Casting Spells (Guide)

Casting spells have Spell Negative Effects and can cause new/cautious players to shy away from casting spells altogether or limiting the use of casters by way of only casting small spells infrequently.

## How Wrath/Curse Chance Works

Once all spell results (fail or succeed) are resolved, there is a chance of a Wrath/Curse effect taking place. The base Wrath/Curse chance (10%) is added to its modifier (based on OP level and mastery). The base (successful) cast chance is 100% minus the spell modifier (based on OP level and mastery). So spells get easier to cast successfully but the risk of Wrath/Curse increases from mastery.

Since every spell cast gives the stackable Mordheim's curse debuff (making multiple casts riskier), casting spells can be a daunting idea for new/cautious players.

If the Wrath/Curse results in Tzeentch's Wrath/Smite, the caster receives 9999 damage and is put Out-of-Action. During the Injury Roll for that result, only the one of the following results can happen: Amnesia, Brain Trauma, Deep Wound, Full Recovery or Near Death Experience. The only injury that has lasting effects is Brain Trauma which reduces intelligence and max intelligence by 1. Not good for a caster but low odds and can be worked with until a new caster can be hired and leveled.

## How to Get Zero Wrath/Curse Chance

One of the first ways cautious players start casting spells is by getting Wrath/Curse chance down to zero.

1. Any caster can master the intelligence Passive Skills Channeling (Arcane) or Devotion (Divine) to reduce the Wrath/Curse chance by 15%.
2. The Enchantments for Weapons: Devotion (Divine) and Spellbinding (Arcane) can reduce Wrath/Curse chance by up to 12%.
3. The Enchantments for Head Slots: Piety(Divine) and Focus (Arcane) can reduce Wrath/Curse chance by up to 10%.
4. Special Weapons are available to all casters: Staff (Warlock, Sorcerer, Magister, Necromancer, Doomweaver) for up to 12%, Great Ulrican Axe (Wolf Priest) for up to 10%, Sigmarite Warhammer (Warrior Priest, Sister casters) for up to 12% (dual wield or the Great Sigmarite Warhammer).

The combinations of these items/skills gives up to 49% (59% for Necromancer (see below), 39% for Doomweaver (see below), 47% for Wolf Priest) reduction in Wrath/Curse chance.

## Special Perks

### Necromancer

The Necromancer starts with Warp Attunement and gives him an extra 10% reduction in Curse chance whenever he picks up (or drops off and picks up) a Wyrdstone, furthermore a mastered Undead Passive Skill (Embedded Wyrdstones) will take away the Wyrdstone debuff of +1 OP to cast spells.

### Doomweaver

The Doomweaver starts with Favoured which increases Curse chance by +10%, however it also eliminates all curses except AOE. This can be used opposite to avoiding curse chance and affect enemies with mass Curse effects. Notably the enchantments Conspiracy (weapon, up to +40% for dual wield/2-handed) and Change (head slot, up to +20%) along with the intelligence Active Skill Wild Casting (up to +20%) and the Doomweaver Special Passive Skill Daub of Change (up to +20%) can be used to cast powerfull spells and give extra AOE curses upon enemies.

The Doomweaver and any allies nearby should be tailored to take curses better then the enemy, most notably AOE stun and AOE open wound effects with skills such as the toughness active skill Cauterize and/or Consumables along with normal stun resistance Stats and Passive Skills.

## Dramatis Personae

All *Citation needed* Dramatis Personae that can cast spells have a large buff in Wrath/Curse chance reduction. Even though you cannot choose their spells, you can be very liberal with the spells they do have if they provide benefit in the story mission.

Make sure you check what spells Dramatis Personae have learned between story missions as well.

## When to Cast

Although there are several ways to approach strategy of casting, there are major theories (most pertaining to decent chance of Wrath/Curse):

1. Only cast when there is no chance of Wrath/Curse (weakest in casting, strongest in risk)
2. Cast whenever it would give benefit, regardless of Wrath/Curse (strongest in casting, weakest in risk)
3. Only cast when risk VS reward is strategic (balance between both above)
4. Cast until Wrath/Curse gives high (above 40%) odds (strong in casting, taking some risk)
5. Cast until Wrath/Curse gives medium (above 20%) odds (decent in casting, decent in risk)
6. Use Doomweaver(s) to support (as a normal caster, following the above theories)
7. Use Doomweaver(s) to AOE curse enemies (tailoring allies to mitigate curse effects)

There is a period of time when a low rank caster can cast spells rather liberally since replacing them would cost little in the way of rank. Once the caster gains a decent chunk of experience, it is best to wait a bit until skills/items can curve the Wrath/Curse chance if the caster has become a integral/needed part of the warband before they can cast multiple spells (unless your into theory #2 or #4 above).

Even when spells become part of your warbands synergy, casters who use ranged weapons can both stay safer and use OP when spells are not needed or not worth risk VS benefit. Casters who are little use until they can curve Wrath/Curse chance (theory #1 or #3 above) should use a ranged weapon and stay safe to level.

Obviously, mastered and/or expensive spells give greater Wrath/Curse chance so they are preferred to cast before spells with less Wrath/Curse chance. For instance, when you have -45% Wrath/Curse chance due to skills/items you can cast a 4OP mastered spell without triggering a Wrath/Curse, incur a +15% Mordheim's Curse debuff and cast a 2OP mastered spell while still at 0% chance to trigger a Wrath/Curse, incur another Mordheim's Curse debuff (+30%) and then cast a basic 2OP spell with a 10% risk of Wrath/Curse (good for most above theories except #7).