Sorcery Charts

From Burning Wiki

I hope these help you make your spell casting fun and rewarding.

Contents 1 Definitions 2 Spell Casting Flow Outline 3 Failed Casting 4 Sustaining Spells 5 Charts and Things

Definitions

Abstracted

Spell that is created or modified using the spell abstraction rules

Area of Effect (facet)

Caster, Single Target, Presence, Natural Effect, Measured Area

Duration (facet)

Instantaneous, Continuing/Sustained, Elapsed Time, Permanent

Element (facet)

Sphere of the world affected by the spell

Facets, Spell

Element, Impetus, Origin, Duration, Area of Effect

Impetus (facet)

How a spell's element is affected

Natural Effect

Area effect governed by natural forces unleashed by spell

Origin (facet)

Personal, Presence, Sight

Presence

Paces equal to Will of caster

Spell Casting Flow Outline

What every sorceror should know before casting spells:

• Recovery time (time to recover one die of lost Forte due to Tax): 10 - Health in hours
• Sustainable spell slots: Will - 1
• Base damage done (I-M-S ratings) by destroy impetus spells (p. 213)

1. Preliminaries
   1. Declare intent
   2. Declare spell being cast
   3. Adjust Area of Effect; modify spell obstacle.
   4. Add or modify other spell facets (adds to Ob and casting time; spell now becomes abstracted)
2. Roll Sorcery + Will dice vs. spell obstacle (open-ended!)
3. While casting...
   1. Watch for spell interruption (p. 219)
   2. May hold spell (Coup de Magie, p. 221)
4. Apply effects
   1. Tax effects
      1. Forte test vs (original, not modified) spell obstacle
         • On failure, lower Forte temporarily by amount roll missed
           • If Forte goes to zero, unconsciousness results
           • If Forte goes below zero, take a wound equal to (the spell obstacle x points below zero) (p. 211)
         • Health test--roll for each die of Forte lost to Tax
           • For each success (no obstacle) knock one hour off recovery time (minimum one hour)
      2. Casting patiently improves Tax roll (p. 220)
      3. Casting hastily raises Tax obstacle (p. 221)
      4. For sustained spells, retest every (Forte - spell obstacle) hours
   2. Spell effects
      1. Apply counterspell effects (p. 225)
      2. Allocate successes to:
         • If "^" on spell, increase effects (based on spell description)
         • If Elapsed Time spell, increase duration (each increment of duration takes one success).
         • Add Power to damage effects for Destroy impetus spells
      3. For Natural Effects, see p. 214
         1. Natural Effects and Control impetus act as Throw Opponent martial arts maneuver (p. 215)
      4. Destroy impetus does damage (p. 213)

Spell Casting Modifiers

• See the page on general rolls for more modifiers, with these exceptions/modifications:
  • Artha feats: Deeds only double Will or Sorcery exponent
  • Use carefully rules below, not the normal ones
  • FoRKs not generally allowed
  • Helping is "frowned upon"
• Per increment Area of effect increased: +1 Ob
• Carefully: Per 2x applied to casting time, +1D (casting time = base time * bonus die * 2)
• Hastily: Per -1 action to cast: +1 Ob

Failed Casting

p. 217

Harmless Dissipation

No harmful effects

Garbled Transmission

Spell misfires. Use Wheel of Magic to determine effect (p. 218).

Unwanted Summoning

Something nasty appears (see Magic Burner, summoning chapter beta, p. 26)

Sustaining Spells

May Nots

• Panic (fail Steel test)
• Be hurt
• Fall down hard
• Fail a Tax test (for a subsequent spell)
• Lose an Eldrich Shield
• Fall asleep/lose consciousness

Mays

• Fight
• Change position
• Jump
• Talk/argue
• Cast spells
• Study

Notes

• Each sustained spell reduces Will tests by 1D.
• Abstracted spells may be reinforced by adding additional dice of Will.
• Being distracted (May Not occurs) requires Will test at base spell Ob.

Charts and Things

Spell Elements and Impetuses

Element or Impetus	Ob	Actions	RP	Notes
Air	2	4	10
Anima	*	5	12
Arcana	4	10	8
Earth	1	6	8
Fire	2	5	10
Heaven	3	8	10
Water	2	3	9
White	4	3	9	Includes lightning, electricity.
Control	5	16	5	Change shape or move.
Create	6	32	6
Destroy	2	2	3	Use magical effect as a weapon (Destroy with) or eradicate the element directly (Destroy to).
Enhance	4	12	4
Influence	3	4	3	Change color, temperature, direction.
Tax	1	1	2	Drain with or to an element.
Transmute	4**	20	7	Change an element into another.
*Uses target stat of the spell target. **Add obstacle to target facet.

Limitations

• no Create Anima spells