In this section the actual casting of magic is covered:

how a spell affects the target;

preparation times;

ranges;

and limitations.

These are the basic rules for the use of magic.

They can be expanded using the optional rules of section 8.13.

Casting To cast a spell, the capability (Learning Points) in the spell's Subject must be at least equal to the spell's MF cost.

Some spells have variable costs which depend on the target's characteristics.

This means that the mage must sometimes guess how much power will be needed, or must use more than enough power to ensure suc- cess.

Many spells can be 'stacked' or cast repeatedly and have the effects add.

If the mage has a capability large enough to cast a stackable spell several times at once, he may do so, with the same effects as separately cast spells.

Stackable spells and variable costs are explained in more detail in section 8.3.

Spells take time to cast, but once cast, arrive instantaneously at the target.

Spells are cast during Step 1 of the combat sequence.

See section 6.2 for the exact timing of magic-archery and magic-magic duels.

The time required to prepare a spell depends on the MF used.

For 1 to 20 MF, one phase of preparation is required.

For 21 to 40 MF, two phases are required and so on.

If the mage announces he is preparing during phase one, the soonest the spell could go off is phase 2 (20 MF or less).

If the intended spell is 21 to 40 MF it will go off in phase 3, 41 to 60 MF in phase 4, and so on.

After a spell is cast a mage must wait 2 phases before beginning another spell.

This recovery time allows the mage to adjust the flow of power through him and reach a new equilibrium before beginning the next spell.

Range A spell can only be cast at a target if the mage can see the target or has the target memorized (see Memorization).

When the target is visible, the mage's range is his MGSL in miles.

If the target is memorized the range is 10 times the MGSL in miles.

Section 9.3 has the rules for limitations to sighting, and the Spotting entry of the Action/Reaction table (section 3.3) determines spotting odds.

Resist Roll A spell does not automatically affect the target.

A target may attempt to negate the effects of a spell by making a Resist Roll.

To determine the Resist Roll first subtract the target's MGSL from the caster's MGSL.

Find this number, called the DSL, on the following table or the blank character sheet at the back of this book and read off the Resist Roll.

DSL Resist DSL Resist DSL Resist DSL Resist DSL Resist Roll Roll Roll Roll Roll -19 95 -11 92 -3 75 5 26 13 11 -18 95 -10 92 .:.:.

2 69 6 23 14 10 -17 95 -9 91 -1 62 7 21 15 09 -16 94 -8 90 0 55 8 19 16 08 -15 94 -7 89 1 48 9 17 17 08 -14 94 -6 87' 2 41 10 15 18 07 -13 93 -5 84 3 35 11 13 19 07 -12 93 -4 80 4 30 12 12 20 06 If the target rolls less than or equal to the Resist Roll, the effects of the spell are cancelled.

A1lliving beings have an aura which surrounds and protects them.

As a result magic cannot affect the inside of a living being without first penetrating from the outside in, i.e.

air cannot be created inside the stomach of a man even if he has swallowed a memorized object.

Likewise magic cannot affect only a portion of a living being -a Heat spell cannot heat only the eyes of a man, but attacks his entire aura and therefore body temperature.

.An inanimate object gets a Resist Roll only if Shielded (see Enchantments), or if being held or worn by someone.

If Shielded, the MGSL of an object is the same as that of the mage who Enchanted it.

If held or worn, the MGSL is the same as the bearer's.

If an object is Shielded and being worn, the higher MGSL prevails.

Note that against some spells the target gets no Resist Roll.

Such spells create actual physical effects (i.e.

Lightning, or Explode Object), and are specified in the spell descriptions.

Example:

Ferd (MGSL 4) is going to cast a Fire spell at his ex-friend Bark (MGSL 5).

The DSL here is -1, so Bark's Resist Roll is 62.

This means Bark has a 62% chance of negating the spell.

Capability, Fatigue Limit, and Psychic Damage The Learning Points in a Subject equal the maximum MF that can be used in any one spell.

If a mage has 25 LP in Fire, his capability with any spell under Fire is 25.

This means the largest Fire spell he can cast is 25 MF.

The total amount of MF that can be safely used in one day is called the Fatigue Limit (FU, which is two times the Magic Learning Point Total:

FL = 2 x (Magic Learning Point Total) The Fatigue Limit should be recorded on the character sheet.

The rest at the end of a day restores the ability to use magic.

At least six hours of sleep is required to fully recharge magical capability.

Occasionally a mage may want, or be forced, to exceed his Fatigue Limit.

This may happen during a magic duel, or in other situations where the mage is fighting for his life.

When the FL is exceeded, Psychic Damage (PSD) occurs.

For every MF used above the Fatigue Limit, one PSD is inflicted.

See section 7.6 for the effects of Psychic Damage.

Distractions Casting a spell requires great thought and concentration.

In a noisy or dangerous environment a mage can become distracted, lose control of his spell, and have it 'backlash' on him.

At the end of each phase the mage should find the most severe Distraction that has occurred during that phase on the following table.

If the C value for the Distraction is greater than the sum of the mage's WILL and the roll of a ten sided die, the mage has been distracted.

Distraction C Knock on the door (unexpected) 12 Shout within 50 feet 13 Combat within 50 feet 14 Mage moving faster than Combat Speed 15 Object landing within 10 feet of mage 15 Mage is attacked by a magical spell 18 Object striking the mage 19 Uncontested enemy within 10 feet ofmage 24 Mage is in physical combat 26 When a mage is distracted or knocked out the results are simple:

half the MF of any spell he was preparing is inflicted on him as Psychic Damage (PSD).

He gets a Resist Roll and all his defenses work against a backlash.

Note that a spell' goes off the phase after it is completed.

Example:

A mage with WILL 15 is preparing a spell several hundred feet from the front lines of a battle when he is struck by an arrow.

If the Physical Damage does not knock him out, he must check for Distraction at the end of the phase.

The C value is 20.

If the 1-10 roll is less than or equal to 4, the mage is distracted and loses control of the spell.

If by the end of the phase he had put 40 MF into the spell and was distracted, he could take up to 20 PSD.

Memorization A mage must have an unseen target memorized to cast a spell on it.

For a magic user, Memorization means a detailed knowledge of the object;

not only its shape, size, color, and texture, but habits, emotions (if applicable), and elemental corre- spondences.

The following table gives the time required in Learning Rolls to Memo- rize various common objects.

Object Study Time (LR) Duration of Memory (months) Pendants, jewelry, rings 2 20 Utensils (pots, knives) 1 6 Weapons 2 5 Persons 4 8 Clothing 1 6 Rooms 3 12 Outdoor areas (40 x 40 feet) 2 6 Vehicles (wagons, boats) 2 8 The first column gives the number of Leaming Rolls (LR) that must be expended to Memorize the object.

These LR are subtracted from the character's available LR per month to show loss oft raining time.

Memorization is automatic;

when the proper time has been spent, the object is known.

The second column specifies how long the object stays Memorized.

The duration is limited not only by the mage's memory, but because the objects change with time:

they wear out, rust, or fade.

If the object is somehow changed beyond the normal wear of time (rearranged, scratched, or broken) the Memorization is lost immedi- ately.

Memorization may be extended for another duration by reexamining the ob- ject and expending one LR before the original duration ends.

If the Memorization is allowed to lapse, the full Memorization time must be repeated.

A spell cast to a Memorized object may either affect the 0 bject itself or whatever is in close contact with the object.

For example, the spell may affect a person wearing the Memorized ring or sitting in the Memorized vehicle.

Multiple Targets To affect more than one target at a time, two conditions must be met.

First, the spell must have enough MF to affect all targets;

one spell thrown at two targets is like adding two spells together.

If a Break Weapons spell (cost 8) is thrown at two targets, the total cost of the spell is 8 + 8 = 16 MF.

If there is not enough MF in the spell to affect both targets, then only one target (chosen randomly) is affected.

The second condition is simple:

the targets may be no further apart than the mage's MGSL in hexes.

For example, a tenth level mage could affect all targets in a circle ten hexes across.

08.02-use_of_magic.txt