Descriptions of spells and prayers

Mana / Favour

This entry states how much mana or favour you must spend.

For some spells (prayers) you can increase the effect or duration by increasing their cost, and then we state the amount of cost spent per piece, per meter, per minute, etc.

Sometimes the cost also depends on the properties of the target, for example on its dangerousness. In such a case you must estimate the amount. If you spend less, the spell or prayer fails.

Cost and size

If a spell / prayer affects the whole character (being), the listed cost always applies to characters of size at most 1. For larger beings you must multiply the required cost by their size.

The size modifier does not apply to psychic spells, curses, telepathy or spells that wound.

On the contrary, it applies to healing spells and enchantments, sense magic, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and the like.

Roll

Roll means the roll to resist the spell (ability), see the earlier description.

Some prayers do not have this chance. If no roll is listed in the description, the victim has no chance to succeed!

Concentrating spell power

If you concentrate more while casting, you can strengthen the spell. For each increase of difficulty by 1, your chance of success drops by 2.

Range

Range in meters states the greatest possible distance between you and the place or character on which you cast the spell (prayer). If the distance is greater, the spell cannot be cast.

A spell (prayer) with range 0 can be cast only on yourself.

Range „Touch“ means that you can cast the spell (prayer) on anyone you touch while casting (thus also on yourself).

With range „Sight“ you must see the target; with earshot the target must hear you (so you cannot cast them silently).

Scope

Scope is the area, volume or number of beings affected by the spell (prayer). If the scope is one being or one item, the spell will affect only the being or item on which it was cast.

A person and their belongings

If you cast a spell that affects the physical substance of a person (or animal), it will not affect the things and items the person carries. Typically, real invisibility hides only the being, but its belongings remain visible. When you enchant someone or turn them into a mouse, their belongings fall off them. If you petrify them, only they turn to stone.

Illusions, on the contrary, also affect belongings, because they control the mind and deceive sight, so an illusion of invisibility or an illusion of transformation will be much more practical.

Offensive spells such as Fireball, Air Fist or Lightning also hit armor (and can damage it).

Character

A character means a person, but also an intelligent animal or another living thinking being, for example a dragon, giant, dwarf or unicorn. These effects do not affect ordinary animals, insects or magical beings.

Living being

The target living being includes people, animals, insects, plants and even some demons. In general, a living being is recognized by being material, reproducing, taking food and breathing (although there are exceptions). Living beings definitely do not include undead (they are the exact opposite of life), elementals and magical beings such as the gorgon or chasfon.

Magical being

A being that could not come into existence or live without magic. The basic group of magical beings are elementals, but also undead and some demons (their existence is completely impossible without magic).

Invocation

Invocation is the time during which you invoke the spell (prayer). While invoking you must not be disturbed, otherwise the spell (prayer) automatically fails.

Long invocation

If you cast a spell or prayer with an invocation time of more than a day, remember certain limitations. During this time your mana and favour do not replenish. You cannot do anything that would disturb you for a longer time (i.e. at most an hour a day), but you can sleep. The success of the spell or prayer is checked only at the very end.

You can interrupt the invocation at any time, but especially with spells an undesirable effect may occur. If someone stuns or kills you while casting, the spell is also interrupted (and the undesirable effects will be much stronger).

Duration

Duration determines the time during which the spell (prayer) is in effect. We state it in rounds, minutes, hours, etc.

Interrupting the effect of a spell or prayer

Once a spell or prayer is cast, it cannot simply be revoked (unless it is directly mentioned in the spell description). You can, however, master this discipline through a feat, or cast the spell with a total success.

Acts (spells only)

They denote the activity you must perform while casting.

Formula - F

Many spells require uttering a magical formula. You cannot cast it if you are silenced or cannot speak.

Note: Prayers always require speaking (F); rituals are marked separately.

Sign - S

These incantations require drawing magical symbols in the air with your hand. If you use a magic staff in one hand, you must have the other hand free!

Will - W

Some spells are cast only by concentrating your will, so you do not have to perform any special acts, nor can anyone tell that you are casting.

Ritual - R

Rituals are among the most complex spells of all. They are very difficult and exhausting, and it also takes several hours or days to prepare them. Learning a ritual spell or prayer is not simple or easy either, and only few will be willing to share this knowledge with you. See the paragraph on rituals.

Practice - dropping an act

If you do not want to or cannot use an act, you get a -10 penalty for Formula or Sign (dropping both acts thus -20).

For removing the need for a Ritual you get a -20 penalty (the Ritual then changes to F+S).

Cumulative spells / prayers

If a spell (prayer) is marked as cumulative, repeated casting increases its effects. See Stacking of spells.