Magic is a powerful force that can be manipulated with skills called spells. By casting spells, a wizard can direct magical energy – known as mana – to produce almost any effect. This is a mysterious art in some settings, a precise science in others.
Although hundreds of spells exist, each has a unique effect. Finding the right spell for a given task can be a painstaking process. Very experienced wizards can strike out into new territory, creating new spells for new tasks, but magical experimentation is not for the novice or the faint of heart.
The best wizards have an inborn ability to learn and use magic, called Magery. Anyone with any degree of Magery is called a mage. In many game worlds, only mages can use magic. In all worlds, they are better with magic than nonmages.
abort: To stop the casting of a spell before its completion.
backfire: A critical failure when casting a spell.
base skill: Your unmodified skill with a spell; compare with effective skill.
basic spell: A spell with no other spells as prerequisites.
cancel: To end a spell before it would normally expire.
caster: The person casting a spell.
class: A group of spells that use the same special rules. Two examples appear in this glossary: melee spells, Missile spells and Resisted spells.
college: A group of spells that deal with the same subject – fire, healing, etc.
effective skill: Your base skill, plus any modifiers (usually penalties) for range, circumstances, etc. A caster rolls against effective skill.
enchantment spell: A spell for creating permanent magic items.
energy: The “cost” to cast a spell. You may pay this in either FP or HP. Some game worlds offer alternative energy sources.
grimoire: The list of spells you know (more generally, any book of spells).
mage: Anyone with the Magery advantage.
Magery: The advantage of being “in tune” with magic; see pp. B66-67.
maintain: To continue a spell after it would normally end. This costs more energy, unless you have high skill.
mana: The ambient magical energy manipulated by spells. Different areas (or worlds) have different levels of mana; see Mana (p. 6).
melee spell: A spell that “charges” your hand or a magic staff with harmful energies that affect the first target you strike.
missile spell: A spell that summons a magical projectile that you must “throw” at the subject.
prerequisite: A requirement for learning a spell.
Resisted spell: Any spell that must overcome the “power” of its subject before it works.
sapient: Racial IQ 6 or higher.
spell: A skill that produces a specific magical effect when used successfully.
subject: The person, place, or thing on which a spell is cast.
wizard: Any user of magic, whether he is a mage or not.
Anyone can learn most spells – although in some worlds, you must be a mage to use the spells you know. Some spells specify a particular level of Magery as a prerequisite: if you lack the required Magery level, you cannot learn the spell.
Each magic spell is a separate skill, learned just like any other skill. Most spells are IQ/Hard skills, but a few potent spells are IQ/Very Hard. Spells have no default – you can only cast spells you know.
Add your Magery to IQ when you learn spells. For instance, if you have IQ 12 and Magery 3, you learn spells as if you had IQ 15. In addition, reduce the time required to learn spells (but not the point cost) by 10% per Magery level, to a minimum of 60% the usual time at Magery 4; e.g., Magery 3 would let you learn spells in 70% the usual time.
The maximum level of Magery available in your world is up to the GM. Most GMs will want to limit PCs to Magery 3 or 4.
If you know more than a few spells, you may wish to make a “grimoire.” This is a list of the spells you know and your skill with each, along with the energy cost, time to cast, duration, etc. for each spell. This will save a lot of reference time in play!
Mana is the ambient energy that empowers magic. Magic will work only if the mana level of the game world or specific area allows it, as follows:
Very High Mana: Anyone who knows spells can cast them. A mage who spends FP to cast a spell on his turn gets those FP back at the start of his next turn. However, all failures are treated as critical failures – and actual critical failures produce spectacular disasters! Very high mana is extremely rare in most settings.
High Mana: Anyone who knows spells can cast them. This mana level is rare in most worlds, but some game worlds have high mana throughout.
Normal Mana: Only mages can cast spells. These spells work normally, according to all rules given in this chapter. This is the default mana level in most fantasy settings: mages use magic, others don’t.
Low Mana: Only mages can cast spells, and all spells perform at -5 to skill, for all purposes. (Magic items are similarly affected; see Power of a Magic Item, p. 17.) However, critical failures have mild effects or no effect at all.
No Mana: No one can use magic at all. Enchantments and permanent magic effects are suspended and do not function while within a no-mana zone, but resume when taken to an area with mana. Temporary and lasting spells (p. 10) are dispelled when they enter a no-mana zone. This mana level occurs in isolated spots in magical worlds. Some entire game worlds can lack mana, making magic use impossible.
In most regions, mana is uniform and static. However, in some locations mana may favor certain types of magic, or fluctuate over time. Some powerful spells can even change the mana level of an area. GURPS Fantasy discusses more possibilities for the magical properties of a world.
Mages cannot automatically sense the mana level of an area, but they may sense the change when they cross a boundary between levels. When a mage crosses such a boundary, roll vs. Perception + Magery-3. Add 3 to the roll if the mage was explicitly searching for the boundary.
The difficulty of learning magic depends largely on the role of magic in a setting – and especially on its prevalence. In a world where magic is common, wizardry is likely a trade like any other, learned through apprenticeships or in schools. If magic is rare, on the other hand, prospective teachers may be cloistered in far-off monasteries or isolated towers. If magic is illegal, those mentors will be in hiding.
Once the would-be wizard finds a teacher, he must convince the teacher to take him on as a student. Some teachers give lessons for a fee; others demand service in exchange for training. Still others ask for nothing in advance, but expect their students to know their duty when the need arises.
If no instructor is available, an aspiring wizard may study magic without a teacher, like any other intellectual skill. However, lone study demands that the wizard has access to good texts on magic, in a language he can read. Even then, his progress is only half as fast as it would be with a mentor, taking 400 hours for every character point of progress (though Magery will offset some of this; see Magery, pp. B66-67). What’s more, finding those texts may be just as hard as finding a teacher.
In a world with improvised magic, there may be no magic teachers at all; wizards might learn by experimentation and lots of hard knocks.
All but the most basic spells have one or more prerequisites: requirements you must meet in order to learn the spell. If the prerequisite is another spell, you must have at least one point in the prerequisite spell before you can study the advanced spell. Not all prerequisites are spells. Some spells require a minimum Magery level; for instance, “Magery 2” means you must have Magery 2 or more to learn the spell. A few spells require a minimum basic attribute score, an advantage, or even a mundane skill.
You must know a spell in order to cast it, unless you possess a magic item that lets you cast it (see Chapter 2). Tell the GM what spell you are casting, then take Concentrate maneuvers for the requisite number of turns (see Time Required, below). At the end of the last second of concentration, make a success roll for the spell.
Casting a spell works like any other use of a skill: roll 3d and compare the total to your effective skill (your base skill with the spell adjusted by any applicable modifiers). Modifiers depend on the class of spell (see Spell Classes, p. 11). If your roll is less than or equal to your effective skill, the spell works. If it is greater than your effective skill, the spell fails.
On a success, mark off the spell’s energy cost against your FP or HP (see Energy Cost). Its effects take place immediately. On a critical success, the spell works especially well. Details are up to the GM, who should be both generous and creative. Whatever else occurs, there is never an energy cost if you get a critical success when you cast a spell.
On a failure, the spell does not work. If success would have cost energy, you lose one energy point; otherwise, you lose nothing. (Exception: You must pay the full energy cost for an Information spell even on a failure; see Information Spells, p. 13.) On a critical failure, you must spend the full energy cost and the spell fails badly! The GM may use the Critical Spell Failure Table or improvise some other “backfire” he finds amusing.
Roll 3d on the table below. If the result is inappropriate – or if it is the result that the caster intended – roll again. The GM is free to improvise instead of using the table.
Improvisations should be appropriate to the spell and the situation, and should never kill the caster outright.
3 – Spell fails entirely. Caster takes 1d of injury.
4 – Spell is cast on caster (if harmful) or on a random nearby foe (if beneficial).
5-6 – Spell is cast on one of the caster’s companions (if harmful) or on a random nearby foe (if beneficial).
7 – Spell affects someone or something other than its intended target – friend, foe, or random object. Roll randomly or make an interesting choice.
8 – Spell fails entirely. Caster takes 1 point of injury.
9 – Spell fails entirely. Caster is stunned (IQ roll to recover).
10-11 – Spell produces nothing but a loud noise, bright flash of light, awful odor, etc.
12 – Spell produces a weak and useless shadow of the intended effect.
13 – Spell produces the reverse of the intended effect.
14 – Spell seems to work, but it is only a useless illusion. The GM should do his best to convince the wizard and his companions that the spell did work!
15-16 – Spell has the reverse of the intended effect, on the wrong target. Roll randomly.
17 – Spell fails entirely. Caster temporarily forgets the spell. Make an IQ roll after a week, and again each following week, until he remembers.
18 – Spell fails entirely. A demon or other malign entity appropriate to the setting appears and attacks the caster. (The GM may waive this result if, in his opinion, caster and spell were both lily-white, pure good in intent.)
If you use an active defense against an attack, or are knocked back, knocked down, injured, grappled, or otherwise distracted while concentrating, make a Will roll at -3 to continue casting your spell. On a failure, your spell is spoiled and you must start over.
If you are stunned while concentrating, your spell is automatically spoiled.
If you are injured but not stunned while concentrating, and succeed on the roll to avoid distraction, you may cast your spell. However, the shock penalty for your injury will reduce your effective skill. See Shock (p. B419) for details on shock.
The “caster” of a spell is the person who is attempting to cast it.
The “subject” of a spell is the person, place, or thing upon which the spell is cast. If you are casting a spell on yourself, you are both caster and subject. The subject can also be another being, an inanimate object, or even a patch of ground. If the subject is a place, the caster can “touch” it by extending a hand over it or touching the ground, as appropriate for the spell.
Most spells take one second to cast. Take the Concentrate maneuver for one turn and attempt your skill roll at the end of your turn. If you succeed, the spell takes effect instantly. Whether you succeed or fail, your turn ends as soon as you roll the dice. No one can interrupt a one-second spell unless he took the Wait maneuver on his own turn before the caster began concentrating.
Example: Patrick wants to cast Create Fire, a one-second spell. On his turn, Patrick says, “I’m concentrating on Create Fire.” This uses his entire turn. He then rolls the dice for his spell. If he succeeds, he creates fire – but either way, Patrick’s turn ends. Aidan, standing next to him, cannot try to disrupt the spell unless he took the Wait maneuver before Patrick’s turn began.
Some spells take more than one second to cast. This requires multiple, consecutive Concentrate maneuvers in combat. Make the skill roll at the end of the last turn of concentration. You may “abort” an unfinished spell before it is cast, at no penalty, but you must start over if you wish to try again.
Example: If a spell takes three seconds to cast, you must spend three turns doing nothing but concentrating. You roll the dice at the end of your third turn.
Blocking spells may be cast without concentrating, during a foe’s turn, to defend against an attack. See Blocking Spells.
Each spell has an energy cost. When you cast the spell, you must pay this cost in either FP or HP. The better you know the spell, the less energy you need to cast it. If you know it well enough, you can cast it at no cost. Exception: Never reduce the cost of a Blocking spell; see Blocking Spells.
If your base skill with a spell – modified only by the -5 for low mana, if applicable – is 15 or more, reduce the cost to cast the spell by 1. If you have skill 20 or more, reduce cost by 2. Cost continues to decrease by 1 per full five skill levels beyond skill 20. Apply the same reduction to the cost to maintain a spell. Calculate the entire cost for a spell (for instance, by multiplying cost for the size of the subject or the area affected) before applying energy cost reductions for high skill. Energy is still going into the spell, but your skill lets you draw it from the surrounding mana instead of supplying it yourself!
You normally pay the energy cost of a spell in FP. You can recover lost FP by resting. A mage with the Recover Energy spell recovers FP faster than normal.
You may also expend life energy to pay the cost of a spell. Mark off some or all of the cost against HP instead of FP – the spell is actually harming you! You are at -1 on your spell roll per HP used. This is instead of the usual shock penalty for injury, and High Pain Threshold has no effect.
Using HP to power spells is dangerous, but it may be necessary if you are badly fatigued and must cast another spell. You may “burn” HP until you fall unconscious. Should a failed HT roll indicate that you have died, you do not actually spend the HP. Instead, you fall unconscious.
Treat HP lost this way just like any other injury.
Traditionally, spells have often required the use of exotic ingredients: dragon scale, virgin’s blood, eye of newt, mandrake root, Nixon campaign buttons, or what have you. This book, however, does not specify what ingredients are required for spells, aside from some materials required for enchantments. It would be nearly impossible to produce a list of ingredients that would make sense across a variety of settings, to say nothing of the space such a list would take up.
Instead, spell ingredients should be regarded as a powerful tool for GMs to use for fine-tuning the feel of magic in their games. Spells you wish to constrain may require expensive and rare ingredients. If a particular spell is getting out of hand, maybe the mandrake crop will fail this year. Spell ingredients can also serve as a useful cash sink, if the amount of money in PC hands is getting excessive.
Exotic ingredients can be extremely useful for moderating the use of magic. Ordinarily, wizards have little incentive not to use up all their energy at every encounter; as long as the party has some time to rest afterwards, they’ll be back up to scratch in no time. If there’s only so much eye of newt to last until the next visit to town, however, wizards may start trying to use their magic to best effect, and to find alternate ways to be useful in a pinch.
For some possible ingredients and their typical uses, see Magically Potent Materials.
To cast a spell, you must usually perform a ritual that involves gestures and speech. If you can’t perform the ritual, you can’t cast the spell! For instance, if the ritual for a spell requires you to speak, you cannot cast the spell if you are gagged or under a spell of silence.
The higher your skill with a spell, the easier it is to cast. It takes less time, requires less energy, and has less stringent ritual requirements. See the list below for details. In all cases, “skill” refers to base skill, not effective skill. The only modifier that matters here is the -5 for low mana, if applicable.
Skill 9 or less – Ritual: You must have both hands and both feet free for elaborate ritual movements, and you must speak certain words of power in a firm voice. Time: Doubled. Cost: As listed.
Skill 10-14 – Ritual: You must speak a few quiet words and make a gesture. Time: As listed. Cost: As listed.
Skill 15-19 – Ritual: You must speak a word or two or make a small gesture (a couple of fingers are enough), but not necessarily both. You are allowed to move one yard per second while taking the Concentrate maneuver. Time: As listed. Cost: Reduced by 1.
Skill 20-24 – Ritual: None! You simply stare into space as you concentrate. Time: Halved (round fractions up to the next second). Minimum casting time is still one second. Cost: Reduced by 2.
Skill 25-29 – Ritual: None. Time: Divided by 4 (round up). Cost: Reduced by 3.
Skill 30 or more – As above, but for every five levels of skill beyond skill 25 (that is, at levels 30, 35, 40, etc.), halve casting time again (always rounding up) and reduce energy cost by one more point.
Certain spells always require a specific ritual. Such requirements override the rules above. For instance, high skill has no effect on the cost to cast Blocking spells or the time to cast Missile spells.
Here is an alternative way to handle the rituals required for spells. It gives wizards more flexibility in the way they cast their spells, but denies powerful wizards the ability to forget about ritual entirely.
By default, all spells require two-handed gestures, subtle foot motions like dance steps, and a clearly spoken incantation. However, any wizard may choose to omit parts of the ritual by accepting a penalty to skill. Omitting the foot movements requires a -2 penalty. Gestures with only one hand require a -2 penalty, while casting with no hand gestures at all requires a -4 penalty. Softly spoken incantations demand a -2 penalty, and no incantation requires a -4 penalty.
If, on the other hand, a wizard has time to be especially precise with his movements and speaks the incantation loudly and articulately, doubling the casting time, he gets +1 to his effective skill.
It is rarely clear what spell a wizard is casting while he’s casting it – especially if he knows it well enough to cast it silently! In general, if a spell has no obvious visible effect (unlike Fireball), it can be kept a secret. This can make magical battles much more interesting, when only the GM knows exactly what spells are in effect and on whom.
Even if the spell is audible, observers may have to make a Thaumatology roll to recognize a spell they do not themselves know. Observers without Thaumatology are completely out of luck!
The effects of many spells vary with the energy spent. For instance, a healing spell might heal 1 HP per energy point, or a combat spell might inflict 1d damage per point.
If the spell description sets no upper limit, then you may spend as much energy as you can afford! The more you spend, the greater the effect.
If the spell specifies a finite range of effects and associated energy costs, though, you cannot exceed the upper limit without a high level of Magery (see below).
If either type of variable spell is cast on the same subject more than once, only the spell with the most powerful effects counts – multiple instances of a given spell do not “stack” or add in any way. Spells that heal, damage, or otherwise permanently affect the subject are an exception: you may cast such spells repeatedly, healing or damaging the subject by the full amount each time.
Talented mages may exceed the usual limits for spells that allow a finite number of “levels of effect” (dice of damage, bonuses to skill, etc.). The upper limit is the higher of the standard number of levels or the caster’s Magery level.
Example: Major Healing (p. 91) allows you to spend 1, 2, 3, or 4 energy points to heal 2, 4, 6, or 8 HP. It has four levels of effect. Magery 10 would let you revise this limit to 10 levels of effect – you could spend 1-10 energy points to heal 2-20 HP!
The GM is free not to use this rule if he thinks it would be unbalanced. Of course, if he puts a limit on the highest level of Magery available, this will not be a problem!
Some spells produce an instantaneous effect when cast and then end immediately. Other spells last for a fixed “duration” (given for the particular spell, but most often one minute) and then wear off – unless you maintain them.
If you can maintain a spell, the energy cost to do so appears alongside the cost to cast. When the spell reaches the end of its duration, you may continue the spell by paying its maintenance cost. If you do, the spell endures for another interval equal to its duration. This takes no time and requires no skill roll. Distance is not a factor.
Example: The Light spell notes “Duration: 1 minute” and “Cost: 1 to cast; 1 to maintain.” It ends after a minute unless, at the end of that minute, you spend one more energy point to maintain it. If you do, it lasts another minute.
You may repeat this process for as long as you wish, provided you can supply the required energy. As long as you are conscious, you will know when one of your spells needs to be renewed. However, you cannot maintain a spell while you sleep, and you cannot “hand off” a spell to someone else so he can maintain it for you.
Energy cost reduction for high skill also applies to the cost to maintain a spell. This can reduce maintenance cost to 0. For instance, if you know a spell at skill 15-19, you may reduce its maintenance cost by 1; if this cost is 1 to begin with, you can maintain the spell indefinitely at no energy cost!
Sometimes, you may want to end a spell before its full duration is up. If you specify a shorter duration when you cast the spell, the spell lasts exactly the time desired. If you suddenly decide to “cancel” a spell before its time is up, though, you must pay one energy point (from FP or HP) to do so, regardless of the spell or your skill level.
You can maintain a spell without concentration unless the spell requires constant manipulation and change; e.g., to maneuver a levitating object. Spells like this require you to take the Concentrate maneuver only. If you are distracted, injured, or stunned, you must make a Will roll at -3. If you fail, the spell does not end, but it remains in precisely the state it had when you were distracted, and does not respond to change until you can concentrate on it again. On a critical failure, the spell ends.
Casting another spell does not break concentration, but you suffer a skill penalty for doing two things at once (see Casting Spells While Maintaining Other Spells, below).
A spell with a variable area of effect cannot be expanded after it has been cast. However, a wizard may choose to maintain only part of a spell’s area, paying the maintenance cost for only a portion of the original area affected.
There are five classes of duration for spells: instantaneous, temporary, lasting, permanent, and enchantment.
Instantaneous spells produce an instant effect when cast and then end immediately. Note that some instantaneous spells appear to last longer because they leave behind a persistent but nonmagical effect – Flesh to Stone, for example, instantly turns a living being to stone and ends, leaving behind a stone statue.
Temporary spells are spells that require the continuing expenditure of energy to maintain. If it has a cost to maintain, it is most likely a temporary spell. Only temporary spells count as spells “on” (see below).
Lasting spells do not require maintenance, but have a limited effective duration. Typically, they last until some event ends the spell. Bless is a good example; the spell lasts until the blessing is used.
Permanent spells create a magical effect that lasts indefinitely. Zombie is a good example: the magic force that animates the body persists until the body has been physically destroyed. A permanent spell, unlike temporary and lasting spells, does not end in a no-mana zone, but it is suspended until the subject leaves the zone. At that point the spell resumes.
Enchantments produce a still more enduring magical effect – usually one that generates other magical effects in turn. Enchantments are not dispelled by spells like Dispel Magic or Remove Curse. Like permanent spells, enchantments are suspended, not dispelled, by no-mana zones.
Spells usually resist other spells or attacks with the effective skill of the wizard who cast them. Some temporary and lasting spells, however, can be whittled away by repeated assaults. Such spells are said to have Endurance. Like an enchantment’s Power, a spell’s Endurance at casting time is equal to its caster’s effective skill. However, it may be reduced by later events. A spell’s description always discusses whether the spell has Endurance and at what Endurance the spell fails and dissipates.
Some spells only provide a wizard with one chance. These spells note “One Try” in their descriptions. If such a spell fails, the caster (and any assistants) may not try that spell again on the same subject. Some spells permit only a single try within a given time period – “one try per week,” for example. In this case, the caster(s) may try again after the appropriate time has passed. If no time period is specified, the caster(s) may never try again.
You can only cast one new spell at a time. However, you can cast new spells before older ones end. Apply the following modifiers whenever you cast spells while you have other spells active:
-3 per spell you are concentrating on at the moment. See the individual spell descriptions to learn which spells require concentration.
-1 per other spell you have “on” at the moment. Only temporary spells carry this penalty.
Many types of magic exist. Spells fall into “colleges” according to their subject matter, and “classes” according to the way they work.
Spells related by subject matter – e.g., fire, healing, or mind control – belong to the same college. The basic spells of a college are prerequisites for the more advanced ones. Some spells fall into more than one college. For instance, Earth to Air (p. 25) is both an Earth and an Air spell. This is only important when counting prerequisites.
Most wizards specialize in only a few colleges. This is the most efficient way to learn advanced magic. However, you may learn spells from as many colleges as you wish.
Each spell falls into one or more classes that define how it works in play. These classes are not mutually exclusive, except as explicitly noted in the rules below.
Most spells fall into this class. A Regular spell affects only one subject. Its energy cost assumes a human-sized subject – that is, one with Size modifier 0. For a subject with a positive SM, multiply cost by 1 + SM: x2 energy for SM +1, x3 for SM +2, x4 for SM +3, and so on. There is no cost reduction for a subject with a negative SM. A few Regular spells have special cost schemes that override these rules.
Regular spells work best if you can touch or see the subject. You do not have to see through your own eyes; any spell that lets you see by magical means will do.
If you cannot touch the subject, apply a skill penalty equal to your distance in yards from the subject; e.g., -5 at five yards. Figure distance at the moment you roll the dice for the spell.
If you cannot touch or see the subject, there is a further -5 penalty. There are two ways to direct such a spell:
No physical barrier affects a Regular spell. Unless it backfires, the spell never hits the wrong target.
These spells affect an area instead of an individual. They are cast on a surface – floor, ground, etc. – and their effects extend four yards (12 feet) up from that surface. A few Area spells work differently; see the individual spell descriptions for details.
The area’s size governs the energy cost, but not the difficulty of the roll. The cost listed for an Area spell is always its “base cost.” The actual cost to cast the spell is equal to its base cost multiplied by the radius of the area of effect in yards (minimum one yard): base cost x1 for a one-yard radius, x2 for a two-yard radius, x3 for a three-yard radius, and so on.
Area spells with a fractional base cost, such as 1/2 or 1/10, cost a minimum of one energy point. A few Area spells specify a minimum cost, which you must always pay, even if it is larger than the base cost multiplied by the desired radius.
If an Area spell affects living beings, it affects everyone in the area of effect. You may choose to affect only a part of the area, instead of the whole circle, but the cost is still the same – i.e., you may create an area of effect with “holes” in it, but must still spend energy as if you had filled the entire radius of the spell.
If you cannot touch any part of the affected area, apply a skill penalty equal to your distance in yards from the nearest edge of the area.
Otherwise, Area spells work like Regular spells.
Represent Area spells on a battle map as follows. The area of effect of a spell cast over a one-yard radius is a single hex. The area of effect of a spell cast over a two-yard radius is a central hex and all adjacent hexes. The area of effect of a spell cast over a three-yard radius is a central two-yard area of effect plus the ring of hexes adjacent to that. And so on, building up larger areas by annexing successive rings of hexes.
Melee spells “charge” your hand or magic staff (see box) with harmful energies that affect the first target you strike. These spells require two skill rolls: a roll against spell skill to cast the spell, and a normal melee attack roll to hit the target with your hand or staff.
To cast a Melee spell, concentrate for the required time, roll against spell skill at the end of the final turn of concentration, and pay the energy cost. No distance modifier applies because you are casting the spell on yourself! On a success, you energize your hand or staff with the spell’s magic. On your next turn, you must either hold your spell or attack with it.
If you hold your spell, your hand or staff remains “charged.” This costs no energy and requires no skill roll. You cannot cast another spell while holding a Melee spell. You can take any other combat maneuver (but an attack with the energized hand or staff discharges the spell). A parry with the hand or staff does not discharge the spell; only an attack in combat is a part of the ritual.
A Melee spell held on a staff persists for as long as you wield the staff. If you lose hold of your staff, even for an instant, the spell drains away harmlessly. If someone grabs your staff, and you are both holding it on your turn, your attempt to wrench it free counts as an attack, and your opponent instantly suffers the spell’s effects!
To attack, roll against DX or an unarmed combat skill to hit with a hand, or the appropriate Melee Weapon skill to hit with a staff. This is a standard melee attack. Your target may attempt any active defense. If he succeeds, your spell is not triggered; you may try again next turn. If he fails, your melee attack does its usual damage and your spell affects him immediately.
Armor protects normally against some Melee spells, not at all against others. If the spell is one that ignores armor, neither an unarmed parry (even with an armored limb) nor a block can protect the target from the spell. Even if such a defense wards off the melee attack, the spell arcs through the target’s armor or shield and affects him.
Some Melee spells are Resisted. These spells require a second roll against spell skill, when the spell actually takes effect, to overcome the target’s resistance.
This class of spells encompasses long-distance “projectile” or “bolt” attacks, such as Fireball and Lightning. Missile spells require two skill rolls: a roll against spell skill to cast the spell, and a roll against Innate Attack skill (p. B201) to hit the target.
To cast a Missile spell, you must concentrate for one second. At the end of your turn, roll against your skill with the spell. There is no modifier for distance – you are creating a magical missile in your hand. On a success, you may invest one or more points of energy in the spell, to a maximum of a number of energy points equal to your Magery level. The missile then appears in your hand, “charged” to the desired level.
On your next turn, you have three options with your missile: make a ranged attack with it, hold it, or enlarge it. If you opt to enlarge your missile, you must concentrate for another second. At the end of your turn, you may invest more energy in the spell – anything from one point to points equal to your Magery level. This does not require a skill roll.
The turn after that, you have the same options: attack, hold, or enlarge. On your fourth turn, you may only attack or hold. You cannot spend more than three seconds building up a Missile spell.
Once you stop enlarging a Missile spell, you may “hold” it in hand, ready to attack. You do not have to launch the missile until you want to. While holding a Missile spell, you may move up to your full Move, take a Wait or Aim maneuver, or even attack using the hand that isn’t “holding” the missile. You may defend normally. However, you cannot cast another spell.
There is one drawback: if you are injured while you have a missile “in hand,” you must make a Will roll. If you fail, the missile immediately affects you!
When you are ready to attack, roll against your Innate Attack skill to hit. This is a standard ranged attack, subject to the usual modifiers for target size, speed, and range. Once launched, the missile flies in a straight line to the target. Physical barriers affect it just as they would affect any missile weapon.
Your target may block or dodge, but cannot parry (Parry Missile Weapons skill may work on some Missile spells, at the GM’s discretion). If he fails, the spell affects him. The strength of the effect depends on the energy invested. Most Missile spells inflict 1d of damage per point of energy. Damage Resistance – natural or from armor – protects normally against damaging Missile spells.
A Blocking spell is cast instantly as a defense against either a physical attack or another spell. It is the
magical equivalent of a block, parry, or dodge (and often counts as one of these defenses; see the spell description for details). You may cast only one Blocking spell per turn, no matter how skilled you are. You cannot attempt a Blocking spell against a critical hit. If you try a Blocking spell, it automatically interrupts your concentration. You lose any spell you were preparing, exactly as if you had failed the Will roll to resist a distraction. If you are holding (not casting) a Melee spell, it is unaffected. If you are holding a Missile spell, you cannot enlarge it further but may retain it for later use. Blocking spells do not get an energy cost reduction for high skill.
Information spells are cast to gain knowledge. Some require you to touch the subject, while others function at a distance; see Long-Distance Modifiers for range penalties. Spells intended to find things are at -1 per “known” item you choose to ignore in your search; it takes some concentration to bypass your canteen when casting Seek Water in the desert. Most Information spells have additional special modifiers, so read the spell description carefully.
When you cast an Information spell, the GM rolls for you in secret. If the spell succeeds, the GM gives you the desired information – the better the roll, the better the information. If the spell fails, the GM will say, “You sense nothing.” On a critical failure, the GM lies to you! Regardless of the outcome, you must always pay the full energy cost for the spell – you have no way to know if it succeeded or not.
Information spells generally allow only one attempt per day by each caster (or ceremonial group). “Seek” spells are an exception to this.
Except where specifically noted, Information spells have no duration. They grant a momentary glimpse of insight and end immediately; therefore, you cannot maintain them.
Use these modifiers for Information spells that work over long distances, such as “Seek” spells.
| Distance | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 200 yards | 0 |
| 1/2 mile | -1 |
| 1 mile | -2 |
| 3 miles | -3 |
| 10 miles | -4 |
| 30 miles | -5 |
| 100 miles | -6 |
| 300 miles | -7 |
| 1,000 miles | -8 |
Add another -2 per additional factor of 10.
A spell of any type can also be “Resisted.” A spell like this works automatically only on a critical success. On a regular success, your spell must defeat the subject’s resistance to work.
The subject always has a chance to resist, even if he is unconscious. A conscious subject who is aware that something is happening may choose not to resist. Individuals who are unconscious, unfamiliar with magic, or wary of hostile magic always try to resist.
To resolve a Resisted spell, you must first attempt your skill roll. If the spell has a single subject (that is, it isn’t an Area spell), you have a penalty equal to the subject’s Magic Resistance, if any – even if he is willing! On a failure, the spell fails and the subject notices nothing. On a success, note your margin of success; e.g., if you rolled a 6 against an effective skill of 13, you succeeded by 7. If the subject is living or sapient, the Rule of 16 applies (see The Rule of 16, p. B349). There is no such limit if the subject is another spell.
The subject then attempts a resistance roll. A character resists using the attribute or other trait indicated in the spell description – usually HT or Will. The subject’s Magic Resistance, if any, adds to his resistance. A spell resists using the caster’s effective skill when he cast the spell.
Compare the subject’s resistance roll to your skill roll in a Quick Contest. If you win, your spell affects the subject. If you lose or tie, the spell has no effect – but you must still pay the full energy cost! A conscious subject feels a slight mental or physical wrench (depending on which attribute he Resisted with), but no other effect. You know whether or not the subject Resisted your spell.
Resisted Area Spells: When casting an Area spell that is Resisted, make the usual success roll for the spell and record your margin of success if you succeed. Everyone in the area gets a resistance roll, and those with Magic Resistance get double the usual benefit. Your spell affects those who make their roll by less than you did.
Enchantment spells are used to make or unmake magical items. They are fully detailed in the Magic Items section.
These spells follow special rules given in the spell description.
You will sometimes need to dispel a held Melee or Missile spell quickly, without taking a full turn to make an attack – for instance, so you can concentrate on another spell. You can do this as a free action at any point during your turn; simply state that you are dissipating the spell and it “evaporates” harmlessly.
You can also get rid of a Missile spell (not a Melee spell) by “dropping” it at your feet. This, too, is a free action. This does not damage you, unless the missile is explosive, but it damages whatever you are standing on. Missiles that inflict burning damage are liable to set fires!
If you know a spell at skill 15 or higher and have a group of willing assistants, you may opt to cast the spell by leading your assistants in an elaborate ritual that maximizes the spell’s power. Such “ceremonial magic” is time-consuming, but lets you cast more powerful spells than you could cast on your own.
When you work ceremonial magic, multiply casting time by 10. Energy cost does not change, but your assistants can supplement your energy input as follows:
Each mage who knows the spell at level 15+: as much energy as he wishes to contribute.
Each nonmage who knows the spell at level 15+: up to 3 points.
Each mage who knows the spell at level 14 or lower: up to 3 points.
Each unskilled spectator who supports the casting (by chanting, holding candles, etc.): 1 point, to a maximum of 100 points from all spectators.
Each spectator who opposes the casting: -5 points, to a maximum penalty of -100 points from all spectators!
The sum of the energy from all sources represents the total energy available. If this exceeds the cost to cast the spell, you receive a skill bonus: +1 for 20% extra energy, +2 for 40%, +3 for 60%, +4 for 100%, and another +1 per additional 100% of the required energy.
At the end of the ritual, make a skill roll to cast the spell. Apply all standard modifiers for magic use and any bonus for extra energy. Regardless of the outcome of the die roll, all contributed energy is spent when you roll the dice.
A “magic staff” is any wand or staff imbued with the power to extend your reach for the purpose of casting spells. It gives three main benefits:
at no distance penalty. This is useful in situations where you must cast a spell on a subject you cannot touch with your hand (e.g., a healing spell on someone trapped under rubble). This also allows a wizard to tap a Powerstone set into his staff.
length of the staff. This is valuable for Regular spells, as a one-yard wand shaves -1 off distance penalties, while a two-yard quarterstaff eliminates -2! You can point as part of the ritual to cast a spell. Tell the GM you are pointing at the subject when you start concentrating. (This might warn an unwilling subject!)
you strike and parry without putting your hand in harm’s way.
A magic staff can be any length up to two yards. A wand is Reach C, too light to do damage, and uses Knife or Main-Gauche skill. A long wand or short staff is Reach 1, functions as a baton in combat, and uses Shortsword or Smallsword skill. A full-length staff is Reach 2, counts as a quarterstaff in combat, and uses Staff or Two-Handed Sword skill. In most game worlds, a suitable ordinary item can be enchanted as a magic staff for $30, but it must be made from once-living materials (wood, bone, ivory, coral, etc.).
In some settings, magic staffs are more than mere aids, but the fundamental tool of magecraft! In these worlds, mages buy some or all of their Magery with gadget limitations (p. B116) – usually Breakable or Can Be Stolen. A mage who loses his staff may be nearly crippled.
Innovative GMs may create new spells at their pleasure. These new spells generally need balance compared to existing spells. Balancing spells in this fashion is never an exact science, but the following guidelines should help. The costs given are appropriate for the cost to cast for a Regular spell or the base cost for an Area spell. Cost to maintain for most spells is equal to half the cost to cast, rounding up.
These guidelines are guidelines only! The GM should never feel compelled to use the cost recommended for a spell under these guidelines if it seems inappropriate.
Combat Spells: In general, one point of energy buys 1d damage, 2d knockback, 1 point of fatigue damage, or one second of blindness.
Irritating and Incapacitating Conditions: Spells that cause irritating conditions (p. B428) cost about 2 points of energy; spells which cause incapacitating conditions (pp. B428-429) cost about 5 points of energy.
Ability Enhancements: One point of energy buys two skill levels or one point of a secondary characteristic; two points of energy buys a point of an attribute.
Hazards and Obstructions: One point of energy creates an area which people must leave or take damage – poison gas clouds, radiation fields, etc. Two points of energy creates an obstruction that cannot easily be passed across or through – walls, pits, and so on. Three points of energy enables a subject to ignore a certain type of obstruction and pass through it freely. Four points of energy renders a subject immune to a certain type of hazard.
Advantages and Disadvantages: Spells that grant a subject an advantage or disadvantage cost one point of energy for every three CP of the advantage or disadvantage.
Information: Most informational spells cost about two points of energy; spells that reveal secrets cost four points of energy or more.
Special Effects: Spells that have neither a significant effect on game mechanics nor a long-lasting effect should cost one point of energy.
Missile spells have a default Max range of 80 yards, though the GM should feel free to adjust range up or down if a spell’s concept demands a different range or if the spell’s effectiveness needs to be adjusted.
Spells that change or control living, aware beings should usually be Resisted.
Powerful spells should usually have a long list of prerequisites, be Very Hard spells, or both.
New spells may be commonly available to any PC who wants to learn them, or may be esoteric mysteries known only to a handful of NPCs or contained only in a hidden book of secret lore. The latter case can lead to interesting new quests; beside the personal advantages of discovering new spells, powerful wizards back in civilized lands may pay handsomely for such precious knowledge.
On the other hand, the PCs may decide that forgotten libraries in lost cities are boring, and try to research their own new spells. Only a mage can invent new spells.
Use the New Inventions rules on p. B473 to devise a new spell. The required skill for designing new spells is Thaumatology (p. B225). Most spells do not have TL modifiers, but Technological spells may. Spells also do not have Complexity ratings. There is no final “product” for a spell, so there is no production stage for the development of spells.
The process begins when the researcher describes the spell he wishes to develop. The GM then writes the spell up in the standard format, including class, college, energy cost, casting time, duration, and prerequisites. He may decide that the intended spell has prerequisites, which must be learned or invented before research on the intended spell can even begin.
The Concept roll is made against Thaumatology, instead of a Complexity modifier; subtract the prerequisite count for the new spell (p. 6). Apply a -5 penalty for any spell in a college in which the researcher knows no spells. Apply a -5 penalty in a low-mana zone.
Once the Concept phase has produced a viable incantation, the researcher (or an assistant) must invest a character point in learning the new spell. At that point, a prototype may be developed. A magical workshop is required, with accoutrements that cost $(prerequisite count +1)x(400 energy)x(the setting’s prevailing price per energy point (see Magic Items)). The researcher and his assistants may choose to offset up to 90% of this investment by enchanting the supplies themselves; 10% of the cost is consumable supplies which must be purchased. Once built, a magical workshop may also be used for future research – the non-consumable portion of the workshop’s cost may be reused indefinitely (though critical failures may damage or destroy some of that equipment).
The Prototype roll is a roll against the new spell itself, cast ceremonially (this can be done alone; the process is similar to enchantment). The normal Prototype bonuses for qualified assistants apply, though the ceremonial magic penalties for assistants typically offset them. Apply any modifiers from the Concept stage that apply. A critical failure on the Prototype roll is like any other critical failure on a spell; roll on the Critical Spell Failure table (p. 7). Each attempt takes a full day.
A successful Prototype spell may have bugs, but they are rarely tested. A major bug is indistinguishable from a normal critical failure, so bugs are typically left to surface at some later date. Established spells have had any bugs worked out by generations of wizards, but new spells may be unexpected trouble waiting to happen.
The process used to enchant a new spell into an item is a separate invention from the spell itself. An enchantment process is actually even harder than the original spell, because the enchantment also has Enchant as a prerequisite, increasing its effective prerequisite count by 13! Experimental enchanters are a dogged bunch.
The GM may allow mage Gadgeteers to apply Gadgeteering to spell invention. However, such a combination is likely to lead to a number of wild thaumaturgical innovations that not every GM will be happy to handle.
Most wizards are designed with high IQ and some level of Magery. Fatigue Points are also essential; some wizards buy high HT, while some simply buy FP directly. Fatigue Points may be bought with the limitation “Usable only for spellcasting,” worth -10%.
There are also several useful advantages for wizards that may not be immediately obvious. Compartmentalized Mind, if available, allows a wizard to concentrate on multiple spells at once, which can be incredibly valuable. A wizard with Doesn’t Sleep can potentially maintain a spell indefinitely. Mana Enhancer has obvious advantages for wizards in lowand normal-mana worlds (though it can be positively dangerous in highmana worlds). Visualization is extremely useful for enchanters, or any wizard performing ceremonial magic; the ritual nature of these spells lends itself to visualization. A wizard with Visualization and a high IQ has a powerful advantage with ceremonial magic.
In most settings, wizards also acquire skills that represent the breadth of their occult learning. This virtually always includes Thaumatology, but wizards may also want to learn such skills as Alchemy, Esoteric Medicine, Hidden Lore, Mental Strength, and Occultism.