When casting a spell, there a several factors involved which vary from spell to spell and are detailed in Chapter XVII, Spells. This chapter focuses on how to read these entries, attacking and defending with spells, and increasing the power of spells.
Spell: Spell Name ~ Minimum Spell Level #
spell tags are listed here
- Casting Time: the number of actions needed to cast the spell or the time it takes along with the type of actions used
- Trigger: any action, reaction, or stimuli that causes a spell to be able to be cast; if there is no trigger, the spell can be cast at any time given the caster has the actions to spend
- Requirements: any special needs or considerations for a spell to be cast; if there are no requirements, the spell does not have extra components needed to be cast
- Range: the distance at which a spell can be cast; if there is no distance, the spell is centered on you or the target of the spell
- Area: the area the spell will affect when cast; if there is no area, the spell affects a target(s)
- Target: the creature(s), object(s), or focus of a spell sometimes listed with details that the focus must match to be the target of the spell; if there is no target, the spell affects either an area or only the caster
- Duration: the length of time the spell’s effects are active; if there is no duration, the spell’s effects are instantaneous and apply only once
- Save: the necessary type of save a target or foci in the area must perform to avoid the affects of the spell; if there is no save, the spell’s effects are applied without a saving throw
Details of the spells are written out here, including further customization options, descriptions, and spell outcomes.
Heighten (necessary number of spell level increases): These paragraphs will list the Spell Levels a spell must be cast at to gain the benefits of heightening and what those benefits are.
Casting Rules
When casting a spell, each has different variables involved which are listed in the spell entry.
Casting Time varies from spell to spell, using any where from a single reaction to three actions to 10 minutes to an hour to cast. No matter how long it takes to cast a spell, all spells have types of casting actions that are used to direct the energies into the spell’s shape.
- Material Casting Action, listed in the spell lists as M and in the spell entries as Material, means the spell requires a physical object(s) of fairly common components. If a spell has this action type, the caster must have a Material Component Pouch to cast the spell. All spells with a Material Casting Action also have the manipulate tag.
- Somatic Casting Action, listed in the spell lists as S and in the spell entries as Somatic, means the spell requires a gesture, usually a hand movement. Unless otherwise specified in the spell entry, a spell with a Somatic Casting Action requires the caster to have one free hand. This means the caster cannot have the Dead, Dying, Immobile, Paralyzed, Petrified, or Unconscious conditions and, for any spell with more than one action, the Grabbed condition.
- Verbal Casting Action, listed in the spell lists as V and in the spell entries as Verbal, means the spell requires spoken words. A spell with the Verbal Casting Action requires the caster to be able to speak and to hear themselves to cast the spell. A caster with the Deafened condition has a 50% chance of a spell with a Verbal Casting Action failing and most effects with the polymorph, and some morph, tags prevent the caster from using the Verbal Casting Action.
Range is the distance at which the center of a spell can be cast. This option is affected by the type of effect the spell has, if it targets an area, creature, or object but in general there are two types of ranges:
- Touch range means the caster must be adjacent to the area or target of the spell and able to touch or hold the area or target.
- Other entries will list distances, in feet, miles, planets, or planes. This is the maximum distance the spell can be centered. The spell can always be centered closer to the caster but never farther than the maximum.
If there is no range listed, the spell is centered on the caster or emanates from them.
Area is the shape that the spell takes from its center point.
- Aura radiates outwards from the spell’s caster in all directions. The listed measurement, or the distance of an aura, is the radius of the effect.
- Burst radiates outwards from the spell’s center in all directions. The listed measurement, or the distance of a burst, is the radius of the effect. Some bursts have extra height, often forming the shape of a cylinder.
- Cone radiates away from the spell’s source in a particular direction, creating the form of a right triangle. The listed measurement, or the distance of a cone, is how far the effect reaches.
- Cubes are set within a cubic shape. The listed measurement is the length of the sides.
- Line radiates from the spell’s source in a straight and limited route to the farther distance it can reach. The listed measurement, or the distance of a line, is the length of the effect.
- Other entries will list specific distances and shapes of a spell’s effects.
- Squares are set within a rectangular shape. The listed measurement is the length of the sides. Those spells with an area of 5 foot squares take up the space roughly equivalent to a Medium creature.
If there is no area listed, the spell either has a type of target or targets only the caster.
Target is the specific focus that the spell’s effects center on or around. There are no set lists of targets, though in general targets are either creatures or objects. Some spells with targets will say ‘up to’ a certain number. Casters can always select fewer targets than that number but never more than that number. Some targets have specific requirements that must be met, for example a creature with the undead tag or an object of 5 Bulk or less. All requirements and limits of a spell’s target must be met otherwise the spell fails.
If there is no target listed, the spell either that a type of area or targets only the caster.
Duration is the length of time the spell’s effects will remain. Some spells have modifications.
- Concentration, marked in the Duration entry with a (C), means the effects of a spell must be maintained each round. To maintain the spell this way, the caster must spend an action with the concentration tag each round. If this action is not spent on the caster’s turn, the effects of the spell cease immediately following the caster’s turn. Some spells that require concentration, allow the caster to alter the effects of the spell as part of the concentration action.
- Concentration Optional, marked in the Duration entry with a (C+), means the effects of the spell do not need to be maintained each round however the caster has the option of spending an action with the concentration tag on their turn to alter the spell. The details of what the concentration action allow for are listed in a spell’s entry.
- Dismissible, marked in the Duration entry with a (D), means the effects for the spell can be dismissed by the caster. Often as a free action, the caster can end the effects of the spell. Some spells require more than a free action and list this in their entry.
If there is no duration listed, the spell’s effects are instantaneous and dissipate immediately after they have been applied.
Spell Attacks and DCs
When casting spells, a caster selects a Spellcasting Ability which must be one of the following: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. This decision cannot be changed later.
A Spell Attack is a 1d20 attack roll that adds the Spellcasting Ability’s Modifier. It is used for any spell that requires a Spell Attack and is compared to the target(s)’ Armor Class like other Strike actions. Similar to other Strike actions, Spell Attack does not add the caster’s Proficiency Score unless the caster has the trait granting them proficiency with Spells. The Fantasy Extension has one trait for this purpose: Magic Adapt.
A Spell DC is a static number that is 10 + the caster’s Spell Attack. It is used for any spell that requires a target(s) to roll a saving throw and is the number that the save must equal or exceed for the roll to be successful.
Spell Heightening
Heightening a spell allows a caster to improve the effects of the spell, increasing range, duration, damage, or the severity of the effects depending on what the listed heightened effects are for a spell.
To heighten a spell, a caster must expend a higher-level Spell Slot than the Level of the spell being cast. For example, Banishment has a Spell Level 5 but when cast with a Level 6 Spell Slot, the caster can target up to two creatures.
Some spells increase in effects for each heightened level, as in the example above, and some require multiple levels before their effects can be increased. The number of spell level increases needed are always listed in the Heighted text of a spell entry. For example, Aerial Form is a Spell Level 4 with a Heightened (+2) entry which means that an Aerial Form cast with a Level 5 Spell Slot will have the same effects as if cast with a Level 4 Spell Slot, but a when cast with a Level 6 Spell Slot, the first heightening of the spell is applied.
Some spells, like the example above, have multiple heightenings which extend to the highest number within the 10 Spell Levels as possible while others have a limited number of heightenings. An example of a limited number of heightenings is the spell Darkness which is Spell Level 2 with a +2 Heightening that prevents creatures with dark vision from seeing through the effects of the spell. This means that casting the spell with a Spell Slot of Level 4 or higher imparts these effects however, since the spell has no other heightened effects, casting it with a Level 6 Spell Slot does not have extra benefits.
The style or source of a caster does not change how a spell is heightened. It just needs to be cast with a higher level Spell Slot.
Cantrips are heightened differently. They are always treated as heightened to the highest possible level based on the caster’s Proficiency Score and do not expend any Spell Slots of high Spell Levels. The highest possible Spell Level of a cantrip is equal to half the caster’s Proficiency Score, rounded down. For example, a caster with a Proficiency Score of 11 who has only purchased access up to Level 4 Spells, still has any heightened cantrips cast as if they were Level 5 Spells without expending Spell Slots of any level. This still holds true when they gain access to Level 5 Spells.
If a cantrip’s heightening options are greater than or less than half the caster’s Proficiency Score rounded down, the cantrip is heightened to the highest possible Spell Level under that half rounded down. For example, when a caster with a Proficiency Score of 11 casts Shield which has heightened Spell Levels of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, the spell would default to a casting at Spell Level 4. When the caster’s Proficiency Score increases to 12, causing the highest cantrip heightened Spell Level to become 6, they cast Shield as a Level 6 Spell.
A caster can always choose, when casting a cantrip to lower the heightened effects. So, a caster with a Proficiency Score of 11 casting the Shield spell can instead choose to cast the spell at Spell Level 0 or 2 instead of Spell Level 4.
Dispelling Spells
There are few spells that directly attempt to dispel another spell. Those that do require a Spell Attack. This roll is compared to either the targeted spell’s caster’s Spell DC or, if not applicable, a relevant DC of the effect being targeted. Some effects can only be removed by certain spells.