IDEA:
Casters have three primary ways to cast spells (analogous to 4e’s At-Will, Encounter, and Daily abilities):
CANTRIPS: can be cast at will, without spending any resources.
FOCUS: use up a limited number of slots that are replenished during a short rest.
EMPOWERED: use up daily-renewed resources. Maybe also requires a FOCUS slot? Or otherwise limited how many can be used during a short rest, to avoid the nova problem.
Resources:
- Focus Points (replenished on a short rest, potentially with momentum as well). Ranges from 1 at first level to 3 at level 20 (should get the 2nd one pretty quickly)
- Power Points (replenished on a long rest). Ranges from 1 at first level to 4 at level 20 (additional points at roughly 3rd and 9th level)
Casting an EMPOWERED spell gives you the Drained condition for 1 round (2 rounds?). You can’t cast another Empowered spell during this time.
You cast spells with a POWER LEVEL. This level is equal to your caster level for Cantrips, twice your caster level for FOCUS spells, and 2.5 times your caster level for EMPOWERED spells (round up). Spell effects scale with power level, and certain spells have a minimum power level before they are unlocked.