More Magic Rules

Jun 6, 2022 #fudge #rpg #magic #rules #skills #character

Introduction

This article explores more rules around spell casting, allowing the creation of more thematic magic-users, and to be able to have more interesting spell-caster combat.

Memorizing Spells

A spell caster can attempt to learn a spell, so that they can cast it without preparation. Memorizing a spell is a Task with all the same modifiers as when they would be casting a spell, except that the Task Turn is 1 Day. Additionally the spell caster must keep a mnemonic device of some sort. This can be as simple as a pebble, or as complex (and expensive) as a piece of jewellery. Each mnemonic device must be completely different (so a caster cannot have 5 pebbles as mnemonic devices for 5 spells, nor can it be any pebble. If the mnemonic device is lost, the caster cannot cast that spell quicker until the mnemonic device is recovered or the caster re-memorizes the same spell with another mnemonic device.

A caster can memorize at most (Reasoning + Will) spells (as long as it's a positive number). Each spell also cannot have a complexity greater then the caster's Spell / Prayer / Channelling skill, nor can its power requirement be more than the caster's total number of power points a character has (or greater than the Willpower attribute if using the optional rule for Abstract Power).

Casting a memorized spell is a normal Basic Action (takes a whole Round), and requires only a Magic skill check, to release the spell. The caster must have enough power points to cast a memorized spell, just as when casting a regular spell.

A critical failure when casting a memorized spell, not only means that the spell backfires (roll on the critical spell failure table), but also that the memorized spell is forgotten, and must be memorized again.

Detecting and Identifying Magic

This section describes two new everyman skills available for magic-users (characters who have a skill in Magic): Detect Magic and Identify Magic.

Detect Magic

Detecting magic is done with the Magic skill. A spell caster can detect magic effects near them. The range depends on the amount of power spent on the magic. See the table below for maximum area where a magic effect can be felt.

The difficulty of detecting the magical effect depends on range and the amount of power spent. The more power used the easier it is to detect, and the further away it is the harder it gets.

To find the skill check difficulty, cross reference the Power of the spell with the Base Difficulty and then add the Range bonus corresponding to the distance to the magic effect.

Identify Magic

To identify a spell or magic effect, a magic-user needs to make a successful Identify Magic check using the Magic skill, versus the complexity of the spell used to create the magical effect.

Counter spell

The Magic skill can be used to counter cancel a spell being cast in the vicinity of the character. The character must see the spell being cast, in order to counter it. The character must also spend half of the Power Points used to cast the spell, in order to even attempt to cancel it. The difficulty is equal to the Rolled Degree of the spell being cast. By spending the double amount of power, the character attempting the Counter Spell, gets a +1 to their attempt. An additional +1 is given if the spell being countered is memorized.

If the Counter spell is successful, it uses another half of the amount of Power Points that was needed for the spell (the character cancelling the spell must pour the same amount of power into cancelling it), and the original spell caster needs to make a Willpower check or be stunned.

If the Counter spell fails, the spell is unleashed as normal.

Dispel

The Magic skill can also be used to Dispel any existing spells that can be seen.

Dispelling requires a magic check versus the complexity of the spell being dispelled. It also requires that the character spends as much power as was required by the spell. By spending the double amount of power, the character gets a +1 to the Dispel attempt.

Magic Affinity

A spell caster can learn affinity towards one type of spells. Having affinity means that the caster has an easier time to cast spells they know the nature of well. This will give the caster a +1 to Spell / Prayer / Channelling and Magic when working with spells that they have affinity with.

There is, however, an opposing affinity for each affinity, and should the spell caster deal with a spell from the opposing affinity they are at -1 to Spell / Prayer / Channelling and Magic. Below you can find a table of magical affinities.

Spell Lists

Spell Crafting is a system which allows for pretty much any magical effect to be created, however some GMs prefer having fixed lists of spells (similar to D&D and Rolemaster for instance). The Spell Crafting rules could still be used for that, by simply giving each character a number of slots based on their skill with Spell / Prayer or Channelling, that they can then fill up with spells. Once used a slot is fixed, and if all slots are filled up then the spell caster needs to improve their skill in order to gain more slots. The spells could also be organized into thematic lists (which would also play well with the Magic Affinity rules). See the Spell List table for the suggested number of spell slots available based on the skill of the character.

Power Projection

Power Projection can be used by competing magic-users to determine who is more skilled and/or more powerful. It is treated as a series of opposed skill checks. Power Projection looks like beam of shimmering light in all the colors of the rainbow.

A Power projection contest can be initiated by either contestant, and the spell caster needs to determine how much power per round to invest, and then make a skill check. The opposing spell caster then needs to do the same, if they want to participate in the contest. They must spend as much power as the initiator and match the rolled degree of their opponent. The winner gets 1 point per relative degree. The contest ends when either magic user reaches 10 points, or runs out of power.

Spell casting failures

When rolling a natural -4 for spell casting, a critical spell failure has happened. To resolve the effects of the spell failure, roll 8dF and ignore + results.

0

Spell vanishes around caster in a dazzling light show. Caster is Stunned

-1

Spell explodes on caster. Caster takes is stunned, and takes a -1 ODF attack (if using A new damage system for Fudge take Bashing damage).

-2

Spell is released on a random target (with no modifiers)

-3

Spell is released on caster (with no modifiers)

-4

Spell backfires, and explodes a raw magical Energy. Roll a +0 ODF attack on caster (if using A new damage system for Fudge take Lethal damage).

-5

Temporary mental breakdown. Roll 4dF treating plus(+) results as blank. Caster loses 1 point of Willpower per minus result. The loss can be recovered by resting for as many weeks, as long as the caster does not attempt to use magic.

-6

Caster affects themselves with the spell at full bonuses.

-7

Mental breakdown. Roll 4dF treating plus(+) results as minus(-). Caster loses 1 point of Willpower per minus result. Caster also loses spell casting ability for the same amount of months.

-8

Severe mental breakdown. Willpower reduced to Poor(-2), and caster permanently loses spell casting ability.