Magic
Magic in the world of Torchbearer consists of drawing forth mystical substance from the aetherial plane and shaping it with the caster’s will. The spells themselves
are slippery, almost living things that must be wrestled into submission and caged within the prison of the caster’s mind.
When casting, the arcanist uses a series of words and gestures to release the spell in question. Once cast, the spell bursts forth and may not be used again until the magician or elf has time to study the formula again and trap the spell once more in his mind.
To Cast
To cast a spell, the magician or ranger must have the spell memorized, have the ability to speak and be able to gesture with a single hand.Mental Inventory
Arcanists use a mental inventory system just for spells. At fi rst level, the spell inventory consists of a single slot used to hold a fi rst circle spell. When arcanists cast a spell, it is removed from the inventory until they have the opportunity to replenish their mental inventory during the camp or town phase (see Memorizing Spells below). Magicians expand their spell slots with each level they gain. Rangers have a choice of leveling benefits: They expand their mental inventory when they choose a spell as a leveling benefit; or if they choose the elven level benefit, they do not gain the spell or the extra mental inventory.For example, a magician must reach third level, to learn Shroud of Shadows, a second circle spell.
A fourth-level ranger who takes Fearless as the level benefit cannot learn Shroud of Shadows, because she cannot learn second circle spells.Levels and acquiring spell circles are discussed in the Levels chapter of the Skein of Destiny section of this book.
Libraries and Spell Books
All arcanists keep a library of tomes with the details of their observations and magical experimentation, as well as the spells they know and have developed. These libraries are massive and impossible to carry on adventures without an army of porters or pack animals. Moreover, these libraries are dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands: An enemy or rival with access to your library gains +2s to any arcanist versus tests against you. Because of this, arcanists keep their libraries hidden, either in their hometowns or a home base if they’ve established one. Mentors typically safeguard the libraries of young arcanists until their apprentices are ready to establish their own bases.Known Spells
Your personal library contains all of the spells you know. Magicians and rangers are assumed to add new spells they have learned to their libraries whenever they visit them; no test is required. Knowing a spell means that an arcanist may memorize it, cast it and scribe it as a scroll. Knowing a spell does not mean that the arcanist always has the spell memorized; it means he understands it well enough to memorize it from his spell books. To learn a spell and add it to your repertoire, you must be able to cast spells of that circle. If that criteria is met, you can learn any number of spells within a circle.Learning New Spells
Arcanists may learn new spells from mentors, scrolls and the traveling spell books or libraries of other arcanists. Mentors will teach you one new spell and inscribe it in your traveling spell book each time you gain a level (up to level 5). You must spend a week in town with your mentor in order to benefit from this, but no test is required. A friend or hired instructor may also teach you a new spell using the Mentor skill. Refer to the Mentor skill for the obstacle. To learn a spell from a scroll, traveling spell book or library, use the Lore Master obstacles from the spell list. Scrolls are consumed if you use them to learn a spell. If you use a traveling spell book or library, the spell in question vanishes from its pages.Traveling Spell Books
To make their magical knowledge more portable, arcanists create traveling spell books that act as containers for spells, allowing them to memorize spells when they rest. Each traveling spell book has five slots for spells. Characters may carry more than one traveling spell book if they wish, so long as they have free space in their inventory. Magicians and rangers may only memorize known spells that are in traveling spell books in their inventory.Spell Size
Each spell requires a number of slots in a traveling spell book equal to its circle. A second circle spell like Lord of Dreams requires two slots in your traveling spell book.Traveling Spell Books and Known Spells
When you have access to your library, you may create new traveling spell books if you have purchased empty traveling spell books (see the Master Item List) or swap out the spells in your existing traveling spell books. Each spell in the spell list includes an obstacle for scribing that spell into a traveling spell book. When scribing multiple spells at once, the base obstacle is equal to the highest obstacle spell, +1 Ob for each additional spell. You may also use scrolls of known spells to swap out spells in your traveling spell book. The scroll is consumed if it is successfully transcribed.Starting Traveling Spell Books
Your ranger or magician begins the game with a traveling spell book that contains the spells you know.Reading from your traveling spell book
You may cast a spell directly from your spell book without having it memorized, which consumes it as if it were a scroll. You may recopy that spell into your traveling spell book once you are rejoined with your master spell library.Scrolls
Scrolls are single-use containers for spells. They take up one slot in inventory, whether in your packs or in hand. Upon use, a scroll is consumed by aetherial fl ames. Each scroll holds a single spell that the magician or ranger may cast without having memorized the spell or even knowing it. However, the spell caster must be capable of casting a spell of that circle.An Arcanist must be capable of casting Second Circle spells in order to use a scroll of Shroud of Shadows.
Scribing Scrolls
Scribing a scroll requires a Scholar test. The spell must be known by the character scribing it. The obstacle to scribe a scroll is listed with each spell in the spell list. Any character with the Scholar skill is assumed to carry the necessary gear to create new scrolls. Creating new scrolls can be done in camp for the cost of a check or in town as personal business (and an increase in your lifestyle cost).Casting Spells
There are three different ways to cast spells. Some spells have a fi xed obstacle listed in their description. To cast the spell, test Arcanist to meet that number. Some spells have factors like skills. When casting, you choose what factors you’re using and total up the obstacle for your Arcanist skill as described in the Ability & Skill Factors chapter (this is the only time a player factors the obstacle for a test). Some spells are cast in a versus test—the Arcanist skill is rolled against the ability or skill of your opponent as indicated in the description. Each individual spell describes how you cast it.Spell Supplies
Each spell in the spell list describes the components used to aid in casting. Supplies are not required to cast a spell, but they do aid the arcanist if available. Having the proper supplies for a spell grants +1D to cast it. Supplies can be purchased, gathered or created using an appropriate skill. They take up one inventory slot each and are expended when used.Memorizing Spells
Refi lling your spell inventory requires uninterrupted time to review the formulae in your traveling spell book. Magicians and rangers may memorize spells without a test during the camp or town phase as long as:- The phase is not interrupted by a disaster
- You have the spells you wish to memorize listed in your traveling spell book (or library if you’re home)
Spells and Time
Spells take very little time to cast. In fact, an Arcanist test to cast a spell does not take a turn and the GM does not advance the turn tracker.Spells in Conflicts
There are a handful of spells that are rather useful if you become embroiled in a confl ict.- Some spells, like Eldritch Darts, give magicians and rangers the ability to use Arcanist in place of other skills for particular types of actions in confl icts. These spells are cast during the confl ict on the caster’s action.
- Spells that substitute as a skill, like Eldritch Darts, count as the action itself. No separate spell-casting roll is made. Instead, use Arcanist as the Attack, Defend, Feint or Maneuver skill. It also allows a magician to use Arcanist to help an appropriate action.
- Spells that act as a weapon, like Veil of the Chameleon, must be cast when selecting weapons before the first action of a new round is announced.
- Spells that may affect or even prevent a confl ict, like Destiny of Heroes or Lord of Dreams, should be cast before rolling disposition.
- Spells cannot be disarmed by the Maneuver action.
- Spell effects cannot be reduced by mundane armor
First Circle Spells
Second Circle Spells
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments