Magic

Magic is divided into eight types. Each type is linked to a different Aspect.

• Death magic is based off your Ruthless

• Divination magic is based off your Precise

• Illumination magic is based off your Creative

• Metal magic is based off your Defiant

• Storm magic is based off your Graceful

• Technomancy magic is based off your Astute

• Vitium magic is based off your Empathetic

• War magic is based off your Forceful

To cast a spell, you must first spend time studying it and learning it. Once you have learned it, you roll its Aspects against its Difficulty. If you fail, you don’t cast the spell and can suffer a Retaliation or a Consequence. If you succeed, you cast the spell, and may score a bonus on a Critical Success. Casting a spell in a combat situation uses up your action.

Normally, casting a spell takes 1 action, representing a wave of hands, an incarnation or something quick and simple. However, some spells have the [Rite] tag next to their names. If they have this, then they require a significant amount of time and concentration, usually an entire Scene to complete, and will fail if interrupted by things such as being attacked or by moving the ritual spot. For this reason, you cannot use them in combat (unless in exceptional circumstances, and at that point you must be protected by their allies). When a roll to cast a rite is a normal success, if it does not have any further consequences you will have to choose a Consequence for you and your party to face.

Some spells can have a long-lasting effect that requires the focus of the spellcaster and must be maintained; these have the [Maintained] tag next to their names. When maintaining a spell, the caster must test their Arcane Mastery at the start of each of their turns. If they are successful, the spell continues, but otherwise its effect ends. If you cast another spell that must be maintained while maintaining one, the effects of the spell you are maintaining end. The effect also ends if you are incapacitated.

Spells with the [Attack] tag next to their names use your attack action for your turn, even if they aren’t a direct combat roll.

Spells with the [Swift] tag are quick enough to be cast with a simple word or wave of the hand. Casting a Swift spell does not count as your Aspect roll for your turn (though you can only cast one Swift spell each turn). If they are successfully cast, they do not trigger Retaliation; failure still triggers it.

Learning Spells

If you have a class ability or talent that gives you access to one or more spell groups, you can learn a number of spells equal to your Arcane Mastery rank. Whenever you increase your Arcane Mastery rank, you can use your next Downtime to learn a new spell.