Magery

Add your Magery to IQ when you learn spells. Also, reduce the time to learn spells by 10% per Magery level.

Distraction and Injury (Losing Concentration)

• If you use a defense against an attack, are knocked back or down, get hurt, grappled, or otherwise distracted while concentrating you must make a Will roll at -3 to keep concentration on the spell.
  • Getting Stunned while concentrating automatically loses the spell.
  • If playing with Shock rules, and you have been injured the Shock penalty reduces your effective skill.

Time Required

• Most spells take 1 second to cast, use the Concentrate maneuver for your turn and attempt the skill roll at the end of it.
• Blocking spells can be cast without concentrating during an enemy's turn to defend against an attack (like a defense).

Energy Cost

• When you cast a spell you must pay for it with either FP or HP (or some other source). However the better you know a spell, the less energy you need to cast it (possibly down to no energy).
  • Blocking spells never get their cost reduced.
• Burning HP instead of FP
  • For every 1 HP used, you are at -1 to your spell roll. (this is instead of shock penalty for injury)
  • If a failed HT roll indicates that you have died, you do not spend the HP and instead fall unconscious.

Magic Rituals (Obviousness of Casting, Time to Cast & Cost to Cast)

• The higher your skill with a spell, the easier it is to cast:
  • Skill 9 or less: you must have both hands and both feet free for elaborate movements, as well as speak words of power in a firm voice. Time = doubled. Cost = normal.
  • Skill 10-14: you must speak a few quiet words and make a gesture. Time = normal. Cost = normal.
  • Skill 15-19: you must speak a word or two OR make a small gesture (a couple fingers). You are allowed to move one yard per second while Concentrating. Time = normal. Cost = reduced by 1.
  • Skill 20-24: You stare into space as you Concentrate. Time = 1/2 (min. 1 second). Cost = reduced by 2.
  • Skill 25-29 Nothing required. Time = 1/4. Cost = reduced by 3.
  • Skill 30 or more: for every 5 skill levels beyond 25 casting time is halved, and energy cost is reduced by 1 more.

Spell Classes (Types of Spells)
Regular, Area, Melee, Missile, Blocking, Information, Resisted, Enchantment.
Regular Spells

• For targets that are larger than normal multiply cost by 1 + SM.
• Regular spells work best if you can see or touch the target.
  • If you cannot touch the target apply a penalty equal to distance in yards (eg. 5 yards away = -5).
  • If you cannot touch or see the target you suffer another -5.
• You can aim at a target you cannot see via
  • describing target location (eg. 1 yard beyond the other side of that door)
  • Or by naming the target (eg. The closest person in the next room, or George, who is around here somewhere). This is more risky if the target is further away than you think (inviting failure or Crit Failure).

Area Spells

• Cast on a surface, their effect extends 4 yards (12 feet) "up" off that surface.
• The cost listed is its base cost, with actual cost being equal to base cost x radius of area in yards (eg. Base x 3).
  • Area spells cost a minimum of 1 energy point unless specified (or reduced due to skill).
• You may avoid certain areas within an area of effect but still must pay full cost (eg. Avoiding burning teammates).
• If you cannot touch any part of the affected area, apply penalty equal to your distance in yards from the nearest edge of the area.
• Otherwise area spells work like Regular Spells

Melee Spells

• Charging your hand, or magic staff, and require a roll to cast the spell and then a normal melee attack roll to hit the target.
• Once your hand or staff is charged you cannot cast another spell, but does not require Concentration.
• The spell does not go off unless it hits (defensive blocking doesn't count). However some Melee spells ignore parrying or blocking and still hit on those contacts.

Missile Spells

• Includes things like Fire balls or bolts of Lightning (projectiles and bolts).
• These spells require a roll to cast the spell, and an Innate Attack skill roll to hit.
• When rolling to cast the spell (and Concentrating), on a success you can invest one or more points of energy to a maximum equal to your Magery level. The missile then appears and is charged.
  • On your next turn you can attack, hold the spell, or enlarge it, investing more energy into it (up to your Magery level) not requiring another roll.
  • On the third turn you can do the same three options: attack, hold, or enlarge.
  • And on turn four you cannot invest any more energy and must attack with or hold the spell.
• While holding a spell you can do anything you like (except use the hand that is holding the spell) - except casting another spell.
• If you get injured while holding the missile you must make a Will roll - on a failure the missile immediately attacks you.
• A target may block or dodge as normal, but parrying usually does not work (Parry Missile Weapons skill may work on some missile spells at the GM's discretion).
• Most missile spells inflict 1d of damage per point of energy.

Blocking Spells

• The magical equivalent of a block, parry, or dodge. Cast instantly, but only once per round.
• Blocking spells automatically shut down Concentration, and the spell is lost. (holding a Melee spell is unaffected, and holding a Missile spell simply stops it from being able to be enlarged further).
• Blocking spells do not get any energy cost reduction due to high skill.

Information Spells

• Spells intended to find things are at -1 per "already known" item you choose to ignore (eg. Takes some concentration to ignore your canteen when casting Seek Water in the desert).
• The GM rolls in secret for these spells, on a crit fail the GM lies to you

Resisted Spells

• The target always gets to resist if they want to, even if unconscious.
• First roll to cast the spell, then note your margin of success. The target then attempts a resistance roll using the attribute or other trait listed in the spell. Compare the target's resistance roll to your spell casting roll in a Quick Contest, if you win, the target is affected. If you lose or tie the target feels a slight mental or physical wrench, but no other effect.
• A spell resists using it's caster's effective skill when they cast the spell.

Enchantment Spells

• Speak to the GM for further details about Enchanting.

Identifying Spells
Thaumatology roll

Canceling Spells
A spell lasts until its duration is up, or until a shorter duration that you set when you originally cast the spell is up.
You can cancel a spell before the time is up, but must pay one energy point (FP or HP) to do so.

Concentrating on Spells & Maintaining Spells
Some spells require Concentration maneuvers to manipulate or change what is happening, but if you lose Concentration the spell simply remains in the same state without change (except on a Crit Fail, where the spell ends). You can Concentrate on it again to regain control.
Casting another spell does not break concentration, but you suffer -3 per spell you are Concentrating on at the moment.
You also suffer -1 per other spell that you are maintaining currently.

Spell Endurance
Spells usually resist other spells or attacks with the effective skill of the original caster. Some spells however have Endurance that can be whittled away by repeated assaults. When cast these spells have an Endurance equal to the caster's effective skill. The spell in particular will explain what Endurance the spell fails and dissipates at.

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Dissipating Melee or Held Spells
This can be done as a free action at any point during your turn - the spell evaporates harmlessly.
A Missile spell can also be gotten rid of via "dropping" it at your feet as a free action - this doesn't damage you unless it is explosive, but does damage whatever you are standing on!

Trading Energy for Speed and/or Skill
One way to introduce more flexibility into standard spellcasting is to allow casters to exchange extra energy for special benefits. Below are two examples; see Adjustable Spells (this page) for an additional option. All such rules give magic-workers who have lots of spare energy (high personal FP, piles of Powerstones, etc.) a considerable advantage. The GM should avoid them if he wants wizards to be wrinkled old men who value skill above physical conditioning and magical toys.

• Faster Casting: Wizards can reduce casting time by one second per 4 extra energy points spent. This option can’t reduce casting time below a second, and isn’t available for ceremonial magic. Increased
• Effective Skill: The energy-for-skill tradeoff of Ceremonial Magic (p. B238) applies to all castings: +1 to skill for 20% extra energy, +2 for 40%, +3 for 60%, +4 for 100%, and another +1 per additional 100% of the required energy. Such skill increases affect the roll to cast the spell and the Power of enchanted items, but they don’t reduce casting time, energy cost, or ritual requirements. A further option for Missile spells is to give +1 to the attack roll per extra energy point spent.