Spell Casting

== Chapter One: Casters ==
Mana is all around us. It is in the very air we breathe. You need three things to cast a magic spell:
Fuel: Mana or components that are used to fuel the spell.
Activator: A catalyst that triggers that spell to start.
Medium: What the spell is being casted on.
There are certain people that are naturally born with the necessary fuel and can use an activator to cast a spell. There are others that completely lack the natural capacity to store the necessary fuel or lack the ability to use an activator to cast normally.
Such casters must learn how to expand their natural fuel pool or use an external fuel. Some do this by using the blessings of mana from a patron. Some utilize mana siphoning devices. Some simply have to “stretch” their natural mana pool to get it to the capacity that will allow them to cast.
Most “natural born” casters are not born with the knowledge of which activators they are capable of using and must learn how to activate their mana or risk it activating during inappropriate times. Other people must study diligently to learn to use even basic verbal spells, gestures, scripts, runes, or other such external activators to activate a spell.
Contrary to popular belief, Activators are not an internal thing innate to an individual, they are simply methods of activating spells. Catalysts. Similarly to Affinities however, some individuals are born with more ability to use some Activators over others, or have no talent in their use at all and most train extensively or make use of Focuses instead.
== Chapter Two: Types of Casting ==
=== Verbal ===
Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power, rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion.
=== Somatic ===
Many spells require the caster to make a motion to cast a spell. If the caster is unable to make the correct motion, the spell could not be cast. Wearing armor or using a shield interferes with the somatic components of arcane spells, creating a risk of spell failures.
=== Material ===
A material Component consists of one or more physical objects or substances. Once the spell is cast, the material component is annihilated. However, a spellcaster could often use a focus to substitute for such components, and it would not be consumed by the spell. Casters who wielded priestly magic usually used a divine focus, which had higher spiritual significance than the standard focus.
=== Affinity ===
Some casters are more naturally attuned to different types of mana than others. There are other types of mana that are completely incompatible with a person’s body. For example, someone might be able to cast a fire spell, might have difficulty casting a lightning spell and no ability to cast a light spell.
=== Magic Items and Focuses ===
Magic items have one or more of the main components of casting a spell. Some of the more simplified ones have an activator that absorbs the natural mana from the air to cast a simple spell but can do little else. Higher Tier items have much greater capabilities. However, they are expensive to make and often require more mana than can be absorbed from the area around. Attempts to use such items can result in the death of the inexperienced caster or nearby creatures due to severe mana energy drain.
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