Lesser Magic (Skill)
Starting Lesser Magic
As an exception to the general rule of thumb, characters from careers which specialise in Lesser Magic may start with a number of spells equal to one tenth of their Lesser Magic skill.
Using Lesser Magic
Lesser Magic takes only a single Turn to cast. Each spell costs one Magic Point which is deducted from the Magic Point total whenever it is successfully cast. Casting any spell successfully requires a Lesser Magic roll. The Lesser Magic skill covers every spell a character knows. Thus, a character with Lesser Magic 70% would cast all their Lesser Magic spells at this level: Lesser Magic spells do not have discrete skill ratings.
If the Lesser Magic roll is a...
- Critical Success: the spell’s Magic Point cost is zero.
- Success: the caster loses 1 Magic Point, and the spell works successfully.
- Failure: the caster loses 1 Magic Point, but the spell does not work.
- Fumble: the caster loses 1d3 Magic Points for the spell and the spell fails to work.
Due to their minor or petty nature, all Lesser Magic spells have a default Intensity and Magnitude of 1.
Limits to Lesser Magic Capacity
Characters have no actual limit to the number of Lesser Magic spells they can learn, provided that the Games Master permits them to have access to new ones. Such knowledge might be restricted or unavailable in the game world.
Lesser Magic Spells
Lesser Magic spells are defined by various traits defining the effects of the spell and any particular limitations. Every spell is different with some having fewer traits than others.
Duration of Lesser Magic Spells
Unless a spell has either the Concentration or Instant traits it has a natural duration which lasts the entire scene or action for which the spell was used. A few spells have custom durations noted in the spell’s definition. For example, using Pathway to traverse a section of thorny and overgrown woodland would last until the terrain clears and the spell is no longer necessary.
Traits
Lesser Magic Traits are as follows:
- Concentration
- The spell’s effects remain in place as long as the caster continues to concentrate on maintaining it. Concentration requires the caster to be free of all physical and mental distractions: any such disturbance interrupts the concentration, resulting in the spell’s immediate dismissal.
- Instant
- The spell’s effects happen immediately. It has no duration.
- Ranged
- Spells with the Ranged trait can be cast at a distance of up to the character’s Lesser Magic score in metres. The caster must know the location of the target, such as ‘hiding behind the door’: if they are unable to directly see or sense the target of the spell, then the Lesser Magic roll becomes one grade harder.
- Resist (Endurance, Evade, Willpower)
- Any spell that is not readily accepted by a target can be actively resisted using either Endurance, Evade or Willpower, as determined by this trait. To successfully resist a spell, the target must win an opposed roll of the relevant skill against the caster’s Lesser Magic casting result. If the target fails in the opposed roll then the spell takes effect as normal. Note that resisting is usually a passive action if Endurance or Willpower are the being used. If a spell requires the target to Evade then it costs an Action Point to make the Evade attempt. Targets without Action Points to spend in evading will therefore be powerless against the spell’s effect.
- Touch
- The caster must be in physical contact with the target whilst the spell is cast. If a target is intent on resisting physical contact then the caster will most likely fail to complete his spell unless some specific circumstance prevents the target’s withdrawal, such as surprise or the Grip special effect. A touch spell merely needs to contact the target or its carried accoutrements in order to work.
- Trigger
- Trigger spells can be cast successfully but have their effects delayed by the caster. If the spell is not triggered during the scene it dissipates naturally.