6.1 The Rules of Magic

Some characters have access to powerful magic that allows them to deal damage, buff their allies, hinder their enemies, or change the battlefield around them. Some characters will gain access to magic through class advancement, while some were just born with the gift.

There are two branches of magic subdivided into many schools. Magica stems from the positive energy in the world and relies on one’s ability to focus and bend it to your designs using Will. Malika stems from the negative energy in the world and draws directly from your lifeforce. Most magic users will rely on the prior form of magic, but access to Malika can grant abilities both powerful and unnatural.

Design Note
Structuring magic in this way allows us to implement very powerful magical abilities as Malika, but pair them with significant risk. Malika will require the user to risk their own Health to successfully cast, making these spells a careful balance of risk and reward.

All magic is subdivided into schools. Each school of magic focuses on a single concept. Schools of magic are organized into five different tiers representing more powerful manifestations of the same magic. Each level requires more of the user to manifest that effect.

In general casting magic of any kind will follow these steps:

• Choose a primary school of magic that is the baseline for your spell.
• If desired, choose a secondary school of magic to modify the spell
• Choose a tier (1-5) for your spell.
• Make a spellcasting check to see if you are successful at manifesting the spell.
• If successful the target(s) of the spell may choose to attempt a check to avoid the effects of the spell.
• If the target(s) fail their check or decline to make one the spell takes effect.

Casting a Spell
Casting higher tier magic is more dangerous and more costly than lower tier magic. Manifesting a spell requires a spellcasting check. The table below demonstrates how the spellcasting check DC and point cost scales with spell tier.

School of Magic
Tags	[MAKICA], [ATTACK], [DAMAGE TYPE]
Tier	Spellcasting DC	Cost
1st	2+	1 pt.
2nd	3+	2 pts.
3rd	4+	3 pts.
4th	5+	4 pts.
5th	6+	5 pts.

To make a spellcasting check roll one d6 for each spell tier as a stacked roll. If the spellcasting check is successful the spell is manifested and takes effect against its target(s). Some spells allow a target to save against the spell effects to avoid the effects. The difficulty class of the save is the same as the spellcasting DC. The type of save is determined by the traits associated with that school of magic. Some common spell traits are listed here.

[ACTION]
This spell can be cast as an action during the action phase using the spellcasting action.

[REACTION]
This spell can be cast as a reaction to a specific trigger.

[SELF]
This spell can only target the caster.

[ATTACK]
An attack spell is treated like a weapon attack. It can be used against any target within the maximum range that the caster can manifest magic. If the target is within 1″, the attack is treated like a melee attack. Attacks against targets at distances greater than 1″ are treated as a projectile. The target does not get a save to avoid the spell, but may attempt a dodge.

[LINE]
A line spell is conjured in a straight line between two points. Every target in a straight line between the points may make a save against the effects of the spell. Both points must be within the caster’s maximum range. Line spells will have the total length of the line in inches listed in the tag like this: [LINE 3].

You can spend additional points of Will to increase the line length. Each point of Will spent increases the line length by 2″.

[SPHERE]
A sphere spell is conjured by the caster and sent to a point where it explodes outwards in a sphere. All targets within the area may make saves against its effects. Targets may benefit from cover from the spell’s effects if there are obstacles between the point of origin and the target. Sphere spells will have the radius of the sphere in inches listed in the tag like this: [SPHERE 2].

You can spend additional points of Will to increase the sphere radius. Each point of Will spent increases the radius by 1″.

[TARGET]
A target spell takes effect on one or more targets within range selected by the caster.

[HLT]
This spell deals health damage. The baseline damage is always 1 point. If the target(s) gets a save it will be a Fortitude save.

[SAN]
This spell deals Sanity damage. The baseline damage is always 1 point. If the target(s) gets a save it will be a Will save.

[EFFECT]
This spell has a specific effect, such as a buff or a debuff. The duration of the effect in turns will be listed in the tag like this: [SLOW 1]
If no duration is listed the effect continues as long as the spell is maintained. Effects always end at the end of the target’s turn.

Spell Range
More skilled magic users can project magic further. A spellcaster who knows one school of magic can project magic up to 6″ away. For each school of magic that a character knows they can project magic an additional 2″.

Any magic or magical effect created by the caster fades from existence outside the caster’s maximum range.

Spell Range
Schools of Magic Known	Maximum Range
1	6″
2	8″
3	10″
4	12″
5	14″
6	etc…

MAGICA

Magica is the natural magic of the world shaped to the caster’s purpose by sheer willpower. Points of Will are used to cast Magica and the spellcasting check required to manifest a Magika spell is a Will check. Like other Will checks, additional points of Will can be spent to increase the number of dice on a stacked roll. The table below presents an example school of Magica:

School of Light
Traits	[MAGIKA], [SPHERE 20], [EFFECT]
Tier	Effect
1st	Create dim light
2nd	Create bright light
3rd	Create radiant light
4th	Create sunlight
5th	Create everlasting light

Each higher tier of Magica requires more Will to be invested and a more difficult Will check to manifest, but the resulting spell has more powerful effects.

Failing a Spellcasting Check
If you make a spellcasting check and fail, you take 1 point of Sanity damage for every result of 1 on the stacked roll.

Maintaining a Spell
Maintaining a spell costs a number of Will points equal to the spell tier each turn. There is no limit to the number of spells you can maintain so long as you have sufficient points of Will.

Taking Damage while Maintaining a Spell
If you take Health or Sanity damage while maintaining one or more spells you must make a Will check to continue to maintain the spells. The DC is equal to the number of points of damage taken plus 1 up to 6+. On a failure, all spells that you are maintaining unravel, dealing Sanity damage. Take one point of Sanity damage for each tier of the spell that you are maintaining.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER – MAGIcA

Lets take at the steps for an example spellcasting action for Magika:

• The caster chooses a school of magic and a tier (1-5)
• The caster spends points of Will equal to the spell tier and makes a spellcasting check where the DC is equal to 1 + the spell tier.
• On a success the target(s), if any, choose to make saves against the effects, if any.
• To maintain the spell to another turn, the caster spends points of Will equal to the original spell cost.

Example of Spellcasting (Magica)
Ani the Archmage is lost in the dark when her ally’s torch is extinguished. On her turn, she uses the spellcasting action to cast a spell from the school of light. She chooses to cast a third tier Light spell which creates radiant light. She spends three points of Will to make a DC 4+ spellcasting check and rolls 3d6 on the spellcasting check she gets a 1, 4, and a 5 which is a success.

The radiant light emanates out from her, illuminating three ghouls who had been hidden in the shadows. The ghouls have darkvision, so they are blinded by radiant light. Each one makes a 4+ Fortitude check against Ani’s spell. Two fail, one succeeds. The next turn Ani spends an additional three points of Will to maintain her light spell.

On the Ghoul’s turn it moves to attack Ani and hits, dealing two points of damage. Ani now makes a 3+ Will check to maintain her spell through the pain, but unfortunately rolls a 2. Her light spell unravels, dealing 3 points of Sanity damage. Ani has to make three, 4+ Sanity checks and rolls a 3, a 5, and 6. She takes one point of Sanity damage from the unraveling spell and reduces her Sanity by 1.

Schools of Magica

Some Schools of Magica are provided below. We will look at other schools in the future.

School of Fire
Manifest fire and burn your enemies
Traits	[MAGICA], [ACTION], [ATTACK], [HLT], [EFFECT]
Tier	Effect
1st	Targets are Ignited
2nd	+1 damage
3rd	Ignited targets take +1 damage from fire spells
4th	+1 damage
5th	Ignited targets are vulnerable to fire damage
NOTES
Ignited. The target is on fire and takes one fire damage at the start of each turn. An Ignited creature can make a 4+ Reflex check to put the fire out.

School of Warding
Shield yourself or others
Traits	[MAGIKA], [ACTION], [REACTION], [TARGET], [EFFECT]
Tier	Effect
1st	6+ ward
2nd	+1 point of ward
3rd	5+ ward
4th	+1 point of ward
5th	Everlasting ward
NOTES
Ward. A ward acts as a temporary point of health with its own ward save DC determined by the spell tier. Apply damage to your ward(s) until all your wards are destroyed. Each ward mitigates one attack, regardless of how much damage that attack deals. Effects from magic or attacks are not applied until all wards are destroyed. Everlasting. An everlasting ward does not need to be maintained by the caster and lasts until destroyed. Reaction. Can be cast as a reaction when a valid target within range takes damage. Mixing. Combining warding magic with magic that causes damage of a specific type reduces the ward save DC against that damage type by 2.

MALIKA

Malika draws upon the lifeforce of the caster. Points of Health are used to cast Malika and the spellcasting check to manifest Malika is a Fortitude check. Like other Fortitude checks, additional points of Fortitude can be spent to use an active reroll on failed spellcasting checks.

Making a Malika Spellcasting Check
Malika generally follow the same rules as casting Magica, with a key difference when making a spellcasting check. To cast a spell using Malika choose a spell school and tier as normal. Spend points of Fortitude equal to the spell tier to make a spellcasting check using the spellcasting check DC. For each point of Fortitude roll one d6 against the spellcasting DC. Fortitude based spellcasting checks can benefit from an active reroll as normal, but you cannot spend additional points of Fortitude to increase the number of dice on your stacked roll.

On a failed spellcasting check, take 1 point of Health damage for every result of 1 on the stacked roll.

Maintaining a Malika Spell
Maintaining a Malika spell functions identical to maintaining a Magica spell, but you must spend points of Fortitude instead of points of Will.

Putting it Together – Malika

Let’s look at steps for an example spellcasting action for Malika:

• The caster chooses a school of magic and a tier (1-5)
• The caster spends points of Fortitude equal to the spell tier and makes a spellcasting check where the DC is equal to 1 + the spell tier. Roll one d6 for each point of Fortitude spent. As long as one of the checks is successful, the spell is manifested. For each failure take one point of damage.
• On a success the target(s), if any, choose to make saves against the effects, if any.
• To maintain the spell to another turn, the caster spends points of Fortitude equal to the original spell cost.

Example of Spellcasting (Malika)
Oscar the Occultist is trying to heal his ally with Malika – School of the Flesh. He is casting a tier three spell so he spends three points of Fortitude and rolls 3d6 to manifest the spell against the 4+ Spellcasting check. He gets a 5, 4, and 2 – two successes and one failure so he spends an additional point of Fortitude to reroll the 2. Unfortunately he gets a 3 on the reroll, still a failure, so he takes 1 point of damage.

His target has a 6+ Health Check DC without armor, reduced to a 5+ by the effects of the spell, and rolls 3d6 to restore 3 points of Health. He rolls two 4’s and a 5, restoring three points of Health but taking two points of Sanity damage.

6.4 Math

Now we can look at the expected damage and point efficiency for the two main types of damage dealing spells – an [ATTACK] based spell and a [TARGET] based spell. Keep in mind that area of effect based spells are essentially target spells with multiple targets. Again we are defining point efficiency by the ratio between points spent and expected points of damage against the target. For an attack based spell the probability of success is a function of the difficulty of the spellcasting check and the target’s defenses. For the time being we will ignore target defenses and just look at point efficiency as

where probability of success is a function of spell tier since the spell tier determines the number of dice rolled on the spellcasting check and is

Like a weapon attack, there is a chance of suffering Sanity damage if the spellcasting check is a failure. We can also look at the expected Sanity damage to the caster as a function of spell tier where

because the expected sanity damage is the chance of a 1 on any of the rolled die but only in the case of a failure on the spellcasting check.

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