Spellcasting is the ability to harness magic, acquired through talents or arcana. While each style has its quirks, they all follow the same laws of magic. Spells are cast using touchstones — key terms like spell names, godly domains, or item descriptions. You interpret these on-the-fly, defining the permissions and limitations of your magic when you cast. Each source clearly defines its touchstones, casting methods, and costs.
Magic has four magnitudes: cantrips, spells, potent spells, and rituals. Determine the magic’s magnitude by comparing:
Final result is used to judge most cases, seeing if the magic is replicating what can be done through non-magic means. The second is then used when the first isn’t possible.
Narrative impact is used to judge spellcasting results without mundane equivalents, to ensure that magic and non-magic means have the same overall impact on the story.
The GM uses the guideline and examples on these pages to set the line between spells and potent spells, as well as the upper limit — beyond extraordinary magic (+4t), only accomplishable with rituals. This is a judgment call set through play, so transparency and consistency are key.
Cantrips are set dressing, minor effects that don’t require rolls. Success is automatic.
Cantrip utility lets you flavor other action rolls with cantrips, or even use them to replace gear when using relevant touchstones. This reasonably expands vantage. You roll the stat you’d normally roll for the now-possible action, like Brawn or Agility to swing a conjured sword.
Spells have effects equal to an action roll, results one person with the right training and tools can achieve. They’re the baseline magnitude of magic
Potent spells accomplish more than a normal spell — they give potency and broaden vantage. A potent spell can achieve effects equal to an entire group working together, as with normal potency. You can attempt jaw-dropping effects (+3t/difficulty). A normally +1t or +2t task has greater effect (critical bonus), and a +0t roll is automatic.
Spellcasting ability comes with touchstones and all magic effects must logically align with them, making sense and feeling natural. If it feels like a reach, it’s beyond the touchstone’s bounds.
The GM can veto spells that don’t align with your touchstones. They can also instead allow it, but inflict a thorn or collateral effects when it’s pushing your touchstones, but not completely implausible.
When you take a magic talent, have a discussion with the GM about what your magic can and can’t do. Clearly defining it in this way makes the magic more fun to play with - creativity thrives within limitations. If a PC’s magic feels too broad during the campaign, consider discussing new limitations to keep it balanced and engaging.
Spellcasting’s a freeform system, built on flexibility and creative rulings from the GM, with the understanding that its freedom is meant to preserve the feeling of magic. While this system can be exploited in unfun ways aimed at “winning,” it relies on you buying into your magic touchstones and the magnitudes of magic. Don’t be a weasel — play in good faith and have fun with the freedom it gives you. With that in mind, here are some common rulings for various situations involving magic:
Discuss with the GM how your casting appears, its visual style, movements you make, and tools you use. All magic is clear and evident — trying to hide it is extremely difficult at best, but usually impossible. Losing implements or being hindered can deny permission to cast or inflict thorns.
The GM chooses the stat for defense rolls, and can choose to let you use spellcasting. This counts as set dressing and doesn’t cost a resource, like dice dropped from a pool. If the GM calls for another stat, but you have a clear spell-based counter, you can ask them if you have time to cast a spell instead. This is a spell as usual and it’s the GM’s choice if you have time.
Using magic to assist a roll is just set dressing with no cost — just keep the narration reasonable (the weaker end of a spell). Remember you’re assisting. If you’re making the action roll on a group level, cast as usual.
With a relevant touchstone, you can recognize magic easily. Without one, it’s harder, though magic ability counts as a factor. Without training, the magic must be very obvious to be noticed.
Anyone aware that something is magic can try to dispel it. This does not require training—you can cast a spell with relevant touchstones that counters it, cause enough of a disturbance to it, or outsmarting the magic’s logic in some way. Creativity should be rewarded here.
Spells can clear marks, heal minor conditions, or calm a vex response. Potent spells can pull off +3t/impossible healing, such as healing harm instantly or curing major conditions (mend a broken bone, but not a severed arm). Rituals are needed for more extreme conditions like regrowing limbs, curing blindness, or removing deep trauma.
Bringing back the dead is a costly, extremely risky ritual rarely worth the price you’ll surely have to pay. Tread carefully.
Spells that help or hinder are considered on a case-by-case basis, with the player and GM working together. As a starting point, a buff can apply the effects of a critical: greater effect — secondary effect — setup. Debuffs can do the same against anyone working against the foe. They can also add vantage. Potent buffs might last longer, affect multiple targets, make +0t rolls automatically successful, or allow for a potent feat. Get creative with applying the mechanics and capture the feeling the spell is going for.
As a rule of thumb, a spell lasts just a moment, maybe two, and a potent spell lasts for a scene. This is judged by the GM based on the intended effect, which you balance against the magnitude of spell.
Magical items, like potions, that allow you to use them as tools require an action to apply, such as rolling Agility to throw and hit someone with a potion. The efficacy of a potion is usually automatic, based on what tier of potion it is, but you can make a story roll if it’s unclear. The more powerful the potion, the more dice you roll for the story roll.
In combat, spellcasting works as a precise ranged attack, demanding focus, which is tough with nearby threats. Inflict +1t to these rolls when under immediate danger.
Enemy magic doesn’t follow the same rules as PC magic. It manifests through GM moves and is constrained only by the fiction.
Rituals can accomplish magical effects far beyond what can be done with even potent spells, equal to the labor of an entire team of people over an extended period, effects that can have significant impact on the world, or push the very limits of implausibility. Casting a ritual consists of 3 parts:
Source of magic can be a spellcasting talent or a scroll, potion, or other arcana. It might also be something creative like asking or tricking a monster into helping. Even a PC without magic ability can initiate a ritual as long as they have a source of magic.
Anchors for a ritual are chosen by the GM and players together. They should feel connected to the ritual’s touchstones and intent, and match the intended impact of the ritual. Two or three anchors, like an enchanted location, some exotic ingredients or auspicious timing, are best.
Rites are the act of casting the ritual, a challenge that must be overcome, made far more difficult or even impossible if any of the anchors are missing.