I posted this in the yahoo tros elist a month or so back - I was hoping for feedback for good or ill...

Guess I'll try here.

I wanted to tone down the power of the spell system in the book - to keep the wizard from being the group "mr. fix-it"

Yes - I liked the TN from the ars magica thread and adapted it. I came up with "Strain" on my own, the fact that that term is used in two different sorcery fixes is coincidental - go figure. (I guess the word fits what we were trying to describe)

I also really wanted to try and make things consistent, and to have a real consequence for going nuts with magic. In two of the gaes I played in with PC sorcerers ageing never was an issue - and it seems that it never is, as not one person who plays the game has yet to report an incident of a PC wizard suffering from the negative effects of ageing.

So here it is:

Revised Spell System

Target Numbers

Target(s): This represents the number of targets, rather than the type.

1: Self
2: Other (one target outside yourself)
3: A few (3-6)
4: A group (a room full)
5: A crowd (a town square)

Range:
0: Self
1: Touch
2: Reach (around the distance of the longest of melee weapons)
3: Distance (the distance a man could run in several seconds; the range of a thrown rock/dagger, etc)
4: Range (Bow shot distance, line of sight, etc)
5: Any Distance ( Divination is required to target a spell at this level)

Duration:
0: Instantaneous
1: 1 Minute
2: ½ Hour
3: 1 Hour
4: ½ Day
5: 1 Day

A spell may be made to last up to the time listed under each level.


3 Spheres of Magic

Temporal:

Mature
1: Target matures up to 1 Day
2: Target matures up to 1 Week
3: Target matures up to 1 Month
4: Target matures up to 6 Months
5: Target matures up to 1 Year

The target matures at any rate up to the maximum listed for the vagary level.

Movement
1: Hand held objects
2: Objects that require two hands to carry
3: A Man or Man Sized
4: An Ox or Horse
5: A Cart or Carriage

A PC can move up to the weight shown for the vagary level. But the target(s) cannot be moved faster than the PC is capable of moving.

Shape
1: 3 Gallons
2: 30 Gallons (an average trashcan)
3: 100 Gallons
4: 200 Gallons
5: 300 Gallons

You may mold your target substance like Clay – The vagary level limits the volume of any one substance you may mold - A sculpture or other craft skill roll may be required if you are trying to replicate something specific.

Manipulate/Cause Natural occurrences
1: Fog / Mist
2: Clouds / Wind
3: Rain / Snow
4: Storm rain / snow
5: Storm lightening / hail

To form these natural phenomenon the necessary ingredients must be present in the area. EX: No snowstorms in the desert.

Range is used to determine how wide spread the weather phenomenon is.

Mental:

Telepathy
1: Sense Emotions
2: Read surface thoughts
3: Sense needs and desires
4: Recent memories
5: Any memory

The caster may scan a targets mind for information up to the vagary level used.

Repression
1: Forget recent thought “where did I put my keys?”
2: Forget recent occurrence up to 1 day – may remember as déjà vu “I saw him some where before.”
3: Forget 1 piece of information of a single event “He wasn’t at the party.”
4: All information associated with a specific person, place, or event “What party?”
5: Clear any / all memories “Who am I?”

Suggestion
1: Emotion “I hate him.”
2: Short Thought “These are not the assassins we are looking for.”
3: An Impression “That man wants my wife.”
4: Need or desire “I want his wife.”
5: A Physical Sensation

Like telepathy in reverse, you may implant suggestions into a targets mind in order to influence their actions or mental state.

Illusion
1: A Shadowy / vague image “What was that?”
2: A few details / looks blurry “I thought I saw someone”
3: Recognizable but lacks sincerity “Stop that man!”
4: Recognizable and sincere “Is that bob?”
5: Perfect visual simulation “Hey Bob, how’re you doing?”

Illusion is merely what the target thinks they see. Illusions take the form of personal hallucinations, and are not visible to anyone but the target(s).

Spiritual:

Divination
1: See Days into the future / view an event within 1 mile
2: See Weeks into the future / view an event within 50 miles
3: See Months into the future / view an event within 100 miles
4: See Years into the future / view an event within 1000 miles
5: See events as far as the casters lifetime / view any event in the world

When viewing future events the caster sees them as snapshots in time of future events or possible future events, at GM discretion.

To remotely view an event the caster must have a link to the event to be viewed, like a splinter from a table in a room he wants to look into.

To view a specific person you must have something from that person’s body; toenail clippings and hairs being most popular. All viewpoints are stationary and non-mobile, if the target moves out of view during the spell, they move out of view.

Summon
1: A lesser spirit (burnt offering)/ 1x draw in SP
2: A greater Spirit (small animal sacrifice)/ 2x draw in SP
3: A Minor demon (big animal sacrifice)/ 3x draw in SP
4: A major demon (Human sacrifice) / 4x draw in SP
5: A devil (Innocent Human sacrifice) / 5x draw in SP

Banish
1: A lesser spirit / novice level spell
2: A greater Spirit / acolyte level spell
3: A Minor demon / apprentice level spell
4: A major demon / adept level spell
5: A devil / master level spell

Imprison
1: A Lesser Spirit / Novice level spell
2: A Greater Spirit / Acolyte level spell
3: A Minor Demon / Apprentice level spell
4: A Major Demon / Adept level spell
5: A Devil / Master level spell

LIMITS OF MAGIC

- You may not turn something into nothing

- You cannot create something out of nothing

- Time may not be reversed

- If you cannot see your target then you - may not cast a spell on it – this is why people used to burn their hair and toenail clippings

- Magic is not scientific but it must be logical: 1+1=2. When vagaries are combined the end effect must be a logical result of the combination - In addition to the first four points mentioned

There are these stats:
ART = Wit + MA / 2
POWER = Wit + WP / 2
DRAW = ART+ POWER / 4
SORCERY POOL = ART + POWER
THRESHOLD = WP x 2

DAMAGE:

Damage is equal to the level of the vagary in the spell, which is the cause of damage to the target: Plus the number of casting successes

Formalized spells:

At PC creation you may have any number of formalized spells equal to your ART attribute.

ALL sorcerers have the disadvantages of Gestures and Verbalization.

Regaining SP:

1 SP per hour – if resting

+1 SP per hour if meditating/sleeping

If you are not resting, or otherwise in a calm state of being to draw magic to you, then SP is not replenished.

For Ritual spells: The caster must make a successful symbol drawing skill check to draw the right symbols. If failed, you drew the wrong symbols of power and the spell proceeds as normal but fails’ at the last moment and the caster takes the full Strain effects of all vagaries and CTN modifiers added together.

- To formalize a ritual spell the make extended arcane theory and ritual magic skill checks

- To formalize a spell make an arcane theory skill check

NEW TABLE 6.8
Noisy environment: +1 CTN
Loud distraction: + 2
Someone tries to interrupt you: + 3
Wounded / Interrupted: See effects for failed symbol drawing skill check

No bonuses are given for Ritual Spells:

Gestures and verbalization are disadvantages, and it is assumed you will be meditating and drawing symbols.

6.6 spell casting modifiers… stays the same for now…

Ignore table 6.8


Casting time is equal to the CTN of the spell in rounds.

Instead of months ageing you absorb Strain

Strain:
-You can absorb up to your Threshold in Strain and the strain converts into fatigue.

-Which effects the caster as combat fatigue described on pg: 82

-Fatigue is recovered as described on pg: 82

-Points of Strain that exceed your Threshold begin to tear the caster apart (you channeled more magic than you could handle) You suffer 1 point of internal damage on the generic damage table for each point of Strain you absorb that is over your Threshold.

Bonus dice:

You gain bonus dice to cast a spell equal to the vagary level used

- A level 3 movement spell gives you three bonus dice for casting, a shape 2 and movement 2 spell give you 4 bonus dice etc…

-You MUST: used at least two dice from your Spell pool for each spell you cast: 1 for casting & 1 to resist Strain.

Spells of One, Many and Ritual:


Target
+
Range
+
Duration
+
Vagary
=
CTN


Spells of One:
T + R + D + L = CTN
Formalized:
T + R + D + L-2 = CTN

Spells of Many:
T + R + D + L + (any additional vagary levels) -2 = CTN
Formalized:
T + R+ D + L + (+1 for each additional vagary) -2 = CTN

In spells of many, the first vagary level is the highest one being used, with all other vagaries coming after for purposes of formalized spells.

Ritual Spells:

You may have noticed that it is possible to cast a spell with such a high TN that you cannot avoid killing yourself with Strain.

If you do not wish to die you will ritualize the spell.

-Calculate the CTN as a normal ritualized spell of one or many.

-Caster declares he’s ritualizing the spell.

-See the above rules for ritualizing spells.

For every 2 hours spent in a spell ritual the caster may lower the CTN by 1

The caster may lower the CTN by as many points as their ART x2.

The caster must declare how many hours are to be spent in ritual casting before he begins.