See Also: Skills Magical, Round, Combat
Magic ability is based on skills. Skills Magical work the same as melee skills. The more skill levels you have, the more likely you are to succeed in casting it, and the more often you can cast per round. Spells are generally offensive, defensive, or utility in nature. Magic is a skill of the mind and requires no material components, incantations or body motions. The caster concentrates and the spell is cast. There are no restrictions on weapons or armor for the caster.
Each spell is based on an Attribute. This attribute is the basis for the skill check. Most are based on Willpower or Intelligence.
The spell level equals the number of actions for the caster in a round. However the maximum number of actions is the character's skill level in Basic Spell Casting (Skills Magical). If the character's spell level is higher then the basic level, they still get the bonus for success, but not the additional actions.
Unless stated otherwise in the spells description, the check is determined by the base attribute value, plus 5 points for each skill level. For example, if you had an Intelligence of 50, Magic Missile Level 3. The spell caster would have to roll below (50+3*5)=65 for the missile attack to succeed.
Unless stated otherwise in the spells description, a failed skill check for spell does count as a spell action for the round. The caster can try to cast again the next second, presuming they have sufficient spell actions and spell level available. For example, if you had Magic Missile Level 1. The spell caster fails the spell check, the caster can NOT try to cast the spell again in the same round because the spell failure counts as a spell action.
You must be able to stand before you can walk and spells work much the same way. Certain spells require knowledge of another spell first. Prerequisites have no level requirement. If spell X is required to learn spell Y you need not have the same skill level in X as in Y. In other words the prerequisite spell X may have a skill level of 1 and still satisfy the prerequisite requirement allowing higher levels of spell Y. See Skills Magical and note the prerequisite column.
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Basic Spell Casting (See: Skills Magical) is the fundamental skill for casting any spell. Levels in this skill set the character's maximum number of casts per round. Characters who wish to cast a spell more then once in a round will need multiple levels in that spell. The skill level in a particular spell equals the number of casts per round for that spell. However, the maximum number of casts per round is the skill level in Basic Spell Casting. Unsuccessful casts count against this total per round.
For Example Character has:Many spells duration and/or potency is based on the Gap between the skill's value and the skill check.
For ExampleSpells may be Self, Touch or Ranged The rules for each vary and are described below. In the Skills Magical note the range column.
The spell can be cast only on the caster.
The spell can be cast on something the caster touches. In melee this can become difficult for the caster. They must first cast the spell and then also touch the target. Requiring two skill checks to be successful. First a skill check for the spell, and second a skill check for Hand to Hand.
The spell can be cast on a target at a distance. Generally this range improves with the skill level.
The character can move half their movement value and still cast without any penalty. Moving more then half the movement value incurs a Willpower Check in addition to the skill check for casting.
Some spells have an area of effect, usually described as a radius from a central point. All creatures in that radius may be effected by the spell.
Typically creatures effected by spell have a chance to negate that effect. This chance is called a Save vs Magic. The Save vs Magic is typically an attribute check by the effected creature. The effected creature makes an attribute check on the same attribute the spell is based on. Often making the save, will negate the effect, in some cases it reduces the effect. See column Save vs Magic in Skills Magical).
The character in melee makes a willpower check to cast. If the character takes damage, another willpower check is required to complete casting. If the willpower check fails in melee then the cast fails but the spell action is NOT lost. The caster rolls Initiative same as everyone else but uses zero as the weapon speed. See Initiative
The casting character is only considered to be in melee if they can be attacked during the round. See Threatened Space Using movement, the caster could stay in melee but outside harm's way and continue casting, without incurring the willpower check.
The character who takes damage in the same second before the character casts makes a willpower check to complete the cast. This applies even if the character is NOT in melee.
Page Last Updated: 2008-07-06 04:29:58