Magic
Wizard Spells
Casting a wizard spell is a very complicated ordeal. The process of learning the correct procedure to cast a spell is difficult and taxing to the mind. Thus, a wizard must check to see if he learns each new spell (according to his Intelligence). Furthermore, there is a limit to just how much of this strangeness--illogical mathematics, alchemical chemistry, structuralist linguistics--a wizard's mind can comprehend, and so he must live with a limit to the number of spells he can know. See Intelligence table.
Once a wizard memorizes a spell, it remains in his memory (as potential energy) until he uses the prescribed components to trigger the release of the energy patterns. Upon casting, the energy of the spell is spent, wiped clean from the wizard's mind. The mental patterns are lost until the wizard studies and memorizes that spell again.
The number of spells a wizard can memorize is given by his level; he can memorize the same spell more than once, but each memorization counts as one spell toward his daily memorization limit.
Memorization is not a thing that happens immediately. The wizard must have a clear head gained from a restful night's sleep and then has to spend time studying his spell books. See Daily Spell Recovery.
Spells remain memorized until they are cast or wiped from the character's mind by a spell or magical item. A wizard cannot choose to forget a memorized spell to replace it with another one. He can cast a spell just to cleanse his mind for another spell, but the wizard does not get experience for this.
Acquisition of Spells Beyond 1st Level
Once a character has begun adventuring, he won't be able to have additional spell books instantly appear each time he goes up in level. Instead, the player character must find some way to get additional higher level spells.
Whenever a wizard discovers instructions for a spell he doesn't know, he can try to read and understand the instructions using the "Read Magic" spell. The player must roll percentile dice. If the result is equal to or less than the percentage chance (see Intelligence table) to learn a new spell, the character understands the spell and how to cast it. He can then enter the spell in his spell book (unless he has already learned the maximum number of spells allowed for that level) using the "Write" spell. If this die roll is higher than the character's chance to learn the spell, he doesn't understand the spell. Once a spell is learned, it cannot be unlearned. It remains part of that character's repertoire forever. Thus, a character cannot choose to "forget" a spell so as to replace it with another.
There are several ways a wizard can learn new spells.
Gaining Levels
First, whenever a character attains a new spell level, the player may choose one new spell to learn immediately. The player must roll to see if they can learn it, (see Intelligence table) and if they fail that roll, they must add that spell to their list of never-can-learn spells, and pick another. The character can continue to attempt learning until they succeed with one spell.
If the character is a specialist in a school of magic, the new spell must be from that school--if there is a spell available.
Copying from Spell Books
The second way to acquire new spells is to copy them from the spell books of other wizards. A character can copy from other player characters (if they will allow it), pay NPC wizards for the privilege, or take them from captured spell books. They might even return to their old mentor, or find a new one, and with luck, copy a few spells out of his master's spell book. This is entirely at the DMs discretion. When copying spells, a character must roll to see if the character can learn the spell, as above. No character can copy a spell of a level he cannot cast, unless they have some extraordinary magical aid.
Scroll Research
Third, a character can research a spell using a scroll with the same spell as a base. The time and cost required for the research is half normal (see Magical Research) and the player character must still check to see if he can learn the spell. Regardless of the success or failure of the research, the scroll is destroyed--the wizard had to read it aloud to analyze its effects.
Scroll research cannot be done in an adventuring situation. The wizard must have carefully controlled conditions even to attempt it.
Spell Books
When a wizard has completed his apprenticeship, his mentor will usually help him create his first book of spells, which can contain spells up to the 3rd level. As the wizard learns new spells, he records their arcane notes into his spell books. He needs to use the Write spell to do this. Without spell books, a wizard cannot memorize new spells. Within them are all his instructions for memorizing and casting all the spells he knows.
He can attempt to enter a spell into his books that is higher in level than he can cast, but there are inherent dangers in doing so. See the description for the Write spell for details.
A character's spellbooks may be thick tomes of carefully inked parchment, crackling scrolls in bulky cases, or even weighty clay tablets. They are almost never convenient to carry around.
Many wizards choose to have a "master" copy of their spellbook hidden in some safe place, and do their adventuring with some lighter weight "traveling" books. Traveling books cost more to produce than a standard spell book, but are lighter.
Summary of Spell Book Statistics
| Standard | Traveling | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (# of spells): | ||
| 1-3 Level | 24 | 6 |
| 4-6 Level | 16 | 4 |
| 7-9 Level | 8 | 2 |
| Cost: | 1000 g.p.* | 500 g.p.* |
| Time to Make: | 4-7 weeks | 2-5 weeks |
| Size: | 16"x12"x6" (1152 cu in) | 12"x6"x1" (72 cu in) |
| Weight: | 15 lb. | 3 lb. |
| Encumbrance: | 45 lb. | 6 lb. |
| Encumbrance per Spell Level: | ||
| 1-3 Level | 2 lb. | 1 lb. |
| 4-6 Level | 3 lb. | 1.5 lb. |
| 7-9 Level | 5.6 lb. | 3 lb. |
| * plus the cost of the special ink required to write spells with - typically 150 g.p. / spell level | ||
Illusions
Of all spells, those of the illusion school cause the most problems. Not that they are more difficult for your player character to cast, but these spells are more difficult for you to role-play and for your DM to adjudicate. Illusions rely on the idea of believability, which in turn relies on the situation and the state of mind of the victim. Your DM must determine this for NPCs, which is perhaps an easier job. You must role-play this for your character.
Spells of this school fall into two basic groups, illusions and phantasms. Illusions are creations that manipulate light, color, shadow, sound, and sometimes even scent. Higher level illusions tap energy from other planes, and are actually quasi-real, being woven of extradimensional energies by the caster. Common illusions create appearances; they cannot make a creature or object look like nothing (i.e., invisible), but they can conceal objects by making them look like something else.
Phantasms exist only in the minds of their victims; these spells are never even quasi-real. (The exceptions to this are the phantasmal force spells, which are actually illusions rather than phantasms.) Phantasms act upon the mind of the victim to create an intense reaction--fear being most common.
The key to successful illusions or phantasms is believability, which depends on three main factors: what the caster attempts, what the victim expects, and what is happening at the moment the spell is cast. By combining the information from these three areas, the player and the DM should be able to create and adjudicate reasonable illusions and phantasms.
An illusion spell depends on its believability. Believability is determined by the situation and a saving throw. Under normal circumstances, those observing the illusion are allowed a saving throw vs. spell if they actively disbelieve the illusion. For player characters, disbelieving is an action in itself and takes a round. For NPCs and monsters, a normal saving throw is made if the DM deems it appropriate. The DM can give bonuses or penalties to this saving throw as he thinks appropriate. If the caster has cleverly prepared a realistic illusion, this certainly results in penalties on the victim's saving throw. If the victim were to rely more on scent than sight, on the other hand, it could gain bonuses to its saving throw. If the saving throw is passed, the victim sees the illusion for what it is. If the saving throw is failed, the victim believes the illusion. A good indication of when player characters should receive a positive modifier to their saving throws is when they say they don't believe what they see, especially if they can give reasons why.
There are rare instances when the saving throw may automatically succeed or fail. There are times when the illusion created is either so perfect or so utterly fantastic as to be impossible even in a fantasy world. Be warned, these occasions are very rare and you should not expect your characters to benefit from them more than once or twice.
In many encounters, some party members will believe an illusion while others see it for what it really is. In these cases, revealing the truth to those deluded by the spell is not a simple matter of telling them. The magic of the spell has seized their minds. Considered from their point of view, they see a horrible monster (or whatever) while a friend is telling them it isn't real. They know magic can affect people's minds, but whose mind has been affected in this case? At best, having an illusion pointed out grants another saving throw with a +4 bonus.
Illusions do have other limitations. The caster must maintain a show of reality at all times when conducting an illusion. (If a squad of low-level fighters is created, the caster dictates their hits, misses, damage inflicted, apparent wounds, and so forth, and the referee decides whether the bounds of believability have been exceeded.) Maintaining an illusion normally requires concentration on the part of the caster, preventing him from doing other things. Disturb him and the illusion vanishes.
Illusions are spells of trickery and deceit, not damage and destruction. Thus, illusions cannot be used to cause real damage. When a creature is caught in the blast of an illusionary fireball, struck by the claws of an illusionary troll, or when an illusion creates a situation of inescapable death, such as a giant block dropping from the ceiling, he thinks he takes damage. The DM will record the illusionary damage (but tell the player his character has taken real damage). All those believing the illusion must roll for system shock. If they fail, they are reduced to zero hit points and become catatonic [ This catatonic state will remain until the character recieves magical healing of some sort. ] -- 'killed' by the sheer terror of the situation. If they pass, they are allowed a new saving throw with a +4 bonus. Those who pass recognize the illusion for what it is. Those who fail faint for 1d3 turns. Once they wake up, they will recognize the illusion for what it was.
Illusions do not enable characters to defy normal physical laws. An illusionary bridge cannot support a character who steps on it, even if he believes the bridge is real. An illusionary wall does not actually cause a rock thrown at it to bounce off. However, affected creatures attempt to simulate the reality of what they see as much as possible. A character who falls into an illusionary pit drops to the ground as if he had fallen. A character may lean against an illusionary wall, not realizing that he isn't actually putting his weight on it. If the same character were suddenly pushed, he would find himself falling through the very wall he thought was solid!
Illusions of creatures do not automatically behave like those creatures, nor do they have those creatures' powers. This depends on the caster's ability and the victim's knowledge of the creatures. Illusionary creatures fight using the caster's combat ability. They take damage and die when their caster dictates it. An illusory orc could continue to fight, showing no damage, even after it had been struck a hundred or a thousand times. Of course, long before this its attackers will become suspicious. Illusionary creatures can have whatever special abilities the caster can make appear (i.e., a dragon's fiery breath or a troll's regeneration), but they do not necessarily have unseen special abilities. There is no way a caster can create the illusion of a basilisk's gaze that turns people to stone. However, these abilities might be manifested through the fears of the victims. For example, Rath the fighter meets an illusionary basilisk. Rath has fought these beasties before and knows what they can do. His gaze accidentally locks with that of the basilisk. Primed by his own fears, Rath must make a system shock roll to not believe he was turned to stone. But if Rath had never seen a basilisk and had no idea that the creature's gaze could turn him to stone, there is no way his mind could generate the fear necessary to kill him. Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
Priest Spells
Priests must pray to obtain spells, as they are requesting their abilities from some greater power, be it their deity or some intermediary agent of this power. The conditions for praying are identical to those needed for the wizard's studying.
Like the wizard, the priest's level determines how many spells he retains. He must select these spells in advance, demonstrating his wisdom and far-sightedness by choosing those spells he thinks will be most useful in the trials that lurk ahead. See "Spell Substitution" below for exceptions to this.
Unlike the wizard, the priest needs no spell book and does not roll to see if he learns spells. Priest spells are obtained in an entirely different manner. To obtain his spells, a priest must be faithful to the cause of his deity. If the priest feels confident in this (and most do), he can pray for his spells. Through prayer, the priest humbly and politely requests those spells he wishes to memorize. Under normal circumstances, these spells are then granted.
A priest's spell selection is limited by his level and by the different spheres of spells. (The spheres of influence, into which priest spells are divided, can be found in the Cleric section.) Within the spheres of his deity's influence, a priest can use any spell of a given level when he is able to cast spells of that level. Thus, a druid is able to cast any 2nd-level plant sphere spells when he is able to cast 2nd-level spells. For spells not within the spheres of the priest's deity, he can cast spells only up to 4th level. The knowledge of what spells are available to the priest becomes instantly clear as soon as he advances in level. This, too, is bestowed by his deity.
Finally, not all deities are equal, so that those of lesser power are unable to grant certain spells. Powers of demi-god status can only grant spells up to the 5th spell level. Lesser deities can grant 6th-level spells, while the greater deities have all spell levels available to them. You should inquire about this at the time you create your character (and decide which deity he worships), to prevent any unwelcome surprises later on.
Spell Substitution
Priests may find on occasion that their spell selection was a little "off". They might, for instance, find an urgent need for a healing spell to save a companion. Unlike wizards, priests (in good standing with their deity) can be granted spells instantly by "giving up" a spell of higher level.
Example: Clarence the cleric has run out of healing spells when his party has an encounter with a pack of orcs wherein Bob the barbarian is grieviously wounded. Clarence does have "Detect Charm", a second level spell memorized. A quick prayer to his deity will allow Clarence to "trade in" the second level "Detect Charm" spell for a first level "Cure Light Wounds" spell, which will save Bob's life.
Casting Spells
Both wizards and priests use the same rules for casting spells. To cast a spell, the character must first have the spell memorized. If it is not memorized, the spell cannot be cast. (See "Spell Substitution" above for exceptions to this for priests.) The caster must be able to speak (not under the effects of a silence spell or gagged) and have both arms free. (Note that the spell component rule [following section] can modify these conditions.) If the spell is targeted on a person, place, or thing, the caster must be able to see the target. It is not enough to cast a fireball 150 feet ahead into the darkness; the caster must be able to see the point of explosion and the intervening distance. Likewise, a magic missile (which always hits its target) cannot be fired into a group of bandits with the instruction to strike the leader; the caster must be able to identify and see the leader.
Once the casting has begun, the character must stand reasonably still. Casting cannot be accomplished while riding a roughly moving beast or a vehicle, unless special efforts are made to stabilize and protect the caster. Thus, a spell cannot be cast from the back of a galloping horse under any conditions, nor can a wizard or priest cast a spell on the deck of a ship during a storm. However, if the caster were below decks, protected from the wind and surging waves, he could cast a spell. While it is not normally possible to cast a spell from a moving chariot, a character who was steadied and supported by others could do so. Your DM will have to make a ruling in these types of extraordinary conditions.
During the round in which the spell is cast, the caster cannot move to dodge attacks. Therefore, no AC benefit from Dexterity is gained by spellcasters while casting spells. Furthermore, if the spellcaster is struck by a weapon or fails to make a saving throw before the spell is cast, the caster's concentration is disrupted. The spell is lost in a fizzle of useless energy and is wiped clean from the memory of the caster until it can be rememorized. Spellcasters are well advised not to stand at the front of any battle, at least if they want to be able to cast any spells!
Spell Components
When your character casts a spell, it is assumed that he is doing something to activate that spell. He may utter a few words, wave his hand around a couple of times, wiggle his toes, swallow a live spider, etc.
The requirements to cast a spell are divided into three groups: verbal, somatic (gestures), and material. Each spell description lists what combination of these components is needed to cast a spell. Verbal components require the caster to speak clearly (not be silenced in any way); somatic components require free gestures (thus, the caster cannot be bound or held); material components must be tossed, dropped, burned, eaten, broken, or whatever for the spell to work. While there is no specific description of the words and gestures that must be performed, the material components are listed in the spell descriptions. Some of these are common and easy to obtain. Others represent items of great value or scarcity. Whatever the component, it is automatically destroyed or lost when the spell is cast, unless the spell description specifically notes otherwise.
Your wizard or priest must have these items to cast the spell. Without them, he is helpless, even if the spell is memorized. For simplicity of play, it is best to assume that any spellcaster with any sense has a supply of the common items he is likely to need--wax, feathers, paint, sand, sticks, and fluff, for example. For expensive and rare items, special efforts must be made to obtain these items. After all, you simply cannot assume your character has a valuable pearl handy whenever he needs one!
The three different aspects of spell components also change the conditions under which your character can cast his spells. No longer does he need to be able to speak, move, and use some item. He only needs to fulfill the required components. Thus, a spell with only a verbal component could be used by a naked, bound spellcaster. One requiring only gestures could be cast even within the radius of a silence spell. Most spells require a combination of components, but clever spellcasters often create new spells that need only a word or a gesture, enabling them to take their enemies by surprise.
Daily Spell Recovery
Spell recovery, whether priest or wizard, requires about the same period of time. In order to pray and meditate for a new spell to replace one used, or in order to study and memorize such a spell, it is necessary that the spell-user rest and revitalize his or her mental faculties. Whether one or more spells are to be regained, the minimum time required for complete rest (usually sleep) is that required for the highest spell to be recovered. Minimum rest periods are shown below:
| SPELL LEVEL | 1 - 2 | 3-4 | 5 - 6 | 7-8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest Time | 4 hours | 6 hours | 8 hours | 10 hours | 12 hours |
Once rested, an additional 1 turn (10 minutes) per level of spell must be spent in study/prayer and meditation in order to memorize/acquire the ability to cast each spell.
Magical Research
Magical research can be used to create new spells, or to "discover" one that is currently listed. The cost for the latter is 50% of the cost of creating a new spell. Spell research can also be used to exceed the normal Intelligence limit for the number of spells in the wizard's book. In other words, If a wizard has learned all the spells he could normally know by virtue of his intelligence, he can exceed that number by conducting research on that spell.
Research Time
Base time is 2 weeks per spell level. At the end of that time, wizards roll for their chance to learn as per the Intelligence Table, and priests roll less than their wisdom on a d20. If they succeed, the spell is ready, and they can write it into their spellbook(s) using the Write spell. If they fail, they need to research another week, after which they can try again. They continue week by week until they succeed or give up.
Cost of Spell Research
Base cost is 200 + (1d4x100) gp per week, IF the researcher owns their own lab. The cost is 10 times that if using someone else's lab/research library.
Players may choose to use the figures in the table below as is, or roll for expenses for each week of research.
Labs cost 1000gp / level of the highest spell level that they are to be used for researching. They can be built incrementally, so a 3rd level wizard could build a "2d level" lab for 2000gp, and later "upgrade" it.
Summary of Average (Minimum) Spell Research Time / Cost
| Spell Level | Research Time | New Spell | Existing Spell | Scroll Spell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1000 gp | 500 gp | 250 gp |
| 2 | 4 | 2000 gp | 1000 gp | 500 gp |
| 3 | 6 | 3000 gp | 1500 gp | 750 gp |
| 4 | 8 | 4000 gp | 2000 gp | 1000 gp |
| 5 | 10 | 5000 gp | 2500 gp | 1250 gp |
| 6 | 12 | 6000 gp | 3000 gp | 1500 gp |
| 7 | 14 | 7000 gp | 3500 gp | 1750 gp |
| 8 | 16 | 8000 gp | 4000 gp | 2000 gp |
| 9 | 18 | 9000 gp | 4500 gp | 2250 gp |
Research Time -- Minimum time in weeks required to research the spell.
New Spell -- Average Total Cost to research a new (made up by the character) spell.
Existing Spell -- Average Total Cost to research a known (published in DMG, etc) spell.
Scroll Spell -- Average Total Cost to research a spell found on a scroll.
Potion Manufacture
Potions can be created by any Wizard or Cleric of 7th level or above, with the help of an alchemist (300gp/month). Cost to produce is equal to the x.p. value listed in the table below. Number of days to produce is equal to the x.p. value / 100, rounded up. For example, a Potion of Fire Resistance would cost 250 gp and take three days to produce. Most potions also need one or more special ingredients, which will most likely add to the cost.
See List of Potions| Item | XP Value |
|---|---|
| Animal Control* | 250 |
| Clairaudience | 250 |
| Clairvoyance | 300 |
| Climbing | 300 |
| Diminution | 300 |
| Dragon Control* | 700 |
| Elixir of Health | 350 |
| Elixir of Youth | 500 |
| ESP | 500 |
| Extra-healing | 400 |
| Fire Breath | 400 |
| Fire Resistance | 250 |
| Flying | 500 |
| Gaseous Form | 300 |
| Giant Control* | 600 |
| Giant Strength* (Warrior) | 550 |
| Growth | 250 |
| Healing | 200 |
| Heroism (Warrior) | 300 |
| Human Control* | 500 |
| Invisibility | 250 |
| Invulnerability (Warrior) | 350 |
| Levitation | 250 |
| Longevity | 500 |
| Oil of Acid Resistance | 500 |
| Oil of Disenchantment | 750 |
| Oil of Elemental Invulnerability* | 500 |
| Oil of Etherealness | 600 |
| Oil of Fiery Burning | 500 |
| Oil of Impact | 750 |
| Oil of Slipperiness | 400 |
| Oil of Timelessness | 500 |
| Philter of Glibness | 500 |
| Philter of Love | 200 |
| Philter of Persuasiveness | 400 |
| Plant Control | 250 |
| Polymorph Self | 200 |
| Rainbow Hues | 200 |
| Speed | 200 |
| Super-heroism (Warrior) | 450 |
| Sweet Water | 200 |
| Treasure Finding | 600 |
| Undead Control* | 700 |
| Ventriloquism | 200 |
| Vitality | 300 |
| Water Breathing | 400 |
Writing Scrolls
Scrolls can be written by 7th level Wizards or Priests. Preparation time is 1 day per spell level of the spell being inscribed. Usually a rare and special quill must be used, and the ink costs the usual 150 g.p. / spell level of the spell being inscribed.
Spellcasters may only inscribe spells to which they themselves have access.