Two low level (1-6) spells can be cast per melee.This is a good basis, but there's got to be exceptions. In the first statement, on low level spells, it works out that one spell can be cast per two or three melee actions. Simple spells from levels one and two should only require a single melee action to cast. Most combat spells should also require one melee action to cast - spells like Time Slip, Call Lightning, Armor of Ithan, Fire Ball, Magic Net, Multiple Image, etc. Some spells might have a stated casting time in the description, and that should be used instead.
One mid level (7-10) spell can be cast per melee.
One high level (11-15) spell can be cast per two melees.
Some incantations must be performed as a ritual.
A simple (level 1-2) ritual will only require 1d4 minutes to perform.Runes, mystic symbols, wards, and all symbol- based magic must be created before use and should take 3d4 minutes per simple symbol and 6d4 minutes for complex ones. Activation of such symbols is almost always quick and simple - a single melee action is needed to do so.
A low level (3-6) ritual will only require 3d6+2 minutes to perform.
A mid level (7-10) ritual will require 5d4+10 minutes to perform.
A high level (11-15) ritual will require 1d6x10+15 minutes to perform.
Some rituals might have a stated time in the description - if so, go by that.
Bend - To alter or reshape a spell energy, whether done by metamagic or by skill.
Bomb - When a spell bursts and causes a large amount of physical damage.
Burst - This happens when an area is destabilized and a magic spell causes a magical disruption in the area.
Fizzle - A spell that causes a destabilization and simply evaporates harmlessly without any interesting effect. Has also been used as a derogatory term describing a neophyte or washed-up mage.
Fuse - To combine spells through improvisation to create a new spell.
Glamour - A pre-rifts term for an illusion.
Light Show - An eruption of light and energy created by a spell bursting. Relatively harmless.
Loose Spell - This is a spell that the casting magician has lost control over. Most loose spells function to full duration, then vanish.
Mystic - This is the general term for a magician that uses magic power bestowed by some unknown force (whether a Warlock, a Priest, a Witch, or whatever). For these magicians magic is about intuition and emotion, not hours of studying.
Necro - A shortened term for Necromancers, animated dead, zombies, mummies, or necromancy in general.
Scrip - A verb, 'to learn a spell by copying it from a scroll.'
Sorceror - This is a magician that specializes in common spell magic, but knows enough about magic to learn a few tricks from other disciplines. His study is hermetic - time is spent researching, reading, and theorizing.
Warlock - A magician whose magic is drawn from one or two of the elemental forces.
Wild - A spell goes wild when it is cast and does not produce the exact desired effect (maybe stronger, maybe weaker, maybe the wrong target, etc). Unlike a loose spell, the mage doesn't lose control over the wild spell.
Wizard - Same as Sorceror.
01-20 No effect: The stray magic energy doesn't cause any problems this time.
21-30 Spell Echo: 1d20 minutes after casting a spell, a first level version of that spell will randomly (as in the target is random) manifest itself in the area of its initial casting, as long as sufficient magic energy is present to be drawn. This drain is pretty much automatic, whether drawn from a P.P.E.tm storage battery, a magical haze, a child, a pet, non- sentient supernatural entity, senile wizard, etc.
31-40 Magical Haze: The casting of spells has caused everything in the area of casting (or a magician's clothes and jewelry) to become magically charged to a small degree. The haze is barely visible as a bluish- white glow. Magicians can draw off 1 P.P.E.tm per two levels of experience per hour from the area/ possessions. If this P.P.E.tm isn't drawn on, it will tend to build up - each week of existing haze triggers a +3% bonus when rolling on this table, plus this magic energy can fuel other buildup effects.
41-50 Law Weakening: All casters of magic (or the single afflicted wizard or magic object possessor) lose a -3 on their spell strength when casting certain kinds of magic (just illusionary magic, just barrier spells, just body affecting spells, etc).
51-60 Stray Thoughts: Residual P.P.E.tm causes the people in the area (or a person, if that is the focus) to have distracting thoughts (ones that belong to the original possessor of the P.P.E.tm!) Every time a skill is attempted, the character must roll a save vs insanity. Failure means a -5% penalty is incurred on that roll.
61-70 Mystic Drain: Magic usage causes an additional 1d4 P.P.E.tm to be lost (poof! gone!) in addition to the magic's casting cost. This energy will eventually fuel wild magics in the area and attract supernatural creatures.
71-80 Random Spell Effect: A single spell cast often in the area (or by the caster) will take effect at random, when enough magic energy is accumulated to activate the spell.
81-90 Creature Attraction: A minor supernatural being migrates to the area. This will probably be some sort of psychic, astral, or Dreamstreamtm entity with anywhere between 1 and 50 P.P.E.tm
91-100 Law Breaking: The Laws of Magic are warped and broken to some degree, causing the caster of any magic spell, circle, ritual, etc. to roll against his Principles of Magic skill (a penalty is the GM's option) to successfully cast magic. Failure means the magic goes wild.
101-125 Stray Thoughts: As before, residual P.P.E.tm causes the target or those in the area to think strange things. Every time a skill is attempted, the character must roll a save vs insanity. Failure means a -10% penalty is incurred on that roll (can't focus). Everyone in the area will think about depressing, irritating, or out- of- character things, resulting in a -1 to M.E. and -2 to M.A. while affected, and meditation becomes difficult (half the normal rest, P.P.E.tm, and I.S.P.tm is recovered).
126-150 Random Psychic Effects: Every six hours, the area's inhabitants (or the afflicted caster) must save vs magic - failure means that the stray P.P.E.tm triggers latent (or even existing) psychic power and causes a random minor psychic power to take effect equal to a first level psychic. People in the area might report bouts of miraculous healing, seeing auras or strange visions, levitation, recovery from illness, being able to hear another's thoughts, etc. In some cases, this can be scary or dangerous - especially if supernatural forces have been attracted to the area.
151-175 Creature Attraction: A major supernatural being migrates to the area. This will probably be some sort of psychic, astral, or Dreamstreamtm entity with anywhere between 51 and 150 P.P.E.tm or a variety of supernatural abilities (like minor demons and minions).
176-200 Chance of Failure: Any time a spell is cast in the area (or by the afflicted magician), there is a 2% chance per spell level of the spell inexplicably failing! Also, spells like Energy Bolt and Fire Ball suffer a -2 to strike penalty.
201-250 Law Disruption: All casters of magic (or the single afflicted wizard or magic object possessor) either lose a -2 on their magic strength when casting any magic, lose 25% of the range of the magic, or lose 1d4 levels in strength (for combat and defense spells). Roll randomly or choose how/ when this affects magicians.
251-300 Mystic Afterimage: Magic energy binds itself into a physical form and takes on independent thought! The magic might make itself a copy of the spellcaster, or will possess an animal or child to create a Channeler- type character, or will become a copy of someone or something the caster or area's inhabitant thought about a lot, etc.
Spell Magic: Base save difficulty of 12, plus any spell strength bonuses. No special things to remember, other than that most forms of magic qualify as spell magic.
Scroll Magic: Scrolls are simply spell incantations written with magic. The scroll does not get the spell strength bonus of its creator, so all scroll magic can be saved against with a roll of 12 or better.
Ward/Rune Magic: Base save difficulty of 14. A person with experience might have bonuses to ward/rune strength (as opposed to spell strength).
Circle Magic: Base save difficulty of 14. A person with experience might have bonuses to circle strength (as opposed to spell strength).
Ritual Magic: Base save difficulty of 16. A person with experience might have bonuses to ritual strength (as opposed to spell strength).
Glyph Magic: Base save difficulty of 16. A person with experience might have bonuses to glyph strength (as opposed to spell strength).
Line Magic: Base save difficulty of 12, plus any line magic strength bonuses. Experts with lines have bonuses to cast line magic.
Alchemal Potions: Base save difficulty of 12. No magic strength bonuses can be used to save.
Mystic Herbology Potions: Base save difficulty of 14. No magic strength bonuses can be used to save.
Chi Spell Magic: Base save difficulty of 12. Those with experience get bonuses to cast Chi Spells.
Celestial Calligraphy Magic: Base save difficulty of 10. No spell strength bonus can be transferred to Celestial Calligraphy.
Mind-Altering Magic: Spells like Domination and Charm spells should be saved against as a psionic attack, but instead of adding M.E. bonuses add in the save vs magic bonuses. So, a master psionic would only have to roll a 10 so save against a Domination spell but his P.E. of 12 and ignorance of magic don't give any bonuses. Consider this a special sub-class of magic and all spells, magic circles, spells, runes, and objects follow this rule.