I’ve previously written about fixing Vancian magic in D&D. But those ideas didn’t fix one of the fundamental problems with D&D spellcasting: the fact that class level and spell level have different meanings and aren’t aligned. This method seeks to fix that.

We can collapse the various levels of spells into just a few tiers and require spellcasters to expend hit points to cast more powerful spells within a tier, because they’re more tiring. Each spell costs 10 to 30 gp’s worth felstone powder (my universal material component) to cast. Higher tiers may also cost up to 3 hp to cast, because they are tiring.

• Most 1st-level spells that don’t do damage are cantrips. Use of these is free and unlimited.
• The remaining 1st-level spells and all 2nd-level spells are now 1st order.
• 3rd- and 4th-level spells are now 2nd order.
• 5th- and 6th-level spells are now 3rd order.
• 7th- and 8th-level spells are now rituals that take 10 minutes & work best with multiple casters.
• 9th-level spells are now legendary magic, only for monsters and magic items.

Since monetary costs are immaterial at high level, higher-tier spells would also have a cost in hit points, representing fatigue. The costs only need to be 1 to 3 hp to make them suitably expensive.

Number of Spell CASTINGS Per Day per Level by Tier

Full Caster Level	1st Order	2nd Order	3rd Order	Rituals
1	2
2	3
3	4
4	4	1
5	5	1
6	5	2
7	6	2
8	6	3
9	6	3	1
10	6	4	1
11	6	4	2
12	6	5	2	1
13	6	5	3	1
14	6	6	3	2
15	6	6	4	2

Half casters, like bards and mountebanks (fighter-mages), learn sorcery much more slowly.

Half Caster Level	1st Order	2nd Order	3rd Order	Rituals
1
2
3	1
4	2
5	3
6	3	1
7	4	1
8	4	2
9	5	2
10	5	3
11	5	3	1
12	5	4	1
13	5	4	2
14	5	4	2	1
15	5	4	3	1

To learn a spell, between adventures check difficulty 4 for cantrips, 6 for 1st order, 8 for 2nd order, 10 for 3rd order, and 12 for rituals using your intelligence modifier. If you fail, you must gain another level before trying again.

You can learn up to 5 spells per tier, plus your intelligence modifier, including cantrips. To replace a spell, you must remove it from your spellbook and write down the new spell you’ve learned, so there are no spells in your spellbook that you can’t cast.

Concerns

I actually like systems that use spell checks for casting instead of spell slots or spell points. It makes magic a little less certain and a little dangerous. I feel like Shadowdark is a little too strict, but it’s still a good example. (I’d allow a failed check to still cast the spell but cause a minor wild magic effect and require a rest before casting that spell again.)