Magic is the effect produced from Mana, a powerful force that infuses the multiverse with its energy. There are some who are able to channel its power and use it to bring to bear powerful magical effects. These magical effects are classified into the various Manifestations, but for these purposes they are also known as Trees. The Manifestations (or Trees) work just like aptitude trees, as the individual spell effects work just like specializations, when it comes to purchasing upgrades using aptitude points.

The common folk typically regard Magic as truly arcane knowledge, as the proper use of Magic is a rare thing to be seen indeed. Most times, when it is heard that someone is using Magic, it is usually a dark, withered necromancer working to raise an undead army; or a power-mad warlock whose ambitions have threatened to open a portal to an invasion from Hell; or an evil cult attempting to resurrect an even more evil lich; or a plethora of other rumor-inspired half-truths, with just as many real truth-founded stories as falsehoods, and none too trustworthy to distinguish the difference. Some even are so skilled at magic one would never know they were a practitioner. Magical schools, if any, teach and practice in secret, guarded against outside, prying eyes. Fewer still are the clergypeople who exhibit any true magical healing ability, most are only blindly devoted to their faith, charging outrageous "tithes" for low-quality healing potions, made by the high priest who may or may not have any real power or ability... the true holders of divine power are the aristocrats who run the massive temples in the big cities, established centuries ago, where even there most lesser priests are not allowed real connection with the gods. Some orders of monks exhibit some ability to channel and control magic, but after months and in some case, years of training to master, and use it to Enhance their speed or strength, or sometimes even evocations of the elements, to some dark orders who have mastered some Curses through use of meditation on dark arts. Not untold are the legends of holy paladins or zealous arcane knights who imbue their weapons with Magic and then smite their foes.

How it works - Mana

Mana, in essence, is raw magic, likened to the live current of electricity. The MANA attribute represents the ability to channel raw magical energy from the cosmos and store it inside oneself. Holding mana in this way comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. NOTE: of all the abilities, Mana is the only attribute that starts at 0, while the rest start with 1 during hero creation.

Spell Essence Aptitudes give your hero access to various spell effects, which take a MANA roll. Your hero can, at first, only manifest magic in their space, or upon those they touch. Purchasing certain Spell Shape Aptitudes will give your hero other ways to manifest these effects. Metamagic Aptitudes give your hero the ability to augment their spells to greater effect.

Casting a spell:

To cast a spell, first determine the CR of the spell, using the table below. Next, make a SPELL ROLL. If this roll is higher than the CR, the spell is cast. Divide the difference by 6, round down, and add this number to your Hero's OVERCHANNELLED value. If not, Backlash occurs. Regardless of failure or success, mark a spell cast. Each successive spell cast accumulates a -1 penalty on SPELL ROLLS.

Overchannelled: Because mana is raw, unfiltered magical power running through your hero's body, they can only channel so much. When your hero successfully casts a spell, divide the difference between the SPELL ROLL total and the spell's cost by 6 (rounding down in EASY and NORMAL difficulties, rounding up in HARDCORE and HONOUR difficulties), and add that number to your hero's Overchannelled level. If this number becomes greater than double your hero's MANA attribute, your hero dies.

Backlash: A failure on a SPELL ROLL indicates Backlash. Consult the table 6-a to see the effects of Backlash.

Other MANA Aptitudes

Novice (Tier 1)

• ACOLYTE

  General | Prereq: any 2 novice Spell Essence aptitudes | Bonus to spell rolls and INTELLECT rolls made to maintain concentration.

• BEAMCASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: affect a line starting from your hero and extending three units (15ft).

• CONECASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: affect a cone starting from your hero and extending two units (10ft).)

• FAMILIAR

  General | Prereq: SUMMON | Can use a ten minute ritual to call for the service of a familiar, a magical creature that will serve you.

• MAGIC CIRCLE

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: affect the confines of a circle, it's effect triggered on conditions specified by the caster

• POOL

  General | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS

• RAYCASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: attack a target up to 4units(20ft) away.

• USEARTIFACT

  General | Bonus to rolls involving using a magic item.

Journeyman (Tier 2)

• ABJURER

  General | Prereq: DISPEL | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the DISPEL tree.

• ADEPT

  General | Prereq: ACOLYTE + any 2 journeyman Spell Essence aptitudes | Bonus to spell rolls and INTELLECT rolls made to maintain concentration.

• ARTILLERIST

  Spell Shape | Prereq: novice spell shape aptitude | Allows a spell effect to affect an area up to 2 square units (10ft), at a range of 8 units (40ft).

• DIVINER

  General | Prereq: COMMUNE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the COMMUNE tree.

• EMPOWERED

  Metamagic | Prereq: any novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Gain one automatic success (for no points, if your hero has at least one success) when counting successes after the SPELL ROLL.

• ENCHANTER

  General | Prereq: USEARTIFACT | Allows for creation of magic items.

• EVOKER

  General | Prereq: any 2 of ACID or AIR or COLD or DARKNESS or FIRE or FORCE or EARTH or LIGHT or LIGHTNING or SONIC or WATER | Bonus to any SPELL ROLL using one of the prereq spell effects.

• FARSHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: any novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Double that spell's range.

• FOCUSED SHAPER

  General | Reduce the cost to sustain a non-instantaneous spell effect.

• HEALER

  General | Prereq: CURE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the CURE tree.

• ILLUSIONIST

  General | Prereq: GLAMER, FIGMENT, PATTERN | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the GLAMER, FIGMENT, and PATTERN trees.

• MENTALIST

  General | Prereq: ENTICE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the ENTICE tree.

• NECROMANCER

  General | Prereq: HARM | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the HARM tree.

• POLYMORPHIST

  General | Prereq: TRANSMUTE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the TRANSMUTE tree. Allows for TRANSMUTE to affect living matter for a success.

• QUICKSHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Decrease the casting time of the spell by half (round down).

• RITUALIST

  General | Your hero has learned to channel more efficiently, using rituals to help shape spell effects. A ritual takes ten minutes per tier of the spell effect being shaped. The cost of the spell is reduced by half.

• SCROLLSCRIBE

  Spell Shape | Prereq: any novice spell essence, ARCANIST | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: confine the casting of the spell to a scroll, for later use. The CR to identify the spell held within the pages is the SPELL ROLL.

• SPELLSWORD

  Spell Shape | Prereq: MELEE | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: affect the struck defender of an attack. Must shape the spell immediately before the attack.

• SPHERICASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: manifest as a ball of magical energy that fills a unit space (5ft square) and can be moved every round (with concentration), affecting whomever or whatever it touches. Moving the ball in this way is a 2-tick action, and the ball rolls or hovers with a speed that treats your hero's MANA as it's REFLEX.

• SPLITRAY

  Metamagic | Prereq: RAYCASTER | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: split the ray of effect into two, targeting up to one additional targets who can't be more than the spell effect's range apart from each other.

• SUMMONER

  General | Prereq: SUMMON | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the SUMMON tree. Allows for the summoning of living creatures, each success increases the output of the spell TBD.

• VESSEL

  General | Prereq: POOL | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS.

• VORACIOUS DISPELLER

  General | Prereq: ABJURER | Bonus to DISPEL. When your hero successfully counters or dispels a spell effect, they can damage the caster, who takes damage equal to the difference between your hero's AFFECT ROLL and the CR.

• WALLCASTER

  Spell Shape | Prereq: novice spell shape aptitude | Allows a spell effect to manifest as a wall up to 2 square units (10ft).

• WIDESHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Double the affected area of the spell effect.

• WILDSHAPE

  General | Prereq: TRANSMUTE | Your hero can target themselves with a TRANSMUTE spell effect to turn into a beast their size category or one smaller.

Veteran (Tier 3)

• ARTIFICER

  General | Prereq: ENCHANTER | +3 to rolls made to create magic items.

• BLEEDOFF

  General | You may reduce the cost of the next spell your hero casts by an amount up to their OVERCHANNELLED value. Doing so reduces OVERCHANNELLED by that amount.

• MANATHROTTLE

  General | Allows you to choose the amount of dice you roll for your hero's SPELL ROLLS, up to their MANA score.

• METAMAGE

  General | Prereq: three novice metamagic aptitudes, two journeyman metamagic aptitudes, and one other veteran metamagic aptitude | Choose a metamagic aptitude your hero has applied to their spell effect. Square it's cost addition, and apply it again. This can be done a number of times equal to half your hero's MANA (round down).

• NETHERMANCER

  General | Prereq: NETHERMANCY | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the NETHERMANCY tree.

• REFLECT

  General | Prereq: ABJURER | Bonus to DISPEL. When your hero successfully counters a spell effect, they can turn the magic back upon the caster, as appropriate. The caster is allowed the same saves as the original spell.

• SEER

  General | Prereq: DIVINER | Bonus to PROPHECY SPELL ROLLS

• SMITE

  Spell Shape | Prereq: QUICKCASTER | Your hero can cast a spell as part of a single attack action, affecting the struck defender.

• TELEPORT

  General | Prereq: SUMMONER | Your hero can be the target of their own SUMMON spell effect.

• TELESHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: any journeyman metamagic aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: cast the spell effect without verbal or somatic components.

• THIRSTY DISPEL

  General | Prereq: ABJURER | Bonus to DISPEL. When your hero successfully counters or dispels a spell effect, they can reduce their cast count by the difference between the AFFECT ROLL and the CR. Divide this number by 6 and reduce overchannel by that amount.

• UNFETTERED

  Metamagic | Prereq: EMPOWERED | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Gain two automatic successes (for no points, and your hero must have at least one success) when counting successes after the SPELL ROLL.

• WARLOCK

  General | Prereq: *TBD | (Something to do with a pact with a patron to receive additional magic)

• WITCH

  General | Prereq: *TBD | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS when casting as a ritual. Additional bonus if that spell targets someone.

Peerless (Tier 4)

• HIGHOCTANE

  Metamagic | Prereq: UNFETTERED | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Gain three automatic success (for no points, and your hero must have at least one success) when counting successes after the SPELL ROLL.

• PERMANENCY

  General | Prereq: TBD | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: instead of having to concentrate on a non-instantaneous effect to sustain it, this spell effect will persist.

Expert (Tier 5)

• MANACAPSTONE

  General | Your hero's MANA rolls gain +1 per point instead of +1 per two points.

Spellcraft Components and Implements:

The use of components and implements add to the power of spells cast. They either pay for mana costs or can reduce the CR of the spell. Material components are consumed during the casting of the spell. Verbal components, such as "magic words" only lower the CR, and vary by their complexity. Somatic gestures have similar functionality. Certain components and implements have more effectiveness with different manifestations of magic. Implements can naturally and automatically modify spells. Whether to deal more damage or to increase the range, these items can be crafted or found in the world.