With the Final Fantasy VII remake out I have to admit I’ve had Midgar on my mind, so I’m going to take a few minutes to jot down a couple quick ideas for how to make the FFVII/D&D Materia rules I posted—oof, nearly a year ago!—more like the video game by implementing some  ̶m̶a̶g̶i̶c̶spell points.

In a game using these rules there can be dedicated spellcasters by making use of the Spell Points variant rule in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (page 288). However, this is going to scale differently. 

• The values in the Spell Points column on the Spell Points by Level table (page 289) all double. 
• Classes that normally receive no spellcasting use their class level divided by 2 when referencing the table (minimum 1st level), and they use the table’s original values. 
• Creatures can be attuned to a number of materia equal to double proficiency bonus, and attunement to materia is tracked separately from other magic items.
• Bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers, and wizards can attune to an additional number of material equal to half their class level.
• Materia uses recharge on short rests instead of long rests, except for green and red materia.
  • Green materia use the Spell Point Cost table and cost Spell Points to cast.
  • Activating red materia costs a number of Spell Points determined by rarity (common 5, uncommon 10, rare 15, very 20, legendary 25).
• Magic items are also able to hold materia, and experience gained while wielding or wearing an item with materia in it should be tracked separately for that materia. 
  • Materia equipped to an item does not count against a creature’s materia attunement slots (although the magic item may take up an item attunement slot if it normally does so).
  • When equipped to an item, materia levels up from common to uncommon after 1,000 XP, uncommon to rare after 5,000 XP, from rare to very rare after 10,000 XP, and from very rare to legendary after 20,000 XP.
  • Common magic items can hold 1 materia, uncommon magic items can hold up to 2 materia, rare magic items can hold up to 3 materia, very rare magic items can hold up to 4 materia, and legendary materia can hold up to 5 materia.
  • When green materia is equipped to a weapon, if it grants access to a spell that deals elemental damage that weapon’s attacks deal extra elemental damage determined by its rarity (common 1 extra, uncommon 2 extra, rare 1d6 extra, very rare 1d8 extra, legendary 1d10 extra). Only the most powerful green materia equipped to a weapon can grant extra elemental damage to weapon attacks.
  • When green materia is equipped to an armor or shield, if it grants access to a spell that deals elemental damage whenever the creature wearing or wielding the item takes elemental damage, the amount of damage it takes is reduced by an amount determined by its rarity (common 3, uncommon 5, rare 10, very rare 20, legendary 30). Only the most powerful green materia equipped to an armor or shield can reduce elemental damage taken.

That’s it! That’s the extra materia hack. Go have fun. 😀