More advanced manipulations can only be studied and used by sorcerers, that is, adventurers with a minimum Magic Category Skills Modifier of +10 that have entered or completed an apprenticeship. These manipulations nor-mally have a linear effect, that is, each point adds the same additional effect as the previous one. However, if a point of POW is spent at the same time the manipulation is used, a more dramatic effect occurs, the exact nature of which varies with the manipulation.
Common Advanced Manipulations
The two common advanced manipulations are Duration and Range. Both are hard Magic skills with a base of 0%.
Along with Intensity, they form the basic manipulations of sorcery, known to nearly all schools of sorcery. The maxi-mum total levels of Intensity, Duration or Range that can be added to a spell to manipulate it is equal to the caster's spell skill divided by ten.
DURATION
This manipulation skill allows the caster to increase the duration of a sorcery spell. Each level of Duration added
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to a spell adds 10 minutes to its duration. In the case of spells with a base duration greater than 10 minutes, that amount of time is added for each level of Duration added instead. Thus, a spell with 3 levels of Duration added has a duration of 40 minutes (assuming its base duration is 10 minutes). The manipulation has no effect on Instant spells.
The maximum level of Duration that can be added to a spell is equal to the caster's Duration skill divided by ten, or the caster's spell skill divided by ten, whichever is lower.
Each level of Duration added to a spell costs 1 MP.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, the base duration increases by a factor of 10, and each level of Duration doubles the spell's duration (see table below).
Duration Table
This manipulation skill allows the caster to increase the range of a sorcery spell. Each level of Range added to a spell increases its range by 25 meters. Thus, a spell with 2 levels of Range added has a range of 75 meters. The manipulation has no effect on Touch range spells.
The maximum level of Range that can be added to a spell is equal to the caster's Range skill divided by ten, or the caster's spell skill divided by ten, whichever is lower.
Each level of Range added to a spell costs 1 MP.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, the base range increases by a factor of 10, and each level of Range dou-bles the spell's duration (see table below).
Range Table
Other Advanced Manipulations
Somewhat less common are the advanced manipulations of Combine, Ease, Hold, Maintain, Multispell and Speed.
All are hard Magic skills with a base of 0%. Not all schools teach them. There is no limit to the number and amount of these manipulations can be used to manipulate a spell other than the caster's skill in the manipulation divided by ten.
COMBINE
This manipulation skill allows the caster to combine two or more sorcery spells into a single spell. This manipula-tion is an excepmanipula-tion to the rule that one does not normally roll against manipulation skills to cast a spell, as the chance to cast the combined spell is equal to the lowest of the spell skills used. Each spell can be manipulated sepa-rately by other manipulation skills, but the Combined spell cannot have more total levels of Intensity, Range or Duration than the caster's Combine skill divided by 10.
The MP cost of the combined spell is simply calculated by adding the MP cost of each spell together. The casting time is equal to the caster's DEX SR plus the total cost in MP in SR. Manipulations such as Ease or Speed will affect only one of the combined spells (the caster chooses which), reducing the overall MP cost or SR of the combined spell.
If used to combine attack spells, only a single MP vs. POW roll is made to see if the combined spell overcame its target.
Typical uses are to cast a number of spells at a single foe, or to combine two or more spells to achieve an unusual effect, such as multiple illusions, or projecting more than once sense at once, or shielding a spell against detection by casting a Resist Magic as part of the spell.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, each component spell gains twice the lowest Intensity, Range and Duration of the component spells cast (retaining its own Intensity, Range or Duration if this is greater).
EASE
This manipulation skill allows the caster to cast a sorcery spell for half the MP it would have normally taken by spending twice the time (in SR) he normally would have.
The caster cannot manipulate a spell in this manner that has had more total levels of Intensity, Range and Duration than the caster's Ease skill divided by ten.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, the spell costs 0 MP and is cast at the normal SR for the spell, regardless of the amount of manipulation used or the MP it would have normally cost.
HOLD
This manipulation skill allows the caster to hold a single sorcery spell ready to cast. The spell cannot have more total levels of manipulation added to it than the caster's Hold skill divided by ten. The spell costs the same number of MP it would have normally, but takes twice as long as normal to cast (in SR). Instead of triggering at that point, it is held instead, ready to be released. Treat the concen-tration required at this point as if the caster were
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concentrating on an active spell. When released, the spell goes off at the caster's DEX SR, regardless of the amount of manipulation or MP used to cast the spell. A spell remains held only as long as the sorcerer maintains his or her concentration. A held spell is lost if the sorcerer fails a concentration roll, is knocked unconscious or dies. It may not be dispelled, however.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, the held spell gains an independent existence, remaining hung for use indefi-nitely, freeing the caster to hold another spell. Any number of spells may be hung in this manner, each costing an addi-tional point of POW. A spell hung in this manner is only lost if the caster dies, and may not be dispelled. However, once the a spell hung in this manner is triggered, it is gone forever.
MAINTAIN
This manipulation skill allows the caster to indefinitely maintain a single spell cast on himself or another with no more Intensity and Range added to it than the casters M a i n t a i n skill divided by ten. The spell costs the same number of MP it would have normally, but takes twice as long as normal to cast (in SR). In addition, it must be fed the number of MP it cost every additional full day it is maintained. If the caster is suddenly knocked unconscious or dies, any maintained spells cease to exist. The manipu-lation has no effect on Instant spells.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time the maintained spell is granted a partially independent existence. Such spells are more difficult to dispel (double their Intensity for the purpose of resisting dispelling), and only cease to exist if the caster dies. They no longer need normal main-tenance, freeing the caster to maintain another spell.
A n y number of spells may be independently main-tained in this manner, each costing an additional point of POW. However, the independently maintained spell must still draw upon a source of MP to last for more than a day.
The spell's caster is normally the source of these MP, but they are automatically drawn from the caster's personal MP, effectively reducing the caster's daily MP recovery rate by the MP it took to cast the spell. If this provides insufficient MP to power the spell (or spells), they begin to reduce the caster's MP. If the caster does not wish for his MP to drop below his POW, he cannot maintain indepen-dent spells costing more MP than he has POW. In any case, he cannot maintain independent spells costing MP equal to or greater than twice his POW (as this would reduce his MP to 0).
MULTISPELL
This manipulation skill allows the caster to affect multiple targets with a single spell. The spell can be manipulated separately by other manipulation skills, and the MP cost is simply calculated by adding the MP cost of each spell together. The casting time is DEX SR plus the MP expended in SR. One cannot cast more spells than the caster's Multispell skill divided by ten (thus one must know Multispell to at least 15% for it to be useful), nor
can any spell have a higher level of manipulation than the caster's Multispell skill divided by 10.
It is typically used to cast a number of spells at a group of foes. If backing to penetrate defenses, the MP used to back must be spread out among the different spells cast.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, each component spell gains twice the lowest Intensity, Range and Duration of the component spells cast (retaining its own Intensity, Range or Duration if this is greater).
SPEED
This manipulation skill allows the caster cast a spell in half the time (in SR) it would have normally taken by spending twice the MP he normally would have. The caster cannot manipulate a spell in this manner that has more total levels of Intensity, Range and Duration than the caster's Speed skill divided by ten.
If 1 POW is spent at the same time, the spell only costs the number of MP it would have normally, but goes off on the caster's DEX SR, regardless of the amount of manipu-lation or number of MP used with the spell.
Example
A sorcerer with 16 DEX, Neutralize Magic 75%, Intensity 64%, Duration 38%, and Range 51% has a 75% chance to cast Neutralize Magic and can add up to 8 levels of Intensity, Duration or Range to the spell (7.5 rounded to the nearest whole number). His manipulation skills limit him to adding up to 6 levels of Intensity (6.4 rounded to the nearest whole number), 4 levels of Duration (3.8 rounded), or 5 levels of Range (5.1 rounded). The chance to successfully cast the spell is 75%, regardless of the amount or type of manipulation used.
A typical Neutralize Magic spell cast with the full manipulation available to the sorcerer might have 6 levels of Intensity and 2 levels of Range added. The spell would have a 75% chance of being cast, have Intensity 7 and a 75 meter range, and cost 9 MP. It would take 11 SR to cast (2 + 9), so it would go off on SR 1 of the following melee round. If the sorcerer knew Speed at 85%, he could opt to expend 18 MP but have the spell go off at SR 6.
Conversely, if the sorcerer knew Ease at 85%, he could opt to expend only 5 MP, but have the spell go off in 22 SR (on SR 2 of the third melee round).
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