Magic & Casting > Spellcasting
The Basics
Spells are constructed from three runic components. Each component defines a part of the spell.
What you need to know :
How to cast a Spell
Runecasting is a skill-based discipline. The act of spellcasting itself is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Here's an example : Tamiko is a Ton'keena 1st-level wizard who studies very hard at the Academy. She wants to cast a Flame Burst AoE spell, and she has some runestones with her : some Fire runestones and a Motion runestone.
She begins to assemble her spell. First, the Core Rune. It's a Fire spell, so the Core Rune will be Fire. That means it will be
dealing 1d6 lethal and 1d4 nonlethal damage to anyone that steps inside the target square until the caster's next turn, plus set them on fire if they fail a Reflex save.
Next, the Shape Rune. She wants the spell to target a square, so she puts another Fire runestone in the Shape Rune spot, since Fire Shape runes create square-wide bursts. Careful now! You can't put twice the same physical runestone in two spots! Wizards have it so hard.
Finally, the Range Rune. It's a ranged spell, so she puts a Motion rune in that slot: Motion allows to target any specific square within 10' of the caster.
She needs to know the cost of her spell. Because all of these runes are Tier 1 runes, the CP cost is 1+1+1 = 3 CP. As a 1st-level Wizard, she has 6 CP to expand - more than enough.
Now that Tamiko has determined the components of her spell and its cost, she can go and cast it.
The Spellcraft DC she needs to beat is : 8 + 3 Runes used in the spell + 3 CP she needs to expand = 14.
Her total Spellcraft modifier is +6, so she rolls a d20 : 13+6 = 19. That's enough to beat the Spellcraft skill check, so she can cast her spell. She expands 3 CP and her runes each have 1 less use before they break.
The spell is successful! The spell lands on the intended square and her opponent takes 3 lethal damage (on a d6) and 4 nonlethal damage (on a d4). He tries a Reflex save to avoid immolation : DC is 10 + 1 from her single level + 2 from her Intelligence attribute modifier (since she's a Wizard, that's her Casting Attribute). That's 13 to beat and he rolls a 15, so he passes the Reflex save. Tamiko pouts, as she was hoping to set her enemy on fire on top of that.
Advanced Rules
Let's go back to our friendly wizard, Tamiko. Last turn she cast her Fire Burst spell. Her turn has come again and she wants to sustain it for another turn, but doesn't want to expand any other runes and the last of her CP. So instead, she decides to take a concentration check with a DC of 14. She rolls 20, which means that she casts her spell again at no cost! The square she targeted remains on fire until her next turn.
Tatsuko is a bubbly apprentice who wishes she was as good as Tamiko. She tried to cast a Fire Burst spell too, but there was an opponent right adjacent to her! Because casting provokes an attack of opportunity, she gets hit for 10 damage before she can actually finish the casting.
Now she must take a Concentration check against a DC equal to the amount of damage she suffered : that's 10. She only rolls 8...She loses her focus and cannot finish her spellcasting. Her runes do not degrade, but she loses half the CP cost of the spell she was trying to cast - that's 2 CP lost, rounded up, and her turn ends.
Matsuo is a talented wizard who just passed his final exams at the Academy. He wants to cast the Hover Charm. The problem is that there is no rune whose effect is "hover" - but he's clever, so he can certainly combine two other effects, right?
The Motion rune could, on its own, move an item upwards. The problem is, it would take many Motion runes. There must be an easier solution. A Gravity rune could modify an item's weight! If he could combine the two together, it would make a very effective and cheap Hover spell. Because he's a 7th-level Wizard he can use two core runes. So he decides to combine the effects of Gravity and Motion, so the final effect is to reduce an item's weight by 30 lbs, and then exert a force of 10 lbs.
He adds his Shape and Range runes and successfully casts the spell... since the item he wanted to make hover weighted 40 lbs, under the charm's effects it weights 10lbs, just enough for the 10 lbs strong spell to make it slightly hover in the air.
Matsuo is not happy with a mere Hover charm. He wants a swish-and-a-flick spell - a true Levitation charm! To do that, he simply would need to add more Motion and Gravity core runes to balance each other out : 5 Gravity runes and 4 Motion runes, to be exact. But how can he do that? He can't add all these Core Runes to his spell. Instead he decides to overcharge the one Motion rune, and the one Gravity rune.
A Gravity rune normally takes 1 CP to activate. He overcharges it three times, expending an additional 3 CP, to emulate the effects of 4 Gravity runes : it can now increase or decrease an item's weight by 30x4 = 120lbs. Likewise, he overcharges his Motion rune 1 time, for 1 extra CP, so he exerts 20lbs of force against said item.
Finally, the object he wants to lift takes up four squares. Using the Earth shape rune, he could gently lift something in a one square area; since he cannot use more than one Shape rune he decides to overcharge his Earth shape rune once so to add an extra 5' around the target square : now his spell can lift an object that takes up to nine squares.
Now he has a 4 CP Gravity core rune, a 2 CP Motion core rune, a 2 CP Earth shape rune and a 1 CP Motion range rune. Now he takes a Spellcraft check : 8 + 4 Runes used + 9 CP expanded = DC 21. Because he's a 7th-level Wizard he can only expend 9 CP at once - so he cannot upgrade his spell anymore, but that's good enough for him. He takes 20 because there's no rush and quite manages to pass the check, though it takes a chunk of his CP away - but now he can move his chest indefinitely, provided he passes a Concentration check (where he can only take 10).
Spells are constructed from three runic components. Each component defines a part of the spell.
- The Core Rune(s) go first and determine the spell's effect and element
- The Shape Rune determines the spell's shape
- The Range Rune, which comes last, determines its targeting.
What you need to know :
- Casting a spell requires Runes. To create a spell, the caster must combine these runic components. Wizards use expendable Runestones, for instance, while Sorcerers use their own mental "Soul Runes". The character must have access to all the runes of the spell. The caster must use one runestone for each of the three components. (check this section for details on Runes, Runestones and their effects).
- Casting a spell costs Chi Points (or CP) - a measure of magical energy available to a spellcaster. You can find how many CP your character has by checking their Class Ability list. All spellcasting classes have a 1st-level CP recovery Class Ability.
- Base Activation Cost. Each rune costs CP equal to its Tier : that's the BAC. The base cost of a spell is the added cost of all BACs for all runes.
- Casting a spell makes use of the Spellcraft skill - this skill has been changed and works differently from its standard Pathfinder counterpart. (More information about the Spellcraft skill here).
How to cast a Spell
Runecasting is a skill-based discipline. The act of spellcasting itself is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
- To determine the effect of a spell as a whole you need to add the effects of each rune in each position : first the Core Rune(s), then the Shape Rune, and finally the Range Rune.
- To successfully cast a spell, the caster arranges the runestones, determines their effect and performs a standard Spellcraft skill check. Each superior rune gives a +2 modifier to that check. A caster can either use INT or their class's own Casting Attribute, whichever is higher, as the ability modifier. Also, note that spellcasting is subject to the normal rules for taking 10/20.
- The DC for the Spellcraft check is : 8 + Number of Runes Used + total CP cost.
- Runecasting and spellcrafting in general is not affected by armour. Arcane Spell Failure does not apply to magic use in this system.
Here's an example : Tamiko is a Ton'keena 1st-level wizard who studies very hard at the Academy. She wants to cast a Flame Burst AoE spell, and she has some runestones with her : some Fire runestones and a Motion runestone.
She begins to assemble her spell. First, the Core Rune. It's a Fire spell, so the Core Rune will be Fire. That means it will be
dealing 1d6 lethal and 1d4 nonlethal damage to anyone that steps inside the target square until the caster's next turn, plus set them on fire if they fail a Reflex save.
Next, the Shape Rune. She wants the spell to target a square, so she puts another Fire runestone in the Shape Rune spot, since Fire Shape runes create square-wide bursts. Careful now! You can't put twice the same physical runestone in two spots! Wizards have it so hard.
Finally, the Range Rune. It's a ranged spell, so she puts a Motion rune in that slot: Motion allows to target any specific square within 10' of the caster.
She needs to know the cost of her spell. Because all of these runes are Tier 1 runes, the CP cost is 1+1+1 = 3 CP. As a 1st-level Wizard, she has 6 CP to expand - more than enough.
Now that Tamiko has determined the components of her spell and its cost, she can go and cast it.
The Spellcraft DC she needs to beat is : 8 + 3 Runes used in the spell + 3 CP she needs to expand = 14.
Her total Spellcraft modifier is +6, so she rolls a d20 : 13+6 = 19. That's enough to beat the Spellcraft skill check, so she can cast her spell. She expands 3 CP and her runes each have 1 less use before they break.
The spell is successful! The spell lands on the intended square and her opponent takes 3 lethal damage (on a d6) and 4 nonlethal damage (on a d4). He tries a Reflex save to avoid immolation : DC is 10 + 1 from her single level + 2 from her Intelligence attribute modifier (since she's a Wizard, that's her Casting Attribute). That's 13 to beat and he rolls a 15, so he passes the Reflex save. Tamiko pouts, as she was hoping to set her enemy on fire on top of that.
Advanced Rules
- Maximum CP cost per spell : A runecaster can only expend a number of Chi points on a single spell equal to their Caster Level plus two.
- Spell Saves : Where a spell indicates a save may be made, the DC is 10 + the caster's Level, + the caster's Casting Attribute Bonus.
- Sustaining a Spell : A spell remains active until the caster's next turn. At the start of that turn, the caster may, as a standard action, decide to sustain the spell's effects for another turn. This requires the caster to make a Concentration check against the DC equal to the original Spellcraft check's DC. Sustaining a spell does not require extra CP or Spellcraft checks. If the caster passes that check, they are sustaining the spell until their next turn; if they fail the spell ends normally.
Let's go back to our friendly wizard, Tamiko. Last turn she cast her Fire Burst spell. Her turn has come again and she wants to sustain it for another turn, but doesn't want to expand any other runes and the last of her CP. So instead, she decides to take a concentration check with a DC of 14. She rolls 20, which means that she casts her spell again at no cost! The square she targeted remains on fire until her next turn.
- Damage During Casting : If a caster suffers damage while casting a spell (for instance from an attack of opportunity), they must pass a Concentration check against a DC equal to the amount of damage suffered (after damage reduction and damage resistance), or fail the casting and lose half the CP invested in it (rounded up). Spells are not affected if the caster gets hit after they've cast the spell.
Tatsuko is a bubbly apprentice who wishes she was as good as Tamiko. She tried to cast a Fire Burst spell too, but there was an opponent right adjacent to her! Because casting provokes an attack of opportunity, she gets hit for 10 damage before she can actually finish the casting.
Now she must take a Concentration check against a DC equal to the amount of damage she suffered : that's 10. She only rolls 8...She loses her focus and cannot finish her spellcasting. Her runes do not degrade, but she loses half the CP cost of the spell she was trying to cast - that's 2 CP lost, rounded up, and her turn ends.
- Extra Core Runes : Some runecasters have the ability to put extra core runes in their spells (refer to your class abilities). When they do so, cast your spell as normal but ALL the effects of each core rune apply. This can be very handy if you want to create a spell that, say, conjures a scorching rock...Remember you need as many physical runestones as there are runes in the spell.
Matsuo is a talented wizard who just passed his final exams at the Academy. He wants to cast the Hover Charm. The problem is that there is no rune whose effect is "hover" - but he's clever, so he can certainly combine two other effects, right?
The Motion rune could, on its own, move an item upwards. The problem is, it would take many Motion runes. There must be an easier solution. A Gravity rune could modify an item's weight! If he could combine the two together, it would make a very effective and cheap Hover spell. Because he's a 7th-level Wizard he can use two core runes. So he decides to combine the effects of Gravity and Motion, so the final effect is to reduce an item's weight by 30 lbs, and then exert a force of 10 lbs.
He adds his Shape and Range runes and successfully casts the spell... since the item he wanted to make hover weighted 40 lbs, under the charm's effects it weights 10lbs, just enough for the 10 lbs strong spell to make it slightly hover in the air.
- Overcharge : Normally, a Rune requires a number of Chi points to be expended equal to its BAC. At level 2 or higher, a spellcaster has the ability to Overcharge runes. That means that additional Chi Points may be expended (up to the character's maximum CP cost per turn for their level) into any one Rune to enhance its effects, as described in the description for each Rune. Despite putting more CP into the Rune than its BAC, overcharging a rune only substracts one use to it. One can overcharge any runes, including Range and Shape runes.
Matsuo is not happy with a mere Hover charm. He wants a swish-and-a-flick spell - a true Levitation charm! To do that, he simply would need to add more Motion and Gravity core runes to balance each other out : 5 Gravity runes and 4 Motion runes, to be exact. But how can he do that? He can't add all these Core Runes to his spell. Instead he decides to overcharge the one Motion rune, and the one Gravity rune.
A Gravity rune normally takes 1 CP to activate. He overcharges it three times, expending an additional 3 CP, to emulate the effects of 4 Gravity runes : it can now increase or decrease an item's weight by 30x4 = 120lbs. Likewise, he overcharges his Motion rune 1 time, for 1 extra CP, so he exerts 20lbs of force against said item.
Finally, the object he wants to lift takes up four squares. Using the Earth shape rune, he could gently lift something in a one square area; since he cannot use more than one Shape rune he decides to overcharge his Earth shape rune once so to add an extra 5' around the target square : now his spell can lift an object that takes up to nine squares.
Now he has a 4 CP Gravity core rune, a 2 CP Motion core rune, a 2 CP Earth shape rune and a 1 CP Motion range rune. Now he takes a Spellcraft check : 8 + 4 Runes used + 9 CP expanded = DC 21. Because he's a 7th-level Wizard he can only expend 9 CP at once - so he cannot upgrade his spell anymore, but that's good enough for him. He takes 20 because there's no rush and quite manages to pass the check, though it takes a chunk of his CP away - but now he can move his chest indefinitely, provided he passes a Concentration check (where he can only take 10).
- Multiple Spellcasting Classes : If a caster possesses levels in two or more classes that grant CP, the new base CP pool is determined by combining the two CP pools for the relevant levels in each of the classes, not counting any feats that add CP, but only one ability score modifier is added to the total. The choice of which score to use is made when the second class ability is gained, and once made, the choice is set. The caster can now use CP from this combined pool to power the abilities of every Spellcasting class in which they possess levels. A caster may not cast spells using several casting abilities at once; for instance a caster cannot use Wizard Runestones for their Core Runes and Sorcerer Soul Runes for their other components.
- Crafting Runes : The Craft:Runes skill allows you to create your own runes rather than buying them at certain shops. More info on the Craft:Runes skill here.