Difference between revisions of "Mixed Spells"

Revision as of 09:29, 28 April 2011

While most effects can be cast using only one discipline of magic, in some cases desired effects may only be achieved by combining two or more disciplines into a single spell.

The one big rule of making mixed spells is that you cannot use them to combine two discrete spells, and thereby reduce casting time. You cannot get away with casting a single spell that gives you flight and lets you shoot a fireball, but you can make a spell where you fly by shooting fire out of your feet.

To cast a Mixed Spell, the GM determines a DC for each discipline involved. This may be the same DC but often will not be. The caster then makes a check for each DC, succeeding or failing and spending Capacity as per the rules listed above.

If all checks are successful, the spell is cast. If all of them fail, the spell fails as above.

If only part of the spell fails, there is a 50% chance that the successful check(s) will carry through, often with unintended results. For example, perhaps one is casting a Flesh/Earth spell to make one's skin into stone. If the Flesh check is failed and the Earth check is successful, the caster's skin may turn to stone without having the flexibility granted by the flesh portion, and so they may be immobilized.

Coordinating Mixed Spells with the Magic Discipline

The Magic discipline can be used to allow two or more casters to cast a mixed spell together. The spell is designed as normal. Once the spell has been designed a single caster may make a Magic Discipline check of the same DC as the highest DC in the mixed spell. If this is successful, other casters (or the same caster who cast the Magic discipline component) may then make checks to fulfill the requirements of the mixed spell.

An unlimited number of casters may work together in this way, but for every caster involved in the spell over 3, the Magic Discipline DC goes up by 4.

Common Types of Mixed Spells

Weather

Air, Water, Fire, Cold, Lightning

Illusion

Mind, Light, Darkness

Necromancy

Flesh, Mind, Life

Necromancy spells to merely create animated Dead require only Flesh. These creatures can only take basic instructions and will not act on their own. They have a 0 intelligence, 1 willpower, 0 intuition, and 1 charisma.

Creating intelligent undead requires Mind as well. These undead will have some mental scores but are usually not capable of great power. Either way, they will retain nothing the person had in life. They tend to be fiercely loyal to their creator.

Truly powerful undead are require Life as well as Flesh, binding a dead soul (often the original soul of the body) to a corpse. Mind may be used as well to make them more intelligent or bend them to your will - an undead created in this way without a Mind component to control them may less-than-friendly. Undead created in this way often retain knowledge the soul had in life, including levels, skills, and feats. How much they recall is dependent upon how long they were dead and how good the spellcaster is.

Incorporeal undead require only Life, but again Mind is a good plan, so that they can be controlled.

Complex or unique undead might require another component. An undead with fire-based powers would require a Fire component to create. Cold and Darkness are very popular in this respect.

Resurrection

Life, Flesh

Example Mixed Spells