Magic

Basics

Your base magic pool is equal to 15 times your Intellect. 

You gain an additional +1 to your max magic for every 2 points you have in any magic skills. 

Gain an additional 3 magic for every character level.


Regeneration

Magic can be regained in several ways. 


Schools

There are 6 schools of magic: Alteration, Incantation, Evocation, Illusion, Healing, and Necromancy.

These schools can be used by most magic users, but certain classes are limited. 

Ancient spells and Class spells follow the rules below, but use your Personal Magic skill and are dictated by your class and which Ancient(s) you worship. 

Ancient and Class spells are considered schools of magic. 

You must be knowledgeable in a type of magic to learn spells from that list. 


Caster Level 

Your Caster Level determines how powerful of spells you can cast. There are very few ways to increase them other than taking ranks in magic focused classes. 

In most situations you cannot learn or cast spells outside of your CL.

If by some means your CL is reduced, you do not lose any spells you know, but cannot cast any spells above your CL. 

All of your caster levels start at 0. 

Becoming knowledgeable in a school of magic gives you +1 to your CL in that school.

Becoming an expert in a school of magic gives you an additional +1 to your CL in that school. 

I.e. If you become knowledgeable in Evocation, you gain +1 to your Evocation CL.


Accessing a Spell List

All characters have access to the Alteration, Evocation, Healing, Illusion, Incantation, Necromancy, and Universal spell lists.

All other spell lists have defined requirements, such as ranks in the corresponding class, following a specific Ancient, or not following any Ancient. 

The Universal spell list does not have a corresponding skill or knowledgeable, and uses your highest CL magic. 


Gaining Spells

Most classes that emphasize magic instruct the character to gain a number of initial spells. If spells are gained through a class rank, they are also lost if the class rank is lost. 


Players can learn additional spells from books and teachers

These spells must be within the character CL and must be from a spell list the character is knowledgeable in.



Books: 

You can only learn spells you are knowledgeable with. 

Learning a spell from a book requires you to spend 1 hour reading and succeed an SR 15 Intellect roll

Each time a character attempts to learn a spell from a book, the SR increases by 1 for all spellbooks. 

The SR resets after the character sleeps for at least 6 hours.


Crafting a Spellbook:

If you know a spell you can copy it down into a spellbook for others to learn. Doing so requires a blank book, magic ink, and time. 

Copying down a spell requires 1 hour per CL of the spell. This does not have to be done in a single sitting, but does require 1 additional hour each time you resume writing. 

You must make an SR 10 Intellect roll for each hour you spend writing down a spell, if you fail a roll the SR to learn the spell is increased by 1 and the value of the spellbook is decreased by 10%.

CL 1 to 3 spells require 1 basic magic ink per CL of the spell. 

CL 4 to 6 spells require 1 magic ink per CL of the spell. 

CL 7 to 10 spells require 1 powerful magic ink per CL of the spell. 



Teacher:

For a player to teach spells, they must have an Intellect equal to the spell's CL + 5, and their CL in the school of magic the spell is from must be at least 4 higher than the spell's CL. 

You can only learn spells you are knowledgeable with.

Learning a spell from an NPC teacher costs 2 gold times the spells CL, takes 1 hour, and requires you to succeed an SR 15 Intellect roll

This can be attempted until successful, but requires additional gold, an additional hour, and an Intellect roll each time.


Casting a Spell

When casting a spell you roll to hit as if using a weapon. If you miss, the spell is still cast and affects a random space adjacent to the target. 

If you critically fail the spell fizzles, you lose magic equal to half the cost of the spell and nothing happens. 

If a target is already affected by a spell or a similar version of the same spell, the duration of the two spells is added together, and only the highest CL effect remains. 

Augmentation

Some spells can be augmented, if a spell can be augmented it will say in its description. 

To use an augmentation you simply apply the listed cost on top of the cost of the spell. 

If the spell has a duration it can be augmented at any time during its duration (unless otherwise stated) as long as you still pay the augment cost. 

Augmenting a spell does not increase its base cost and does not affect perks such as Quicken Spell and Silent Spell. 

Constant Spells

Some spells require constant concentration to function but give constant bonuses or damage

These follow the above casting rules in addition to the following:

Each turn the caster must pay the cost of the spell.  

Each turn the effect of the spell is applied to the target.

The caster can end the spell at any time for no action cost, even if it is not their turn. 

If at any point the caster loses sight of the target the spell ends. 

Anytime the caster takes damage or is affected by a status effect they must make an SR 8 Intellect roll, on failure the spell ends. This SR increases by 1 each time the caster succeeds and resets when the caster ends the spell. 

Casters can only have one of these spells active at a time

If a caster maintains a constant spell for an entire rotation, they only need to spend a swift action to continue maintaining the spell. 

Cost Deductions

Cost deductions are additive and based on the original spell cost before any deductions

Only % deductions apply to constant spells and augmentations

Spells cannot cost negative magic, they cost a minimum of 0 magic. 

Duration

Many spells have a listed duration, this is the number of turns, rotations, minutes, etc. that the spell lasts. 

Unless otherwise stated, on the last turn of a spell’s duration it ends at the end of the current character’s turn.  

If a character casts a spell with a 1 Rotation duration the spell lasts until the end of their next turn

The caster can choose to end a spell early as a swift action

Cast Time

Magic for spells is removed after casting/ at end of cast time.

Magic regen continues while casting spells with cast times.

If a spell has a cast time that is more than possible in a single turn (such as 3 full actions) then the caster must continue casting the spell during their next turn.

If they act other than to move or take a free action that doesn’t involve casting before completing the spell it fails and ½ of its cost is lost.

Burnout and Recovery

If a spell would bring the caster to negative magic they go into Magic Burnout

If a caster would go into negative magic points, they take non-lethal damage equal to 2x the negative points

If a caster would go into negative magic points, they take damage equal to 1/2 the negative points

Burnout damage ignores DR and cannot be avoided

While in Magic Burnout, a caster cannot use magic for 1 day per 10 points below 0 they went

Once this period is over, the caster enters a state of Magic Recovery. The caster begins with 0 max magic and regains it at a rate of 5% of their maximum magic per day up to  their original maximum, whereupon Magic Recovery ends.