Casting Spells
In order to cast a spell a character must know the spell and have at least as many magic power points as the cost (which by default is the level) of the spell they want to cast. Some spells may have additional specific requirements detailed in the spell's entry. Finally the caster must also have at least one hand free.
A hand is considered free if there is nothing held in that hand and the arm has free unrestricted movement. You must be able to fully raise your hand and can't hold anything between your arm and your body. When using an item to cast a spell if that item is not worn on your body you must have it in hand, in which case it does not count against your hand being 'free'. If the target of a spell is an object the caster has in hand, that does not count against your hand being 'free'. Characters with both arms wounded cannot cast spells. Worn gear never hinders casting by itself (such as armor and passive bucklers).
If these conditions are met, the player will then make a incantation for the spell. After this has happened the magic power points for the spell are consumed and the spell is successfully cast. If the spell requires a flag you must provide it at this time.
Spells have ranges to determine what they can affect. You are not required to be able to see your target in order to cast a spell.
- Tag Bag: This is the longest range a spell can have. These spells are delivered by a tag bag which is thrown at the target.
- Touch: A touch effect is delivered to a willing or helpless target by "touch"
- Self: A spell with a range of self can only benefit the caster. When a consumable is made from a spell with a range of self, only someone who knows that spell can use that consumable.
All spells have a duration they will last. When the duration runs out the effect is over. Each spell's description will indicate how long that spell lasts. Spells last their full duration unless the effect is dispelled first. A caster can voluntarily dispel a spell they have cast at any time by touching the spell's target. If the target is conscious and unwilling to have the effect dispelled then they may not be dispelled this way. If the caster of a spell dies, spells they have cast continue functioning as normal. A spell that is dispelled ends immediately as if its duration ran out.
After a spell is successfully cast you may need to explain to the target what effect the spell will have. Combat related spells typically explain what they do through combat calls made, other spells may require more explanation because players should not be required to know the effects of every possible spell. Try to be especially patient when explaining effects to new players who may be required to break character in order to understand what effect a spell will have.
The Magic Power Point Stat
Magic power points also called "power points" are a resource used to cast magic. A character gains a number of magic power points based on how many times they have taken the magic power point skill. These points automatically refresh to full each shift when convergence happens. If a player cannot remember how many magic power points they have spent they are honor bound to assume they have spent the highest number they believe they have spent, even if this brings them to 0 points remaining.
It is possible to refresh magic power points before convergence occurs, generally through alchemy items, but sometimes through other means. Even with the benefit of such items, a character can only use so many magic power points between convergences. A character can only spend a total of 20 magic power points between any two convergences unless an ability or effect explicitly allows them to break that limit.
At will spells and abilities have no magic power point cost.
Spell and Item Effects - Stacking Effects
Any time a spell, potion, poison, magic item, alchemical item, tinkering item, ritual, etc. does something to a player that is known as an "effect". When a character is affected by multiple effects there are rules on how they interact.
For the purposes of this page a one-time effect is any effect that has a limited number of times it happens. This could mean something that applies to your next attack, or your next four attacks.
A character cannot benefit at the same time from a spell (or effect) with the same name twice. In all circumstances the second instance of that spell (or effect) has no impact (as if it had never been cast or used).
Effects that apply to the "next" time something happens can't stack either. A character can't use two of the same blade poison that applies to their next attack, in order to have it apply to the next two attacks. The second blade poison in this scenario would be wasted.
If multiple spells (or effects) have different names but the same type of bonus (such as increasing body or magic armor) they can stack together. This will likely result in a character being impacted by a cap. Only effects that explicitly let you go beyond a cap of a stat let you break those limits. When crafting each bonus crafted onto a piece of gear is counted as a separate effect and therefore you couldn't craft the same bonus onto an item multiple times unless that bonus says it can be crafted more than once.
When an effect allows you to call for something different with a weapon than you would normally call, you must choose which call to use when you make your attacks. If the something different only applies to the "next successful hit", and you choose not to use it when you make that hit, the effect is wasted.
For example if a character who deals 2 damage with each melee attack has a sword that deals "Nature" damage and they apply Scorpion's Kiss to that weapon so that it can deal "poison weaken" damage for the next successful hit. When they make that successful hit against an opponent they can choose to call "2 nature" or "poison weaken". They may not call "2 Nature poison weaken". Regardless of the effect they choose, the Scorpion's Kiss will be expended after that successful hit.
With defenses a relevant immunity applies before any one-time effects apply.
If a character has two different one-time effects that both prevent an attack the higher level one applies first. Should two one-time effects be the same level, the one that is more limited in what it applies to is used first.
No combination of effects can make you invulnerable to all damage. The last effect received that would create an invulnerable situation is automatically prevented.
The following spells and effects may not stack with each other unless an ability explicitly allows them to:
- Poison Immunity Spell
- Battle Mastery Spell
- Nature Immunity Magic Items
- Mind Blank Spell
- The Rare Arcane Antiviral Ritual
- The Rare Elemental Shelter Ritual
- The Rare Vulnerability Trap