Powering up magic users and play testing for Conventions

        Firstly, I almost missed my week promise for updating, or at least my assurance that I would endeavor to constantly update my blog every week. All is well though, as for what these two subjects, as it is evolving always into two items, proclaimed, yes! Magic users and the need to play test for my up and coming convention bout. I have the sign up I need, I have the info for the most part, now all I need is to get a two day game ready and good to run, we shall see how that evolves later, as for the Magic users though, that is something that is in dire need for being extrapolated on.
        Magic users are the quintessential component of all parties, they use spells to enhance a situation, to eradicate monsters and threats, to the be the nuts and bolts, for lack of a better term, of the party. Yet they are drastically in need of fine tuning, and while another Gamer, GM, or rule maker may have already done this and to great effect, as far as I'm concerned I shall tackle this subject, and hopefully gain some ground on giving spell casters a chance to truly shine. As for the picture, it has always held a special, albeit dark, corner in my heart, as it is a seemingly magic user with a massive tome chained about his or her neck, with glowing orb like objects behind said caster, I enjoy the look and feel. Now, as for my attempt to enhance magic casters this will be done in a simple, hopefully, process, that is by granting spell casters new and stronger feats. For too long have the spell casters had to take "Meta magic" feats only to have to spend spells one higher, with great confusion intermingling with said spell expenditure, or having to use up two or more spells for one spell enhancement. I propose a different feat type methodology that taxes or balances magic casters in a different way whilst still granting a great boon to said magic users. There shall be a variety of changes, all of which will be focused on less spell expenditure and more on balancing in other ways, a very enlightened friend of mine suggested perhaps docking AC for a round, or perhaps sapping health in exchange for a powered up spell, all of which are intriguing ideas to me, as a spell caster using a powered up spell presumably would use his or her life force or mobility in exchange for enhanced magic. All these ideas are just that, Ideas, I will mull them over, play test them in different groups, question and ask as much as possible to make sure it is powerful but not over powered "OP". We shall see how the effect takes hold of new and better feats, some I may grant as bonus feats, I may give out a pamphlet to only spell casters to grant them multi casting, POSSIBLY, all to be seen I suppose.My intent here should be fairly obvious but I will make sure to touch base on it to make sure. This is not meant to change the rules in any way, or circumvent Pathfinder, I do not enjoy their magic feats as much but I am more than exuberant, TO THIS DAY, about their system and open ended-ness of gaming and RPG's and so forth. The only major change I MAY make is that of multi casting and so forth, though if I were to do such a thing it would be under strict combat rules and so forth, the rules of Pathfinder shall remain! I just might tweak it here and there. All in all I hope it adds some selection to me fellow casters and gives them more enjoyment and variation on their choice, not being inhibited by the lack of feats or seeming uselessness whereas fighters, melee, and ranged gets all sorts of benefits, we shall see.
        Play testing, it is something I am constantly undergoing and doing with each and every single game I GM, and play to some degree. I am a sponge, while in some areas I am dense rock, quite literally letting whatever is happening bounce off me and fly into the nether yonder, some things I ingrain into my very being. While I GM, play, and so on and so on, this is happening. I am ALWAYS looking for a way to enhance and expand my games, to make them better than the last, to offer something that makes the players go "O.O Wow, that's pretty damned impressive." Always I am on this quest to find this reaction, and to make a damned fine game, fun and enjoyable, immersive and leaving you on the edge, whether for revenge or more action, or more story, I always always always am looking to do this. Now, as for play testing for a convention, that is a whole other beast altogether. As my previous post makes clear, I just GM'ed my first con, Ever, it was quite the experience, and I must say GMing for a pack of random older gentlemen was a humbling and massively fun experience, especially because I could be lenient while still challenging them. (Slowly but surely I am toppling the wrongful reputation of GM's, we are not masters of death and annihilation, WE ARE HARBINGER OF STORY AND FUN, DAMNATION!) With that experience I found that GMing for a Con is not as impossible as I had thought, with a large amount of preparation and story conjured forth, it should be possible, though I surely cannot do this on my own. So I guess this is more an informative than opinion piece, I will be play testing and jotting down notes and ideas, winter is coming, and with that Pacificon and my hopes to GM an amazing and memorable game, that of course is to be seen. Should any of you have suggestions or comments, or anything for that matter, by all means, other wise I look forward to preparing for the eventual game that is to come, I just hope it can be as fun as I intend, my only little tiny tid bit on such game at this moment is, I am thinking of how far back I want to set it, it may in fact take place during one point in the "Calamity" again, this is nothing substantial at the moment, just vague ideas. I hope these two subjects, though it wont always be two, offered some amount of interest and intrigue to delight your minds, if so I am happy to grant as much, if not well I tried :).
As always
Till next post, Roll your D20
Ryan