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So I've been thinking about this lately and one of the many complaints people seem to have with the current edition of Fantasy is how random magic can be and how it doesn't scale well in different sized games. So I was thinking what if they got rid of the whole way they've been doing this for a while and adopt a system much like how Psykers now work in 40K.

So for example if you had a Level 2 Wizard that Wizard would still know two spells but instead of having spells with just a 7+ to cast and you getting to pick how many dice to throw, have them each have a Magic Focus cost between 1 and 4 and have the Wizard's level be how many power dice (or dispel dice in the enemy turn) they generate a turn to cast (or dispel) spells. So if a Level 2 Wizard has 1 spell that costs 1 and one spell that costs 2 they could only cast one of those spells, but if they had two spells that each cost 1 they could attempt to cast both.

Now still put a basic casting cost on each spell as well but have it be that whenever you cast a spell you always just roll 2D6 and add your wizard level to try and beat the casting cost. So if a spell had a casting cost of 7+ and you had a level 2 Wizard you'd need to roll a 5+ on the 2D6 to successfully cast it. This would be an excellent way to balance those nasty huge spells too. What if casting Purple Sun required 3 magic points (so only a Level 3 or 4 wizard could even do it) and then require an 11+ to cast. So in that case a Level 4 Wizard attempting to cast that spell would use up 3 of their 4 magic points, and then need to roll 7+ on the 2D6. Then when it goes off it feels like you did something big but it'll leave that wizard rather drained and unable to do much else that turn. For Miscast/IF if you roll a double 1 the spell always fails no matter what and its a miscast, if you roll a natural 12 the spell is irresistible force and cannot be dispelled. It would make both the inability to stop the spell completely, and the risk of just outright losing your expensive mage both less likely.

Now for dispelling like now you always get a chance to dispel them except it's always on a D6 roll of a 6 to dispel. However if you have a wizard, that wizard can make the dispel by spending as many dispel dice as the Magic Focus cost it takes the caster to cast the spell. If you have multiple Wizards they can assist each other in the dispel attempt by pooling their dispel dice (allowing low level casters to reach a high enough Magic Focus to stop higher level spells) and choosing one of the wizards as the one who actually rolls to dispel. Wizards dispelling a spell do so on a D6 roll of 5+ which gets a further +1 to their roll for each point higher their wizard level is than the caster, with the roll of a 1 always failing to dispel regardless of bonuses. Magic Resistance would then be really easy to integrate as well, just have it add a bonus to your roll equal to the Resistance Level of 1-3 if that unit is the target of the spell.

What do you guys think of that. Because all the casting ability is completely dependent on the Wizards you bring the magic phase will scale to whatever game size you are playing. Also I feel like this makes wizards still useful and powerful, but not must have options like they are now. Now of course how the spells work would have to be significantly rebalanced and tweaked but I think this could be the right way to do the Magic Phase. I know GW crosses a lot of ideas over between 40K and Fantasy with each edition so I hope they're thinking this too. I mean 8th Fantasy got random charge distances and and pre-measuring and then next edition of 40k got those same things. I'm hoping this is a case of 40K just got a new psychic system and rules for flyers and both of those now get implemented into 9th ed Fantasy. Anyway thoughts on this?

Edit: Okay I refined my idea a bit and added a pdf of my purposed rules typed out with the changed Lore of Fire as an example Lore.

This seems alright.
Though I get along fine by rerolling any 'overpowered'(e.g every models takes a test or dies) spells until you get another one. As for loremasters their not allowed to cast them. I could replace them with other spells... but i can't be bothered thinking of them.

I will test this out at my next opportunity though, see if I like it.

I really like the idea of magic focus. I think that system added on to the current system could work to control the dominance of massive spells (and especially control the use of lvl 1 and 2 casters to throw a mass of dice at big spells, not caring if the poor caster dies). It would mean the biggest spells can only be cast by the most powerful mages, while lesser mages would become useful as support casters (instead of the system right now, where you'll often cast 3 or 4 spells with your level 4, while the lvl 1 stands there practicing the words for his dispel scroll).

But your overall system review falls in to the old problem of 'buy more magic, get more magic, overwhelm your opponent'. There's no cap to magic, if you get what I mean. Basically, if your magic is more efficient than your shooting, then the optimum choice is to buy nothing but magic and ignore shooting, while if if shooting is more efficient then you should buy nothing but that and abandon magic. Armies that are supposed to have a balance of shooting and casting, like Empire and High Elves, will quickly learn whether casting or shooting is optimal for their armies under your system, and take only that.

Nah, they just need to have a system where the amount of magic dice scales to the size of the game. But I do really like the idea of capping the number of spells individual mages can cast, through your magic focus system.