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I was thinking about how Final Fantasy 1's magic system is straight up Spell Slots (with no upcasting), but came out in 1987--at which point I'm pretty sure D&D still had Vancian magic.

The earliest sign of Spell Slots in D&D that I'm aware of is in 3e, where although Wizards and (mostly) Clerics keep Vancian casting, Sorcerers and Bards get spontaneous casting (aka casting any of their known spells through an appropriately-leveled Spell Slot)

Does D&D ever mention Spell Slots before 2000, perhaps in Unearthed Arcana or some Dragon Magazine class? If so, what's the first time the idea is presented?

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    \$\begingroup\$ This isn't really an answer but related trivia: Back in the AD&D1e days—and before 1987—spell slots was an occasional house rule that my group used. And others have told me that their groups did too. Unfortunately I know of no published version of it, though. \$\endgroup\$
    – Robert Fisher
    Commented Jul 3 at 15:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ @RobertFisher I vaguely recall articles in TheDragon magazine about the evils of certain house rules. I think being able to choose spells on-the-fly was one (the most common was spell-points -- converting your 3 1st level, 2 2nd level and 1 3rd level slot, into 10 spell levels, so you could cast 2 fireballs and 4 magic missiles). \$\endgroup\$
    – Owen Reynolds
    Commented Jul 3 at 23:55

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1. Origins: Vancian Magic (OD&D and AD&D)

D&D's original magic system is often referred to as "Vancian magic," named after the author Jack Vance, whose works inspired it. In this system, magic-users (later called wizards) prepare spells in advance and forget them once cast.

Original Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D) (1974): The earliest editions of D&D, including the original 1974 release, used a Vancian system where characters had a number of spells they could prepare and cast per day. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) (1977-1979): This system was solidified in AD&D, where magic-users and clerics had spell tables dictating the number of spells of each level they could prepare and cast each day.

2. Transition to Spell Slots (D&D 3rd Edition)

The first notable shift towards a spell slot-like system occurred with the introduction of new classes in D&D 3rd Edition.

Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition (2000): This edition introduced Sorcerers and Bards, who used a system more akin to spell slots as we understand them today. These classes could cast a number of spells per day from a list of known spells, using slots of specific levels. This system allowed for more flexibility compared to traditional Vancian magic.

3. Refinement and Expansion (D&D 3.5 and 4th Edition)

The concept of spell slots was further refined and expanded in subsequent editions.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition (2003): The 3.5 revision continued to use the spell slot system for Sorcerers and Bards, while Wizards and Clerics largely retained their Vancian preparation. Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition (2008): This edition overhauled the magic system entirely, moving away from Vancian preparation to a unified power system where all classes had "powers" that could be used a certain number of times per day, per encounter, or at-will. While not exactly spell slots, this system emphasized flexibility and resource management.

4. Modern System (D&D 5th Edition)

D&D 5th Edition blended elements of Vancian magic and spell slots, creating a more streamlined and flexible system.

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (2014): In this edition, all spellcasting classes use spell slots to cast spells. Spellcasters prepare a list of spells each day (for classes like Wizards) or know a set number of spells (for classes like Sorcerers), and they use spell slots to cast these spells. This edition also introduced the concept of upcasting, where spell slots of higher levels can be used to cast lower-level spells with enhanced effects.

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    \$\begingroup\$ In the 3.X era, there is also how metamagic works which related to spell slots: you could apply metamagic to a spell, for example, to make it hit harder or to make it quiet. Each metamagic option would raise the spell level of the spell. In 5e terms, it's a bit like upcasting a spell. But you'd have to 1. prepare this in advance 2. choose a parameter of the spell that'd be improved. \$\endgroup\$
    – VLAZ
    Commented Jul 3 at 5:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ The 4e wizard got the ability to choose two daily powers for each slot, and then could choose which one was prepared for use, filling that slot, on any given day. A decent nod towards the wizard’s Vancian roots, within the confined of the AEDU system \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Commented Jul 3 at 15:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ The way this is written makes it seem like Wizards/Clerics/Druids in 3.x edition (who are prepared casters) didn't use Spell Slots at all. However all (core) spellcasters from that time use spell-slots to cast spell and are then also spontaneous or preparation on top of that. \$\endgroup\$
    – L.P.
    Commented Jul 8 at 19:57

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