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Automatic Spell Progression

Automatic Spell Progression

A Spellcaster's Guide to Auomatic Bonus Progression.

The most common use cases for Automatic Bonus Progression works great for martials but… you have
Progression are to help avoid the "grindy" feeling of all the same problems for casters. Using wands, staves,
treasure in d20 games. Maybe you don't like the and scrolls is an extremely important part of a caster's
�avour/aesthetic of players using magic items as part toolkit. Even when using Automatic Bonus
of a "numbers treadmill" to keep up with monster Progression, you are forced to carefully budget out
AC, maybe you don't like the idea of magic items treasure for casters. This can be unsatisfying and
being commonplace instead of special and unique, or cumbersome for your table.
maybe you just really hate handing out treasure/gold
For everyone who dislikes this, Automatic Spell
and/or you hate shopping sessions.
Progression should help you bridge that gap!
Regardless of your reasons, Automatic Bonus

Wand Progression OVERCHARGING

Wands are the easiest item to apply this progression To note, wands allow you to use them a second time a
to! When you reach 3rd level and every 2 levels day (at the risk of destroying the wand) while these
thereafter, pick a spell from your spell list (of a rules do not. If you absolutely wish to replicate this
maximum rank speci�ed in Table 1-1). functionality, here's my recommendation: apply the
same rules as overcharge, and on a fail you lose the
TABLE 1-1: WAND PROGRESSION
ability to use that spell until you use Retraining to
Level Spell Rank
regain that use.
3 1
5 2 sense of preparing for what's coming up in the coming
7 3 adventures, while not being cumbersome to track.
9 4
When you do your daily preperations, you can select
11 5 one spell, of a rank you can cast, from your spell list.
13 6 Alternatively, you can select a spell (with the same
15 7 criteria as before) to replace one you selected
17 8 previously. You may cast the selected spell once as if
19 9 you have the spell learned/prepared, and this spell
remains castable for you inde�nitely.
You may cast each of these spells once per day. If you
wish to change one of these spells, you can spend one There is a limit to how many spells you are allowed to
week following the regular rules for Retraining. You select this way. Add up the ranks of each spell you
cannot change one of these spells into another spell of have selected: the total cannot exceed your level.
a higher rank than you would have been capable of
learning at the time of picking the spell. Staff Progression
This is likely the hardest one to �esh out, but also…
Scroll Progression the one you are likeliest to ignore (see: Using Parts of
Scrolls are a little harder to apply this progression to. the Above Rules below). So let's do it!
The types of scrolls a player collects over the course of
When you reach 3rd level, pick a trait other than
a campaign can vary heavily depending on the
incapcitation, spell schools, traditions, manipulate, or
timeframes, gold availability, shopping availability,
concentrate. Pick a cantrip with that trait from your
and player acumen. These rules aim to recreate that
spell list. You can cast that cantrip.
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Automatic Spell Progression

TABLE 1-2: STAFF PROGRESSION Special

Level Cantrips 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
3 1 - - - - - - - -
Considerations
This section outlines a few speci�c considerations to
5 1 2 - - - - - - - look at when using the above rules.
7 1 2 2 - - - - - -
9 1 2 2 2 - - - - - Uing Part of the Aove Rule
11 1 2 2 2 2 - - - - If it suits your table better, you should feel free to, say,
13 1 2 2 2 2 2 - - - only use Wand and Scroll Progression, while leaving
15 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 - - Staves as magic items for the players to use (perhaps
17 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 -
you just like the mental image of a Wizard with a
sta�!). Obviously the degree to which you use these
19 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
rules should adjust down the degree to which you
At 5th level and every 2 levels thereafter, you can pick award your players with magic items and gold.
a number of spells from your spell list with the trait
If you use all of the above rules and use all of the
you picked earlier, and them to your collection up to a
Automatic Bonus Progression rules (including item
maximum speci�ed by Table 1-2. When you perform
bonus), the tone of your game is likely best suited for
your daily preparations, you gain a number of charges
a world where magic items are rare and precious.
as speci�ed under the rules for Staves. You can expend
these charges to cast spells from your collection, as Archetype Cater
speci�ed under the rules linked prior.
If a character accesses spellcasting exclusively through
If you wish to change the trait unifying your Archetypes and/or Innate magic, count them as half
collection, you can spend one week following the their level when qualifying for the level requirements
regular rules of Retraining, and then selecting outlined in the above progression.
replacements with that trait for your cantrip and all
If a character accesses part of their spell list via their
available spells.
class and part of it via Archetypes, keep it simple:
count them as their full level for the whole spell list.
WAIT ISN'T THIS JUST PERSONAL STAVES?
You may have noticed that this is just the rules for Feat, Archetype, and Feature
Personal Staves without a gold cost or handedness It should go without saying that some Feats may need
attached. This is intentional: I don't see banning and/or adjustment at your tables if you use
any value in recreating the actual �xed staves that you this. For example the Trick Magic Item Feat, the Scroll
can buy because I think it's better to just distribute Thaumaturgy Feat, and the Scroll Trickster Archetype
them as treasure and/or allow their purchase. are all a�ected. For the purposes of adjusting these, I
recommend simply giving that player access to the
corresponding progression from above (for example
Scroll Thaumaturgy should only give you Scroll
Progression, while Trick Magic Item should provide
that and Wand Progression), and letting them count as
their class level for the purposes of qualifying for the
progression.
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Automatic Spell Progression

Updates
If you feel like there are any questions, concernes, or
ideas regarding these Feats, please consider leaving a
review or a discussion on Path�nder In�nite. I will
attribute you and make an update if the suggestions
feel good!

Verion Hitory
Version 1.0 (2021 / 02 / 14)
• First public release of Automatic Spell
Progression!
• Variant Rules: Wand, Scroll, and Sta�
Progression.
• Special Considerations: Using Parts of the Above
Rules, Archetype Casters, Feats/Archetypes
/Features.