Magic

in the spell. There are four basic types of magic, each with a separate skill devoted
to it: *alteration, apportation,*
conjuration, *and* divination.
Alteration *causes a change in an existing object,*
entity or condition. *Apportation* deals
with movement. *Conjuration* creates
an object, entity, or condition. *Divination*
*perceives and interprets information. The*
skills are akin to verbs in sentences. The magic skill used in a spell
determines what basic effect the spell will have. To create a spell may require
several such “verbs.” For example, *conjuration*
*to create an effect and then* apportation *to move*
it to its target. However, most magicians do not create their own spells but
instead learn them from a *grimoire*
*(magical tome of stored spells).*

### **Types of Magic**

#### **Divination**

The pattern and result knowledges of a spell limits
divination magic. When used to gather or discover information, the pattern
knowledge is the type of information you are discovering; the result knowledge
describes the target of inquiry. *Detect*
folk evil *is a* divination/darkness *spell, with a result of folk. The spell looks for a pattern of darkness*
within folk. When used as a communication spell, the pattern is the source or
medium of the information conveyed, while the result knowledge represents the
recipient of the information. When used as a spell's divination component, the
spell trips the trigger condition when it detects
the pattern knowledge. Because a divination component is not a full spell,
divination components cannot detect the full range of information that
divination spells can. For instance, *detect*
angry dwarf *is a possible variant of*
the *detect folk evil* spell. A divination component could be set up to
detect anger (with darkness as a pattern) or a dwarf (with folk as a pattern),
but the trigger could not be set for only angry dwarves. A divination component
lacks the full state path, and the trigger can only be set for information
wholly covered by its pattern knowledge.

#### **Apportation**

Nature concedes the apportation of physical mass. A
chair moved by magic remains moved even after the spell expires, unless another
force moves it.
Air apported out of a volume would remain
outside the volume, but air would rush to fill a
vacuum no longer maintained by magic. Attributes moved by *apportation magic* return to their original object or kindred once the spell duration
ends. Other intangible properties return if they
cannot naturally be gained or lost in a short period of time. Climbing, Running and
skill values are examples of intangible
properties which return to the object or kindred once the spell duration ends.
Properties which can be gained and lost quickly, such as shock points and
spells, do not return at the end of the spell.

#### **Alteration**

Modification describes a type of alteration spell that
changes a target by degree. The spell can amplify or decrease an attribute or
quality of the target. Modifications may use any knowledge as a mechanism and
produce real (as opposed to an illusory) effect. But these changes have bounds.
Sorcerers soon discovered that modifications can only affect attributes of a
target that are variable from one target to another target of the same type. If the quality does not exist in the target type, a
modification spell cannot produce that quality in the target.

Example: Human beings vary in *Strength* from
one another, also in size and weight. Modification spells can increase or decrease
these qualities. No human being is naturally transparent, so a spell making a
woman transparent cannot be considered a modification spell. Mages also
discovered the practical limit to
modifications. The limit values cap the natural range of variation in kindred.
Attributes may be temporarily boosted by use of the Speed Push or Power Push
tables.

Modification spells cannot boost an attribute past the
larger of these two values (which vary from character to character): -The limit
for that attribute, -The attribute plus the maximum gain possible from the
Speed Push (+2) or the standard Power Push table (+6), whichever is
appropriate.

For instance, the limit for *Strength* is 15. A
character with a *Strength* 13 could be boosted to a 19; a character of *Strength*
*7 could go to a 15 through modification. The limits on modifications do not*

apply to knowledges other than kindred.

> **Transformation**
>
>

Transformation is a term to describe a type of

alteration spell, one which changes the target into a different kind of element,
kindred or knowledge. A transformation is also necessary if a spell would
increase, or decrease, attributes of kindred beyond the range of a
modification. Changing a man into a frog or a beam of light is obviously a
transformation. SO is changing a man into a dwarf; a dwarf may be kindred, but
most dwarves would forcefully disagree with you if you said they were human
beings. Sorcerers have long taught their apprentices the rule of thumb that if
two types of objects are different enough to have different names, then they
are different in kind. This is a consequence of the Law of Observation:

"A difference named is a difference observed, and
therefore wholly real."

Transformations must have an essence knowledge as the
spell mechanism to produce real effects. Transformations without an essence
knowledge as a mechanism are illusions. The final result points of a
transformation spell must equal or exceed the greatest attribute difference
between the original and the transform. It is easier to transform a dwarf into
a human than into a giant.

#### **Conjurations**

A conjuration creates or destroys a pattern. It can
create a pattern from nothing, or reduce a pattern into nothing. All
conjurations are transformations, involving the creation of something out of
nothing. Conjurations with real effects must have an essence knowledge as the
spell pattern or mechanism (both of which may be essences). Any other
conjuration is illusory

#### **Grimoire Spells**

Casting
a *grimoire spell* only
requires the one magic skill necessary for the most important component of the effect. Secondary effects are subsumed into the spell at the time of its
design, making them unnecessary for purposes of casting the spell. For example,
altering a small ball of pitch into a blazing ball of flame is the most
important element of a fireball spell; moving the fireball is secondary. While
the magician who designed the spell would have to take into account the
problems of moving it (*apportation*)
and accuracy (*divination*),
once designed and formed into a grimoire spell these effects are “built in”;
casting the spell only requires the *alteration*
magic *skill.*

### **The Primary Rule of Magic**

Magic
is not physics, or chemistry, or biology. It is a distinct discipline with its
own rules. Magic works by extending the will of the spell caster, interweaving
it with nature and coming up with a result. The primary rule of magic is a
spell will have no positive effect without being willed by the caster; negative
or non-effects are generally a result of insufficient control and will. Thus
magic and technology are at odds at a fundamental level. Technology works with
natural laws, while magic intervenes in those laws. Each has its advantages and
drawbacks. Magic can accomplish spectacular feats beyond the possibility of
even sophisticated technology, but is limited by the primary rule of magic. To
those raised in a technological society, the very workings of magic make no
sense. A magically propelled bullet could be deadly within the range of the
spell, but once it reached the end of the range it would fall straight to the
ground. Out of the range of the mind that powered it, the bullet has no
velocity, no momentum, and no physically measurable force whatsoever. But
within the range of the spell, such concepts as friction, angular momentum, and
other crucial underpinnings of science have greatly reduced meanings. In a
sense all magic is impossible, in that magical effects can create effects at
odds with the local laws of nature. When the magic wears off, physical laws
resume and things go back to what’s considered normally possible. However,
magic is real in that when magic takes effect, supernatural forces can affect
the natural. A rock split by magic will not miraculously reseal itself when the
magic wears off. “Nature concedes the destruction of anything, the construction
of nothing” is a magician’s maxim. Magic and natural law can work together. For
example, magicians quickly made the messy discovery that wounds could be healed
easily through use of *alteration magic,* but
they would reappear when the spell wore off. When more effort was put into the
spell design, a solution was found: instead of just closing the wound, if it is
repaired at the same fine level as the natural healing process, then when the
spell wears off, the healing will have proceeded in accordance with natural
laws

### **Arcane Knowledges**

The
*arcane knowledge* used
in a spell determines how the spell effect will manifest itself. If spells are
sentences, arcane knowledges would be nouns and modifiers. Arcane knowledges
are like skills in that characters have adds in the arcane knowledges they know
and adds can be purchased in game play like a normal skill. But arcane knowledges
do not fall under any attribute and they are rarely used in play like a normal
skill. Arcane knowledge may not be used unskilled, a character may not learn or
cast a spell that requires an arcane knowledge that she does not know. Simply
possessing an arcane knowledge may not be enough to allow a character to cast a
particular spell, some characters may need to purchase multiple adds in a
knowledge in Order to use and learn the grimoire spells they want. See
“Acquiring Spells” later in this chapter for more information. A great number
of effects may be constructed from these arcane knowledges, which are believed
to be universally consistent from nation to nation.

### **Essences**

The
*Essences* are
believed to be at the pinnacle of the natural Order, and are often required to
perform the most spectacular effects possible with magic. *Essences* are the
most difficult of the knowledges to work with, requiring great skill and
patience. The *Essences,* for
reasons as yet not understood, cannot be combined with *apportation magic* but
work fine with the other three magic skills.

**Death:** The
essence of corruption and non-existence as well as death.

**Life:** The
essence of creation, renewal and purity as well as life.

**Time:** The
essence of change and chaos as well as time. Time and True Knowledge are
complimentary forces in the same way Death and Life compliment each other.

**True Knowledge:** The
fundamental aspects of physical properties and “true nature”, that which
resists change or remains unchanged. It is “Order” to Time’s “chaos.”

### **Principles**

The
*Principles* are
pure forces of a high Order. When used in pure form, they conform well to the
will of the magician. Magical theoreticians believe *darkness, light* and
*magic* all
to be the result of interplay between the *Essences:*
Darkness *is the product of* death *and* time, light *is the*
result of *time* and
*true knowledge,* and
*magic* is
the result of *time* and
*life.*

**Darkness:** Encompasses
spiritual as well as physical darkness. Negative emotions and thoughts such as
fear and greed or confusion and doubt are part of Darkness. Physical darkness
is not merely the absence of light, it is a condition in its own right.

**Light:** Encompasses
spiritual as well as physical light. Positive emotions such as love, loyalty
and bravery are part of Light.

**Magic:** Embodies
change in the living and unliving. Magic is one of the most important arcane knowledges used in the design of spells.

### **Mixed Forces**

The
*Mixed Forces* represent
a bridge between the *Essences* and
*Principles* and
the knowledges below them, as well as combinations of elemental forces. They
are difficult to handle, but they have great applications in the hands of a
skilled magician.

**Inanimate Forces:** Encompasses the forces which affect elements —heat, electricity, magnetism, forces which bind elements together and
forces which make them appear as they do.

**Living Forces:** Encompasses
the forces that energize and control the health and vitality of all living
creatures.

### **Arcane Knowledges**

**The Mixed Forces**
  ***Life***
  ***Time***
  ***True Knowledge***

### **Elements**

The
*Elements* are
often easy to work with, even for a beginning mage. All the *Elements* are
considered to have a small spark of life, but it is life without spirit.

**Air:** Includes
all substances that are gasses at room temperature (except water vapor, which
is considered to be Water.)

**Earth:** Includes
glass, ceramics and other materials made primarily from earthen components that
are not metallic in origin.

**Fire:** Includes
any form of combustion. Nuclear reactions (fusion reactors, atomic bombs, etc.)
are not included, those are considered Inanimate Forces.

**Metal:** Includes
all substances found in the earth that, unlike substances under the Earth
knowledge, are pliable when heat is applied.

**Plant:** Plants
are considered *Elements* because
even though alive, they are without mind or spirit. The knowledge includes all that
grows on dirt, water and sun alone as well as anything derived from such life.

**Water:** Includes
water and all other liquids, though some liquids are considered a mixture of
Water with another *Element* and
could be affected by either Water or the appropriate knowledge for the other
component.

### **Kindred**

The
*Kindred* are
the living beings and creatures that possess a spiritual life-force separate
from the physical body. The *Kindred*
*are often easy to work with and many*
minor magicians will be able to use them.

**Aquatic:** Covers
all marine life including amphibians.

**Avian:** Includes
all flying creatures, including insects, birds, flying reptiles and flying
mammals such as bats. One notable exception is dragons; they fall under
Enchanted.

**Earthly:** Covers
all creatures that live on or in the ground that have not transcended their
“primal” or “animal” natures. Creatures such as humans are considered Folk
because they have overcome these “primal urges” that still dominate related
creatures such as apes and chimpanzees.

**Elemental**: These
are beings composed directly of elements that possess intelligence and/or spirit
that sets them apart from the *Elements*.
Each of the *Elements* can
have elemental life forms. This knowledge rather than the corresponding Element
knowledge affect such life.

**Enchanted:** Encompasses
all creatures that subsist on or weave magic into the core of their being.
Dragons, unicorns and faeries are examples of enchanted creatures.

**Entity:** Creatures
that violate the natural Order of life, whose existence is at odds with nature,
are covered by this knowledge. Ghosts, undead, golems and demons are all
considered Entities

**Folk:** Covers
intelligent beings whose defining relationship is with others of their kind,
rather than with an element or the supernatural. Humans, dwarves, elves and
giants are all Folk.

### **Process Theorem Knowledges**

The
*process theorem knowledges* are
different from the other knowledges in that there are no spells based these
theorems. Instead, the theorems are used primarily during the spell design process*.* Magicians also use
them to *manipulate* grimoire
spells, a process that lets them “fine-tune” the values of a spell when it is
cast. Manipulating spells is covered later in this chapter.

#### **The Principle of Definition**

An
important rule of magic is *the Principle*
of Definition. *This states that a character or object*
may not be subjected to two active spells at the same time if both spells are based on the same arcane knowledge.An *active spell* is
one which still has time left on its duration. A mage may replace one spell
with another, but a target cannot be under two spells using the same knowledge
at the same time. For example, a character under the effect of a *strength* spell could
not be affected by a *languages* spell
without losing the effects of the *strength*
*spell first, for each spell uses the* folk *knowledge.*
Many forms of defensive magic are based on the Principle of Definition. A spell
using the Fire arcane knowledge that protects against magical fire would
prevent any other Fire knowledge spell from having any effect on the protected
character as long as it is weaker than the protection spell. A spell cast upon
a target has “strength” equal to the effect value of the spell. When another
spell of the same type is cast upon the target, the new spell’s effect total is
compared to the effect value of the previous spell. The spell with the higher
total takes effect, and the other spell is immediately dissipated. If their
totals are the same, the first spell remains in effect.

#### **Synonymous Knowledges**

The
restrictions of the Principle of Definition have frustrated mages for years,
and ways around its restrictions have been sought for untold centuries. After
extensive research and experimentation, some mages discovered a solution: *synonymous knowledges.* Synonymous
knowledges are arcane knowledges which are nearly identical to the known,
existing knowledges, but use slightly different definitions of the same
concept. Using these parallel knowledges, a mage can design spells that will
get around the Principle of Definition.

For
example, a mage who has the Fire knowledge and a synonymous knowledge he calls
Combustion can have two flame based spells active upon himself (or another
character or object) at the same time, even though both are essentially using
the same knowledge. A synonymous knowledge would also let the mage completely ignore
any defensive spells or magical barriers that operate on the Principle of
Definition. Our mage with Combustion could design a version of a fireball spell
that would ignore any Fire knowledge defensive spell that relies on the
Principle of Definition to prevent another spell from affecting a target.

Synonymous
knowledges require a sizable amount of effort and time to research properly, so
they are zealously guarded and quite rare. Should a character gain access to
knowledge of a synonymous knowledge, he must learn it from scratch; despite
being so close to another knowledge, a synonymous knowledge is a distinct
knowledge - it just happens to work in the same way as its synonyms. Also, all-new
spells must be designed for use with the new knowledge, a character cannot
simply cast a Fire spell with the Combustion knowledge. He will have to design
a version of that spell that uses Combustion instead of Fire as its knowledge.

#### **Acquiring Spells**

A
mage begins the game with 12 additional skill points, usable only for arcane
knowledges and spells. Each point not used for arcane knowledge entitles the
mage to an additional spell; for example, if a player uses eight of his
character’s bonus skill points to buy arcane knowledge adds, he may buy four
spells. During the course of the game, a mage may learn new spells from a
grimoire. At the end of an Adventure a mage can automatically learn 1 spell for
free he has the prerequisites for. In addition he can learn additional spells
at a cost.To do this, he must have undisturbed access to a grimoire and either
spend one possibility or six weeks studying the new spell (studying is the only
way Mook magicians can learn new spells.) Once a grimoire spell has been learned,
the mage does not need to read the grimoire again in Order to cast the spell.
Spells can also be cast by reading directly from the grimoire without having to
learn the spell first, but this is more difficult than casting a learned spell.
Mage player characters are assumed to have access to a grimoire before the game
begins, and so may purchase additional spells with Hero Points if they wish.
Some characters may also have a grimoire of their own, possibly containing
additional spells they haven’t learned yet. A character with a grimoire of
their own can copy spells from other grimoires into their own book without
having to learn it first, but each spell requires a week to transcribe.

#### **What Can Be Learned**

A
character’s magic skills and arcane knowledges determine which spells he is
capable of learning; many spells require a high degree of skill and cannot be
learned by just anyone. Besides having the necessary skill and knowledge, the
character must possess a certain level of ability before a spell can be
learned.

Each
spell write-up has a *skill requirement* that
lists the necessary magic skill, arcane knowledge and a number. To determine if
a character can learn the spell, his appropriate magic skill plus his adds in
the specified arcane knowledge must equal or exceed the number given. If the
character’s total isn’t high enough, he cannot learn the spell. (He can still
attempt to cast it directly from the grimoire though.)

**Example:** Alan
wants to know if Terrill can learn the spell Conjured Fireball. In the spell
description, the skill requirement is “*conjuration/fire*
*.*
Terrill has a *conjuration magic* skill
value of 13 and he has +2 adds in the Fire arcane knowledge for a total of 15.
This is less than the number given in the skill requirement so

Terrill
cannot learn the spell.

#### **Casting Spells**

To
cast a spell that the character has learned, she generates a *spell skill total* with
the appropriate magic skill and compares this total to the spell difficulty as
listed in the spell description. The arcane knowledge required for the spell is not included in the casting total. Example:Terrill wants to cast his Away Sight spell. It is a divination spell and has a difficulty of 11. Terrill’s *divination magic* skill
is 15. His adds of Light, the arcane knowledge required for the spell, are not
figured into his casting total. Alan rolls an 8, which gives Terrill a skill
total of 13. The spell is successfully cast.

#### **Casting from a Grimoire**

Characters
can cast spells directly from a grimoire without having to learn the spell
first. If they are capable of learning the spell (i.e., they meet the skill
requirement of the spell) then they may attempt to cast the spell with a +4
penalty added to both the difficulty and the *backlash*.

**Example:** Terrill
has come across a grimoire that contains the *Haste*
*spell, a spell he does not know. It has*
a difficulty of 11 and a backlash of 16. Terrill meets the skill requirement of
the spell so if he were to attempt casting it directly from the grimoire it
would have a difficulty of 15 and a backlash of 20. Characters may also attempt
to cast spells directly from a grimoire that they cannot learn (i.e., they do
not meet the skill requirement of the spell) but it is much more dangerous. The
character must still possess the required magic skill and arcane knowledge of
the spell; even from a grimoire it is impossible to cast a spell without the
right basic abilities. The difficulty of the spell is notincreased but the
backlash is increased by +8. Additionally, there is a chance that the spell will
prove to be too powerful for the mage and she will lose control of its effects.
If the character successfully casts the spell but does not get at least a success level with
her casting total, she loses control of the spell.

**Example:** The
grimoire that Terrill found also has the Conjured Fireball spell in it. Terrill
cannot learn the spell yet but he does have both conjuration magic and the Fire
knowledge. The spell’s normal difficulty is 6 and the normal backlash is 19. If
Terrill were to try and cast this spell from the grimoire, the difficulty would
remain 6 but the backlash would increase to 27. If Terrill casts the spell but his
casting total isn’t at least 13 (seven result points is a
success), the spell will go off but it will not do what Terrill wants, he will
have no control over the effects.

When
a spell goes out of control, the exact effects are up to the gamemaster.
Essentially anything the character would normally determine for the spell, such
as its target, is out of his hands. If the spell normally gives the magician
control over aspects like duration, shape of the spell effect, determine
targets for an area effect spell, anything that the magician would normally
determine should be determined randomly by the gamemaster.

#### **Backlash**

When
a character attempts to cast a spell, regardless of whether it is successful or
not, the next step is to determine the consequences of the spell’s *backlash.* Backlash
is the natural resistance of the supernatural to being manipulated, a type of feedback
unleashed when the caster attempts to work magic. Backlash is a damage value that
is compared to the **casting skill total;** the
amount by which the backlash number exceeds the casting total is read as result
points on the Combat Results Table. Damage taken from spell backlash is normal
damage with possible mental consequences (see “Mental Damage Effects”.).

**Example:** Terrill
successfully casts his Altered Fireball spell with a casting skill total of 12.
The backlash of the spell is 21. Becky looks up 9 result points (21 - 12) of
damage on the Combat Results Table and Terrill takes a Knockdown K/O 3 damage
result. If the character is casting a spell that she has learned, she is partially
protected against bad casting totals causing large amounts of backlash damage.
If the casting skill totalis less than the caster’s *Mind,* their
*Mind* value
is used instead.

**Example:** Terrill casts
his Altered Fireball spell again but Alan rolls poorly, generating a skill
total of only 6. Because Terrill has learned the spell, his *Mind* attribute
of 11 is used to resist the backlash instead of his skill value of spell caster takes
backlash each time he attempts a spell, regardless of whether or not it is cast
successfully. To successfully cast a spell the caster must still be conscious
after checking backlash. If he is knocked unconscious (or killed) by the
backlash, the spell effect fizzles out of existence before fully forming.

#### **Mental Damage Effects**

When
damage is taken from a spell’s backlash, it can have mental consequences. Even
though this type of damage is treated the same as physical damage, it has
additional mental effects and is called *mental*
damage. *When a character is KOed by mental*
damage, the character loses the ability to use the arcane knowledge required for
the spell that knocked him out. This does not include falling unconscious from accumulatedshock, only from KO conditions. The character does not have to take the full KO
condition from mental damage, an O from backlash combined with a K from
physical damage or vice versa will still cause the character to lose the use of
the knowledge. Even after the KO damage has been healed, the knowledge doesn’t
immediately return. The character must wait 24 hours or be treated specifically
for the loss of mental abilities. The Refresh miracle (see Chapter Twelve) can
be used for this purpose, as can the *psychology*
*skill. If the character suffers wound*
damage from backlash andhis wound level becomes *heavily wounded* or
greater, the character loses both the arcane knowledge and the appropriate
magic skill used to cast that spell. He will not regain either until 24 hours
have passed or he has received treatment as mentioned above. Additionally, his wound
status cannot be healed to better than *wounded*
*until he has restored his skills.*

#### **Spell Bonus**

If
the character is still conscious after backlash from a successful spell, the
spell works. Every spell description has a section labeled “Bonus Number to:”.
The bonus number generated while casting the spell is added to the part of the
spell listed in the *Bonus Number to,* increasing
the effectiveness of some part of the spell.

**Example:** Terrill
successfully casts Away Sight. His bonus number was +2. The spell description
says that the bonus goes to range, so the spell’s range value of 13 is
increased to 15.

#### **Types of Spells**

Most
spells are cast directly, meaning that they take effect immediately and the
effect is controlled by the spell caster. Not all spells are like this though.
Some spells can be placed into objects or other people, allowing someone other
than the mage to control the effect, while others may need to remain
functioning even when the magician is not present, such as a warding spell that
protects the magician’s home while he’s away adventuring. There are three other
types of spells in addition to those cast directly; *focused, impressed* and
*wards.*

#### **Focused Spells**

*Focused* spells
are spells that place their effect into an object so that the effect originates
from that object rather than from the spell caster. Focused spells are most
commonly used to create magic items such as protective talismans and enchanted
weapons. They are also used to give the recipient of a spell effect control
over that effect. Using an item with a focused spell effect requires no special
knowledge or abilities. Controlof a focused spell effect does requires the same magic skill used to cast the
spell, though the person does not need to possess the arcane knowledge and they
do not have to make a skill check of any kind.

**Example:** Terrill
buys a magic sword that has a flaming blade effect focused into it, which can be
turned on and off by anyone holding the sword if they have the *alteration magic* skill
and know the command word. Even if he tells his fellow adventurer the command word
none of them could turn the flames on or off because none of them have *alteration magic.* Terrill
could activate the sword’s flames and then give the sword to one of his friends
and the sword would continue to burn for them because using the effect does not
require anything special from them to operate.

#### **Spell Charges**

It
is possible to create a special type of focused spell, one that allows a
magician to focus *spell patterns* rather
than spell effects into an object. Additionally, this special type of spell
allows for more than one spell pattern of an arcane knowledge to be focused
into an object. These multiple patterns are commonly referred to as “charges”.
For example, an item that can hold fourteen spell patterns of the Fire arcane
knowledge is said to hold fourteen Fire knowledge charges. A *spell pattern* is in
essence the spell itself; it is what brings the magical effect into existence. By
placing the pattern into an object, it becomes possible for anyone with the
right magic skill to cast the spell, even if they do not possess the arcane
knowledge normally required for casting the spell.

**Example:** Terrill
comes into possession of an “air wand”, a wand enchanted to hold spells of the
Air knowledge. This particular wand contains four charges of the *Floater* spell.
Even though Terrill does not the Air knowledge, he does have the *apportation magic* skill
so he can use the wand to cast *Floater*
*up to four times While it would seem*
that having multiple spells of the same arcane knowledge in an object violates
the Principle of Definition, the Principle only prohibits active spell effectsof the same knowledge affecting an object simultaneously, not spell patterns. The
Principle of Definition would prohibit an object from being able to hold spell patterns
of two different knowledges though, because the spells used to enchant the
object would be of the same knowledge. Spell charges cannot be held
indefinitely by an object though; the spell used to enchant the object has duration
like any other spell. When that duration expires, any charges still in the
object are lost. Permanent magic, as described later in this chapter, can be
used to get around this restriction to create magic items that will
indefinitely hold their charges (though the charges will still have their
normal durations, they won’t be permanent.) To fill the charges of an enchanted
item, the magician must cast each spell he wishes to place inside the item. As
long as the spell is cast successfully its pattern is placed inside the item.
Backlash damage is assessed normally, so items that can hold a large number of
charges are usually filled over a spread out period of time to avoid taking
excessive amounts of backlash damage all at once. Activating a charge is
usually a simple action, such as speaking a command word or performing a
ritualistic action like rubbing a finger over a certain part of the object. The
spell patterns placed into the enchanted object do not have to be focused
spells; they can be any type of spell. They can even be impressed spells.

#### **Impressed Spells**

Impressed
spells are cast normally but their effects are held in check and then released
at a later time of the magician’s choosing. This allows a spell to have a
lengthy casting time but still be useful in fast-paced situations such as
combat. For example, *Conjured Fireball* is
a powerful combat spell but has a cast time of one hour, making it impossible
to cast in combat. But because it can be impressed, the mage can prepare ahead
of time by casting the spell long before the battle even occurs and then holding
the effect in check until he needs it. To impress a spell, the caster rolls to
beat the difficulty number and calculates backlash as for a normal spell. Any
backlash damage is taken when the spell is initially cast, not when the effect
is   released. The bonus number generated
when impressing a spell is notapplied
to the *bonus number to* portion
of the spell. If the spell is successfully cast, it is impressed into the
magician’s mind. The spell may then be released within a combat round (ten
seconds) at any future time. A mage may hold in his mind as many impressed
spells as the total of his addsin
*conjuration magic* and
the State arcane knowledge. The two together are a measure of his knowledge of
the spell impression process. He may impress several different spells or he may
impress the same spell several times, in any combination. Once impressed, a
spell remains impressed until it is released or until the mage chooses to
dissipate it in Order to make room for a different impressed spell. There is no
time limit on how long a spell can remain impressed.

**Example:** Terrill
has +2 adds in his *conjuration magic* skill
and no adds in the State arcane knowledge. He can carry two impressed spells in
his mind at any one time.

When
releasing the impressed spell, the caster must roll again to generate a bonus
number, which is then added to the *bonus*
number to *portion of the spell. Since difficulty*
and backlash have already been checked, the mage never takes backlash from
releasing an impressed spell. If the impressed spell requires using the
magician’s casting skill total to determine if a target is hit, as is the case
with most combat spells, the bonus number from this second roll is used to
determine the skill total. It is possible to impress spells into objects or into
other people, allowing someone other than the spell caster to release the spell
effect. Impressed spells to be placed in objects or other people need to be designed
for that purpose; it cannot be done with a regular impressed spell. Unlike
focused spell effects, impressed effects do not require any particular magic
skill to control. For the rules on how to impress spells into objects or other
people, see the *Aysle sourcebook.*

**Example:** If
Terrill’s flaming sword used impressed magic rather than focused magic, then
anyone who knew the command word could turn the flames on and off, it would not
require the *alteration magic* skill
to do so.

#### **Warding Spells**

Warding
spells are an advanced form of focused magic that foreshadows some elements of
impressed magic. A warding spell is cast normally, almost always focused upon
an object or location, but the effect of the spell does not go into effect
immediately. The spell can be programmed to “trigger” its effect when it
detects a certain condition or event. Most wards are used as traps and alarms
and the trigger can be defined as the lack of a certain condition or event too.
For example, a mage may set an alarm ward on the door to his library that is
triggered when a certain word is not spoken before the door is opened. A ward
can hold its effect indefinitely. The duration given in a ward spell
description indicates how long the effect lasts once it is triggered. Oncetriggered, a ward spell expires like a normal spell, it does not “reset” and
keep functioning (but see “Permanent Magic” later in this chapter for
information on ward spells that can reset themselves.) Warding spells do not
automatically detect whatever condition has been programmed as their trigger; a
ward has a *detection value* built
into it by the magician who created the spell. The detection value of a spell
is equal to the *divination magic* skill
plus the adds of the knowledge to be detected of the magician who designed the
spell.

**Example:** A
magician with *divination magic* 15
and +5 adds in Folk designs a ward that is triggered when it detects dwarves
(who are covered by the Folk knowledge.) His ward spell will have a *detection value* of
(15 + 5) 20.

When
a ward might be triggered by a condition, the gamemaster generates an action
total for the ward using its *detection*
value. *The normal difficulty to detect a*
condition is 8. Characters who have the *divination*
magic *skill may attempt to magically*
circumvent detection by wards if they are aware of the ward and know what arcane
knowledge it is set to detect. a character trying to avoid a ward generates an
“active defense” total with his *divination*
magic *skill (minimum bonus number of +1) and*
that becomes the difficulty for the ward to detect the character.

**Example:** Magoth
knows that the doorway to the evil wizard Salbane’s library has a ward that
detects if a password is spoken before the door is opened. Magoth generates a *divination magic* skill
total that   represents his knowledge of
how wards work and his ability to skirt the edges of its trigger, hopefully doing
well enough to keep the ward from detecting that the door was opened without the
password being spoken first. If the character knows or suspects that a ward is
present but does not know what it is set to detect, he may still generate a
divination magic total to try and avoid detection but has a -3 penalty on the attempt.

If
there are multiple occurrences of the trigger condition, the ward gets the
appropriate Many on One modifier for the number of possible trigger conditions.
**Example:** Salbane
has placed a ward in a corridor that detects metal weapons. Magoth is carrying
his sword and brass knuckles, two metal weapons, so the ward gets a +2 bonus to
its detection total.

#### **Illusionary Magic**

When
most people think of “illusion spells”, they think of something that creates a
false perception or a belief in someone who views the illusion - there’s a pit
in the ground where there really isn’t one, a doorway is concealed by the
appearance of a blank wall, and so on. While *Torg*
*does have spells that do things like*
this, “illusionary magic” is used in *Torg*
*to refer to something more than that. Illusions*
are magical “cheats,” they’re shortcuts in conjuring magical effects that let
the effect be created without expending the magical energy necessary to create
the full reality
of the effect. Illusions can run the gamut from fully illusory (the false
perceptions mentioned above) to something that is almost real (a bridge over a chasm
that can actually be walked across.) There are only two types of magic that can
be illusionary, conjurations and transformations. Spells that divine, move or modify
something within its natural limits are never illusionary.

The
difference between a transformation and a modification is that a modification
can only work with what already exists in the target. You could modify a dwarf
so that he appears to be a different dwarf but you couldn’t modify him into
being a frog, doing that would require transformation magic. The extent to
which a conjuration or transformation is illusionary depends on the type of
arcane knowledge involved. Conjurations and transformations that use the *Essences* are
always real. The “cheating” comes from using a knowledge below the *Essences*; the spell
is easier to cast but this comes at the cost of its effect being “less real”
than it would be if an *Essence* was
used. How “real” an illusion is to those who view it can depend on the belief
of others who see the illusion. Belief provides the illusion with reality, and
as long as there is belief, the spell effect is for all intents and purposes
real. This effect is temporary, though - as soon as the belief ceases (either
because the believers leave the area or because someone *disbelieves* and
becomes convinced that the object is an illusion), the illusion vanishes as
well. For this reason a mage could never conjure an illusion where no one else
is around, leave, and expect it to still be there when he comes back at a later
time. Without observers, illusions cease to exist. To disbelieve, a character
generates a *Mind* or
*willpower* total.
*Willpower* can
only be used outside of round play to disbelieve illusions, during round play
characters must rely on their base *Mind.*
*The difficulty number to disbelieve*
depends on the type of arcane knowledge used in the spell. The difficulty to
disbelieve when a *Principle* is
used is 15, with a *Mixed Force* it
is 12 and with a *Kindred* or
an *Element* the
difficulty is 8. Some spells may further modify the difficulty to disbelieve;
this will be indicated in the spell description and either a modifier or a difficulty
value will be provided. Additionally, the number of beings who dobelieve the illusion
increases the difficulty for anyone else to disbelieve; this is because the
possibility energy from their belief makes it “more real”. The Modified Difficulty
column of the One on Many chart is used to determine the difficulty increase
based on the number of believers.

**Example:** An army
of conjured skeletal warriors confronts a party of six characters. One of the Characters
wants to disbelieve but his five companions believe the magic is real. Using
the One on Many chart, because his five friends believe the skeletons are real
the single disbelieving Character has the difficulty raised to DN+8. (Note that
the number of skeletal warriors present has no effect on the difficulty of disbelieving
since it is a single spell effect being disbelieved.) Illusory spells which
affect a mental state, such as a *charm*
person *spell which succeeds in charming its*
target, may not be disbelieved by the target character without prodding from a
different character. This is because, by definition, the emotions produced by
the spell feel real enough to negate any desire to question them, and an
objective viewpoint is needed to allow disbelief. Characters are only allowed one
chance to disbelieve an illusion. If they fail the check, they have no choice
but to believe that the illusion is real. An illusion’s effect value is a
measure of how much of the illusion is real. The lower the effect value, the
more the spell relies on pure illusion, and the less “reality” it contains. An illusionary spell with an effect value of zero is completely illusionary and would be unable to directly affect anything, though it might still be believed to be real until
it was interacted with and there was no effect. The *disguise self* spell is
an example of a completely illusionary effect, as soon as someone touches the
disguised character they will realize that the appearance does not match what
they feel and the spell is broken. Conversely, an illusion with a nonzero
effect value is somewhat real and can have a possibly significant effect. For
example, an illusionary bridge with an effect value of 15 could hold up to of
weight. Its appearance may be of a bridge that can hold more or less than that
amount, but that has no actual bearing on the reality of the spell effect. The
gamble for the caster of an illusion is that successful disbelief in an
illusionary spell dissolves the spell effect completely – and not just for the
disbeliever. Thus, even the caster of the spellis
required to make a disbelief check if he wants to usesome portion of the
illusion as though it were real. The caster would be safer if many people
around him believe in the illusion, as it will now be more difficult for him to
disbelieve his own spell.

**Example:** A mage
casts a spell to create an illusionary bridge. His army starts across the
bridge, thinking that it is real, and it becomes “more real” as they cross. The
mage, knowing that it is an illusion, must roll for disbelief before crossing
himself. The fact that 100 men believe in the bridge increases his difficulty
to DN+20 so he’s probably safe. Note that the caster only has to make a
disbelief check if he wants to use the illusion himself; if the mage in the example stays off the bridge, he never has to make a disbelief check and there’s no risk of him
undoing his own spell. It’s only when he sets foot on the bridge that he would
have to make a disbelief check. Any physical effects from an illusion prior to
disbelief are real because the illusion is real until that point. A wall torn down by an illusionary dragon will still be torn down if someone disbelieves the dragon
afterwards, soldiers who cross a river on an illusionary bridge will still be
on the other side, and someone squashed by an imaginary boulder is still
squashed, and so on.

#### **Permanent Magic**

Almost
any magic spell can be made permanent by the spellcaster at the time she casts
the spell. Making a spell permanent requires that the spellcaster have the *conjuration magic* skill
even if the spell being cast is not a conjuration spell. This is because to
make a spell permanent a lasting link between the spell pattern and the natural
world must be created, and creation requires conjuration. Backlash is alwayscompared
to the casting total, the spellcaster’s *Mind*
*is never used if the casting total is less*
than her *Mind*.
Each creation of a permanent effect is in some way unique, enough so that it
cannot be refined and formulated like a normal grimoire spell. When making a
spell permanent, the caster has a choice. He may choose to make the effect
permanent or he may make the spell pattern permanent. A permanent effect is
just that; a fireball would burn forever, a disguise would last forever or
until dispelled, a man transformed into a frog will stay that way, and so on.
The casting mage has whatever control over the spell is built into the spell
but no more.

A
permanent spell pattern means that the potential to cast the spell has been
made permanent. It is most often used in the creation of magic items, such as a
ring that would allow someone to cast the *Mage*
Light *spell or an amulet that contains the* Strength *spell. Using*
the item would require the appropriate magic skill to activate the effect but
the arcane knowledge is not required. Impressed and warding spells can also be
made permanent but it requires a bit more effort. Both the effect and the
pattern must be made permanent, which means the spell has to be successfully cast
twice, both times with the negative modifier. If both castings are successful,
the spell will go into effect like normal. When the impressed spell effect is
released or the ward is triggered to release its effect, the spell recasts itselfusing the
normal casting time of the spell, and the effect will again sit suspended until
released. In this way, wards can be made which “recharge” themselves after being
triggered and magic items can be made with impressed spells in them so that the
item can be used to cast spells over and over again without requiring the user
to have an appropriate magic skill.

#### **Spell Manipulation**

A
magician who knows all of the *process*
theorems *listed in a spell description has the*
ability to *manipulate* the
spell and change some of the values of the spell. The effect cannot be changed,
a spell that changes a man into a frog cannot be manipulated to turn him into a
goat, but the magician can change the values of the spell’s backlash,
difficulty, effect value, range, duration and cast time. A spell that does not
have any *process theorems* listed
can be manipulated by any spellcaster. There are four basic ways that a spell
can be manipulated. A spellcaster manipulates a spell prior to casting it,
essentially increasing the casting time of the spell. Each type of manipulation
requires one round and the player does not roll the die to cast the spell until
after all manipulations have been finished.

#### **Change Cast Time**

The
spellcaster may increase or decrease the cast time of the spell. Increasing the
cast time gives the

spellcaster
points to allocate to effect value, range and/or duration while decreasing it
requires taking points

away
from those three values. It is a one-to-one exchange for effect value and duration, and range. The effect of a spell may not be raised by more than 6 through manipulation.

**Example:** A
magician wants to cast *detect magic* to
locate the source of an enchantment affecting an area. He suspects that the
spell he’s looking for is powerful and wants to increase the effect value of
his spell so that he can gain more information about the other spell. He’s not in
any hurry he decides to extend the cast time. The normal cast time is 7 (25
seconds). He elects to increase this to ten minutes, a value of 14. This
increase gives him (14 - 7) 7 points to add to the effect value, raising it
from 10 to 17. The manipulation takes one round so the total cast time on the
spell actually becomes ten minutes and ten seconds.

#### **Shift Complexity**

The
spellcaster may reallocate points from difficulty to backlash or vice versa.

**Example:** A
magician wants to cast the *lightning*
*spell (backlash 19, difficulty 11) but*
is worried about the damage the backlash might cause so he decides to shift
points from backlash into difficulty.

He
moves six points and in the next round he can cast the spell at backlash 13,
difficulty 17.

#### **Shift Spell Values**

The
spellcaster may reallocate points from the effect value to range and/or
duration, range to effect value and/or duration or from duration to range
and/or effect value. Effect and duration points are exchanged on a one-to-one
basis but range points count twice as much - two points of effect equal one
point of range and so on.

**Example:** Right
before casting his *lightning* spell,
our magician realizes that his target is slightly out of range. He decides to
spend another round manipulating the spell to increase its range. Because range
points are worth twice as much, he will need to sacrifice two points from
effect value and/or duration to increase the range by one He decides to take
one point from duration and one point from the effect. The one point increase
in range is enough to let him strike his target. He has now spent two rounds
manipulating the spell and can cast it in the next round.

#### **Increase Backlash**

The
spellcaster can increase the backlash of the spell to increase the effect
value, range and/or duration of the spell as well as decrease the cast time.
The amount the backlash is increased by is read through the Power Push table,
the resulting value being the amount that the other values may be changed (the
shock damage of the push is ignored.) This manipulation can only be performed as the spell is being cast, it does not add a round to the cast time and would have to be performed after any
other manipulations.

**Example:** Our
magician who has been manipulating his *lightning*
*spell decides at the last second that*
he’s more worried about his enemy surviving his attack than what the spell’s
backlash will do to him (the whole reason he did the first manipulation!) He
can’t afford to reduce range and doesn’t want to reduce the duration any further.
He feels that he has already spent enough time manipulating the spell and can’t
afford to increase the cast time any further. The only thing left to do is
increase the backlash in exchange for increasing the effect value. He begins to
cast the spell and performs the manipulation while casting the spell.

His
current backlash value on the spell is 13. He increases this by six points,
back up to its original backlash value of 19. On the Power Push chart, six
result points are a +3 modifier. The effect value, previously manipulated to 19,
is now increased to 22. With this manipulation completed, casting total is
finally generated.

#### **Grimoire Spells**

***Backlash*** is how
powerful a force surges through the magician as he casts his spell. Backlash is
a damage value that is compared to the spell total. The magician must survive
the backlash (stay conscious) to successfully cast a spell.

***Difficulty*** of the
spell is the difficulty number required for a successful cast. “Successful”
means the spell’s effect value is used, not necessarily that the spell affects
its target.

***Effect***
value'is the effect value of the spell, if any. Effect
values are usually compared to an attribute of the target of the spell to
determine its effect. A fireball spell, for example, uses its effect value as a
damage value that is compared to the target’s *Toughness*. A spell that
turned a man into a frog has its effect value compared to the target’s highest
attribute to see if the spell successfully affects the target or not.

***Bonus***
Number' *to* lists the part of the spell to which any generated
bonus number is added. While usually added to the effect value, the bonus
number could be added to duration or range, depending on what the designer of
the spell wished. Negative bonus numbers are added to the appropriate value.

***Range*** is the
greatest distance over which the spell effect may be projected. The range is
measured from the caster of the spell unless the spell is focused, in which
case it is measured from the focus object. A range of *self* means the
spell may only affect the caster. A range of *touch* means the caster must
make physical contact with his target for the spell to take effect.

***Duration*** is how long
the spell effect lasts.

***Cast time** is how long it takes the magician* to cast the spell. In round play, a spell meant to strike an enemy target
(someone on the other initiative side) must have a cast time of 3 (four
seconds) or less in Order to have a chance to hit their targets in the same
round in which they are cast. Spells which have a cast time of 4 (six seconds)
may be used on a friendly character (same initiative side) during the same
round as the effect takes place. Spells with cast times longer than 4 will not
take effect until the next round (or possibly later depending on the cast
time.) Cast times greater than 23 (ten hours) cannot be done in a single
stretch. The magician is assumed to be casting six to eight hours a day for an
extended period; this is the maximum cast time which can be done repeatedly
with little chance of error. A mage may be able to go 24 hours straight for one
spell, but has little chance of going 12 hours a day for a month without making
a mistake which would ruin the spell (and possibly himself).

***Manipulation*** lists the *process*
theorems *that are necessary to manipulate the spell. A magician must know '*all of the listed theorems in Order to manipulate a spell.

Whenever a spell description says something like
“limited to a man-sized or smaller target,” that means the spell is limited to
a specific mass, 100 kilos, which is the size of a large, but not huge, man.
Other restrictions may be inferred from the knowledge that generated the spell.
A spell based on *folk* knowledge, for example, could not affect dogs,
regardless of their size. If a spell is described as having a radius, all
targets within that radius are affected by the full value of the spell.