Spellcasting characters may attempt to cast any spell effect they know at any time they desire. If the spell effect is not known to the character they must locate a written version with instructions of the spell or ritual. These spells and rituals take far longer to cast than a known spell effect. The basic rules for casting spells do not include this ritualistic casting process, but is similar in several regards. For greater details on casting unknown spells see the section on rituals later on in this chapter.
The first step is to determine which spell effect is actually being used. While some spell effects are similar in final effect; many have different methods of reaching that goal. For example: Flight and Winged flight both propel the subject into the air, but one causes wings to grow from the character while the other simply allows flight.
Depending upon the situation the character may wish to cause fear by screaming down upon hapless villagers with huge bat wings or simply fly out of trouble quietly.
Once the desired spell effect has been chosen, the magician must determine if any modifications to the spell are required. Most spells have the possibility of increased range, effect, number of targets, or other enhancements.
The description of the spell effect will detail if the caster can select from a variety of Spell Perks. Spell Perks are a bonus to mages who surpass the basic knowledge required in their
chosen discipline to cast a spell. Magicians who exceed the minimum skill rating for a spell effect may choose to increase aspects of a spell (injury, effect, range, area of effect, etc.) by a set amount. Often this change is in the form of a multiple of the original stat. Most spell perks will increase the spell’s drain by 5 for every additional spell perk. Not all common spell perks are available for every spell effect. The specific spell effect description will mention any alterations to the common perks.
Spell perks are granted for every full 20 skill rating above the minimum required for a spell effect. These are free, and represent the exceptional skill that a character has within that specific spell effect. Additional spell perks can be purchased or acquired in various ways. Critical successes in spell casting or spell learning may grant free spell perks for certain success rolls. 1 Drama Pool Point can be spent to acquire a single additional spell perk for a single casting.
Players may also spend 10 option or experience points to purchase a permanent additional spell perk for a single spell effect.
Characters that take additional time to cast a spell may also earn additional spell perks. One additional spell perk can be earned for every three extra phases of casting time. A character may earn one additional spell perk at level two, and up to two at level 4. Any additional time is wasted.
Common Spell Perks
Drain – Drain can be lessened for the spell by 5 points per allocated spell perk. No spell can be reduced to less than five using this method. This modified drain applies to both standard and continual drain.
Easier Casting – Spell perks can be used to grant a bonus to the caster when casting a spell effect they know very well. This can be extremely helpful when Spell Drain has taken its toll upon the caster and the unmodified chance is too low for comfort.
Each spell perk allocated towards easier casting will grant a bonus of +10 to the skill roll. This perk does not increase the Drain of the spell.
Masking – The spell’s resonance signature can be altered by a talented mage. Each spell perk allocated to the masking of a spell will incur a cumulative penalty of -10 to anyone attempting to identify the resonance of the obscured spell.
Alternatively the caster may choose to alter the power level of the signature, changing a simple spell’s resonance into seemingly a spell of legend. Each spell perk allocated to this form of masking will increase or decrease the minimum skill required by 20. The penalty of anyone trying to untangle this form of masking will suffer a penalty of -20 per spell perk.
Quicker Casting – Spell perks can be used to shorten the required time to quick cast a spell.
The casting time is reduced by one for every
allocated spell perk. The shortest amount of time in which a spell can be cast is a single phase. This spell perk does not increase the Drain of the spell.
Range – A spell’s range can be increased in multiples of the original range. One additional spell perk doubles the range, two allocated perks will triple the range, etc. Spells with a range of Self can be changed into a Touch spell with the allocation of two spell perks. A spell with a range of Touch can have a range of 10’ per level of experience with the allocation of two spell perks.
Allocations of spell perks can be cumulative, so four spell perks will transform a self spell into a spell with a 10’ per level range. GMs should be aware that some self spells may require additional resistance rolls that were not considered with the Self spell range.
Reduced Resistance – The target often receives a resistance save to avoid or reduce the effect of a spell effect. Each allocated spell perks will reduce the resistance with a penalty of -10 to save with attribute rolls. Spells that have irregular resistance rolls will lower the resistance percentage by 10%
of the standard save. Examples of irregular saves include the Alter series of spell effects under Enchantment that give items a certain chance to resist.
Spell Strength – Most spells are vulnerable to others that will negate or dispel them. In most cases, the spells will roll contested skill checks using the caster’s skill rating in the appropriate discipline. This spell perk will grant a bonus of +10 for each spell perk allocated to this contested roll. This can be applied to any spell of negation or to any spell that may be negated.
Targets – Most spells have a single target that is affected. Each additional spell perk can be used to increase the number of individuals affected by one. Self spells cannot be increased in this way until they have at least a range of touch. Spells that already have an Area of Effect can be increased by an equal area or volume for an additional spell perk.
Another common modification of a spell effect is known as a Charm. Charms are very quick spells that have a very short duration, limited effect, and are often used in combat or as reflexive actions. If a spell effect has a Charm variant it will be listed in the description. Charms always have a casting time of one phase which can never be modified. Charms also have a maximum duration of one phase for each level of experience the wizard has attained.
The Drain of a Charm is always five. Charms should not be confused with Quick Casting of a normal length spell.
There are no additional skill requirements for casting a Charm; instead it is a reduced version of the normal spell effect.
In addition to modifiers of the wizards choosing,
there may be situations where the caster is unwillingly hampered. The following chart details some of the most common penalties. Some of these penalties can be negated by learning a spell effect with certain modifications. This is detailed later in this chapter under the section on learning spells.
Condition Modifier
Only one hand free - 50 (Additional +5 chance to fumble)
No hands free - 100 (Additional +10 chance to fumble)
Arms Restrained - 20
Gagged - 80 (Additional +10 chance to fumble)
Completely Silenced - 100 (Additional +10 chance to fumble)
Lacking a spell-crutch - 100 (Additional +10 chance to fumble) Using Resonant Item + 10 per item up to three
All spells and rituals have a limit based upon the range of the spell. The range of the spell is commonly a touch or a distance in feet that reflects the maximum distance the spell can travel from caster to target. Most spells also require a direct line of sight between the caster and the target. This line of sight must remain unbroken.
Spells that enhance the vision of the caster may be used to increase the line of sight distance, to the maximum range of the spell.
Spells, effects, options, or technology that grants a view of a target is rarely considered direct line of sight.
Some scrying and observational effects may allow spells to be cast as if they were a new point of contact. Area effect spells do not require a direct line of sight to affect an entire area, but does require the mage to have a solid grasp of the targeted area. Someone locked into a windowless cell would not be able to target anything outside. In addition, sympathetic magic can be used to target a specific individual regardless of line of sight. Sympathetic magic requires a portion of the target or a true name to be effective.
Once all of the modifications to the spell are determined, then the spell can be cast. Total up all applicable penalties and bonuses that may apply to the wizard. Unless the character is completely refreshed, subtract the current drain pool of the wizard. Don’t forget the base Skill Penalty of the spell effect and any bonuses gained from Spell Perks. Use this total to modify the skill
rating of the discipline used to cast the spell. Roll the skill normally. Failed spells may generally be re-cast up to three times total on the same target per day. Spells in combat that directly injure an opponent are exempt from this limitation.
During spellcasting, the character may roll a critical success or failure. A critical success for a spell is 1/10th the required roll after all penalties and bonuses have been applied. This includes the penalty for the current drain on the caster. A critical success grants the character one bonus Spell Perk to be applied for the spell effect. This spell perk can never be used to reduce the casting time of the spell, but may otherwise be spent on all Spell Perks available for the effect.
Unless the caster has over a 95 chance to cast the spell effect, including all temporary modifiers, they can critically fumble the spell. Those with a modified chance of success over 95 will only fumble if the roll exceeds their current chances or on a roll of 100. This is a special rule for spellcasting designed to keep magic slightly unpredictable.
Any applicable rolls above 95 will automatically fail; this is simply not a critical fumble.
The Game Master must determine the events of the fumble. Effects that are harmful in combat should only stay in effect for a number of phases equal to the Drain of the spell. Annoying and socially hazardous results should last a number of hours equal to the Drain of the spell. We hope this gives you enough ideas to keep spell casting unpredictable and mysterious.
A few sample outcomes include: Drain loss without benefit, unable to cast spells, strikes a random target, casts a reversed version of the spell effect, casts a random spell effect instead, caster suffers injury equal to the Drain, falls unconscious unless a Health roll with the minimum skill requirement as a penalty, stunned, personality reversal, deafened, develops a temporary phobia, amnesia, unable to resist illusions, unable to resist mind control effects, loss of vision, loss of smell or taste, easily enraged, develops a temporary mental illness, forgets how to cast that particular spell, stutters, spoonerisms, strange smells, changes race, changes sex, paralysis, permanent minor appearance change, permanent aging (for more powerful effects), draining of enchanted items on or near caster, clothing and gear changes appearance, random spell effect unknown to caster, activates random runes around the caster, extra-dimensional rift, accidental summoning, or a severing of thaumic links.
Some spells require additional skills to successfully generate the desired results. Scrying and Ranged Strike are good examples of additional skill rolls for certain spells. All spells with a range of touch must actually touch the target.
This requires a hand to hand skill or a Dexterity default roll.
Subjects may always choose to defend normally against such attacks, or opt to negate any applicable Defensive Tactics. If the touch attempt fails, the magic will remain in a potential state for one additional phase per experience level of the caster. This will give the caster a few moments to re-attempt a touch.
During the combat round there is an excellent chance that the caster may be struck for injury. If this occurs, then the caster must make a Concentration skill roll or else the spell fizzles with no Drain cost to the caster. The amount of injury is the penalty to the skill roll. However if the Concentration skill roll is a critical failure, then the spell is considered a fumble, which immediately occurs. A critical success with the Concentration roll will give a bonus of 1/10th the caster’s Concentration skill to the Spell Casting skill roll.
If the Cast Spells skill roll was successful, add the required Drain of the spell into the Drain Pool. Even if the results were ineffective due to a later skill roll or successful save, the drain still accumulates. The more drain in the mage’s Drain Pool, the more tired and exhausted the mage.
This is reflected in a penalty equal to the current drain pool to all of the spell caster’s further spell casting skill rolls.
Drain also affects those who use Banishment, Destroy Undead, and some other WIL based skills. The drain pool is reduced by rest, relaxation, meditation, and sleep. The exact amount recovered varies by the health of the individual and is listed in Step 10 of character creation.
Once the spell has been successfully cast, it is very important to know how long the effect will remain in place.
There are four levels of duration in Alpha Chronicles:
Instant, Short, Continual, and Permanent. Most spells are Continual; unless otherwise specified. Continual spells will remain in effect until the caster decides to cancel the spell or some outside means of spell disruption is applied.
Continual spells have Continual Drain. While the spell is active the wizard will continue to experience the Drain of the spell. This drain is applied once for the casting of the Continual spell, and cannot be refreshed in any way until the spell is canceled. Casters can spend one action to cancel one of their own Continual or Short spells at any time they desire.
E.g. A spell with a drain of 5 is cast upon a target. The spell caster will have a drain of 5 until the spell is canceled. This is regardless of the amount of sleep, rest, or other means normally used to reduce drain. Should the same wizard continue to cast spells, the drain will continue to increase normally.
Instant spells are in effect for about one action.
These spells are usually injury inflicting spells, instant healing effects, and other spells that are instantly effective.
They cannot be canceled or negated because the effect has already ended. Short durations are most often used in Charms but some are used in other spells as well. A spell with a Short duration will remain in effect for one phase per experience level of the caster. The caster can choose to spend one action at any time to cancel the spell.
Permanent spells will always remain in effect.
They are sometimes also called Eternal effects. They can be negated or dispelled, but can never be canceled by their creator. These effects are not very common and are often only able to be cast with powerful rituals. Permanent spells do not have Continual Drain, but may suffer other permanent losses or costs.