Based greatly on GLOG magic. No need to go read it however, my rules are self explanatory.
You have a number of spell slots based on your Magic score and your Class.
1 spell slot per magic bonus (up to 3)
1 spell slot if you are a Magic User
1 spell slot if you are a Magic User of 12th level.
You automatically learn a spell for each spell slot if you haven't any.
Magic users can additionally write spellbooks: they can store as many as their level on them; and every time they rest, they can change the spells on their slots. Until the point in which they know more spells than their slots, they don't have to worry about that.
Anybody who knows at least one spell, has one Mana Dice (MD). Non-MUs will probably never have more than one if any.
MUs at third level get the right to bear staff (this is taken from A Wizard of Earthsea and I liked the implications it had on the books, making the staff act as a badge of office for the casters). So, whenever they are holding their staves, MUs have an extra MD (in the original PDF, Goblin Punch makes this bonus come from the wizardly robes, but I preferred to put the focus on the staff instead)
Independently from this staff bonus, they get an extra MD at levels 6 and 9. Some magical items may increase this number under some conditions.
S P E L L B O O K :
notes:
references to turns are equally valid in combat, in dungeon or in overland travel. This means that spells will sometimes last during 4 hours and sometimes during 10 seconds with the same mana. This is intentional and I think it can work, I think it can represent how the caster behaves differently under stress than having time to make proper preparations, meditations and rituals.
I also dont use HP, with Hit Dice being the unit, and everybody getting a death save at 0 HD. Generally, MUs get two per level, while fighters get one. This has made me write carefully all the spells that do or heal damage.
BIRD: You become a bird of your choice (but always the same). You suffer double damage in this shape. This transformation lasts for [sum] turns. Every turn beyond that you must save vs paralyzation or become trapped in this shape.
Inventory slots decrease by 4, but the rest is transformed with you. The rest is lost. Use this table as a guide:
Robin: AC as plate, 24 miles per day
Crow: AC as scale armor, 100 miles per day
Owl: AC as scale armor, 50 miles per day. Good nightvision, bad dayvision.
Hawk: AC as scale armor, 200 miles per day. Consumes 2x turns.
HEAL: Whoever is being healed rolls as many d6 as the [sum]: For each 4+, he recovers 1 HD. If you invest 2 or more dice, you can divide two [sums] between healed allies and healed amount. A dead comrade can attempt a new death save after this, using the caster's save, but no more than once (no matter how many casters attempt it after that). This healing is often not true healing, but more a mix of luck, exhorting and praying so the wounds are not as bad as they look.
SHIELD: Duration: [sum] turns. Caster and whoever is near him gets AC = chain, + a chance to block all projectiles during this turn with a 5+ in 1d6. You can spend a MD to re-roll this dice once per turn.
LIGHT: Duration: [sum+level] turns. The staff of the caster emits light enough to read. Investing 2 dice or more raises this intensity up to a car's lights, but consumes 3x turns. Without a staff, this spell doesnt light much beyond the caster's silhouette dimly.
DISGUISE: Put an illusion over something to make it look like another thing. Both the real and the illusory objects or beings must have a trait in common: a characteristic color, a shape, a similar sound, etc. This lasts for [sum] rounds, though a result of 12 or more will make it "permanent". Still, all illusions will degrade over time by acting or being used in a way that doesn't suit the disguise.
FIRE: Invest 1 MD to lit something small and flammable, such as a pinecorn or a torch. The result is the turns it will take to uninterruptedly concentrate to do it (every 4+ counts as zero)
2 to lit something flammable, but bigger.
3 to create a wall of fire on a narrow stone corridor: it will remain as long as you concentrate, +1 turn for each caster level.
4 to create a ring of fire around you in the same way.
To make a fire attack, roll 2 MD or more. Results are divided in two [sums]: one is the mandatory number of targets (if there are enough targets in the area, you must harm them all, including yourself if you have fired at point blank. Ignore if there are not enough targets). The other number is the damage dealt to each of them in HD, with a save vs dragon breath meaning half damage, rounding down.
DIVINATION: This spell requires an oracle that you must carry with you (1 slot) and some time of rest. Every question you ask requires to invest one MD. The answers are always going to be single or composed NOUNS, never verbs or adjectives, nor yes or no; and the GM should be as specific as he can without breaking this restriction.
Every answer you reveive using this spell is then recorded on a vocabulary list that you forge little by little and that can contain a maximum of 6 words. Once you got all six, every question you make must be answered with one of that words or not being answered at all (whatever the GM thinks is more appropiate)
You could say its a spell that becomes less powerful as the mage does the opposite, and that is interesting. This is the reason for which some MUs need to find other MUs to contrast their readings, even if its less leveled up partners.
WINTER BLAST: Projects a cone of cold. You need to invest an initial MD to bring winter cold, but omit this step if you happen to be in a snowy or icy scenario.
For an additional MD, everyone on the area must save VS paralyzation every turn or get MV disadvantage by cold. Every further failed save will also deal 2 HD damage to the target. Failing three times in a row will freeze the target straight away. They get bonuses to this save if they are prepared against the cold (by using heavy pelts, for example) or being far enough from the cryomancer.
Mantaining concentration on this spell requires the caster to invest a new MD each turn, or suffer 1 damage from congelation him/herself. As soon as you stop doing it, the cold reverts to "just cold".
PROTECTION FROM EVIL: Duration: [sum] turns. Is actually some version of turn undead. Undead, demons, evil and enchanted beings must save vs paralyze every turn to approach you, and even if they pass, you +1 save against their special attacks. Monsters save alltogether, using the save of the highest one present.
Once this spell is ongoing, you can attempt to DISPEL EVIL: Invest 1 MD per turn to deal that damage to a group of similar enemies, or that damage +1 to a single enemy (save vs spells for half damage). Intelligent enemies will always check morale after this.
Being blessed by a kirin or similar will have undead save against you as if they were a save level lower.
ASTRAL PROJECTION:: You must invest a full rest on this. If somebody interrupts you, the spell will fail.
In the astral plane, physical distances are meaningless but everything looks like a semi-abstract painting (rothko + picasso + van gogh), so its a little tricky to decipher and navigate. Things as specific as something written on a note might be impossible to read, showing instead a symbolic image of the intention of the writer. For each MD you invest you can attempt one of these things:
*Search your way to some place, no matter the distance (1d6 to find: 4 to somewhere known, 5 unknown and 6 if partially hidden). Mind that some places have random encounters even in astral form.
*Find a detail in that place (as above). On a fail, something else might call your attention.
*Send a message to somebody, who will have an impression of you (the reaction and importance given to the message depends on the person)
*Cast a spell telematically.
Your armor and weapons get transported with you into the astral, but the kind of encounters there is mostly magical so that won't make much difference.
As you have seen, there are no difference between magic users and clerics in my rules, and MAGIC subsumes both Wisdom and Intelligence. There are, however, certain things that can create nuance through CHARISMA
Charisma bonuses (+1, +2 and +3) are slots that can be filled with what I call "blessings" while I find a better name. These are sometimes given to players by encounters (like that time when a reaction roll is a 12 ) or after fulfilling a quest to friendly monsters or wizards.
Blessings for now are:
* Befriending an animal so much that can be played by you as an animal companion.
* Befriending a spirit or magical being so it can be summoned in battle or other situations (normally needing MD to do it, but some can be spontaneous, will see later)
* Receiving a mantle that grants passive bonuses (such as the Kirin example mentioned above)