College Ritual Book Magic[]

Spells are easy. College is very hard.

College Ritual Book Magic (CRBM) is a revision of the standard GURPS Magic system intended primarily for Dungeon Fantasy games. It can be used in any game that is willing to use the standard spell list and prefers that spell casters depend on grimoires to be effective.

Unless otherwise stated, assume the rules from GURPS Magic apply.

Learning Magic[]

Anyone can learn to cast a magic spell, and all spells are Mental/Easy skills. Spells learned individually have their normal prerequisites.

Serious practitioners prefer to learn a collection of spells as college, as defined in GURPS Magic. Each separate college is a Mental/Very Hard skill.

Beyond level 0, the Magery or Magic Talent advantage does not exist. Some spellcasters may have a Talent with certain colleges and related skills. These talents should be created using the normal rules for talent creation. As a guideline, for 5 points, the talent should apply to 2-3 college skills (and any individual spells in that college) and 4-3 other related skills. For 10 points, the talent should apply to 6-7 college skills and 6-5 other related skills.

Performing Magic[]

A character must either have the 5 point Magery 0 advantage or be in a High or Very High mana zone if they actually want to cast a spell.

Spells that were learned as individual skills are cast by taking the required Concentrate maneuvers and rolling under effective skill. The energy cost is not taken from the caster's HP or FP but is instead applied to their tally. The energy cost of the spell is reduced by 1 for every 5 points of MoS on the spellcasting roll.

Spells that are learned as part of a college are cast by taking the required Concentrate maneuvers and rolling under the effective skill based on the College. Spells learned from colleges have an additional default penalty equal to the least

the prerequisite count, if the prerequisite count is 3 or less

2 + 1/2 the prerequisite count, if the prerequisite count is 4 or more

a set default value, for spells that have them

A spellcaster who owns a grimoire that improves a specific spell can reduce that spell's default penalty by the grimoire's bonus for that spell. If the grimoire bonus is greater than the spell's default penalty, casting the spell requires additional energy equal to net bonus. If the caster's base skill plus the grimoire bonus is greater than her Thaumatology skill, she doesn't fully understand the spellcasting process and any failure to cast the spell causes an immediate roll on the Catastrophe table at her current tally. These two effects combine if the spellcaster is subject to both of them.

Rituals[]

Regardless of skill, there is no reduction of energy cost, and the default casting ritual requires spoken words and gestures with at least 1 hand. Any changes to ritual or energy provide a modifier to skill. Effective casting time is not automatically halved at high skill levels.

Penalties for reduced ritual requirements or casting times cannot lower base casting skill below 10. Blocking spells cannot gain bonuses from extra time or from more elaborate rituals; as instant acts of will, they are already cast 'no gestures' and 'no words' at no penalty. Some other spells specify that they can be cast without gestures (particularly the 'breath of' spells); these also do not accrue a penalty.

Casting Time: +2 to effective skill for taking twice base casting time in an emergency; +3 to effective skill for taking ten times base casting time in an emergency; +2 to effective skill for taking ten times base casting time when not in an emergency; -5 to effective skill for each halving the effective casting time.

Ritual Gestures

Spellcasters making Elaborate or Sweeping gestures can have a ritual item (wand, staff, rod, crystal ball, holy symbol, censor, tome, fetish, etc) in one hand and still have the hand considered "free." The other hand must be empty. Holding a staff in a single hand prevents two-handed parries while the caster is taking the Concentrate maneuver.

Elaborate Gestures: +2 to effective skill. Observers get +2 to any rolls to identify the spell being cast; the caster has an additional -4 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted. This requires both arms, both hands, and both legs to be free. The caster must be standing and have the space to move a yard in all directions.

Sweeping Gestures: +1 to effective skill. Observers get +1 to any rolls to identify the spell being cast; the caster has an additional -2 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted. This requires both arms and both hands free. The caster must be standing or sitting.

Firm Gestures: This is the standard. It requires at least one hand free. The caster cannot be prone.

Subtle Gestures: -1 to effective skill. Observers get -2 to any rolls to identify the spell being cast or to notice that a spell is being cast at all; the caster has an additional -2 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted. This requires one hand or both legs free. If both legs are free, the caster must have space to move a yard in all directions.

No Gestures: -2 to effective skill. Observers get -4 to any rolls to identify the spell being cast or notice that a spell is being cast at all. The caster has an additional -4 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted.

Casting Volume: Shouted Words: +1 to effective skill. Observers get +1 to any rolls to identify the spell being cast; the caster has an additional -2 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted. The spellcaster can be heard from 16 yards away (100 db). No spellcaster can use Shouted Words for any spell with an effective casting time longer than 1 hour.; Loud Words: This is the standard.The spellcaster can be heard from 8 yards away (90 db).; Spoken Words: -1 to effective skill. Observers get -2 to any rolls to identify the spell being cast or to notice that a spell is being cast at all; the caster has an additional -2 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted. The spellcaster can be heard from 1 yard away (70 db).; Whispered Words: -2 to effective skill, or -3 with No Gestures. Observers get -4 to rolls to identify the spell being cast or notice that a spell is being cast at all (and, if combined with No Gestures, may not roll!). The caster has an additional -4 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted. The spellcaster is difficult to hear at a distance (50 db).; No Words: -4 to effective skill, or impossible with no Gestures. Observers get -6 to rolls to identify the spell being cast or notice that a spell is being cast at all. The caster has an additional -6 on Will rolls to maintain concentration if interrupted.

Most casting in combat is assumed to Subtle Gestures (to allow two-handed weapon use) and Shouted Words, for no net modifier. A caster who is Grappled may cast using Shouted Words and No Gestures for a total penalty of -3. If the caster is Pinned, there is an additional -4 penalty, for a total -7 to spell casting attempts. Spellcasters who are bound and gagged may not cast spells at all.

Reduced Maintenance Costs for Extended Spell Durations[]

For any spell, the caster may pay for extended maintenance at the start of any maintenance period. Choose a multiplier for the maintenance time on the linear measurement on the SSR table. Take the Size Modifier associated with that linear measurement, add 2, and multiply the result by the original maintenance cost. If the mage pays that much energy, multiply the spell's duration by the chosen multiplier. Paying for extended maintenance is optional, and the caster may always choose to pay the standard maintenance cost to continue the spell for it's normal duration.

Example: Kestrel has cast Hawk Flight (duration 1 minute, maintenance 3 energy). At the end of the first minute, Kestrel decides he needs to keep flying for a long time, and decides to increase the spell's duration by 50x. Looking 50 up on the SSR, he gets an 8, to which adds 2 for a 10 and then multiplies by Hawk Flight's base maintenance cost of 3. By spending 30 energy, Kestrel can continue flying for another 50 minutes.

Duration Multiplier	Duration Cost Multiplier	Extended Efficiency	Duration of a 1 minute spelll
x2	x2	100%	2 minutes
x3	x3	100%	3 minutes
x5	x4	125%	5 minutes
x7	x5	140%	7 miutes
x10	x6	166%	10 minutes
x15	x7	214%	15 minutes
x20	x8	250%	20 miutes
x30	x9	311%	30 minutes
x50	x10	500%	almost 1 hour
x70	x11	654%	over 1 hour
x100	x12	833%	1 1/2 hours
x150	x13	1153%	2 1/2 hours
x200	x14	1429%	3 hours
x300	x15	2000%	5 hours

Ceremonial Magic[]

Ceremonial magic works normally under CRBM, except that there is no requirement for anyone to know the spell at skill 15 or better. Participants who know the spell at 15 or are better are considered "skilled"; participants with a lower knowledge are considered unskilled. Skilled mages may contribute unlimited energy (but see below on the effects of Calamity on a ceremonial circle); unskilled mages and skilled non-mages may contribute 3 energy point apiece; spectators may contribute a single energy point. It is possible, though difficult, for unskilled mages to perform ceremonial magic, and even engage in large works through very powerful circles.

Non-spellcasting participants must have a sincere and informed belief in casting the spell; they can neither be mercenaries working solely for pay nor mind-controlled or otherwise coerced. Also, they cannot be fooled into casting a spell: they must be aware of the spell that is being cast and agree to support casting it, or they count as opposed participants at -5 energy each.

Tally and Threshold[]

CRBM is a Threshold system. Characters without Magery have a Threshold of 0 and a Recovery Rate of 5, and should be very cautious about casting spells, even in High mana regions. Characters with Magery have a Threshold of 5 and a Recovery Rate of 10. The leveled Extra Magical Ability advantage costs 10 pts/lvl and each level increases Threshold by 10 and Recovery Rate by 15.

Casting a spell increases the Tally. If a spellcaster's Tally goes over his Threshold, he must make a Calamity check on the table below. Tally is reduced by Recovery Rate at dawn or midnight (player's choice at character creation).

Calamity Checks and the Calamity Table[]

To make a Calamity Check, roll 2d and add 1 for every full 5 points by which tally exceeds threshold after this casting. Calamities take effect immediately, but don’t normally cause the spell to fail.

Roll	Effect
2-8	Nothing happens -- this time.
9-10	Until the wizard's tally is reduced to 0, the base cost of casting that spell or ritual is doubled. Increase the multiple by 1 every time this result is rolled again.
11-12	As 9, and the wizard has a -1 penalty to cast that spell until his tally is reduced to 0.
13	As 9, and the wizard has a -1 penalty to cast all spells in the same college until his tally is reduced to 0.
14	Until the wizard's tally is reduced to 0, the base cost of casting all spells or rituals in the same college are doubled. Increase the multiple by 1 every time this result is rolled again. Also, the wizard has a -1 penalty to cast all spells in the same college until his tally is reduced to 0.
15	As 14, but the casting penalty is -2.
16	As 15, but the casting penalty is -3.
17	As 16, and the wizard's Extra Magical Ability is reduced by 1 (recalculate threshold and recovery rate based on the new Extra Magical Ability rate). This effective is cumulative. 1 level of Extra Magical Ability is recovered every day that the wizard has a tally of 0, doesn't cast any spells at all, and makes a HT check. If the wizard has no Extra Magical Ability remaining, his Tally increases by 10 which does not cause a new calamity check.
18	As 17, and as long as the wizard's Extra Magical Ability is reduced, he suffers from Nightmares with a control roll of 9 or less.
19	As 18, and as long as the wizard's Extra Magical Ability is reduced, he suffers from the -10% version of Radically Unstable Magery (Thaumatology p 26).
20	As 18, and as long as the wizard's Extra Magical Ability is reduced, he suffers from the -30% version of Radically Unstable Magery (Thaumatology p 26).
21	As 20, and the wizard is in a Twisted Mana (Thaumatology p 60) zone that only affects him for the next d6 hours.
22	As 20, and the wizard is in a Twisted Mana (Thaumatology p 60) zone that only affects him for the next d6 days.
23	As 20, and the wizard is in a Twisted Mana (Thaumatology p 60) zone with a radius equal to his base Extra Magical Ability (minimum 1) for the next d6 days.
24	As 20, and the wizard is in a Twisted Mana (Thaumatology p 60) zone with a radius equal to his current Extra Magical Ability (minimum 1) until his Extra Magical Ability completely recovers and for d6 days after that.
25-28	As 20, and the wizard is also a Mana Dampener with the same radius of affect as the Twisted Mana zone.
29+	The wizard takes (Calamity Modifier / 20)d of injury, reduced by half on a successful HT-6 check. If the wizard dies from this injury, their body explodes (reducing the wizard to -10xHP in the process) and doing the same damage as a cr ex centered on the wizard's hex. Should the wizard survive, also apply the effects of 25, above.

Ceremonial Magic and Calamity[]

If any spellcaster in a ceremonial circle has to roll Calamity, every spellcaster in the circle has to roll Calamity. Every spellcaster in the circle is effected by the Calamity result of each spellcaster in the circle. Participating non-spellcasters (skilled or spectators) that go over their Thresholds have to roll Calamity individually, but the effects of the Calamity only affect that spectator or non-spellcaster.

Enchanting[]

The lead enchanter may use ritual gestures or take extra time to improve their effective skill. The lead enchanter does not need to have an effective skill of 15 or more, but "always on" magic items need an effective skill of 15, including low mana penalties, to work at all. Active effects are cast at the item's effective Power level: a Power 12 wand of Fireball isn't reliable, but it is a magic item.

Ceremonial Circles and Pooling Skills[]

The lead enchanter in a ceremonial circle casting an Enchantment college spell must either know the specific spell being cast (or its college) or must know College of Enchantment. There is a -1 penalty for each other spellcaster in the circle that doesn't know the specific spell (or its college) or College of Enchantment. If the enchantment places another spell on the item (Scroll, Spell Arrow, etc), the lead enchanter is at -1 for each spellcaster in the circle (including himself) that does not know the spell that is being placed or the college that spell is from, but it is possible to have the lead enchanter provide the College of Enchantment knowledge and another member of the circle provide knowledge of the placed spell.

Quick and Dirty Enchantment[]

Quick and Dirty enchantments have a base time to cast of 1 hour. When the casting time is complete, every member of the ceremonial circle may contribute any amount of energy, adding it to their Tally and checking Threshold normally (but see above for the effects of Calamity on a ceremonial circle). Unlike normal ceremonial casting, Quick and Dirty enchanting is penalized by -1 for every additional member of the circle beyond the lead enchanter, but both skilled and unskilled mages may contribute any amount of energy into the casting.

Slow and Sure Enchantment[]

Slow and Sure enchantments have a base time to cast of 4 hours. When the casting time is complete, every member of the ceremonial circle may contribute any amount of energy, adding it to their Tally and checking Threshold normally (but see above for the effects of Calamity on a ceremonial circle). Additional energy may be added to the spell by performing another ceremonial, slow and sure enchantment. The skill roll to complete the enchantment is rolled when all of the enchantment's energy has been provided, based on the worst possible set of penalties for any casting of the slow and sure enchantment.

If a Slow and Sure enchantment takes 10x extra time to cast (40 hours), the lead enchanter must decide how to split up those hours among work days. Energy may be contributed (and Tally recovered) each day, but there is an inherent -20% inefficiency to contributing energy over multiple days: 10 points of Tally spent over two days only counts as 8 points of energy for the enchantment.

Slow and Sure enchantments may be paused at any time; the spellcasters do not have to work continuous days. Spellcasters may work on more than one slow and sure enchantment at a time. Spellcasters may be added to or dropped from the circle before any casting, but the final penalty for slow and sure enchantments is based on the total penalties from all the spellcasters that have ever been in the circle. Unlike Quick and Dirty enchantment, Slow and Sure enchantment circles do not suffer penalties for additional members.

Changes to Missile, Melee, and Other Damaging Spells[]

Damage causing spells are standardized. Colleges that are capable of causing damage have 1 or more Elements available to them, which determines how damaging spells from that college do damage. Each Element can be channeled through various different Forms, such a ball, a jet, a breath, or a volley. Forms are standardized across all colleges, and create standard spell effects.

Each damaging spell has an Element and a Form. For casters who are learning spells individually, each combination of Element and Form is a separate spell.

These spells replace the standard damaging spells from GURPS Magic: Explosive Thunder Ball replaces Concussion, for instance. The only exceptions are damaging spells that have no equivalent in these rules, such as Rain of Nuts.

Damage Progression[]

Damaging spells can have a fixed damage, or do slow progression damage, or do fast progression damage. These progressions determine how quickly damage increases with the caster's IQ, and are determined by the spell's Form.

Any fast progression damaging spell (such as Lightning Bolt or Flame Jet) can do a base damage of Sw damage (from the table on p. B16) based on the caster's IQ + relevant magical talent by performing Concentrate maneuvers equal to its casting time. This may be modified by the spell's element, just as swung shortsword and a swung halberd do different damage. The caster may enlarge the spell by concentrating for an additional turn, which increases the damage by +2 or +1/die, whichever is better.

Any slow progression damaging spells (such as Rain of Fire or Explosive Lightning Bolt) can do a base damage of Thr damage (from the table on p. B16) based on the caster's IQ + relevant magical talent by performing Concentrate maneuvers equal to its casting time. The caster may enlarge the spell by concentrating for an additional turn, which increases the damage by +4 or +2/die, whichever is better.

The Elements[]

Any damaging spell is built out of two components: the element that determines the college, damage type, special effects, and bonus damage of the spell, and the form that determines the range, area, and cost of the spell.

For damage spells that do fixed damage, treat that as a single die of damage. Damage penalties cannot reduce the damage below 2.

If using Technical Grappling/Fantastic Dungeon Grappling, spells that convert damage to Binding effects instead inflict the damage as CP.

Lightning (Air): This form creates lightning bolts. -1 damage per die. Treat as a Tight Beam Burning Innate Attack with Double Knockback, Arcing Surge, and Side Effect (Stun). Ranged Attacks are Acc 4, Range 50/100. Double knockback, in this case, lets it do knockback damage as though it were a crushing attack.

Thunderous (Air, Sound): This form creates cracks of thunder. +3 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with Armor Multiplier 2, Double Knockback, and Hearing Based Side Effect (Stun). Treat attacks against swarms or vaporous creatures as area effect attacks, even if the spell form is normally a single target spell. Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 30/60.

Windy (Air): This form creates tornado force winds. +4 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with Double Knockback and No Wounding and a followup Crushing Innate Attack with Double Kockback and No Wounding. Attacks against swarms or vaporous creatures are treated as area effect attacks, even if the spell form is normally a single target spell, and remove one of the No Wounding limitations. Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 30/60.

Blighting (Body): This form directly attacks the body of living and formerly living things. +0 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with Cosmic (Ignores DR), No Knockback, Accessibility (Only living or previously living animals and humanoids; cannot target locations). Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50. Deathtouch should affect zombies, but not stone golems or trees.

Deprivating (Body, Food): This form causes the target to suffer starvation or extreme thirst. -1 damage per die. Treat as a Fatigue Innate Attack with Cosmic (Ignores DR), Hazard (Starvation or Thirst, chosen when the spell is learned), and Resistible (HT -4). Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 50/100.

Enervating (Body): This form drains vital energy from any living thing. -1 damage per die. Treat as a Fatigue Innate Attack with Armor Divisor 2. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 50/100.

Hellfire (Demonology): This form summons the fire of hell from below the target. +1 damage per die. Treat as a Burning Innate Attack with Affects Insubstantial, Armor Divisor 2, Underfoot, and Costs 1 HP. Ranged Attacks are Acc 1, Range 25/50.

Entombing (Earth): This form buries the target in the earth. +0 damage per die. Treat as a Binding attack with a level equal to damage rolled and the Engulfling, Unbreakable, and Environmental (must be touching the ground) . Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50.

Rocky (Earth): This form creates rapidly moving stone. +2 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with Double Knockback and a follow-up Crushing Innate Attack with Double Knockback, No Wounding. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50. Essentially, calculate knockback based on quadruple the rolled damage.

Flaming (Fire): This form creates fires. +1 damage per die. Treat as a Burning Innate Attack with Incendiary and Armor Divisor 2. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 50/100.

Poisonous (Food): This form creates a powerful, blood-borne poison. +3 damage per die. Treat as Toxic Innate Attack with Blood Agent, Cyclic (5x10 seconds), Resistible by HT-5. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50.

Discorporating (Gate, Movement): This forms works by teleporting bits and pieces of the target away from the target. -2 damage per die. Treat as a Cutting Innate Attack with Cosmic (Ignores DR) and Unblockable. Ranged Attacks are Acc 1, Range 15/30 and are not blocked by any cover between the caster and the target.

Glamoured (Illusion & Creation): This form creates powerful illusions that can fool the target into thinking it is badly wounded. +0 damage per die. The caster may specify the form of the damage (Burning, Cutting, etc) at the time of casting, and the target appears to take double the rolled damage of that type of damage. If the caster win a Quick Contest of caster's Artist (Illusion) skill the versus target's Perception, the target believes the illusion and suffers the apparent injury and any effects (including crippling wounds, stun, unconsciousness, or apparent death) which persists for MoS minutes. On failure, the target suffers no damage or effects. When the glamour expires, the target realizes the damage is illusionary and removes the apparent injury and cancels any lasting effects from it.

Intruding (Illusion & Creation): This form creates physical objects inside the target. -2 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with No Knockback, Cosmic (Ignores DR), Side Effect (Stunning), and Unblockable. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50 and are not blocked by any cover between the caster and the target.

Sunny (Light): This form creates laser beams. +1 damage per die. Treat as a Tight Beam Burning Innate Attack. Ranged Attacks are Acc 8, Range 100/200, and get +1 to hit. Sun attacks are laser beams, and should benefit from having a built-in laser sight.

Ruinous (Making and Breaking): This form causes rust, rot, and other decay on inanimate objects. +2 damage per die. Treat as Crushing Innate Attack with No Knockback, Cosmic (Ignores DR), Accessibility (Only never living inanimate objects; cannot target locations). Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50. Making and Breaking spells can't affect golems, zombies, or housecats, but they can destroy cars and furniture.

Nullifying (Meta-Magic): This form severs the target from the ambient mana. +0 damage per die. Treat as Crushing Innate Attack with No Knockback, Cosmic (Ignores DR), Affects Insubstantial, Accessibility (Only things animated by magic or with a dependency on mana; cannot target locations). Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50. Meta-spells can't affect mundane things or inanimate objects, but they can harm golems, the undead, and faeries.

Psychic (Mind Control): This form directly damages the mind of the target. -1 damage per die. Treat as a Fatigue Innate Attack with Cosmic (Ignores DR), Symptom (-2 to Will at 1/3rd FP damage), and Resistible (Will -4). Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 50/100.

Forceful (Movement): This form creates cutting blades of abstract energy. +0 damage per die. Treat as a Cutting Innate Attack with Affects Insubstantial and Double Knockback. Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 50/100.

Slowing (Movement): This form slows and encumbers the target. +0 damage per die. Treat as a Binding attack with a level equal to damage rolled and the Unbreakable modifier. Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 50/100.

Calamitous (Death, Necromantic): This form directly disrupts the energy of the living and the undead. -2 damage per die. Treat as an Impaling Innate Attack with Affects Insubstantial, Cosmic (Ignore DR), Unblockable, and Accessibility: Only Living or Once Living creatures. Ranged Attacks are Acc 1, Range 15/30.

Cessating (Necromantic): This form directly disrupts the energy of the mindless, corporeal undead such as mummies, skeletons, and zombies. +3 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with No Knockback, Cosmic (Ignores DR), Accessibility (Only mindless, corporeal undead; cannot target locations). Targets that take damage have a 1 in 6 chance of being forced to flee out of sight of the caster for one day. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50.

Grasping Vines (Plant): This form creates vines that entangle the target. +0 damage per die. Treat as a Binding attack with a level equal to twice the damage rolled and the Can Only Be Damaged by burning, corrosion, and cutting modifier. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50.

Thorny (Plant): This form creates wickedly sharp thorns like a giant rose. +2 damage per die. Treat as an Impaling Innate Attack. Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50.

Sound (Sound): This form creates waves of focused sound that disorient living things and shake material things apart. +2 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with Side Effect (Stun). Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 25/50.

Grinding (Technnology): This form creates metal gears that grind away at the target, eroding physical material. +1 damage per die. Treat as a Corrosive Innate Attack. Ranged Attacks are Acc 1, Range 25/50.

Pulsing (Technology): This form generates an electromagnetic pulse that damages electronics.. +3 damage per die. Treat as a Crushing Innate Attack with No Knockback, Arcing Surge, Cosmic (Affects things with Immune to Metabolic Hazards), Accessibility (Only robots and electronics; cannot target locations). Ranged Attacks are Acc 2, Range 25/50.

Metallic (Technology): This form creates cutting blades of metal. +1 damage per die. Treat as a Cutting Innate Attack with Armor Divisor 2. Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 50/100.

Acidic (Water): This form creates acid that burns the target. +1 damage per die. Treat as a Corrosive Innate Attack. Ranged Attacks are Acc 1, Range 25/50.

Frosty (Water): This form freezes the target. +0 damage per die. Treat as a Burning Innate Attack with No Incendiary and Armor Divisor 5. Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 50/100.

Icy Shards (Water): This form creates shards of ice, which injure the target by physical impact. +2 damage per die. Treat as an Impaling Innate Attack with Armor Divisor (0.5). Ranged Attacks are Acc 3, Range 100/200.

Obviously, a specific spell might use a variant of the elemental or form name, or even both. Lightning Storm sounds better than Explosive Lightning Ball; Sunbolt is better known than Sunny Ball, and so on.

The Forms[]

Each form determines the physical description of the spell, including its range, area of effect if any, and energy cost.

A form's Magical Spread is equal to the wizard's level of talent in the spell's element + 2, minimum 2.

ie, a wizard with Air Spells Talent +3 and no other talents would have a Magical Spread of 5 for Explosive Lightning Ball, but a Magical Spread of 2 for Explosive Fireball.

Spells can be enlarged by taking a Concentrate maneuver per effect to enlarged: damage, area of effect (for area effect spells), subjects for spells that can have multiple subjects or RoF bonus for spells with a RoF. Other than subjects, spells can't be enlarged for the same effect more than once.

For all the spells below, all of subject's unarmed attacks are considered a single weapon: a single casting of (Element) Weapon can be used to add damage to a fighter's punches, kicks, body slams, and any strikers.

(Element) Ball: Creates a fast progression, single target Missile at the cost of 1 energy per 2d of base damage. Double the cost to enlarge the spell. Prerequisites are Shape (Element) and Create (Element) or 6 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

Explosive (Element) Ball: Creates an slow progression, area effect Missile that does full damage in up to Magical Spread yards radius, at 1 FP per yard of radius per 2d of base damage. Enlarging the spell can either increase damage, at double cost, or increase the radius of effect by Magical Spread yards, again at 1 FP per 2d of base damage per yard of increased radius. At the caster's option, the attack is also explosive for 1 energy, with double cost if the spell damage was enlarged. Prerequisite is (Element) Ball.

(Element) Jet: As a Regular spell, creates an elemental jet extending from the caster's fist. It can be used to attack using DX or Innate Attack with any normal Attack maneuver, and cannot be parried, nor can it parry. The jet does fast progression damage, cannot be enlarged, and costs 1 energy per 2 yards of reach (up to a maximum of caster's Magical Spread) per 2d of base damage. The jet has a duration of 1 second, but the duration doesn't begin until the caster has an opportunity to make the attack maneuver. Prerequisites are Shape (Element) and Create (Element), or 6 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

(Element) Breath (VH): As a Regular spell, allows the caster to breath out a cone of the element by taking an attack maneuver and rolling against DX or Innate Attack (Breath). The cone does slow progression damage and cannot be blocked or parried. The cone has a combined length and width in yards equal to the caster's Magical Spread, and the caster may enlarge the spell for more damage or for more length or width normally, up to twice his Magical Spread. The base cost of the spell is 1 energy per 2d of base damage for each 2 yards of length or 4 yards of width, doubled if the damage is enlarged. Prerequisite is (Elemental) Jet.

(Element) Touch: Imbues the caster's hand with elemental energy, allowing him to transfer that energy to a foe with a touch. This is a Melee spell that does fast progression damage at the cost of 1 energy per 2d of base damage. Prerequisites are Shape (Element) and Create (Element), or 6 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

(Element) Weapon: As a Regular spell, imbues a melee weapon with elemental energy that does 2 damage with the element's normal damage type and modifiers as a follow-up on any successful attack with the weapon. This spell takes 1 second and 4 energy to cast and has a duration of 60 seconds, with a maintenance cost of 2 energy. For double energy to cast and maintain, it can be improved to do slow progression follow-up damage instead. As a Concentrate action at the time of casting, it can be enlarged to apply to another weapon at the same cost as the first weapon, and this can be done multiple times. The weapon is not harmed by the elemental energy. Prerequisites are Shape (Element), Resist (Element), Create (Element) or 9 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

(Element) Missiles: As a Regular spell, imbues a missile weapon with elemental energy that does 2 damage with the element's normal damage type and modifiers as a follow-up on one damage roll from any successful attack with the weapon. This spell takes 1 second and 4 energy to cast and has a duration of 60 seconds, with a maintenance cost of 2 energy. For double energy to cast and maintain, it can be improved to do slow progression follow-up damage instead. As a Concentrate action at the time of casting, it can be enlarged to apply to another weapon at the same cost as the first weapon, and this can be done multiple times. The weapon is not harmed by the elemental energy. Prerequisites are Shape (Element), Resist (Element), Create (Element) or 9 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

(Element) Strike: As a Blocking spell, imbues a missile or melee weapon with elemental energy that does 2 damage with the element's normal damage type and modifiers as a follow-up on one damage roll from the next attack by the weapon within one second of the spell's casting. It takes 1 energy to cast, or it can be cast for 3 energy in which case the follow-up damage uses the slow progression. The weapon is not harmed by the elemental energy. Prerequisites are Shape (Element), Resist (Element), Create (Element) or 9 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

(Element) Armor: As a Regular spell, surrounds the subject with a sheathe of elemental energy. Anyone who attacks the subject with a melee attack (or the weapon itself, for Ruin Armor) suffers slow progression damage on a successful hit. Anyone who grapples the subject take fast progression damage upon securing the grapple and cancels the spell in the process. As a Concentrate action at the time of casting, it can be enlarged to apply to another subject at the same cost as the first subject, and this can be done multiple times. Elemental Armor takes 4 energy to cast, 2 energy to maintain, and has a duration of 1 minute. Prerequisites are (Element) Jet, Resist (Element) or 9 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

Rain of (Element): This spell can only be cast outdoors, and creates a rain of elemental energy inside the target area. Anyone inside the target area at the end of his turn takes full damage; anyone who enters or starts in the area but moves out during his turn takes half damage. This spell does slow progression damage and is an Area spell with a base cost of 1 energy per 2 dice of damage, the same maintenance cost, and a duration of 1 minute. Prerequisites are Shape (Element), Create (Element) or 9 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

(Element) Volley: Creates a missile that does slow progression damage with RoF 4 and Rcl 3. It can still be used for suppressive fire, walking fire, or to otherwise engage multiple targets using the normal RoF attack rules. It has a base cost of 3 energy per die of damage. Enlarging the spell can increase the damage at double energy cost, increase the RoF to 10 at double the energy cost, or both at triple energy cost. Prerequisites are Rain of (Element), Element (Ball), and Element (Breath).

(Element) Trap: This spell creates creates a visible trap zone in a single hex: anyone entering the hex triggers the spell, and must Dodge or take Fast progression damage to the torso. It may also be cast on an object; anyone performing a specified action (such as opening a door, reading a letter, or drawing a sword from its sheath) is affected by the spell. It can be enlarged for extra damage at double cost, or repeatedly enlarged at the same cost to lay down additional traps. This is a Regular spell with a casting time of 1 second, a duration of 10 minutes or until triggered, a cost of 1 FP per 2d of base damage, and a maintenance cost of half the casting cost. When the spell is enlarged for extra hexes, each hex is triggered separately and the entire spell is maintained until all the hexes are triggered. Prerequisites are Shape (Element), Create (Element) or 9 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

Mass (Element) Trap: This spell creates creates a visible trap zone in an area: anyone entering the hex triggers the spell, and must Dodge or take Fast progression damage to the torso. It can be enlarged for extra damage at double cost. This is an Area spell with a casting time of 1 second per yard of radius in the trigger area, a duration of 10 minutes or until triggered, a base cost of 1 FP per 2d of base damage, and a maintenance cost of half the casting cost. When the spell is triggered, the caster may immediately spend the maintenance cost to keep the spell from expiring; the original victim cannot retrigger the spell until they leave and re-enter the area of effect. Prerequisites are (Element) Trap or 10 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

Explosive (Element) Trap: This spell creates creates a visible trap zone in a single hex: anyone entering the hex triggers the spell, and anyone in Magical Spread yards must Dodge and Retreat out of the area or take Slow progression damage. It may also be cast on an object; anyone performing a specified action (such as opening a door, reading a letter, or drawing a sword from its sheath) is affected by the spell. It can be enlarged for extra damage at double cost, or repeatedly enlarged at the same cost to lay down additional traps. This is a Regular spell with a casting time of 1 second, a duration of 10 minutes or until triggered, a cost of 1 FP per 2d of base damage per yard of radius covered in the burst, and a maintenance cost of half the casting cost. When the spell is enlarged for extra hexes, each hex is triggered separately and the entire spell is maintained until all the hexes are triggered. Prerequisites are (Element) Trap or 10 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

Mass Explosive (Element) Trap: This spell creates creates a visible trap zone in an area: anyone entering the hex triggers the spell, and anyone in Magical Spread yards must Dodge and Retreat out of the area or take Slow progression damage. It can be enlarged for extra damage at double cost. This is an Area spell with a casting time of 2 second per yard of radius in the trigger area, a duration of 10 minutes or until triggered, a base cost of 2 FP per 2d of base damage per yard of radius covered in the burst, and a maintenance cost of half the casting cost. When the spell is triggered, the caster may immediately spend the maintenance cost to keep the spell from expiring; the original victim cannot retrigger the spell until they leave and re-enter the area of effect. Prerequisites are Explosive (Element) Trap, Mass (Element) Trap, or 12 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

Extended Mass (Element) Trap: This spell creates creates a visible trap zone in an area: anyone entering the hex triggers the spell, and must Dodge or take Fast progression damage. It can be enlarged for extra damage at double cost. This is an Area spell that cannot be maintained with a casting time of 5 seconds per yard of radius in the trigger area, a duration of 12 hours or until triggered, and a base cost of 2 FP per 2d of base damage. Prerequisites are Mass (Element) Trap or 11 spells from the college, whichever spell count is easier to achieve.

The arcane symbols used to mark an (Element) Trap (and its variants) glow, are visible to sight, and cannot be concealed. It takes a Thaumotology roll to determine what the symbols mean; an Occultism roll is sufficient to realize they symbols are a trap but not the element involved or the trigger conditions for a trapped object. An object trapped by (Element) Trap must be consciously used or destroyed to trigger the trap; throwing a trapped object at the target does not trigger the trap on the target. Destroying a trapped object by throwing it causes the trap to affect the thrower, not anyone at the impact point.

Grimoires[]

Using Grimoires[]

A spellcaster must have reviewed a grimoire in the previous 24 hours in order to use its bonus when casting a spell. Reviewing a collection of grimoires takes 1 hour, and an additional hour for every total 100 points in bonuses that the grimoires provide. After having reviewed a grimoire, a spellcaster does not need to keep the grimoire on him to get its bonus when casting a spell.

Purchasing Grimoires[]

Grimoires come in three qualities, which basically represents paper weight and grade. Cheap grimoires are made from thick, heavy paper. Good and fine grimoires are made from thinner and stronger paper. Grimoires can come in any size, but are bought in blanks of 100 pages.

Grimoire Quality	Cost ($)/100 pages	Weight (Lbs)/100 pages
Cheap	10	2
Good	80	1
Fine	200	0.1

Grimoires can also be Dwarven, as per manuals from Sages: immune to fire and water damage, double weight, +4 CF.

TL8 paper grimoires have 1/10th the normal cost for their pages.

TL8 grimoires can be 3D printed on plastic. This makes them immune to water damage at the same weight, +3 CF.

Many grimoires are associated with magical styles, and usually have a selection of spell references grouped into one of the style's levels and sufficient to qualify for the next level in that style.

Spell References per Grimoire[]

Each spell reference in a grimoire has a separate bonus, a cost to purchase the spell for the grimoire, and a number of pages that the spell requires. Delvers who want to create their own spell references can instead pay $0.5/page for the calligraphy and an additional material cost for diagrams and rare inks if they have the required minimum skills in Writing, Teaching, Thaumatology, and effectively in the college including the prerequisite penalty for the spell.

Bonus	Cost ($)	Pages	Material ($)	Min Skill
+1	10	15	3	14
+2	15	20	8	15
+3	30	30	20	16
+4	75	40	50	17
+5	200	60	160	18
+6	500	80	440	19
+7	1000	120	900	20
+8	2500	160	2300	21
+9	5000	240	4500	22
+10	10000	320	9000	23

Grimoires written by TL8 spellcasters costs 15x as much for each spell reference.

Transcribing an existing spell reference from one grimoire to another requires the material costs the material cost of the spell and takes one hour per 5 pages. There is no minimum skill requirement to transcribe a spell reference.

New and Revised Advantages and Disadvantages[]

College Ritual Book Magery [5]: You can cast spells, as long as there is some mana available. You have a Threshold of 5 and a Recovery Rate of 10.

Big Spreader [10/level]: Your magical spread for all colleges is increased by 1. This stacks on top of the bonus for any talents you have.

Extra Magical Abilty [10/level]: Your ability to cast spells is improved, so you have +10 Threshold and +15 Recovery Rate for every level of this advantage.

Magical Style Familiarity [1]: In CRBM, instead of being able to learn any of his school's public spells without needing instruction, a magical stylist improves the grimoire bonus by 1 for any of the style's grimoires, as long as he has also a grimoire from each of the style's previous levels. A stylist gets a +1 grimoire bonus to all the spells in the style's first grimoire as long as he has access to the grimoire.

Improved (College) Spread [1]: You must specialize by college. Your magical spread for damaging spells from this college is increased by 1. This stacks on top of the bonus for any talents you have and the Big Spreader advantage.

Disciplines of Faith (Arcane Rituals) [-10]: Your magic requires constant research into the tides of magic, the position of the stars, and stranger things. You must own a spellbook that contains your notes, observations, and calculations on how and when you can cast spells. This spellbook is grimoire with 5 pages per point in spells that you know. You must study from this spellbook for 1d hours every night - this is time taken away from sleep, being on watch, travelling, etc. You do not need the spellbook on you to cast a spell if you studied it the night before. On any day that you cast a spell, you consume $5 of reagents and spell ingredients - these are fetishes, fine spices, and powered gems that weigh almost nothing. If you ever find yourself without reagents or your spellbook, you are at -1 on all spell-casting rolls per day that you go without either, and -2 per day that you go without both. The penalty is reduced to 0 as soon as you study in your spellbook and have access to reagents again.

Disciplines of Faith (Tome Magic) [-15]: As Disciplines of Faith (Arcane Rituals), but your spellbook is a physical representation of your magical ability. This spellbook is grimoire with 10 pages per point in spells that you know. You cannot cast spells at all unless your spellbook is on your person (in your backpack counts, but not in extra-dimensional space such as a Hide-away pouch). You get a +2 on all rolls to cast spells while your book is physically in your hand.

New and Revised Skills[]

Each college of magic is its own M/VH skill, named "College of <$COLLEGE>".

College of Making and Breaking has prerequisites of 2 elemental college skills.

College of Meta-Magic has prerequisites of Thaumatology and 2 other college skills.

College of Enchantment has prerequisites of College of Making and Breaking and College of Meta-Magic.

New and Revised Spells[]

Seek Spells[]

No Seek spell can find or detect anything enclosed in meteoric iron. Things made of meteoric iron are encased in themselves, and cannot be detected or found by Seek spells.

Any Seek spell used to find or detect something enclosed in lead takes Regular spell distance penalties, not long-distance spell distance penalties. Things made of lead are encased in themselves, and can only be detected or found by by Seek spells at very close distances.

Elemental[]

Summon (Element) Elemental: Cost: 2 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the elemental's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.
Control (Element) Elemental: Cost: 2 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the elemental's point cost relative to the caster's point cost. Half that cost to maintain.
Create (Element) Elemental: Cost: 4 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the elemental's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.; Time to Cast: 1 second per energy point of casting cost.

Air[]

Earth to Air: Cost: Double cost for turning stone to air, sextuple cost for turning worked stone or metal to air. Earth to Air is an emergency breathing spell, not a cheap way to tunnel through castles!

Animal[]

Shapeshift: Cost: 4 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the animal's point cost relative to the caster's point cost. 1/3rd that cost to maintain.
Shapeshift Others: Cost: 4 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the animal's point cost relative to the caster's point cost. 1/3rd that cost to maintain.
Great Shapeshift: Cost: 20, plus 4 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the template limit's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.

Body[]

Transform Body: Cost: 2 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the assumed form's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.

Earth[]

All Earth spells that do not specify alternate costs or limitations work at normal cost on loose dirt or sand, double cost on solid stone, and sextuple cost on worked stone or metal. Unless otherwise specified, Earth spells do not work on metal.

Created or transformed stone must be one of chalk, flint, granite, limestone, marble, obsidian, sandstone, slate, or talc.

Create Earth, Earth to Stone, Stone to Earth, Earth to Water, Essential Earth: Duration: 1 day. Cannot be maintained.; Item: These spells may be cast permanently at 15 times their normal cost.

Walk Through Earth: Cost: As normal, sextuple cost to walk through worked stone. Also, sextuple cost to walk through metal.

Enchantment[]

Golem: Energy Cost: 250 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the golem's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.

Power

A Power enchantment can provide its total level in cost and maintenance reduction across multiple spells, but that total must be divided among the spells how the user of the item desires. Power 3 could reduce the cost to cast and maintain a spell by 2 and another spell by 1, but any other spells cast from the same item would get no benefit from Power. Power may be recast multiple times on the same item, either to increase the value of the Power or to create multiple instances of Power. Record those multiple castings as number of castings of Power Level, so 3x Power 4, 2x Power 1 would mean an item could provide up to 4 points of power to each of 3 spells and 1 point of power to each of 2 spells.

Endowment

This enchantment makes a magic item partially self-powered, by endowing it with the capacity to store magical energy and recharge it. The item gets a Threshold and a Recovery Rate, that are dedicated and can be only used to cast or maintain spells through the item. An item with an an Endowment can't have its Tally go over its Threshold.

Energy Cost: 25 energy per point of Threshold up to Threshold 20; 50 energy per point of Threshold up to Threshold 30; and 100 energy per point of Threshold up to Threshold 40. 25 energy per point of Recovery Rate up to Recovery Rate 20; 50 energy per point of Recovery Rate up to Recovery Rate 30; and 100 energy per point of Recovery Rate up to Recovery Rate 40. Endowment may be recast multiple times, paying the incremental cost for the new Threshold or Recovery Rate each time. For half cost, the Endowment is exclusive and the item must be powered through the Endowment and can't be powered by energy drawn from the Caster's Threshold. Threshold and Recovery Rate do not have to have the same values, but there is no value in having a Recovery Rate greater than Threshold.

Scroll

The skill roll to create a scroll is made against the lowest of Enchantment, Scroll, or scribed spell skill among the enchanters working to scribe the scroll. A scroll may written universally, meaning that a non-spellcaster may read the scroll and cast the spell.

A scroll may charged during creation. A charged scroll contains the energy to cast the spell and the reader can not contribute additional energy when reading the scroll. If the charged scroll spell has a duration, the energy charge in the scroll must be used to power the maintenance of the spell.

Spells cast from scrolls automatically succeed, as long as the subject is visible and the caster can touch the subject. If the subject isn't visible or is far enough away for a Regular or Information spell to take distance penalties, or if the spell is resisted, the scroll is cast at the item's Power and the spell may fail normally.

Casting Time: Scroll has the normal casting time for an Enchantment spell.

Energy Cost: A scroll costs 2x as the cost of the underlying spell. Charged scrolls cost an additional 2x as much. Universal scrolls cost an additional 2x as much. Charged and universal modifiers combine multiplicatively: 4x the cost of the underlying spell for for a charged or a universal scroll; 8x the cost of the underlying spell for a charged, universal scroll.

Example: A charged, universal spell of Flight +3 minutes has a base cost of 5 and requires 9 energy to provide the maintenance cost for 3 minutes. It would take 112 energy (14 x 8) to enchant the scroll.

Example: Hexen (Enchantment-14, Scroll-13), Carodejnice (Fireball-14), and Bruja (Enchantment-12, Scroll-12, Fireball-10) are working together to scribe a scroll of Fireball. Hexen is the lead enchanter, Carodejnice is providing the spell, and Bruja is only providing energy. The enchantment roll for the scroll is rolled against Hexen's Scroll-13, the lowest of the skills being contributed. If Carodejnice were absent, Bruja would be providing the spell, and the enchantment would be rolled again Fireball-10.

Metamagic[]

Blessing: Use the slightly more coherent text from DFRPG Spells p. 50 instead the text from Magic p. 129 for the general description of Bless.; Duration: Until the Bless expires by preventing a serious harm. Blessing counts as a spell "on" during its duration.

Necromantic[]

Summon Demon: Cost: 4 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the demon's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.
Banish: Cost: 4 energy per 1 CP of the base cost of an Ally with the demon's point cost relative to the caster's point cost.

Technology[]

Create Metal

Create a solid block of metal, which must be resting on earth, stone, or metal that is sufficient to support the weight of the metal created. This spell can only create base metals and simple alloys: brass, bronze, copper, iron, lead, nickel, steel, tin, and zinc. Meteoric Iron cannot be created with this spell!

Default Penalty: -2.

Duration: 1 Day. Cannot be maintained.

Cost: 8 per cubic yard.

Item: For 120 energy per cubic yard, the created metal is permanent.

Essential Metal

Create a solid block of essential metal, which must be resting on earth, stone, or metal that is sufficient to support the weight of the metal created. This metal is Orichalcum, the legendary metal that is three times as strong as steel (triple DR, HP, and carrying capacity).