Feorreard V0.5 - Rules; Magic Rules

Chapter 5 Magic Rules

5.1 Game Effects

5.1.1 Casting Spells

In terms of the rules, this means that when somebody wants to cast a spell they have memorised, there are two factors which aect their chances - their familiarity and their magic level. All spells have a casting number - a number which the caster must roll higher than with their magic dice. If someone has a magic level of two, they may roll up to 2 dice, and if they are unfamiliar with the spell they would roll 2d8s or perhaps 2d6s. If the spell was one they had practised every day for the last month, they would roll 2d12s or maybe even 2d20.

Example of play: Casting a spell

Rondin is foolishly trying to cast a reball at his magic teacher, a spell he has a standard familiarity, with so his Familiarity rating is d10. He only has a magic level of one though, so he rolls 1d10. The casting number for Fireball is 7, so he needs to roll a 7 or more to get the spell o successfully. Unfortunately for him, he only rolls a 6 - the spell almost forms but the reball zzles away into the æther before it aects the teacher. The teacher notices the assault and casts restrain on Rondin. The teacher has a magic level of 5 and a familiarity with the spell of d12, so it should be a doddle for him to pass the casting number of 15. He decides to only roll 4 die, and rolls 4d12 reaching a total of 17, a pass. Rondin feels the air around him rapidly thicken until he can no longer move. With his arms petried at his sides he is unable to cast again - a panic takes him as the teacher approaches with anger in his eyes....

5.1.2 Magical Mishaps

However, there are dangers to using powerful magic. The more power a magician uses (the more dice they roll) the more chance they have of losing control of the spell. Whenever a number appears twice (or more) on the magic dice, the mage loses control and magic pours through them from the æther into the physical world and the spell malforms, leading to unexpected and often undesirable consequences.

Example of play: Miscasts

Old Donny smiles a little as he sees his pupil squirm. His back's been painful lately, and he wants to take it out on this impudent little brat. He reaches out to cast excruciating pain, and he's feeling mean so he puts all his 5 magic levels into the cast. He rolls 5d10, and they come up 7,6,6,3 and 5. This comes to more than Excruciating Pain's casting number of 20, so the spell is very eective. But, alas for Old Donny and Rondin, Donny put too much magic into the spell, and the dice read a double. Donny loses control of the spell and it aects him too! As he collapses in agony, Donny regrets his wrath and just prays that he didn't overdo it as much as a time when he had once sent everyone to sleep for 10 miles around - (He'd rolled 4 of the same number)!

5.1.3 Spell Types

Most spells have a “Type” which signifies the way they affect the world. It is possible for spells to have multiple “types.” Below are the spell types, and their effects.

MM Ranged Ranged spells are those where the caster can cause effects outside of his reach, whether this be by throwing a projectile (like Fireball) or by directly affecting things (like Restrain). Unless otherwise specified, the maximum range of a ranged spell is 10 X the number of die rolled in meters.

MM Contact Contact based spells require the caster to be touching the object of the spell, usually with their bare skin. Note that since contact spells are usually cast through the ngertips, this is where the magic nds it easiest to ow through and a caster using any other part of their body counts as having one less familliarity level.

MM Area Area spells cover an area around the caster, or aect everyone around the caster. Unless otherwise specied, the radius of the affected area is 10 X the number of die rolled in meters.

MM [TODO]