Corruption Magic for Cairn.
What can I say? I like a magic system that counts up rather than down. Let me explain. 5e has spell slots. You start out with X slots per level, and end the day with basically X-(spells cast of that level). But that is SO predictable, and isn't magic meant to be anything but? When a sorcerer in my game draws on the magic in their blood or a wizard bends reality through sheer nerdiness, I want it to feel both powerful and dangerous as all hell to do so. That's why I can't stop thinking about Symbaroum's casting mechanics. It is far from a perfect game, but the concept of corruption has stayed with me. Rather than losing spell slots, the use of magic incur corruption. If corruption exceeds "Tough", which is the game's constitution equivalent, the character is turned into a monster. Halfway to becoming a monster the character also gains a visible mark of their corruption. There are also various mystical traditions that can help the character mitigate corru...
