Magic

The following rules govern magic and any other supernatural ability or effect. The section describing what magic can do is also used for creating special abilities.

What is magic?

Magic in Swords of Infinity refers to any of the eldritch abilities wielded by wizards, sorcerers, witches, and the like. It is the most versatile force in the game, capable of controlling the elements, summoning creatures from other planes, and much more, but the rituals that enable its use can become very expensive. These Magic rules do not cover the sleight of hand and tricks performed by a stage magician, but instead those would be covered a combination of Skill Checks.

Storyteller's Note: These rules are also used for any other form of special ability that resembles magic, such as psychic powers or a martial artist's ability to manipulate Qi.

How to Cast a Spell

The steps require to cast a spell are very similar to making physical attacks and are detailed below.

1. Before a character can cast a spell they must perform a ritual that enables spell casting. The ritual costs one action, during which the spell caster can sacrifice any number of Value Levels in items or currency. For every Value Level sacrificed in this way the character can cast spells for 10 rounds.
   • This ritual does not need to be performed before each spell cast, but must be repeated when the character's spell casting ability expires.
   • Partial Value Levels can be sacrificed to gain spell casting ability for less than 10 rounds (e.g. a half value level would give 5 rounds of spell casting ability).
2. Once the ritual is complete the player must make an intelligence based Success Check. The target number is the character's Intelligence, plus any modifier from the character's spell focus, plus any intelligence specialization in the specific School of magic being used.
3. If the Success Check is successful the player may then make a personality based Power Check. The maximum power of the spell is the Character's Personality, plus any modifier from the character's spell focus, plus any personality specialization in the specific School of magic being used. The results of this Power Check determine the effects of the spell.

Modifying Spells

By default a spell only affects one target for one round. However, a spell caster can spend gain additional targets and duration by reducing the power of her spell as described below.

Modification	Power Cost	Outcome
Duration	10	The spell lasts for an additional round
Area of Affect	5	The spell affects an additional target

What can magic do?

As virtually limitless as magic is from a narrative perspective, in Swords of Infinity it can cause the following mechanical effects described below.

Cause or Heal Damage

Spells can cause or heal damage equal to the result of the caster's Power Check. Damage dealt this way is reduced by the target's armor, and can be further reduced by a successful block, the damage is dealt to the Damage Targets of the caster's choosing. Damage healed with magic can affect multiple Damage Targets at once, so if damage is completely healed on one Damage Target any remaining spell power can roll over to heal other injuries.

Regeneration

Destroyed limbs can be regrown with a spell power of 100 or more, they cannot be regrown incrementally with lesser spell powers.

Resurrection

Returning the dead to life requires a spell of power equal to or greater than 100 times the target's Experience or Difficulty Level and a corpse that is intact and free from decomposition. Resurrecting a creature whose body has decomposed will instead summon their spirit as a ghost.

Storyteller's Note: Resurrected characters might develop Defect Traits as a consequence of being pulled back from the dead.

Alter Ability Scores

Spells can increase or decrease ability scores by an amount equal to the spell's power. Targets of such a spell have the opportunity to defend themselves by making either a Mental or Physical Resistance Check depending on whether it is a mental or physical Ability Score that is being affected. If the target rolls a Resistance that is higher than the spell's power, then they are safe from its effects, otherwise they suffer the full amount.

Summon Monsters & Items

Spells can summon monsters, characters, and items from far-off places with a spell of power equal to or greater than 100 times the Value Level, Difficulty Level, or Experience Level of the target being summoned. The summoned creature or item is permanently brought to the caster's location, and requires another spell of equal or greater power to send it back to where it came from. These same mechanics can be used in reverse in order to teleport a character to another location, but likewise the caster must have intimate knowledge about the location being teleported to.

The summoner is not calling for a generic copy of an item or creature, but a specific member of that type, and therefor the caster must have intimate knowledge about its location and, in the case of creatures, its name. Summoned creatures are not under the control of the caster, and so will require further spells or coercion in order to cooperate with them.

Storyteller's Note: Summoned items are not created, but instead they are brought from another place, in many places this will be considered stealing and, in a magical world, someone will be able to track that item down and attempt to retrieve it.

Schools of Magic

Biomancy

Life magic

Metamancy

Transformation magic

Necromancy

Death magic

Enviromancy

Elemental magic

Psychomancy

Mind affecting magic

Astromancy

Spacial magic, including summoning and teleportation

Photomancy

light magic, including illusions

Divinimancy/Diablomancy

Channeling the abilities of a greater being, the actual capabilities depend on the entity