Monday, June 10, 2013

8. Magic Overview

Any class that casts spells is placed into one of two categories.  They each have one attribute classified as their Casting Attribute. (see Classes)

Full Casters (Bards, Clerics. Druids, and Mages)
Full Casters begin casting spells at 1st level.  They prepare cantrips and have a caster level equal to their class level.

Half Casters (Paladins and Rangers)
Half Casters begin casting spells at 2nd level. They cannot prepare or cast cantrips and they have a caster level equal to half their class level, rounded down.
Cantrips
Cantrips, sometimes referred to as 0-level spells, are basic spells that require very little concentration or effort to cast.  When a full caster prepares his spells, he selects five cantrips.  Cantrips do not have slots and the caster may cast them any number of times per day.
Preparing Spells
All casting classes must prepare their spells before casting them. A character may change this list of prepared spells once a day following an 8 hour rest.  Mages can only prepare spells that are in their spellbook. 

Each caster prepares a number of spells equal to his caster level + casting attribute modifier. These spells may be of any level that the caster has spell slots for.

For example, a 3rd level mage with an Intelligence of 18 prepares any 7 spells of his choosing up to 2nd level.  He decides to prepare four 1st level, and three 2nd level spells.
Spell Slots
To cast a prepared spell, a caster must expend a spell slot of the spell's level or higher.  The following chart shows how many spell slots a caster gets to use daily by caster level.  The number of spell slots available are increased by the character's casting attribute as normal.

Level1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
12--------
23--------
332-------
443-------
5432------
6543------
75432-----
85543-----
955432----
1055543----
11555432---
12555543---
135555432--
145555543--
1555555432-
1655555543-
17555555432
18555555543
19555555554
20555555555
Casting Spells
To cast a spell a character must be able to move, speak, and have access to his equipment.  A cleric must have his holy symbol.  The feats Silent Spell, Still Spell, and Eschew Materials can allow spells to be cast without one or more of the previous components.  Characters may not cast spells while wearing armor with which they are not proficient.

Casting a spell is not something that can be concealed.  Even if you cast a spell with no components there are still visual cues which declare what you are doing.  These can be anything from glowing eyes, hands charging with arcane energy, or odd symbols manifesting around you.  Unless you are invisible or undetected, others will know you are casting a spell.
Disrupting Spells
Spells cannot be disrupted while casting except by certain environmental effexts at the DM's discretion.  For example, damage from a held attack cannot negate a mage's spell, but a DM may rule a concentration check is needed if the caster is suffering from ongoing damage or is otherwise unusually distracted.

Concentration duration spells can still be disrupted by damage normally.
Buff Limits
A creature cannot benefit from more than three active spells, spell like abilities, or supernatural abilities at any given time.  Beyond this creates too much of a strain on the physical form.  If a creature who already has 3 active buff effects is targetted by another, the creature may choose which effect to drop.  Enemy spells and effects can still affect the creature normally without dropping any of it's other active effects.
Copying Spells
Copying spells to a spellbook is free and requires nothing more than the ink, quill, and paper to scribe it.  It takes 1 full day to copy a spell regardless of that spell's level.  No Spellcraft checks are required.
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