Incantation Magic
Incantation Magic
- Incantation Magic is an alternative to the standard magick system and allows magic casters to have an arsenal of spells unique to the caster only.
Every living creature has Magical Aptitude (MA), but only a few have a significant amount - which is 1 or more in gaming terms. Those who have a significant MA can use that to affect a situation (add or subtract as much MA as you want or can to any skills roll) - but doing so requires a whole month to recover that MA.
Someone with significant amount of MA can learn to focus it into what is commonly known as a Whomp - a sudden release of focused magical energy. A minimum of 1 MA is spent in releasing a basic Whomp - but more can be spent in one Whomp to enhance its effect. The Whomp will have a tiny personalized effect - like making you more awake, making others around you slightly nauseated, creating a soft wind, ripples in water or some such. The effect of the Whomp reflects the individual's personality. Such a focused release of MA requires only a good night's sleep to regain the magical energy. The Whomp has a DR of 0 and will not be so strong as to significantly affect self or others in gaming terms (cannot add or subtract any numbers to the target's attributes, skills or otherwise). A Whomp would normally take 1 round to cast, have a range of 3 meters or less, the effect lasting for 1 round while requiring active focus for that duration.
For a magically talented person to go from naturally spending MA during a month to focus the MA to a basic Whomp requires training by a mage with a magic lore of at least 12. It is also possible to acquire that ability through magical rituals, reading special scrolls or from a severe shock, trauma or enlightened magic experience.
From the Whomp, the person can start training personalized magic incantations - a release of magical energy that has focused effects. The person can start adding a certain amount of MA to a basic Whomp and by that create a specific incantation. One must add at least 3 MA to evolve the Whomp (or any incantation) into a new incantation. Example; A wannabe mage has a basic Whomp that makes people around her slightly nauseous for 1 round by releasing one MA and making the DR roll of 0. By adding 3 MA to the Whomp, she can make the nausea last for 2 rounds and actually give those around her -1 in status for that long (effects on target's attributes or skills normally are 1 per two added of MA). If she keeps up training that specific enhancement to her Whomp (2 rounds duration/-1 in status), she will eventually convert the beefed-up Whomp into a new incantation with DR 3 (she calls it "Nausea"). That incantation will only require 1 MA to cast, but now she will have the opportunity to add MA while casting that incantation in order to enhance the effects of the incantation.
There are a few rules when changing a incantation by adding MA when it is cast or when forging a new incantation with higher DR:
- It requires 2 additional steps to add one to the effect, double the range, add duration or reduce the casting time for a incantation one level lower on the "time scale for incantations". Additionally, when forging a new incantation:
- It must be sufficiently different from any other incantation the caster has - at least 3 "steps" in any direction from any other incantation.
- For every 5 in DR, a incantation gets a casting time one level higher on the "time scale for incantations".
A magically talentet person will go from naturally spending MA to boost skill rolls during a month to focus the magic energy into a basic Whomp that cost one MA (recovered by one night sleep). By adding MA when Whomping, one can enhance the effect or duration or reduce the casting time. One can turn such an enhancened Whomp into a new incantation by practicing it over time. The new incantation will have a DR equal to the amount of MA used to enhance the Whomp, and the new incantation will then require only one MA to cast. The caster names the incantation appropriately and adds it to the growing arsenal of incantations. Any incantation cost one MA to cast, but can be enhanced by adding more MA to it. Adding two in MA will reduce casting time, double the range, add one to the effect or make it go from Active to Passive. The MA added to enhance an incantation becomes the additional DR of a new forged incantation if the caster whish to add it to the arsenal.
Any incantation directly affecting the mind of a target can be resisted by that target, and the caster must add the target's Magic Defense to the DR for it to take effect. If an incantation is cast on a group of people, the caster makes a roll and any target that has a Magic defense less then the roll minus the DR of the incantation is affected.
Think of the Whomp as the stem of a tree, and branches and leafs as incantations evolving from that stem. One can always go back to the stem or earlier branches and evolve new incantations from there.
It is even possible to learn new Whomps and evolve entirely new "trees" of magic.
To cast an incantation (or Whomp), one will use the Magic Path lore associated with that type of Magic. To evolve a fire type of Whomp, one must acquire Fire Magic Lore. Any incantation enhancing perceptions requires Perception Magic Lore, etc. The table below shows the most common Magic lores.
| Path | Incantation examples |
| Earth | Glue, Shape Stone, Raise Wall |
| Fire | Ignite, Fireball, Control Fire |
| Air | Levitation, Silence, Fly, Teleport |
| Water | Create water, control water, water breathing |
| Ice | Chill, Ice strike, Wall of Ice |
| Nature | Grow Plants, Animal Healing, Find Familiar |
| Life | Healing, Regeneration, Resurrection |
| Black | Agony, Life Drain, Raise Dead |
| Perception | Enhance Awareness, Clairvoyance, Farsee |
| Protection | Armor, Protection from Fire, Magic Defense Boost |
| Summoning | Summon Elemental, Summon Demon, Summon Spirit |
| Magic Manipulation | Identify Magic, Warding, Create Magic Item |
When a new incantation is forged, make a roll on the following table to see how the incantation turns out:
| 1 = Bad transformation (GM's discretion) | |
| 1 | Make the spell opposite of the intended (Cannot be taught to others) |
| 2 | Lose control of the spell (Cannot be taught to others) |
| 3 | Transforms to a worse version of the spell |
| 4 | Adds a negative effect from a very different spell |
| 5 | Adds a negative effect from a similar spell |
| 6 | Transforms to a similar, but less effective spell |
| 2 = Bad effect | |
| 1 | One more DR |
| 2 | Subtract from spell effect |
| 3 | Add casting time |
| 4 | Make Active |
| 5 | Subtract from duration |
| 6 | Subtract from range |
| 3 = Minor negative effect | |
| 1 | Spell requires one additional Endurance drain |
| 2 | You must speak the formula for the spell louder |
| 3 | Negative color change |
| 4 | No change |
| 5 | No change |
| 6 | No change |
| 4 = Minor positive effect | |
| 1 | No change |
| 2 | No change |
| 3 | No change |
| 4 | Positive color change |
| 5 | You can speak the formula for the spell softer |
| 6 | Spell requires one less Endurance drain |
| 5 = Good effect | |
| 1 | Add range |
| 2 | Add duration |
| 3 | Make Passive |
| 4 | Subtract casting time (no less than 1 round) |
| 5 | Add spell effect |
| 6 | One less DR |
| 6 = Good transformation (GM's discretion) | |
| 1 | Transforms to a similar spell |
| 2 | Adds an effect from a similar spell |
| 3 | Adds an effect from a very different spell |
| 4 | Transforms to a better version of the spell |
| 5 | Spell becomes somewhat intelligent, self-aware or adds a spirit to it (Cannot be taught to others) |
| 6 | Double the effect of the spell (Cannot be taught to others) |
Criticals and Fumbles
A magick critical occurs when you roll a double 6 when casting a spell. A Critical roll indicates a successful casting of the spell. You also roll on the Magick Criticals table below. If the critical is not applicable, pick the one below. Roll first for the category, then for the specific critical.
The Incantation Magic system is currently using the standard critical table, but as playtesting is being done the effects may differ in the future.
| 1 = Impression | |
| 1 | Looks really cool |
| 2 | Impressive, adjacent friends get +1 next round |
| 3 | Very impressive, adjacent friends gets +1 next D rounds |
| 4 | Fearsome, foe rolls on fear table with +9 adjustment |
| 5 | Awesome, foe rolls on fear table with +6 adjustment |
| 6 | Wild, foe rolls on fear table with +3 adjustment |
| 2 = Side effect | |
| 1 | Gain 1 experience mark in MA |
| 2 | Gain 1 experience mark in Magick Lore |
| 3 | Gain 1 experience mark in Learning |
| 4 | MA not spended for casting the spell |
| 5 | You may cast an additional spell this round (if Casting Time is one round) |
| 6 | Active spell becomes passive for the duration of the spell |
| 3 = Increased effect | |
| 1 | Spell weight is 1 level higher |
| 2 | Area of effect 1 level higher |
| 3 | Range is 1 level higher |
| 4 | Duration is 1 level higher |
| 5 | Spell Effect is 1 level higher |
| 6 | Add one to all spell level effects |
| 4 = Effect boost | |
| 1 | Spell weight is D levels higher |
| 2 | Area of effect D levels higher |
| 3 | Range is D levels higher |
| 4 | Duration is D levels higher |
| 5 | Spell Effect is D levels higher |
| 6 | Double ALL spell level effects |
| 5 = Special | |
| 1 | Spell warps into another similar spell (GM's discretion) |
| 2 | Spell warps into another similar, but better spell (GM's discretion) |
| 3 | Disregard the targets MD |
| 4 | Double ALL spell level effects |
| 5 | Effect is D/2 spell levels higher and disregard the targets MD |
| 6 | Effect is D spell levels higher and disregard the targets MD |
| 6 = Roll twice on this table, ignoring any subsequent 6s, add one experience mark | |
A magick fumble occurs when you roll a double 1 when casting a spell. A fumble roll indicates a failure to cast a spell. You also roll on the Magick Fumbles table below, adding the current MA to the open ended dice roll. If the fumble is not applicable, pick the one above. Roll first for the category, then for the specific fumble.
| 1 = Roll twice on this table, ignoring any subsequent 6s, subtract one experience mark | |
| 2 = Special | |
| 1 | Unconscious for D hours and loose 1 in MA permanently |
| 2 | Unconscious for D minutes |
| 3 | Sleep deprevation for D days due to pain, -4 in Status |
| 4 | Affects wrong target in the worst possible way |
| 5 | Affects self (unless supposed to) |
| 6 | You start yelling backwards for D days (the player must yell everything backwards, including spells cast) |
| 3 = Unwanted effect | |
| 1 | Amnesia – can not cast spells for D hours |
| 2 | Everybody within 10 meters become hostile towards you |
| 3 | Spell has the complete opposite effect (GM's discretion) |
| 4 | Dizzy – fall and let go what you have in your hands |
| 5 | Thirsty (dehydrated), -D in Status until you drink D liters |
| 6 | Pain, subtract 3 in Status until Medical Lore roll of 7 succeeds |
| 4 = Stun effect | |
| 1 | Shocked, subtract O+3 in status for one minute |
| 2 | Reeling, subtract O in status for O rounds |
| 3 | Staggered, subtract D in status for D rounds |
| 4 | Stunned, subtract 3 in status for 3 rounds |
| 5 | Confused, subtract 3 in status next round |
| 6 | Off balance, subtract 1 in Status next round |
| 5 = Added effect | |
| 1 | Very drained, subtract 3 Magical Aptitude until well rested (no less than 1) |
| 2 | Very fatigued, subtract 3 from Endurance until well rested (no less than 1) |
| 3 | Very tired, subtract 3 from Strength until well rested (no less than 1) |
| 4 | Drained, subtract 1 Magical Aptitude until well rested (no less than 1) |
| 5 | Fatigued, subtract 1 from Endurance until well rested (no less than 1) |
| 6 | Tired, subtract 1 from Strength until well rested (no less than 1) |
| 6 = Impression | |
| 1 | Terrible for morale, friends get -1 in all rolls for the next D rounds |
| 2 | Very bad for morale, friends get -1 in all rolls for the rest of the round |
| 3 | Bad for morale, friends get -1 in attack for the rest of the round |
| 4 | You make a fool out of yourself, laughter is heard |
| 5 | Botched it, giggles are heard |
| 6 | Awkward looking |
