4. Magic

Quicklinks: Magic / Spells

When a hero gets the Spellbook or Spell Memory Talent, they gain mana. A hero’s Base Mana is calculated at the point that they gain access to it, and it is converted as ACU/2 =  Mana. After the initial Base Mana is granted, a hero only gains more mana by spellcasting and using it. 

Costs of Magic

Magic spellcasting always has a cost. Magic spells can also be cast in increments, called levels. Generally, each level costs 1 mana to cast. Some spells cost more than 1 mana per level. The normal rules for mana apply to any mana lost through casting spells. A successful Spellcraft check is needed to cast any spell. In general if a Spellcraft check is failed, the mana spent is lost. 

A mage can only spend mana on a single spell that is equal to or lower than their Talent Points.

Mana regenerates as per the Mana Recovery Rate Table. 

Casting Spells and Success Levels

As each spell uses the Spellcasting skill to determine success or failure, and success levels can also measure the quality of the magic spell roll. However, unlike skills, magic spells are not cut-and-dried in how their effects should be applied based on the result of the roll. Many magic spells have effects that are either “on” or “off,” with no difference between a critical, special success, and a normal success. Your StoryGuide should consider the spell’s nature and potential effects when deciding these outcomes. Following are guides to success levels and how they might apply to magic spells:

  • Fumble: All mana intended to be spent on the spell are lost. Additionally, the mage cannot attempt use of this spell for one combat round after the round the spell failed in. If the spell involves doing damage, the mage should make a Luck roll: success indicates that the spell just fizzled and does not work, while failure indicates that the spell struck an unintended target (an innocent bystander, an ally, valuable equipment, etc.) causing collateral damage and potentially complicating the situation.
  • Failure: The spell doesn’t work but causes no harm or complications. Often, mana is spent, but the spell has no useful effect.
  • Success: The spell works as described and the requisite mana are expended.
  • Special: The spell works with increased effectiveness. If it does damage, the spell does special damage, as if it were an attack (see Chapter 6: Combat). If one of the special success damage types (crushing, entangling, impaling, knockback, or slashing) is appropriate, your StoryGuide should incorporate it into the spell’s effectiveness.

For example, a special success roll for a Lightning spell might cause knockback.

At your StoryGuide’s discretion, another aspect of the spell (range, influence, etc.) may enjoy 150% effect. Alternately, if the spell requires a resistance roll, increase the spell’s level by ×1.5.

  • Critical: The spell works perfectly. If it causes damage, it ignores any armor the target possesses and does the maximum possible damage. If it does not normally cause damage, your StoryGuide should determine an appropriate aspect (or aspects) of the spell and double its effectiveness. Alternately, if the spell involves a resistance roll, your StoryGuide may temporarily double the power’s level or the relevant characteristic for the resistance roll.


These outcomes may require additional interpretation, or your StoryGuide can just use the results of dice rolls without any adjustment for degrees of success. This should be applied fairly and consistently, and the players should be told whether detailed success levels are being used.

Ranged Damage Spells – Aiming

Some spells, such as Acid Bolt or Elemental Arrow are treated as a ranged attack, though a mage uses Spot to aim the spell instead of the Ranged Weapons skill.

Area of Effect Spells

An Area of Effect (AoE) spell is one that damages more than one space.

Targeting AoE Spells

When attempting to hit a specific space or target with an Area of Effect (AoE) spell, the caster must aim with the Spot skill. The mage must choose a target space and make a Spot skill check to hit it accurately.

  • On a failure, roll 1d8 to determine which adjacent square the spell lands in. Start with the square closest to the caster as 1, and number clockwise around the target (like compass directions).
  • The spell lands 5 feet per damage die away from the original target space in that direction.
    (For example, a 3d6 spell would land 15 feet away.)
  • On a fumble (100), the spell centers on the caster.

Elemental Effects with Spells

  • Fire causes flammable items to catch fire and burn. Low melting point metals melt. 
  • Water puts out mundane fires.
  • Ice slows creatures’ Speed by 1/2. Athletics savings throw to negate. 
  • Earth covers the objects in dust and dirt, outlining any invisible objects or creatures. 
  • Electricity does an extra 1d4 damage to anyone in heavy metal armor (chainmail, breastplate, half plate, or full plate).
  • Air knocks Medium or smaller creatures prone. Reflex savings throw to negate falling.
The Druid’s Magic Diagram.

Elements have opposing forces:

Fire and Water/Ice

Air/Electricity and Earth 

Casting Spells Mana Cost

Using magic costs mana, but it also needs the mage to weave and call the magic into being. Every spell has verbal and gestural components, and it is this intricate combination that calls magic into being. Being bound, grappled, or silenced makes casting Very Difficult (Skill / 2 – 10). Some talents may change the components needed for casting. 

Casting Time

A spell has a casting time depending on the power of the spells. Casting time and spell duration are listed on each spell.

Casting in Melee

If a mage is engaged with an enemy in melee range, their Spellcasting check becomes difficult. 

Avoidance

Spells that can be avoided are a often specific Characteristic roll Vs. the mage’s Spirit roll as a Contested Roll (see Chapter 5 System). 

Preparing Spells

A spellcaster can cast any spell that they know. They do not have to memorize or pray to gain access to the spell. If the spell is on their known spells list, they are allowed to cast it, as long as they have the mana to do so.

Learning New Spells

Since magic has been gone for so long, much of the knowledge and lore of spellcasting has been lost as well. Magic users do not automatically learn new spells as they level, which means finding spells through adventuring is of utmost importance. While being part of a magic group such as the Otari or Druid Council gives a better chance of expanding your spell knowledge, most spells are learned from ancient scrolls, books, or directly from other casters. One of the most common ways to learn is through Spell Sight, which is detailed later in this section. If a spellcaster receives spells at level-up, their mana cost cannot be higher than the spellcaster’s level. A spellcaster can learn spells higher than their level.

“Some say the world was barren before the gods came. The Elves believe it was the gods who came down and brought life to the world, singing a song taught to them by the creator and drawing creatures and animals from throughout the heavens to come to Uteria. But I believe that the Creator infused everything with song, so that magic courses through all of creation.

Of course none of this can be proven. For the past 700 years we have said that the elves had been little more than our imagination and that magic was a divine gift lost to the world. Now it has blessed us again. 

I believe that we had just turned a deaf ear to the song of the Creator. We had lost our faith in the dark times, and now that we have shown him our devotion, we have been blessed with miracles once again. Miracles and tests. Not all those who find their way to his song use their power for good. Some are tempted by the dark forces that forever tempt men. They use their power for personal gain, to harm some and elevate others. 

This is why we must be diligent in our own faith, and root out those who would cause evil to fall upon our world.”

Archbishop Leon of the Unelesia Church of Sea Haven

Learning Spells from Spellbooks, Scrolls, or other recorded media.

A spellcaster can learn a new spell from any written form, but they must understand the language it is written in. The time it takes to learn is equal to the base mana cost x 2 in days. Variable mana spells take 7 days to learn. If it is in a language they do not understand, but they have a translation, it will take an additional 2 days per base mana cost. If the spells are encoded into a secret language or set of symbols, the spellcaster must first decipher this, with the amount of time then needed to learn at the discretion of the SG.

Spell Sight: Any mage class can use Spell Sight to learn a spell they witness being cast, except for a spell cast from a device. To successfully memorize a new spell, a mage must make a Spellcraft check immediately when they see a spell being cast. If the Spellcraft check is successful, the spell can be recorded in the luminar’s spellbook, or take a part of the bard or wylder’s Spell Memory. If a wylder already knows the max amount of spells, they must forget one in order to memorize the new one. 

A Luminar must scribe the spell into their spellbook before they can cast it. A wylder may cast a spell as soon as it is part of their Spell Memory.

If a mage is trying to learn a spell from someone who is teaching them, they receive a +5 to their Spellcraft check.

Spellbook

A luminar has a spellbook to track the spells they know. A spellbook can be many things, scraps of leather with runes, a leatherbound book, tattoos covering the mage, but the spellbook must be a physical object. For a spell to be cast by the luminar, it must be scribed in their spellbook.

Scribing a new spell in a spellbook takes 3 days and costs 100 gp.

Spell Types

  • Buff: Spells that give a character a bonus, a protection, or an ability.
  • Creation: Bringing a thing into being, or reanimating.
  • Damage Spells: Something that hurts others.
  • Debuff: A spell that takes away an ability, lowers a stat, or disables a character.
  • Mind spells: Spells that affect a character’s mind.
  • Utility spells: Spells that do small tasks.
  • Trap: A spell that sets a trap or snare for a character.

Regaining Spent Mana

Mana is the source of a spellcaster’s essence. As their mana is consumed, it puts a strain on a spellcaster’s mind and body. Even though this might not manifest as actual damage or a condition affecting your character, consider this when roleplaying your character to add a layer of story to your gaming session.

A spellcaster regains their full mana pool (base mana and bonus mana) after a full 8 hours of rest.

Spells Affecting Other Creatures and Avoidance

Some spells negatively impact other creatures. Some of these spells have a way to avoid the effects of the magic, often as an Characteristic Save. While some saves may cause a spell to do only half damage, other saves allow for a complete avoidance of the spells effects.

Spell Level

Each spell is expressed with a mana level that determines how powerful it is. By default, most spells mana is level 1, costing 1 mana to cast. Spells can be made even more powerful by adding additional levels (and mana). The effect of each additional level is provided in each spell’s description.

Spell Memory

Talent PointsWylderSpell MemoryBard Spell Memory
1-361
4-673
7-985
10-1297
13-16129
17-201411

Components, incantations, and gestures.

Casting a spell in Atheles uses energy, foci, and personal connections. The energy is pulled from the Navirim; small objects, runes, or components create the focus, and the spellcasters gestures, voice, or stance creates the personal connection to the spellcasting. 

These elements allow for other spellcasters to use spell sight to understand the spell they see being cast. 

For simplicity, there are no rules for the amount of components, incantations, or gestures needed for spellcasting, but each mage character should describe how they cast. If a spell is cast on a mage that affects the way they describe their spellcasting, it could stop them from casting at SG discretion.

For example, Patren is a faun spellcaster who sings their spells into existence. For players, this creates a story driven feeling of personal connection between the spellcaster and the spell. If Patren is under the influence of the spell Silence, the SG should rule that Patren can not cast as normal. 

Concentration

Some spells require concentration. A spellcaster can complete most other actions while concentrating, but can not concentrate on another spell. Being Confused, Disabled, Nauseated, Panicked, or Scared breaks a spellcaster’s concentration. Being attacked, taking damage, or being threatened does not break a spellcaster’s concentration.

Armor and Magic

A mage can cast any spell in armor, unless the armor consists of steel or iron. Iron and steel impede the drawing of magical energy, and can harm the spellcaster if the metals and spellcasting are combined. See the section on special materials and metals for more information.

Gaining Mana

If a character has mana, it increases whenever it has been used during a game session. A character gains 2 mana at the end of a game session, when Experience rolls are made. A character’s max mana can not exceed their Intellect (INT x5).

Focusing and Ravaging

Once a spellcaster has exhausted all their mana for the day, they must typically rest for 8 hours to regain it. Resting and meditating are the best and safest ways to regain mana, but sometimes spellcasters find themselves in a situation where they need enough mana for one last spell. If this is the case, then a spellcaster can either focus or ravage to gain more mana. These are not common or safe ways to regain mana and they have consequences, either to the caster or those around them.

We are wardens of the land. We need to find a balance in life and in our magic. A lust for power leads to destruction. People have long ravaged our lands when it comes to magic, seeking power and control. To be wardens, not only must we seek the balance for ourselves, but we must stop those who tip the scales towards destruction.

Felwiyn, Librarian of Kowal.

Focusing: Wardens

Spellcasters can pull from their own life energy for mana through Focusing, a concentrated effort by the spellcaster to draw energy only from within themselves, and not from the life force of any other creatures or plant life nearby. This philosophy is called “warding,” and in ancient texts some identified themselves as “Wardens of the Lands.”

Converting life energy in this manner is extremely dangerous and draining, and can cause great harm to the spellcaster. 

To cast a spell with your own energy, roll a Difficult Spellcraft check to cast a spell. If you succeed, you spend Spirit Points as mana to cast the spell. If you fail this check, the spell fails, they lose those Spirit Points,  and their Standard Action is spent. If you fumble, you accidentally ravage.

Accidental Ravaging 

Ravaging is a dark and violent act, even when a caster does it out of desperation, or by accident. If a mage is about to die, but must use magic to save their companions, they must make a tough decision to turn to such a desperate act. Other times a mage might make a careless mistake. If a Warden mage rolls a natural one (fumble) on their Spellcraft check to Focus, they will accidentally ravage their surroundings, despite their best intentions.

When a warden accidentally ravages, all creatures within a radius equal to 10 ft. times the spell’s mana cost take one hit point of damage. The mage will also take 1 point of Corruption. If the same warden tries to Focus again on the same day, before recovering their mana and spirit points, and they accidentally ravage again, all living creatures within a 10 ft. radius of the caster will take physical damage equal to the spell’s mana cost and suffer 1 Corruption.

Ravaging: Ravagers

Ravaging is a way to gain mana for those who do not concern themselves with where the energy comes from—as long as it is not from themselves. Once they exhaust their mana points, the Ravager can attempt to continue casting spells by drawing on the life force of all living things around them. 

Ravagers have no need to concentrate on where the energy originates from, and no concern for what is harmed by their evil acts. When casting spells in this manner, all living creatures within a specific radius of the spellcaster take physical damage. Ravaging always drains health and is not affected by Armor Value (AV). At the ravager’s discretion, one of the following occurs: 

(1) All living creatures and flora within a 10 ft. radius from the caster take damage equal to the spell’s mana cost, or 

(2) All creatures within a radius equal to 10 ft. times the spell’s mana cost take 1 hp of damage.

A Ravager’s act is instantly recognizable. Anyone within the circle feels their life essence drain from them, usually accompanied by a headache and chills. But even those outside of the affected radius are instantly aware. Small plants, such as grass and weeds, shrivel and turn black. Nearby lakes and streams become speckled with dead fish, and insects are instantly desiccated, like a cicada’s molted skin.

When a caster Ravages, if they roll a fumble, they fail their casting check and will pull the mana directly from themselves, causing physical damage equal to the mana cost of the failed spell.

As Ravagers continue to perform these heinous acts, many experience physical changes to their appearance. The effects are subtle at first; dark bags under the eyes, a lingering cough, dry or chapped lips, and the like. The effects become more noticeable over time, as the Ravager displays sunken or discolored eyes, sickly complexion, and dark veins running under their skin, and so forth. Some scholars claim that tales of hideous twisted crones with greenish skin, long hooked noses, and warts were the result of Ravagers who overused their powers. If you choose to play a Ravager, be creative with the effects the magic has upon your character, to individualize and make your character distinctive.

Corruption Points

Every time a spellcaster Ravages, on purpose or by accident, their appearance can change as well as how others perceive them. As you gain Corruption, you become tainted and your appearance shows it. If spellcaster ravages to gain mana, they gain Corruption. Even if they are doing it for the best reasons, Ravaging leaves a mark.

It takes at least one week in-game to remove one point of Corruption. An adventurer naturally loses one point of Corruption per week that they do not Ravage. They may do something that allows them to lose more than one point, but the effects of ravaging only recede at the maximum rate of three points of Corruption per week.

CorruptionPointsEffects
1-2No appearance change or effects.
3-4Blemishes on face or nose, bags under eyes.
5-6Dark shadows around eyes, bluish lips.
7-8Pale skin, slight showing of veins. -1 to Persuasion skill checks.
9-10Hair becomes stringy or turns gray or white, gain a cough.
11-12Eyes become pale or bloodshot, and fingernails elongate. -2 to Persuasion skill checks.
13-14Eyes sink, skin becomes pale and sickly, with a yellow, green, or bluish tint.
15-16Loss of weight, people feel uncomfortable around you. -3 to Persuasion skill checks. Gain Ravaging Hunger
17-18Teeth become stained or rotten and some might fall out, body stench. Ravaging Hunger
19Stooped posture, pale skin becomes wrinkled or glossy. -4 to Persuasion skill checks. Ravaging Hunger
20Eyes become all white. Cannot hide the aura of evil around you. Ravaging Hunger
21-30Hair falls out, skin pulled tight over bones, lose 1 Con, -5 to Persuasion skill checks. Ravaging Hunger
31+For every ten Corruption points after 30 you permanently lose 1 Con and gain an additional -1 to Persuasion checks. Ravaging Hunger

Ravaging Hunger

If it’s been at least one day since you last Ravaged for spell energy, you become Fatigued. If it’s been two weeks, you become Exhausted. After four weeks, all of these effects fade, and you have broken your ravaging addiction. Any spell or effect that would remove these conditions instead suspends them for a period of one minute, after which they resume. Ravaging for any reason, accidental or otherwise, at any point in this process, including after your symptoms fade, will immediately relieve all of these symptoms, but you will have to start again from the beginning to attempt to break it again.

Use of Magic by those who have no mana pool

Non-mages (those without mana) can only use spells and spell-like abilities if the magic is part of a magic item or a legacy item.

Magic Spells

Following are a variety of basic spells. These are defined in the following manner:

  • Name: The common name of the spell. You may choose to call it something more flavorful, if desired.
  • Range: The maximum effective range for any spell is 100 meters unless otherwise specified. If it directly affects a target (living or otherwise), the target must be within line of sight.
  • Duration: Spells usually occur instantly in the combat round they are cast in. They usually last for a single combat round, 10 combat rounds, or for 15 minutes, as indicated in each spell description.
  • Mana Cost per Level: The power costs this number of mana to cast per level.
  • Avoidance: Some spells can be avoided. A successful avoidance check resists the spell.
  • Type: Buff, Creations, Damage, Debuff, Healing,  Mind, Utility, Trap

Spell Types

  • Buff: Spells that give a character a bonus, a protection, or an ability.
  • Creation: Bringing a thing into being, or reanimating.
  • Damage Spells: Something that hurts others.
  • Debuff: A spell that takes away an ability, lowers a stat, or disables a character.
  • Healing: A spelll that grants healing to another creature.
  • Mind spells: Spells that affect a characters mind.
  • Utility spells: Spells that do small tasks.
  • Trap: A spell that sets a trap or snare for a character.

SagaBorn Spells

  • Acid Bolt
  • Acid Fog
  • Aid
  • Animal Friend
  • Babble
  • Bear’s Strength
  • Befriend
  • Bend Sound
  • Cat’s Dexterity
  • Command
  • Conjure Creature
  • Creeping Element
  • Dark
  • Dispel
  • Elemental Arrow
  • Elemental Blast
  • Elemental Shield
  • Elemental Storm
  • Elemental Sphere
  • Elemental Wall
  • Fear
  • Find
  • Fox’s Fascination
  • Gain Spirit
  • Heal
  • Identify
  • Illusionary Image
  • Imbue Staff
  • Imbue Weapon
  • Invulnerable Sphere
  • Levitate
  • Light
  • Mage Bolt
  • Mage Compass
  • Phantasmal Hands
  • Phase
  • Protection from Arrows
  • Protection from the Elements
  • Protection from Ravaging
  • Protection from the Never
  • Push
  • Open
  • Orrilot’s Constitution
  • Resist
  • Seal
  • See Magic
  • Shape Earth and Stone
  • Shape Metal
  • Shape Wood
  • Shelter
  • Shield
  • Spirit Sap
  • Summon Minor Elemental
  • Transform
  • Vision
  • Ward
  • Warding Armor
  • Web