Spellcasting

Any player character has access to magic if they so desire.

If a character's base sentence includes magic under the umbrella tags that make up the sentence Casting a Spell is a Level 3 task, otherwise it is a Level 5 task.

Example

Tony is a smartass vampire assassin who enforces vampiric law.

A vampire has some vampire powers which can fall under magic, so he'd need a spell to say mesmerize his food before biting them so they don't yell and scream. He has access to some magics that would be associated with magic.

Tony could thus cast vampiric magic at a level 3, but any other magic at level 5.

But what if Tony was just a normal human who enforces the law?

Then he wouldn't have access to magic and all his spells would be at level 5.

If a character has a tag that specifies they have access to a specific Aspect of magic the tag eases the task.

A default base spell has the following properties.

Level: 5 (15)
Aspect: Choose one
Type: Choose one
Effect: Descriptive of what the spell does
Range: 30ft
Area of Effect: single
Targets: 1
Duration: 1 Round
Cast Time: 1 action

Note

A spell may have either a number of targets or any area of effect and cannot have both.

The chart below details how each option changes the level of the spell increasing the difficulty of it. A spell's level cannot go above level 10 when creating it. Each spell crafted by the individual has their own unique level.

DC	-3	-2	-1	Starting	+1	+2	+3	+4
Level				5
Aspect				1	2	3
Range		Touch	5ft	30ft	120ft	1 mile	Anywhere
Area of Effect				single target	15ft in front of caster	30ft diameter around target
Targets			self	1	2	3	4	5
Duration		instant	activate /deactivate *	1 round	1 minute	10 minutes	1 hour	1 day
Cast Time	1 hour	10 mins	1 min	1 action	quickened action	instant
* activate/deactivate durations require a phrase to activate and deactivate

Spells

Spells are a combination of Evocation and Domain. To create a spell choose one from each list and detail what you want the spell to do. Then you can start with the default spell structure and build it out from there.

When casting a spell you will also need to detail how you are casting it. Are you winging it? Do you have a scroll? Did you learn it from someone else? This step is not required if you've used this spell in prior sessions.

Type

Damage – Harmful effects
Counter – Nullifies or prevents effects (All counter spells should start at instant thus increasing the starting level by 2)
Control – Manipulates forces/objects
Summon – Calls forth creatures or objects
Ward – Protection-based effects

Aspect

Air
Earth
Fire
Water

Life -- healing (can't do damage)
Death

Mind -- telepathy and other psionics
Time
Space -- teleportation, shapeshifting

Sound
Illusion -- (can't do damage)
Shadow
Light

Examples

Examples are shown for a Level 5 base spell.

Fireball

Cast a fireball and it explodes in an area around the target catching things on fire

Level: 7 (21)
Aspect: Fire
Type: Damage
Range: 120ft (+1)
Area of Effect: 30ft around target (+2)
Duration: instant (-1)
Cast Time: 1 action

Cure Minor Wound

Heal all strains, 1 lingering injure or downgrade 1 debilitating injury.

Level: 4 (9)
Aspect: Life
Type: Damage (reverse)
Range: 30ft
Targets: 1
Duration: instant (-1)
Cast Time: 1 min

Note

All healing spells are rituals and cannot be cast mid combat. They start at a min casting time of 1 minute.

Air Shield

A bubble of air around you deflects and protects you from incoming attacks. You are unable to do breach the bubble physically.

Level: 7 (21)
Range: 30ft
Aspect: Air
Type: Counter
Area of Effect: Single
Duration: 1 round
Cast Time: instant (+2)

Casting a Spell

d20	Result	Details
1	Fail, and	Fail, and Roll on the Mishap table
2 to DC-6	Fail, but	The spell fails, but nothing backfires or goes wrong
DC-5 to DC-1	Success, but	Success, but it backfires and hinders all rolls until the end of your next turn
DC to DC+4	Success	The spell goes off exactly as you expected
DC+5 +	Success, and	Successfully cast the spell and earn the tag of Mastery for that spell.
Mastery of a spell eases the level of the spell by one. A spell can only be mastered once.

If you roll a Natural 20 for any DC you also gain Mastery of that spell.

A character may also spend downtime of 2d6 weeks Mastering a Spell. A character may only study one spell at a time.

Example

A fire wizard will start at level 3, but the fire tag will ease the level by 1. And if they have mastered the fireball spell it will be eased by an additional level. A regular joe casting fireball would cast against a level 7 Cast Spell check, but our fire wizard with mastery would cast the spell against a Level 3 Spell check.

Blood Magic

Blood magic is rare and evil. Blood magic requires the user to specifically take the tag "Uses Blood Magic" in order to actually have access to it. It may be applied at Character Creation but must be earned through a Character Arc at any other time.

To cast a spell with Blood Magic you must sacrifice part of yourself or another living creature of the appropriate level.

This sacrifice will ease the spell casting by two and the target sacrifice will gain 1 lingering trauma wound. If the living creature is below level 3 it is instantly killed. The damage type for this is necrotic.

Mishaps

Mishaps happen when a spell goes awry.

d10	Mishap
1	The spell effect is applied to you
2	The spell fizzles but all your rolls are hindered until the end of your next turn
3	The spell goes wild affecting some random creature or object in visual range
4	There is a backlash that stuns you, you can make no action or move on your next turn
5	The magic lingers and the spell goes off next round
6	Roll twice on the table and they both happen
7	Chaotic magic erupts in is place causing minor disturbances but nothing damaging or harmful only annoying
8	You take a lingering trauma as the spell drains some of your energy
9	You are unable to case spells for the next 3 rounds because your magical connection has been disrupted
10	The spell backfires and instead summons a hostile creature from nearby of equal level to the spell cast

Aspects & Types

Air

Air magic harnesses the power of the wind and atmosphere, manipulating currents, pressure, and breath to influence movement, weather, and communication.

Damage Type: Elemental
Summoned Creatures: Birds, Djinn, Chimera and other flying creatures

Earth

Earth magic taps into the raw power of the land, manipulating soil, stone, and natural formations to shape the environment, create barriers, and influence growth.

Damage Type: Elemental
Summoned Creatures: Golems and burrowing creatures

Fire

Fire magic channels the intense, destructive energy of flames, controlling heat, combustion, and light to scorch, ignite, and purify.

Damage Type: Elemental
Summoned Creatures: Dragons, Phoenixes, Salamanders and demons of all sizes

Water

Water magic draws on the fluidity and adaptability of water, manipulating its forms—liquid, ice, and steam.

Damage Type: Elemental
Summoned Creatures: Water dwelling creatures of all sizes

Life

Life magic taps into the essence of vitality and growth, using the force of living energy to mend wounds, restore health, and nurture the life force of both beings and nature.

Life magic is unlike other magic. Life magic can only heal and restore. It has no damage type and cannot summon, counter or be controlled.

All Life spells start with a default Casting time of 1 minute.

Life spells are the same for all magic users unless their character sentence explicitly covers Healing in which the spell levels mentioned are eased by 2.

Example

Type: Cleric, Healer
Does Something: Heals the Wounded, Uses Life Magic

For a modern setting the following Sentence could ease a Healing spell.

George is a mystical doctor who travels the world.

Cure Minor Wounds

Cure Lasting Scars

Death Ward

The target creature at the end of combat may choose to reduce the number of segments by the indicated amount in whole or partially reducing the severity of the wound.

A target may only have one death ward at a time.