Shield of faith 30 minutes
Shield of law General
Shield other 24 hours
Shillelagh 30 minutes
Shocking grasp General
Shout General
Shout, greater General
Shrink item 24 hours
Silence 30 minutes
Silent image General
Simulacrum General
Slay living General
Sleep General
Sleet storm General
Slow General
Snare 12 hours
Soften earth and stone 6 hours
Solid fog General
Song of discord General
Soul bind General
Sound burst General
Speak with animals 30 minutes
Speak with dead 30 minutes
Speak with plants 30 minutes
Spectral hand 30 minutes
Spell immunity 1 hour
Spell immunity, greater 1 hour
Spell resistance 30 minutes
Spell turning 4 hours
Spellstaff 24 hours
Spider climb 1 hour
Spike growth 6 hours
Spike stones 6 hours
Spiritual weapon General
Statue 6 hours
Status 24 hours
Stinking cloud General
Stone shape 6 hours
Stone tell 30 minutes
Stone to flesh General
Stoneskin General
Storm of vengeance General
Suggestion 30 minutes
Suggestion, mass 30 minutes
Summon instrument General
Summon monster I General
Summon monster II General
Summon monster III General
Summon monster IV General
Summon monster V General
Summon monster VI General
Summon monster VII General
Summon monster VIII General
Summon monster IX General
Summon nature’s ally I General
Summon nature’s ally II General
Summon nature’s ally III General
Summon nature’s ally IV General
Summon nature’s ally V General
Summon nature’s ally VI General
Summon nature’s ally VII General
Summon nature’s ally VIII General
Summon nature’s ally IX General
Summon swarm General
Sunbeam General
Sunburst General
Symbol of death General
Symbol of fear General
Symbol of insanity General
Symbol of pain General
Symbol of persuasion General
Symbol of sleep General
Symbol of stunning General
Symbol of weakness General
Sympathetic vibration 12 hours
Sympathy General
Telekinesis General
Telekinetic sphere General
Telepathic bond 4 hours
Teleport 4 hours
Teleport object 4 hours
Teleport, greater 4 hours
Teleportation circle General
Temporal stasis General
Time stop 4 hours
Tiny hut 12 hours
Tongues 1 hour
Touch of fatigue General
Touch of idiocy General
Transformation General
Transmute metal to wood 6 hours
Transmute mud to rock 6 hours
Transmute rock to mud 6 hours
Transport via plants 4 hours
Trap the soul General
Tree shape 24 hours
Tree stride 24 hours
True resurrection General
True seeing General
True strike 5 minutes
Undeath to death General
Undetectable alignment 24 hours
Unhallow General
Unholy aura General
Unholy blight General
Unseen servant 6 hours
Vampiric touch General
Veil 12 hours
Ventriloquism 5 minutes
Virtue 5 minutes
Vision 6 hours
Wail of the banshee General
Wall of fire General
Wall of force General
Wall of ice General
Wall of iron 12 hours
Wall of stone 12 hours
Wall of thorns General
Warp wood 5 minutes
Water breathing 4 hours
Water walk 4hours
Waves of exhaustion General
Waves of fatigue General
Web 5 minutes
Weird General
Whirlwind General
Whispering wind 30 minutes
Wind walk 24 hours
Wind wall General
Wish General
Wood shape 6 hours
Word of chaos General
Word of recall General
Zone of silence 24 hours
Zone of truth 30 minutes
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: RECHARGE MAGIC
This is a high-powered variant, because spellcasters can cast their staple combat and healing spells all day long. This means that the PCs face almost every encounter fully healed, and rarely do spellcasters have their spell lists significantly depleted. Spellcasters may have some specific-recharge utility and protective spells that they won’t be able to cast before every fight, but they always have access to their highest-level combat and healing spells. And it’s those spells that largely comprise a spellcaster’s contribution toward overcoming a given encounter.

As with most high-powered variants, recharge magic works only if every spellcaster in the campaign is using it, including powerful NPC spellcasters. A recharge-variant lich, for example, is a terror for high-level PCs to behold.

As the GM, you have to plan for a party of PCs that can adventure all day long, beginning every fight in a more or less fully rested state. This prospect can be thrilling for players, who no longer have to face the disappointment of a retreat to town just when they’re on the cusp of the adventure’s climax. But when PCs don’t need to retreat to heal and prepare new spells, the GM ends up running more encounters per game session, which means a measure of extra preparation.

As a rule of thumb, a group of four PCs that includes two recharge variant spellcasters can handle encounters of an Encounter Level equal to the characters’ average level +2. The fights will be exciting ones; every room in the dungeon becomes as perilous as a typical adventure’s climax. But the PCs face each one with full resources, so the denizens of the dungeon can’t defeat them through depletion and attrition. If your group likes knock-down, drag-out, set-piece battles, the recharge magic variant lets you fight more of them.

Characters attain new levels faster in terms of both player time at the gaming table and character time in the game world. You can regard this as an additional benefit, or you can reduce experience point awards across the board to compensate.

The recharge magic variant makes spellcasters stronger overall, and it makes nonspellcasters stronger if you assume they’re getting fully healed after every encounter. But in some respects it makes them weaker as well. Even the most powerful wizard can’t cast two fireball spells in consecutive rounds with this variant. The teleport spell has a specific recharge time of 4 hours, so a character can’t teleport someplace, cast a spell, then teleport away again (unless he uses word of recall or greater teleport for one of the legs of the journey). Strategies that rely on repeated use of the same spell aren’t viable if the spell in question has a specific recharge time. Depending on the strategy, its chance of success might improve or worsen if a character is relying on a general recharge spell. In short, the recharge variant gives casters a lot more power in exchange for slightly less flexibility with regard to general recharge spells and significantly less flexibility with regard to specific recharge spells.

There’s an obvious way for characters to compensate for the diminished flexibility: scrolls. In general, scrolls become more useful in the recharge variant game world, so they may be more prevalent. Conversely, wands are somewhat less useful, because every spellcaster can crank out his staple spells dozens of times. When a character can cast lightning bolt fifty times in the space of an hour, that fully charged wand of lightning bolt is much less impressive. If you use the recharge magic variant, consider reducing the percentages of minor and medium wands on Table: Wands by 5% and increasing the percentages of minor and medium scrolls by the same amount.

One less obvious change posed by this variant is that lower-level spells retain more importance for high-level spellcasters. With the general recharge rules, even the most potent spellcaster can’t use her best spells more than two or three times in a major fight. Spells two, three, or four levels below the maximum get cast while the spellcaster waits for the heavy artillery to get reloaded.

As the GM, you have to contend with other subtle changes wrought by this variant. Monsters with spell-like abilities usable at will are diminished somewhat, because true spellcasters can cast spells so frequently. Monsters with spell-like abilities aren’t actually weaker — and their Challenge Ratings needn’t go down as a result — but they feel less special and more like spellcasters with a static spell list.