Magic in Arcydea

Although much of this is transcribed from the corebook, it has been modified to reflect the specifics of Arcydean magic where appropriate.

Learning Magic

Anyone can learn most spells - although certain spells specify a particular level of Magery as a prerequisite: if you lack the required Magery level, you cannot learn the spell.

Use of Arcydean magic depends on a single 'core skill', Thaumatology. Each college of magic is an IQ/Very Hard 'college skill' or 'path' that defaults to Thaumatology at -6. College skills have Thaumatology as a prerequisite, and may never exceed Thaumatology skill.

Spells can be cast at default! Each spell is a Hard technique with a default to the associated college skill. In general, for each prerequisite the spell or its prerequisite would have in the standard system, the default is at a cumulative -1 (e.g. a spell with one prerequisite that itself has one prerequisite defaults to college skill -2). Spells that require spells from multiple colleges still require knowledge in those colleges. Spells normally considered Very Hard are at an additional -1 to default. To raise a skill past its default level, the mage must have at least one point in the college skill, but can ignore the spell's prerequisites under the standard system. Spells not from the GURPS sourcebook have 'difficulty' dependent on how hard the spell is to cast in general; the GM is the final judge. Spells cannot exceed the associated college skill.

Magery adds to Thaumatology, college skills, and spells. In addition, the time required to learn spells (but not the point cost) is reduced 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 to PCs in Arcydea is generally limited to 10. Certain microworlds or other areas may have specific limitations.

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 saves a lot of reference time in play!

Prerequisites

Any spell but the most basic has one or more prerequisites: requirements you must meet in order to learn the spell. Some spells require a minimum Magery level; for instance, "Magery 2" means you must have Magery 2 (or higher) to learn the spell. A few spells require a minimum basic attribute score, an advantage, or even a mundane skill.

Mana

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 section. 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.) However, critical failures have mild effects or no effect at all.
No Mana: No one can use magic at all. Magic items do not function (but regain their powers when taken to an area with mana). This mana level occurs in isolated spots in magical worlds, but entire game worlds can lack mana, making magic use impossible.

Casting Spells

You must know a spell in order to cast it, unless you possess a magic item that lets you cast it (see Magic Items). Tell the GM what spell you are casting, then take Concentrate maneuvers for the requisite number of turns (see Time Required.) 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 skills. 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). 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 even on a failure for an Information spell; see Information Spells.) 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.

Critical Spell Failure Table
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.)

Distraction and Injury

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 reduces your effective skill (see Shock.)

Caster and Subject

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.

Time Required

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.

Example: Wat wants to cast Create Fire, a one-second spell. On his turn, Wat 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, Wat's turn ends.

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.

Energy Cost

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 higher, reduce the cost to cast the spell by 1. If you have skill 20 or higher, reduce the 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 rather than 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.

Burning HP
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.

Magic Rituals

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 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.

Limits on Effect

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.

Magery and Effect
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 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 is not a problem!

Ceremonial Magic

If you know a spell at skill 15+ 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 non-mage 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!

Sum the energy from all sources to find the total energy available. If this exceeds the cost to cast the spell, you receive a skill bonus.

Add 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.

Notes on Ceremonial Magic
- High skill does not reduce casting time or energy cost.
- A group aids concentration. If you are distracted during the ritual, roll at Will as opposed to Will-3 to avoid distraction.
- Ceremonial magic is hard to coordinate. A roll of 16 is always a failure, and a roll of 17-18 is always a critical failure - even if effective is 16+.
- Once the spell is cast, the participants can continue to provide energy to maintain the spell. The composition of the group may change, as long as the ritual continues uninterrupted. Thus, ceremonial magic lets you maintain a spell indefinitely.

Duration of Spells and Maintaining Spells

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 is given in its description, following the casting cost. When the spell reaches the end of its duration, you may continue the spell by paying its maintenance cost. If you do, the spell continues 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 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.

High Skill and Cost to Maintain
Energy cost reduction for high skill also applies to the cost to maintain a spell. This can reduce maintenance cost to zero. 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!

Concentration and Maintenance
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 was in 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 below).

Canceling Spells
Sometimes, you will 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.

Casting Spells While Maintaining Other Spells

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. A spell that lasts permanently (as indicated in the spell description) does not carry a penalty.

Different Kinds of Magic

There are many different types of magic. Spells fall into 'colleges' according to subject matter and 'classes' according to the way they work.

Colleges of Magic

Spells related by subject matter - e.g., fire, healing, or mind control - belong to the same college. Some spells fall into more than one college. For instance, Earth to Air is both an Earth and an Air spell. This means that it can default to either college's skill.

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.

Spell Classes

Each spell falls into one or more classes that define how it works in play. These classes are not mutually exclusive, except as noticed below.

Regular Spells
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 give 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:

- Name a target location. For instance, if you specify, 'One yard beyond the other side of this door,' you'll get whoever is standing on the other side of the door. If there is nobody there, you wasted the spell.

- Name a subject; e.g., 'The closest person in the next room,' or, 'George, who I know is around here somewhere.' The GM determines the actual range to the subject. This is risky! If the subject is farther away than you think - or simply absent - you are inviting failure or even critical failure!

No physical barrier affects a Regular spell. Unless the spell backfires, a Regular spell never hits the wrong target.

Area Spells
These spells affect an area rather than 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 size of the area governs the energy cost, but not the difficulty of the roll. The cost listed for an Area spell is its 'base cost.' The actual cost to cast the spell is equal to base cost multiplied by the radius of the area of effect in yards (minimum one yard): x1 for a one-yard radius, x2 for a two-yard radius, x3 for a three-yard radius, and so on.

Some Area spells have a fractional base cost, such as 1/2 or 1/10. You must spend a minimum of one energy point on these spells. A few Area spells specify a minimum cost; you must always pay the minimum cost, even if this 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, rather than the whole circle, but the cost is still the same.

If you cannot touch some 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.

Melee Spells
Melee spells 'charge' your hand or magic staff (see Magic Staffs) 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 your 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. There is no distance modifier - 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 do one of two things with your spell: hold it or attack with it.

If you hold your spell, your hand or staff remains 'charged.' This has no energy cost 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 that hand or staff does not discharge the spell; an attack is part of the ritual, and nothing else works.

A held Melee spell on a staff persists only 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 onto 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 will 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.

Note that 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.

Missile Spells
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 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 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 and subsequent turns, 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 not parry. If he fails, he is hit and 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 - whether natural or from armor - protects normally against damaging Missile spells.

Dissipating Held Melee and Missle Spells
You 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!

Blocking 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 own 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
Information spells are cast to gain knowledge. Some require you to touch the subject, while others function at a distance; see Long-Distance Modifiers, below, for range penalties. Spells intended to find things are at -1 per 'known' item you choose to ignore in your search. Most Information spells have additional special modifiers, so be sure to 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 says, '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.

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.

Long-Distance Modifiers

Use these modifiers for Information spells that work over long distances, such as 'Seek' spells. Certain advantages also use these range penalties. If the distance falls between two values, use the higher.

Add another -2 per additional factor of 10.

Resisted Spells
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 is aware that something is happening, and 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 succeed at 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.) There is no such limit if the subject is a 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.

Special Spells
These spells follow special rules given in the spell description.

Magic Staffs

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:

- Touching a subject with your staff lets you cast spells on that subject 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., when casting a healing spell on someone trapped under rubble.)

- Pointing with a staff reduces the range to a distant subject by the 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!)

- A staff can carry Melee spells. This gives them more reach, and lets 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.)

Alternative Magic Systems: Clerical Magic

To handle the powers of magic-using priests, start with the standard magic system, but read 'Magery' as 'Power Investiture', 'Thaumatology' as 'Ritual Magic', and 'mana' as 'sanctity.' Sanctity levels range from 'no sanctity' (the temple of an opposed deity) to 'very high sanctity' (in the god's presence). Most areas are low sanctity (no believers) to normal sanctity (average civilization).

Clerics have Power Investiture instead of Magery, and acquire their spells simply by praying for them, as long as they have at least one point to spend on the spell. This benefit is balanced by the fact that he can only learn those spells offered by his god (GM's decision), and by the fact that his god may alter the outcome of his magic - or suspend his magical powers - for reasons he is unlikely to comprehend.