Spellcasting

Spellcasting

Any player character has access to magic if they so desire.

If a character has a tag that specifies they have access to a specific Aspect of magic the tag eases the task.

All characters if they have access to magic, have an MAI (Magical Aptitude Index). The MAI eases spell casting levels by the following table.

All characters also have an assigned tier. Using the table below changes the spell level based on spell tier and character tier.

Magial Aptitude Index (MAI)

The Magical Aptitude Index (MAI) measures a being’s innate connection to the fundamental forces of magic. It represents potential—how easily one can perceive, channel, and manipulate aetheric energy. A higher MAI reflects a naturally resonant essence, often tied to birthright, lineage, or cosmic phenomena. MAI begins with a base value set by species and modified by subspecies, descriptor, type, and specialization. Ultimately, MAI determines the ceiling of a caster’s magical capability, shaping both the scope and stability of their spellcraft.

Each Species has a base MAI to start a character with. Sub-species may modify this number. For each Magical tag in the Character sentence you add +1 to the MAI number. (so up to +3 -- descriptor, type and speciality)

Caster Tier

Caster Tiers are based on MAI and modified by all character tags.

Add +1 for each magical tag for all life stages, descriptor, type, and specialty. Use the Tier of a tag as the plus if it has one.

Spell Creation

Spells have a sentence like all other things in Story Mode.

Spell Tiers

To determine a spell’s Tier, assign points for each of its five factors: Aspect, Type, Base, Artifact, and Level/Target.

Use the predefined point values, sum the points from all five factors to get a total. Compare the total to the Tier mapping. The resulting Tier reflects the spell’s complexity, power, and risk.

Tier Mapping:

Artifacts

• Science
  • Equations
  • Code
  • Technology
• Magic
  • Runes — physical symbols
  • Incantations — verbal or resonate sounds
  • Somatic — physical gestures
  • Manifestations — innate power/will
  • Rituals — runes, incantations, and somatic requirements

Base

• Order — structure and stability
• Chaos — Motion and transformation
• Void — Nullification and isolation
• Spirit — Conscious link

Spell Types

• Damage – Harmful effects
• Counter – Nullifies or prevents effects
• Control – Manipulates forces/objects
• Summon – Calls forth creatures or objects
• Ward – Protection-based effects

Aspects

• Air, Earth, Water, Fire
• Life, Death
• Min, Time, Space,
• Sound, Illusion
• Shadow, Light
• Chaos

Air

Air magic harnesses the power of the wind and atmosphere, manipulating currents, pressure, and breath to influence movement, weather, and communication.

Damage Type: Elemental Summoned Creatures: Animal, Chimera, Elemental, Fey

Earth

Earth magic taps into the raw power of the land, manipulating soil, stone, and natural formations to shape the environment, create barriers, and influence growth.

Damage Type: Elemental Summoned Creatures: Golem, Insect, Elemental, Giant

Fire

Fire magic channels the intense, destructive energy of flames, controlling heat, combustion, and light to scorch, ignite, and purify.

Damage Type: Elemental Summoned Creatures: Draconic, Fiend, Elemental

Water

Water magic draws on the fluidity and adaptability of water, manipulating its forms—liquid, ice, and steam.

Damage Type: Elemental Summoned Creatures: Animal, Ooze/Slime, Elemental

Life

Life magic taps into the essence of vitality and growth, using the force of living energy to mend wounds, restore health, and nurture the life force of both beings and nature.

Life magic is unlike other magic. Life magic can only heal and restore and is considered a "Control" type spell.

Life spells cannot be cast in combat.

You cannot heal yourself.

If you do not have a tag that specifically grants you access to Life spells all casting of life spells are hindered by 2.

Death

Death magic manipulates the forces of decay, entropy, and the boundary between life and the afterlife. It can rot flesh, drain life, or command the dead.

Damage Type: Necrotic
Summoned Creatures: Undead, Ghost, Fiend

Mind

Mind magic influences thought, emotion, memory, and will. It can control, confuse, or empower minds, bending perception and behavior.

Damage Type: Psychic
Summoned Creatures: Fey, Alien, Ghost

Time

Time magic alters the flow of time around people and objects—slowing, speeding, rewinding, or trapping moments.

Damage Type: Shadow Summoned Creatures: Alien, Monstrosity, Shadow

Space

Space magic bends distance, direction, and physical location. It enables teleportation, folding dimensions, or imprisoning within spatial distortions.

Damage Type: Chaos
Summoned Creatures: Alien, Monstrosity, Elemental

Sound

Sound magic uses vibration and resonance to damage, disorient, or influence. It can shatter, silence, or amplify in devastating ways.

Damage Type: Psychic
Summoned Creatures: Animal, Ghost, Monstrosity

Illusion

Illusion magic manipulates perception to create false images, sounds, or sensations. It deceives the senses but causes no direct harm.

Damage Type: None Summoned Creatures: Fey, Ghost, Shadow

Shadow

Shadow magic draws on darkness and obscurity, often blending stealth, fear, and the unknown. It can drain energy, obscure light, or animate darkness itself.

Damage Type: Shadow
Summoned Creatures: Shadow, Undead, Monstrosity

Light

Light magic channels radiance, clarity, and truth. It can blind, reveal illusions, or burn with divine intensity.

Damage Type: Radiant
Summoned Creatures: Celestial, Elemental, Fey

Chaos

Chaos magic embodies unpredictability, transformation, and the primal forces that defy order. It warps reality, mutates outcomes, and alters the nature of magic itself.

Damage Type: Chaos
Summoned Creatures: Alien, Monstrosity, Fiend, Ooze/Slime

Casting a Spell

Mastery of a spell eases the level of the spell by one. A spell can only be mastered once.

If you roll a Natural 20 for any DC you also gain Mastery of that spell.

A character may also spend downtime of 2d6 weeks Mastering a Spell. A character may only study one spell at a time.

Blood Magic

Blood magic is rare and evil. Blood magic requires the user to specifically take the tag "Uses Blood Magic" in order to actually have access to it. It may be applied at Character Creation but must be earned through a Character Arc at any other time.

To cast a spell with Blood Magic you must sacrifice part of yourself or another living creature of the appropriate level.

This sacrifice will ease the spell casting by two and the target sacrifice will gain 1 lingering trauma wound. If the living creature is below level 3 it is instantly killed. The damage type for this is necrotic.

Mishaps

Mishaps happen when a spell goes awry.