Magical Spells

A spell, also called a Sigil, is a discrete magical effect; a change, a shaping of the way that the Pale and Primae interact into a single, specific, limited expression. Spells can be incredible, but they are always dangerous, and the greatest spells are those which have the greatest danger not only to others, but to the caster.

In casting a spell, a character mentally draws up their Cipher, imprints it with Glyphs, fills it with mana, and causes a desired effect to happen. To achieve this, they must have intense focus and maintain a strong degree of concentration, for all spells are part of and discrete from the fullness of the sentience that is The Pale. In a way, they are communicating, but it is not a request or a query, it is a demand and an enforcing of will.

Spells are very much living things. A sigil is a constraint on spells, a kind of cage and for it. They wriggle, they struggle, they seek to have their way and be free – magic is aware and has desire and sentience. As they are abstract, they dwell in the mind of a person, wriggling, struggle, poking, prodding, pestering to distraction. And once distracted, it is free.

An important point for Incarnates who have come from a place that has magic other than Wyrlde is that here, while you still have to learn a spell each day, it does not vanish simply because you have cast it. You can memorize fireball once each day, then cast it a dozen times. The management of resources then comes into being able to estimate what spells you might need or that are useful, and also ensuring that you keep your mana at a point that allows you to keep going.

However, being knocked unconscious does knock out spells you have held in your mind, and having a spell be interrupted can still drain your mana.

Sigils, Ciphers, & Glyphs

Each Affinity starts its Sigils with a set Cipher, that is then filled in with Glyphs and magrams in a complex pattern. When inscribed, these can be incredibly complex, and often may seem much like each other in pattern at more complex workings – but this is how all of them start.

A Cipher is basic form, the foundation of the complex spells that are used. A cipher is a base, an outline, and into it are placed glyphs. A Cipher is determined by the Affinity a caster has; the kind of magic used.

A Sigil is a complex pattern, starting with a Cipher and magrams, then filled with glyphs, and triggered with a command that releases it, usually a combination of drawing the trigger glyph and uttering the spell’s purpose, name, or working.

A Glyph is a symbol, an ideogram with a multitude of context-based meaning. Each affinity tends to develop its own set of glyphs – and often those without training create their own, sometimes using mental images that the magic translates into a glyph, such as a thought of fire.

These glyphs and ciphers are complicated and twisting things, requiring intense concentration and focus to fully grasp, like memorizing an unsolvable maze or complex mandala.

A Magram is an expansion of a cipher, an addition or extension, — a secondary form or shape that is not limited to the Affinity. Magrams are often attached to a spell when it is empowered.

Sigilcraft is the designing of spells, in and of itself.

Spellcraft is the art and craft of casting of spells.

Learning to read these deeply complex and liminal forms takes years of effort, grasping how they work and what makes for the best and most useful combinations takes years of solitude and study, and there is always a constant struggle to keep them held within the head, ready to use.

Complexity Degrees

The more complex and challenging a spell is, the more difficult it is to form, to hold, to use. This is reflected in the way that spells are structured according to Spell Levels. The higher the Spell Level, the more difficult and the more knowledge and artistry is required.

Spell complexity reflects the difficulty of a spell to cast or to use, and there are five Degrees of Complexity, each with a certain number of Spell Levels within it. These levels describe the complexity of the spells, with said complexity increasing with each level. Within the differences of difficulty is the cost of the spells in mana.

The five degrees of complexity are Simple, Rudimentary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert.

Degrees	Simple	Rudimentary	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert
Spell Levels	0 and 1st	2nd to 3rd	4th to 5th	6th to 7th	8th to 9th

Within each Degree of Complexity are the Myseries, Lesser and Greater.

Simple

Simple complexity spells can be memorized and visualized almost on the fly. Anyone with a capacity for magic can learn this. Some may take a bit less – perhaps a second or three.

Rudiments

Rudimentary spells, Level 2 to Level 3, are more challenging but enable capacity to grasp and tend to have the most core responses. Most people never move beyond this degree of influence or control except in limited ways. As a result, they will never be able to use Intermediate or Advanced spells – but do not discount their overall abilities beyond that.

Intermediates

Intermediate spells, Level 4 to Level 5, are a way of combining and layering and redeveloping the interfaces and exchanges learned from lower order spells, to create greater effects and more stunning impacts. This seems to be the sweet spot for many, the balanced space between giving too much over to the study of magic and not enough to the other things of value and importance. As a result, they will never be able to use Advanced spells – but do not discount their overall abilities beyond that.

Advanced

Advanced spells, Level 6 to Level 7, are the most potent, most complex, most difficult spells, described by someone as having a four-year-old Therian living in your brain and wanting to go outside. Only some can reach these levels of spells. The amount of effort and training that goes into this tends to preclude other activities, in much the same way that someone looking at a complex chemical composition diagram will not be able to understand it without significant study, which will likely leave them struggling to deal with other things – notably weapons and armor.

Expert

Expert spells, Level 8 to Level 9, are the most potent, most complex, most difficult spells, described by someone as having a four-year-old Therian living in your brain and wanting to go outside. Only some can reach these levels of spells. The amount of effort and training that goes into this tends to preclude other activities, in much the same way that someone looking at a complex chemical composition diagram will not be able to understand it without significant study, which will likely leave them struggling to deal with other things – notably weapons and armor.

Once a Spell is cast, the effect is instant, though in some cases, and depending on the spell, the Mage may need to maintain Concentration (the chanting and somatics) to cause the effect to persist. It is important to note that spell effects do not start until a spell is finished being cast, and then they have a duration that can vary according to many criteria.

Myseries

Within each Degree of Complexity there is both a Lesser Myserie and a Greater Myserie. If you were to walk up to a Mage and ask to see their “3^rd Level Spells” they would mock you for talking nonsense, since what they have is called a Rudimentary Greater Myserie. And after laughing they would probably hand you some Simple Lesser Myserie and smirk.

Lesser Myseries are always the lower level, and Greater Myseries are always the higher level.

The name is not accidental. While for here our translator has chosen to use a common convention of zero to nine, the difference between a Lesser and a greater is one of increased variance and difficulty, and the ten Myseries are so named as an expression of both the misery of learning them and the misery of holding them in one’s head.

Consecration

An individual, a place, or a thing can be consecrated. When used on denizens of the Lower planes, consecration is a devastating attack, but for the most part it has insignificant effect except one important one: it defines ground as Holy, and so sacrosanct from those on the Prime Material Plane from who are not followers that have been consecrated from stepping foot on it.

It is, essentially, counting coup for the Powers That Be. If one is consecrated in the Name of a specific Power, that Power then could act in these simple manners. If you are not consecrated to a Power, you cannot receive a blessing from them, nor can you enter their holy ground (or disturb their Shrine). A person can be consecrated for one God from each pantheon.

Clerics may be consecrated by one Power from each of the three groups of Hosts. That is, you can be consecrated to a Bright Power, a Shadow Power, and a Dread Power. However, you are still and always only a cleric for one of them. This rule about consecration applies to others as well – anyone can be consecrated in the name of one deity in each of the groups. Shamans can be consecrated or consecrate either the Powers of the World, The Ancestral Spirits, or The Old Ones (calling on specific Gods within that group as needed).

The Shadow Host are not all that picky, like the Dread Host or the Bright Host are, and so they allow someone to receive the boons they have so long as at least one of them is involved. This can be important: it sucks to not be able to Bless a fighter’s weapon in the heat of battle because the Warrior is a follower of a different Power.

Consecrated Spells

The following list of spells are those which are consecrated – that is, they will only work on people, places, and things which are consecrated to that Deity. Note that these spells are only available to Shrinewards and Clerics. Paladins are not charged with consecration, with the exception oof Holy Weapon, which they have inherently as Paladins.

PHB

Aid	Augury	Beacon of Hope
Bless	Enhance Ability	Freedom of Movement
Greater Restoration	Guardian of Faith	Guidance
Heroes’ Feast	Lesser Restoration	Protection from Evil and Good
Purify Food and Drink	Remove Curse	Resistance
Sanctuary	Shield of Faith	Warding Bond

XGE

Ceremony

Holy Weapon

Temple of the Gods

Malediction

Those things that seek to cause harm or woe are maledictions. Sometimes called curses, the operation of a malediction is always based in some sort of sin or disapproved act, and is a punishment inflicted.

Benediction

Those things which seek to provide weal or help are called benedictions. Sometimes called blessings, the operation of a benediction is always based in some sort of virtue or highly approved act, and is a benefit granted.

Memorizing Spells:

Spells are increasingly complex patterns that must be visualized, all of them starting from a specific base, or cipher, that is more or less complex based on the knowledge, skill, and efficiency of the caster. Into that base, the caster must wrestle assorted symbols, glyphs, and ciphers into the form, and then memorize it and hold onto it. In order to cast a spell, you must first memorize it. The following chart shows how many spells a caster is able to memorize, based on degree of Mastery.

Complexity ->		Simple		Rudimentary		Intermediate		Advanced		Expert
Mastery	Level	Cantrip	1st Level	2nd Level	3rd Level	4th Level	5th Level	6th Level	7th Level	8th Level	9th Level
Novice	1	3
	2	4	1
	3	4	1
	4	4	2	1
Yeoman	5	5	2	1
	6	5	3	2	1
	7	5	3	2	1
	8	6	4	3	2	1
Adept	9	6	4	3	2	1
	10	6	5	4	3	2	1
	11	7	5	4	3	2	1
	12	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Master	13	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	14	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	15	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	16	8	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Grand Master	17	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	18	9	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	19	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
	20	10	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2

A Mage will usually have several spells memorized each day but may never use that spell. Memorizing a spell need only be done once each day, regardless of the number of times the caster uses that spell.

Spells take a certain amount of time to memorize. Spells which are memorized frequently (each day, minimum of 7 consecutive days) take less time to mentally set up, and so can be memorized in half the time.

All Mages are bound by this, but some professions have bonus spells they are able to add to this number, based on the particulars of that profession. Also, this is the number of different spells one can memorize in a given day; there is no limit to the number of different spells one can have in the spell book from which they are drawn.

• Cantrips take ½ minute to memorize, and often are done on the fly, since many of them are simple spells and make great practice. It is said the original purpose of cantrips was to help very young mages learn.
• Disciple Axiom: intense focus to memorize spells requires 2 minutes per degree of complexity for each spell (2 to 10 minutes per spell).
• Sensate Axiom: harnessing will to memorize spells takes 3 minutes per degree of complexity for each spell (3 to 15 minutes).
• Servant Axiom: being granted a spell takes 1 minute per degree of complexity for each spell (1 to 9 minutes per spell). The Powers That Be call this “dounloding” and complain often about the speed.

For many, memorizing means consulting a source for the spells they have encountered and locked within. In general parlance, that source is called a Spell Book. A spell book is a unique item, containing information on spells, rituals, the preparation of magical tools, and lists of ingredients and their magical correspondences. They are specific to each caster and are described under Learning Spells.

Learning Spells

How different people learn new spells is simple: they find it, they are given it, they trade for it, they buy it, or they create it. Spells are typically collected by each person in a spell book, and each spell book is unique to the caster – but the spells within can be read and learned and then placed within their own spell book so long as the person doing so is of the same Axiom. This makes found spell books very valuable and important treasures.

For most, when you start out, you learn the spells that your Master taught you as an Apprentice – learned through hours of painstaking copying and study. Thereafter, you must pay for the privilege of learning from someone else’s book or tome, or you can learn them from scrolls you can purchase, or you gain them in the most common way: you go out and find them in some way. Barter is common among Mages, trading a spell they know for a spell from someone else.

Crossing Affinity often means having to do some conversion of the spell, but even Clerics and Wizards are known to share spells. It can also only be done by those who have learned to do so through some Aspect of their training.

Spells are little more than constructs and designs, and once you know the particulars of a spell and adjust for the peculiarities of the Affinity and Axiom, you can often use it. It is not universally possible – healing spells have proven very difficult to work with Eldritch or Arcane affinities, as an example and Mystical affinities are less effective.

Sensates essentially fashion their own version of spells or come up with a new way to use the power within them or have a need that arises, and the magic responds to. Even they need a way to be able to duplicate their unique combination of things to enable their magic.

For Servants, these new spells are granted after proper entreaty – that is, you ask for them, and they give them. It creates a strong structure. Usually, it is after intense prayer or rigid meditation, and the Powers That Be, peering into the future and listening to you, give you what you want, need, or may find a use for. Those come to them, whole cloth, though of course the Power may choose to instead allow a greater level of free will than the others.

Arabesque recalls one morning when she awoke with a spell for making pea soup in my head. It was rather disconcerting. Turns out that there was a beggar she encountered later that day whose last meal was pea soup conjured by her. As she says, “The Gods do not ignore us. They simply have their own motivations.”

But even then, we are inclined to collect what we know and preserve it for future use. For that, everyone has a use for a spell book.

Spell Books

A Spell Book is the core tool of a Mage. Any affinity, any Mage; they must have something in which they can store their spells, even if the magic they use isn’t always obvious otherwise.

Spell Books come in five very broad forms, but most folks just call them Grimoires or spell books. The forms are Grimoires (actual books), Occultaires (typically an item or object of import to the person), Nomicons, Picatrix, or Apocrypha (the sacred receptacle of knowledge from the gods).

The average Spell Book for a full Grand Master will run around 100 pages, containing 65 to 75 spells. A page is a loose term here – different kinds of spell books have different kinds of “pages”.

Apocrypha

Apocrypha is what a grimoire held by those who use Divine Magic is called. This is often given to them, or passed down through lines, or fashioned from the common tools of the person using it.

It is said that many a Paladin has used their sword as a grimoire. The nature of this makes these books somewhat sanctified, though they are not truly holy or consecrated.

First, they must fashion, form, and create the Bundle for the Leaves – no one knows why they are called leaves, but that is what they are, even though what a leaf is can vary as much as an Occultaire. In some cases, the ritual might place the person as the Bundle, and the leaves will be tattoos. The thought of tattooing oneself to do this is uncomfortable, but it has and does happen.

This is a three-day effort requiring one spell point each day as they infuse it with mana and enable it to set.

Next, they must fashion the leaves themselves, always something sacred to the divinity they draw from, that they will place the sigil within or upon in a manner they can reclaim it, using 1 spell point for each object, during a day long effort per leaf of the Apocrypha.

Grimoires

Grimoires are books of spells. Grimoires are for those who use Arcane Magic as a standard – a book, fashioned painstakingly, only handwritten, highly illustrated, with sometimes multiples over the life of a person even though the creation of them is arduous in and of itself.

First, they must fashion, form, and create the cover and prepare the binding. This is a three-day effort requiring one spell point each day as they infuse it with mana and enable it to set.

Next, they must fashion the carefully handcrafted, thick, rough-edged pages, during a day long effort per page of the grimoire. Each page in turn also requires one spell point.

Picatrix

A spell book for Eldritch Magic. These very often take the form of a specific item, or focus, of the caster. The risk around a Picatrix is that without it, the Mage is unable to use their spells.

A Picatrix is best exemplified by the Totemic Fetish of a Shaman. The elements that go into it are, themselves, complex and changeable and each piece of the whole is the equivalent of a page for the Shaman. The complicated and arduous imparting of the spells into the bits and pieces of the whole requires a spell point for each one on incorporation, and the whole itself requires the spending of 1 point of mana each day for five days to construct the core of it, should they ever need to replace the one they start with.

Nomicons

A spell book for Mystical Magic. These take many forms – sheets of paper with musical annotation, long scrolls in elaborate tubes, and even tattoos, set upon the body. Famously the most common form is as some sort of design or pattern on an object of intense importance to the Mage – a Bard’s instrument, an armored chest piece, a carefully forged knife.

The cost of five days and 1 spell point per day still applies to the fabrication of the way they are collected, and then 1 point and 1 day for each spell incorporated into it. Nomicons may be comprised of several items – legend tells of an ancient wizard who crossed the Veil named Vekna whose Nomicons were parts of his body – and that he cursed them lest they ever be taken from him.

Occultaires

Occultaires are a form of grimoire that doesn’t take the form of a book. They are used by those engaging in Primal Magic. It may be a carved bone or a bit of stone or wood, a collection of items that together make up the repository of the Mage who develops them.

First, they must fashion, form, and create the container for the object or objects that will be used. This is a three-day effort requiring one spell point each day as they infuse it with mana and enable it to set. It may be a bag, a sheath,

Next, they must fashion carefully handcrafted, specially chosen objects they will place the sigil within or upon in a manner they can reclaim it, using 1 spell point for each object, during a day long effort per object of the Occultaire.

Fashioning a Spell Book

Collectively, they are all called grimoires, or spell books, even though they do have their specific names.

Each represents the collected and collective knowledge the Mage has about magic and the way in which they shape it, often using complex instructions, patterns, and designs, to explain and elaborate on the sigil that they will then fashion.

Grimoires, then, are costly and time consuming because they must be capable of ingraining the spell within them – which steals from it some of its power until memorized. With so much of their lives set within the creation of one, it is no wonder that mages are jealous and guarded about their spell books in any form.

As a result, spell books in all forms tend to have several pages or elements in them. The typical grimoire has between 300 and 500 of the carefully handcrafted, thick, rough-edged pages that are part of the ritual to create a book. An Occultaire might be a collection of small stones, and an Apocrypha may be like a book, a collection of preserved leaves, or the armor and weapons of a paladin.

Should a mage run out of space in a spell book, they must create a new one – and this has led some to seek the additional books of some mages that were thin or less detailed than many, on the presumption that perhaps they recovered a lost spell, such The Razing, or perhaps The Galavant.

Spell books contain more than spells, as well – they record rituals, they store observations and experiments; they hold the mental treasure of the Mage who crafted it. Most of the famous spell books are named after the Mage who created them and are often valued more for the additional information stored. One mage used his spell book as a record of his trips into the great Wild, where he delved into abandoned Imp holdings and struggled against one of the Great Dragons, recording his experience and knowledge for presumably himself, but possibly for those who would come later.

Starting Spells

At 1^st Level, a Mage will have a starting spell book, developed by trial and error or drilled into them by a pedant. These spells will be cantrips, 1^st level, and 2^nd levels spells with 1 additional 3^rd level spell that they will be striving to master.

The number of spells is determined by a roll of dice:

	Cantrips	1st Level	2nd Level
Number	1d8	1d6	1d4

These starting spells as a result from rolls can be selected by you, but the single 3^rd level spell is always provided by the DM. After this, the only ways to add spells to your spell book are:

to create them.

to find them.

to trade for them.

to buy them.

to steal them.

to beg for them.

In addition, all Mages have thee spells they learn fairly early on: Candlespark, Duel Skin, Duel Seal, and Duel Bond. These spells are taught to everyone schooled formally, though even a self-taught Sensate will learn them eventually as they are simple, readily discernible spells that almost seem to present themselves.

Spell Scrolls

One of the tasks that are socially expected of great Mages who lay dying is that they inscribe their knowledge onto scrolls that they then allow to be spread on the wind. These scrolls are essentially whisked away by the Pale, and it is rumored that they appear where they are most likely to be the most beneficial, most humorous, or most maleficent.

Finding a spell scroll is considered a Rite of Passage for Mages of all sorts. All spell scrolls rewrite themselves into Caligulan after completion, and so can be read by any Mage – but can only be used if the spell is of the same Affinity.

Scrolls are, like the spells they contain, somewhat aware. They do not seek to be learned, and so they are usable only once, for scrolls are merely imbued, not ingrained. As noted, a collection of scrolls is called a Grimoire – and it can be in all manner of forms.

And yes, this does mean that some scroll spells are pages from a Grimoire, and that some objects are the pieces of an Occultaire, or the leaves of an Apocrypha. Because the effort to create a Spell Scroll is the same as the effort for creating a spell book. I once found the spell book of a lost Adventurer in a dungeon that had been carved on pottery shards and kept in a small bag at his side.

Learning A New Spell

Spell scrolls which are found are often not used and instead painstakingly copied into a spell book, so that the spell might be preserved for that Mage. By doing this, they avoid the use of the spell scroll, and can retain it for as long as it happens to feel like sticking around, or until they choose to use it.

To copy a spell into a spell book requires a Mana Check of DC10+1 per level of the spell, using the proficiency in the appropriate affinity. If they fail, the spell is useless, and that page of the grimoire (in whatever form) is ruined.

Spells which are outside the Affinity of the caster have a base DC of 15, Spells which are from outside the base Axiom of the caster have a base DC of 13.

The first time they try to memorize the new spell, they must make a check using Kno, Wis, Per, Cha, or Con (depending on the Affinity) with a DC of 9 plus 1 per level of the spell.

Creating New Spells

Creating a new spell means that one must combine the assorted sigils from glyphs, runes, and ciphers, as well as related elements into the complex and convoluted patterns of spells. That task alone can take some people years, for the nature of magic is enigmatic and capricious, with meaning changing and variables shifting according to the effect of other forces around them. It is said that even a simple cantrip has something on the order of 2.5 million variables. Complex spells have exponentially more variables to deal with. The level of difficulty is immense.

To be able to create a spell that can be properly recorded for use more than once, one must have reached the Professional degree of mastery or higher (5^th Level and up).

The spell is written out following the theorems of Magic, and presented to your DM, who will allow or disallow the spell.

If it is allowed, then it is time to test it out – hopefully in a place that is safe to do so, such as the Mage’s workshop or an empty area.

The character must make a series of checks against a DC of 15: Kno, Per, and Mana. Each check must be successful. If they are, then the spell is successfully created. If not, then it fails and the character must spend 23 days minus 1 day per level before they can try again, as they examine the spell for flaws.

Ph’nglui Klaatu Alakazam Anál Nathrach Orth’ Bháis’s Jantar Mantar Bethad Frammin Do Chél Dénmha Abracadabra Sala Gadoola Barada Menchicka Boo La Abraxas Torellium Frappen Treguna Mekoides Micrato Raepy Jadu Mantar Sathonich Trecorum Satis Dee Frotzen Jam Inkala Oo Ee Oo Ah Ah Nikto Ting Tang Krotz Sim Sam Sala Wala Sephora Bim Bam Che Hi Lakeva R’lyeh Mecca Ajji Majji Ultmaina La Tarajji Lecca Hi Mecca Hiney Ho Bibbidi Fhtagen Bobbidi Boo A Kala Detta Dicta Jim Jam

Some DMs may choose to have a failure in creating a new spell be accompanied by some form of unusual effect.

Casting Spells

Spells are very much living things. A sigil is a constraint on spells, a kind of cage and for it. They wriggle, they struggle, they seek to have their way and be free – magic is aware and has desire and sentience. As they are abstract, they dwell in the mind of a person, wriggling, struggle, poking, prodding, pestering to distraction. And once you are distracted, it is free.

This means that they are exceedingly difficult to form on the fly, at will, if they are more complex than a cantrip, and that there is a limit to the number of spells that any given person can hold within them each day. It also means that when rendered unconscious, you lose all the spells you have been holding in your head.

Components

Casting a spell is called Invoking, requires five components: a Verbal Component, a Somatic Component, a Mana component, a Focus component, and a Time component.

Verbal Components

This involves speaking aloud the incantation that is part of the spell. The incantation must be spoken with force, with emotion, with intent and meaning. They cannot be rushed and cannot be interrupted. Here are two examples of Incantations:

O, crimson glow that doth banish the blackest darkness, vein of burning heat coursing betwixt destruction and chaos, I summon thy power here in accordance with the eternal contract; with thy violent breath that spills the from fractures in the world, make the earth tremble, fill the heavens, and eradicate all enemies before me!

Flames of creation, origin of all, with crimson fingers you grasp, and engulf all of that comes in your path, scorching the earth and heavens in firestorm, O bright flame dancing in darkness, infernal blaze reducing all to ashes, more than anything, powerful, more than anything, ruthless, burning brightly, blazing fiercely, May your raging flames weave a snare, and shackle my enemy in ferocious hellfire!

Somatic Components

This involves movement. That movement may involve intricate hand and finger gestures, posture and posing, complex movements of limbs or body. The ungifted often call it “wriggling”, lacking an understanding of the nuanced and discrete movements performed at speed after many hundreds of hours of training and practice.

The combination of verbal and somatic components can be of varying length and complexity. Some spells can take a great amount of time to chant, some take a great deal of time to perform the necessary movements, and some can take both a long time to chant and gesture. Combined with the release and channeling of Mana, it can take a lot out of the spellcaster.

Using, casting, or releasing a spell does not mean the spell is not still memorized after casting – one can cast a memorized spell as many times as one has energy for it in that day.

Spell Locus

All Mages require a Locus. A Locus is the essential tool that all Mages need for their magic to be shaped through. For Wizards it is often a wand or a staff, for Clerics it is a Holy Symbol, for others it might be a tattoo or a pen. Many will use an ornate rod or a staff, some will merely use a stone that is engraved with complex markings.

A Mage without a Locus cannot cast a spell. The nature and shape of that Locus will be up to the Mage themselves, and they can come in all manner of shapes, forms, and ways of being. However, they are always tangible, always expensive, and very much customized to the mage. The simplest Locus for a Mage costs a minimum of 10 gp, a Quid or Eagle – 100 shillings – and can take seven days to craft from scratch.

All Foci are carefully constructed, carved, and many will improve them over time as the amount of power that flows through them can stress them, breaking them or shattering them if it is too much. In general, a Locus should cost 100 shillings per degree of complexity of a spell being cast.

The two most common forms of Foci are Wands and Staves. Wands are typically made out of a wood like Oak or Yew or Blackthorn. Staves are fashioned out of Ash, Oak, and Yarrow. It is among the first things that formal training teaches, and much of the challenge for those who lack formal training is that they went by feel and Locus and failed to develop a proper Locus.

Spending Mana

The Spell Point Cost table summarizes the cost in mana of spells from 1st to 9th level. Spells of 6th level and higher are particularly taxing to cast. This cost is regardless of the spell list, the Axiom, or the Affinity of the caster. Skill, knowledge, and efficiency in control are all what determine the ability of someone to manipulate the energy around them. There are things and ways to influence this.

Spell Point Cost & Actions Table

Spell Level	Spell Point Cost	Actions to Cast	Degree of Complexity
Cantrips / 0	1	1	Simple
1 Level Spells	3	1
2 Level Spells	5	2	Rudimentary
3 Level Spells	8	2
4 Level Spells	12	3	Intermediate
5 Level Spells	14	3
6 Level Spells	17	4	Advanced
7 Level Spells	19	4
8 Level Spells	21	5	Expert
9 Level Spells	25	5

Spell Fatigue

When casting a spell, one has to channel the stored mana they have built up in them through themselves, through their focus, and into the spell itself. This has a physical effect on the caster, and if one uses a great deal of mana, one can become fatigued. Successive uses of large amounts of mana can weaken further, and potentially even cause a collapse.

Anytime you use a number of points of mana equal to your Level of Mastery plus five points in casting a single spell (CL+5), either through the base cost or through additional mana you use to enhance the spell, you are struck by a point of Fatigue. You can make a Vitality Check (DC 15) to resist this, but each further fatigue check increases the DC by 1 regardless of success or failure. The Base DC for this is 15.

On reaching six points of fatigue by any means, every 10 points of mana used adds another points of fatigue, at 8 Points, the mage cannot defend themselves, cannot move, and cannot recover until they have completed at least a one-hour rest (see Fatigue).

On reaching zero spell points, you collapse unconscious, as there is a physical toll to running out of Mana. You will awaken once you have recovered at least 10 mana points.

Empowerment

On Wyrlde, Mages can Empower many spells by spending additional Mana and pushing it into the spell during the casting phase to alter it to achieve a desired effect.

Empowering a spell allows you to increase the area of effect, number of targets, move the damage die up and down the die scale, change the number of dice, or duration of the spell, all depending on the spell.

Spells which are going to be empowered must be declared as such prior to starting – you can’t add the empowering after it is cast.

Degree of Mastery	Maximum Number of Changes		Complexity of the Spell	Empowerment Cost / Change
Novice	2		Simple	2
Yeoman	3		Rudimentary	4
Adept	4		Intermediate	6
Master	5		Advanced	8
Grand Master	6		Expert	10

The base empowerment cost is increased by the thing being empowered:

Element	Change by	Cost in Spell Points	Notes
Increase Area of Effect	3’	1	For dimensional space (cube, sphere, cylinder, cone)
Double Area	X2	4	Doubles area of effect
Triple Area	X3	9	Triples area of effect
Quadruple Area	X4	16	Quadruples area of effect
Range Increase	10’	2	For distance
Duration Increase	1 Unit	1	A Unit is the base duration for the spell
Double Duration	X2	3	Doubles duration
Triple Duration	X3	6	Triples duration
Quadruple Duration	X4	9	Quadruples duration
Add Targets	1 Target	3	Adds on additional target/object
Die Scale Move Up	1 Place	4	Moves one place up the die chain
Die Scale Move Down	1 Place	1	Moves on place down the die chain
Additional Damage Die	1 Die	3	Adds an additional damage die

You cannot empower a spell to change Attack, Save, Casting Time, School, Ritual Requirements, Effect, Spell Level, or similar qualities.

Mage Actions

This combination of activities that takes time can be quite a challenge in combat. Fortunately, Mages are adept understanding the flow and passage of time, and so have grasped the ability to recognize that when they engage, they generally have the ability to choose not to Move during a turn, and in so doing gain a benefit. For Mages, actions come in the form of slots. In a normal turn, a person gains an Action and a Movement. A Mage who is casting a spell can choose to not move and so use that action slot towards the Casting Time of the spell.

Additionally, should they have a Bonus Action or a Reaction, from some Aspect or Feature, they can choose to apply those to casting the spell instead of the described option. It is through this peculiar ability that a Mage is able to cast higher level spells in shorter amounts of time. It is as close as we can come to rushing it.

However, they can also choose to continue casting a spell while moving or taking a reaction or using a bonus action. While this means that it takes more time in rounds to cast a spell, it also allows them to do things like evade an attempt to interrupt a spell or step out of the way of an incoming threat.

Spells over Simple Complexity require multiple Action Slots to cast. It means being prepared and wary as one moves through the world.

Fortunately, any spell can be Readied and held at the ready to be released once the casting part is done. To Ready a spell, you still have to take the time to cast it, but instead you form it into an Invoking Glyph, which allows you to instantly release it as a reaction during your first turn. Many mages will move around with a spell at the ready, just in case.

Interrupting a Spell

While this is happening, the Mage is generally in what we call a bad spot. An interrupted spell, where their concentration is broken, costs the same amount of mana as an uninterrupted version of the spell. So, interrupting an Intermediate complexity 5^th level spell still costs 8 mana points, and the process must begin again in casting it, along with the expenditure of the mana to do so.

Note that some casters have learned to cast more than one spell at a time, while others have learned to manipulate the way a spell functions.

Concentration

In terms of the standard 5^th Edition concept of Concentration, discard it for the purposes of Wyrlde. For Wyrlde, the equivalent balancing metric is the Casting Time.

That said, the casting of a spell is rather rigorous and arduous effort and does require intense concentration. Spells which do require ongoing concentration (during which no other action can be taken, including movements, bonus actions, and reactions) are explicitly described in the body of the spell itself.

Concentration in this case is a focus on the spell during the use of it. While Concentrating, a Mage can move at no more than half their Speed in a turn, cannot use evasion moves, cannot use a weapon, and cannot do much more than keep the spell working.

Those spells which use Concentration most often are searching type spells, detecting type spells, divinations, and enchantments – but not all of them, and it varies according to the spell itself.

Invoking

The act of casting any spell requires the caster to chant the spell in Caligulan, the peculiar language of magic itself, while performing the finger, hand, limb, or body movements related to the spell in order to invoke it (known by the manifestation that always happens for the few seconds involved).

Spells are cast in play by saying that you are going to cast a spell you have memorized, spending the spell points, and casting it.

Spell Changes

The following section contains notes about all the spells available within the game and how they differ on Wyrlde. They are guides for each of the aspects of a spell to converting it to use here.

Spells herein override any published spell or list from the main game.

Planar Conjurations

The Planar Conjurations are all formally included in the Rite of Summoning or similar Ritual, as are certain other dimensional spells. The core conceit is that if you want to cross a dimensional boundary, you must use a ritual.

As a rule, if it comes from another dimension, then summoning it can only be done through the Rite of Summoning ritual. Summoning a sentient being is considered a rather evil action, even if they are in the same dimension.

In as brief a reasoning as possible, you really don’t want to be able to summon these beings on the fly. It makes them intensely angry, and there are planar rules at play that would allow them to summon you, in turn.

Additionally, spells which call up particular spirits will have been changed primarily by the absence of those spirits, but that can be somewhat variable, as Shamans do a lot of dealing with spirits, and there are ill humours and such to deal with.

Wish

Wish is not available as a spell on Wyrlde. Wishes are out there, but the spell Wish is not. Wishes require a being which is not Mortal to cast it, for a wish is the ultimate expression of magical power, and mortals are not given to all of it.

It was created, and even cast, but the cost of casting the spell rendered it undesirable, as the caster died every single time immediately, having destroyed themselves trying to cast it. Apparently, Wish has a Mana cost of 500 points, requires 4 days of constant chanting, and a complex jig. That a mage was able to survive 4 days without water was a testament to their enduring will.

Spell Levels

Several Spells have had their locations within the published spell lists altered here. This was done due to the introduction of Spell Complexity as the basis for the Spell Levels. Some spells that are historically seen from a different perspective as higher level are lower level now, and other spells have been moved to reflect the shifts in damage. The spell lists here override those of the books.

Schools

Wyrlde only has Seven Schools of Spells. Conjurations are all Evocations. Some minor tweaks exist throughout the rest as well, focusing on proper placement of certain conjurations.

Single thing

As noted in the Theorems of Magic, a published spell which does more than one thing must be reset as several different spells, each doing that one thing.

When the spell is memorized, that one thing has to be specified. This is reflected in the Spell Lists.

Examples include Control Flames, Druidcraft, Gust, Mold Earth, Prestidigitation, Shape Water, and Thaumaturgy.

Spell Damage & Healing

Spell Damage follows a Unified Spell Damage approach, as shown on the table below.

	Simple	Rudimentary	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert
Die Used	D6	D8	D10	D12	D14

For each level of the spell caster, 1 die is rolled. Thus, a 1^st level Mage rolls 1 die, a 2^nd level rolls 2 dice, etc.

Regular Damage

There are certain kinds of regular damage.

Abrasion

Bludgeoning

Crushing

Piercing

Slashing

Elemental Spells

All Elemental Spells can be used with any of the elements, and the specific nature of that elemental damage is described under that damage type.

As with all elemental spells, the particular element is designated by the caster.

Air	Earth	Fire	Frost	Spirit
Lightning	Stone	Poison	Sand	Smoke
Sun	Thunder	Water	Acid	Force

Dimensional Energy

Many spells make use of Planar Energies. When a spell is described as a Planar Energy Spell, the caster may have the ability to select the energy type. Planar Energies include all of the following:

Spectral	Celestial	Infernal	Radiant
Necrotic	Shadow	Nethic

Nebulous Energy

There are certain kinds of Nebulous Energies that do unique forms of harm.

Corruption

Heart

Manic

Pain

Psychic

Concentration

The default 5e Concentration rules do not apply. Spells which require concentration are spells that have a long duration and generally involve keeping an active awareness of the spell going. They will be explicit in the description of the spell.

Converting Published Spells

Because this book cannot contain all the spells possible on Wyrlde, nor all the spells within the game, here are some rules for converting spells published spells not found here.

Spells on Wyrlde generally improve and become more powerful as the character advances through their levels and the spell levels. A 20^th Level Wizard is ultimately a weapon of mass destruction all by themselves – until someone gets their True Name, of course. And someone always does.

Spell Slot Use

When casting a spell using a spell slot of a higher level, as per the spell description, you use the Empowering a Spell rules.

Optional Spell Slot Rule

However, spell slot rules do have a sort of place here. When memorizing spells, there is a base number that a character can memorize, and a character can choose to use a slot from a higher spell to memorize additional lower level spells.

For this purpose, a 9^th level spell is equal to 9 Cantrips or 9 1^st level Spells. A cantrip is equal to a 1^st level spell for this purpose, but a 2^nd level spell is equal to two 1^st level or two Cantrip spells. A 3^rd level slot is equal to three C/1 or one 2^nd and one C/1.

Spell Levels

For the level of a converted spell some folks may want to move them around when converting because of the damage structure in use here.

A consideration is that, in general, 5e tends to be heavy on the lower-level spells, whereas Wyrlde is more evenly spread out. By using the Damage guidelines, it shifts a large number of very potent weapon spells to higher levels, even as they are adjusted for damage when actually used.

To do this, look at the maximum damage the spell does as stated in the spell description of the published spell, and then divide that by 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 so that it comes out evenly. That would be the damage die to use. Then, look up that on the damage chart for Wyrlde. That gives you an idea of where to locate the spell.

Schools

All Conjurations Spells are now Evocations for any purpose requiring that information. Wyrlde only has 7 schools, and considers 8 to be a deeply unlucky, demonic number, so actively avoids it.

Casting Time

When converting, Casting time is always a function of the level of the spell:

Complexity	Time to Cast	Complexity	Time to Cast
Cantrips	1 action	5 Level Spells	3 actions
1 Level Spells	1 action	6 Level Spells	4 actions
2 Level Spells	2 actions	7 Level Spells	4 actions
3 Level Spells	2 actions	8 Level Spells	5 actions
4 Level Spells	3 actions	9 Level Spells	5 actions

Components

All Spells have Verbal and Somatic Components. All of them.

Only Rituals have Material Components, and they require them. You can use published spells to determine what the material components are, or ask your DM.

All Rituals have Material components, Verbal components, and Somatic components, and require a number of uninterrupted hours to cast equal to the spell level unless explicitly stated otherwise. In such cases, it is to lengthen the time to not more than 3 days, or 72 hours, never to shorten it.

Range

AoE Categories
Size	Space / Up to	Up to Height
Micro	1 in by 1 in
Bitty	3 in by 3 in
Wee	6 in by 6 in
Tiny	9 in by 9 in
Little	18 in by 18 in	1½ ft to 3 ft
Small	3 ft. by 3 ft.	3 ft to 6 ft
Medium	6 ft. by 6 ft.	6 ft to 9 ft
Big	9 ft. by 9 ft.	9 ft to 12 ft
Large	12 ft. by 12 ft.	12 ft to 15 ft
Huge	15 ft. by 15 ft.	15 ft to 18 ft
Gigantic	18 ft. by 18 ft
Massive	21 ft. by 21 ft.
Immense	24 ft. by 24 ft.
Monstrous	27 ft by 27 ft.
Humongous	30 ft. by 30 ft
Gargantuan	36 ft. by 36 ft
Colossal	42 ft. by 42 ft
Titanic	48 ft. by 48 ft

Range is always a number of feet in a number divisible by 3 or 10. So 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300. One of those numbers will always be the range of a spell. Because Wyrlde enables a caster to empower a spell and alter the range, there is little need to change it otherwise.

Wyrlde uses a 3-foot basis, so a standard 5’ is more likely to be a 6 foot area, but 10 feet is still 10 feet.

Area of Effect

Area of Effect is a separate quality, and is often the same, but in some cases the AoE will be set to increase according to the level of the caster. When possible, Wyrlde uses the same areas as it does sizes of creatures, as shown in the table.

In terms of 3 dimensional spaces, Wyrlde snaps to the grid the Cube, Sphere, Hemisphere, Cylinder, and Cone, if there is a question about a grid or hex based system. Preference is for flexibility and narrative, but there you have it.

For spells which describe a “ring” or “circle” and have vertical effects, the effect is 3, 5, 6, or 9 feet high.

Attack

Attack rules remain the same for the most part, altering only when it reflects some difference in the setting.

Save

Save remain the same for the most part. Changes may happen as a result of damage types or conditions.

Some spells that do multiple things in the books may have slightly different saves for the individual things.

Effect

Some effects may be slightly changed by the different Conditions that are present here, the different energies/damage types that exist, and how damage is calculated. For the most part, it is a direct conversion.

Duration

Spells which have a duration as a set amount of time allow for Empowering a Spell to extend that duration. Spell durations are given in Rounds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years, based on whatever the published spell provides. For spells that have a duration in minutes, it is given in rounds for up to 4 minutes and 54 seconds (49 Rounds), with 5 minutes and longer being given in minutes.

Targets

Spells which have a set number of targets can be Empowered to add additional targets one at a time up to a maximum number of targets possible for them (see Empowering). Additionally, there is a maximum number of targets that can be directly targeted by a spell (unless caught in an area of effect) as follows:

	Cantrip	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
Max Targets	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	12

The number of targets can only increase over time according to the Degree of Mastery, however, if there is to be an increase in the number of targets built into the spell.

In some cases, the spell’s Area of Effect will be listed as the target, indicating it only impacts that target.

This does not change the effect – effects often need to be Empowered further as well. This does mean one can take a fireball spell and split it up into several smaller fireballs and target different areas. Not that I would ever do that, mind you. Nope, not me. Rafael is above such petty things.

Spell Damage & Healing

Spell Damage follows a Unified Spell Damage approach, as shown on the table below.

	Simple	Rudimentary	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert
Die Used	D6	D8	D10	D12	D14

For each level of the spell caster, 1 die is rolled. Thus, a 1^st level Mage rolls 1 die, a 2^nd level rolls 2 dice, etc.

At Higher Levels

When a spell description mentions higher levels, use the Empowering a Spell rules. Note that Spells in Wyrlde are generally designed to become much more powerful as the caster improves. Spells which don’t improve over time are very rare, and very notable because they do a very specific thing.

When in question, examine Cantrips. Cantrips are just as useful to 20^th level casters as they are to low level casters. Possibly more so because they do significant damage at a relatively low cost and minimal casting time.

Descriptions

Spell descriptions for Wyrlde will list the kind of damage, but not the die roll or amount unless it is a fixed amount or does not rely on a die roll.

Mage Duels

While not a universal trait among my colleagues by any stretch, we do tend to have enormous egos, and when Mages get into arguments about magic, inevitably the practice initiated so many years ago as part of the Warding of Akadia comes into play. These arguments inevitably end up coming down to one of three things:

The number of spells they know.

The kinds of spells they know.

The amount of Mana they have.

The use of Mana and Spells.

These disagreements can become quite ferocious, and there are often points where one or another feels their honor is besmirched and requires repair, or there is a desire to prove greatness and position. So popular is the activity as a spectator sport that it has become a part of the very Grand Games themselves. I am, of course, talking about Duels.

From this, and with the less than pleasant encouragement of the Pale itself, a set of rules developed out around the act of challenging another mage to a duel. Doing so is not something to consider on a lark – it is a formal and sadly rigid thing that cannot be taken back once accepted and cannot be escaped.

Every Novice Mage knows at least three Cantrips and then has three additional spells in their arsenal that are among the very first taught, because of their value in training. These spells are Duel Skin, Duel Seal, and Duel Bond.

When making a formal challenge, the Challenger casts the Duel Bond and in a face-to-face confrontation challenges the person they seek to overcome, with an inclusion of where they seek to make the challenge take place.

The challenged Mage can then choose to decline or accept the challenge. If they accept, they too cast the Duel Bond and the pair clasps forearms, which triggers both spells and locks them in while formally accepting the challenge and specifying a time for the duel. If they decline, then nothing happens.

Attempting to back out of a challenge results in a loss of all Mana for a week. This is a debilitating effect, as you can imagine, and given Mages tend to be sneaky sorts, there is always a possibility of an effort to block one or the other from reaching the location of the Challenge. It is considered highly illegal in Akadia.

On the appointed time and at the appointed place, both casters will cast the Duel Seal cantrip. This will create a barrier that is a dome with a diameter of 50 feet and a height of 25 feet. This dome will move with the duelists. The space for the duel must be great enough to accommodate this field. There are a few Apprentices who have tried to set a place for such that wasn’t capable of accommodating the duel, and have suffered accordingly, as they are the ones that chose it.

Next, a Duel Skin cantrip is cast. This is a thin barrier that only works during duels and has the effect of changing damage done to a loss of Mana. Don’t ask me how it works. Magic. We have been trying to make skins work better and outside of duels for 300 years, and no luck. All I can tell you is that it only functions if a Duel Bond is in play, a Duel Seal has been erected, and they are about to enter the duel.

The field keeps all magical effects confined to the duel area, the skin causes damage to reduce Mana, and the bond enforces the terms of the duel. After that, the duel is fought by the mages using all the tools in their personal arsenals – including physical and martial skills, since even they are converted.

Mage duels are decided by any one of the following conditions:

A Mage runs out of Mana.

A Mage is rendered unconscious.

A Mage yields.

It is only when one or more of those conditions are met that the Bond, Seal, and Skin end, and the duel is over.