Rough Magic 4e EN:Magic
Magicians manipulate the raw essence of the universe through a combination of training, education, and inherent ability; if it were easy, everyone would do it. Spell casters do not have set spell lists: they can use a standard action to cast any appropriate spell if they have the Magic Points to fuel that spell, and if they succeed at their skill roll to cast it. All magic is opposed, if not by the struggling of the victim, then by the contrariness of the universe as a whole. Unless otherwise indicated, using Occult to cast a spell is a moderately difficult (DV 12) task.
Avenues Of Magic
Magic defies strict categorization: it is madness to try.
The Société Impériale de Thaumaturgie divides magic into five approved avenues, or schools: Alteration (changing one type of matter or energy to another type of matter or energy), Conjuration (creating matter or energy from nothing), Divination (perceiving through time, space, or both), Enchantment (influencing the minds of others), and Illusion (creating images without substance). If a magician has chosen to specialize in one of these schools, they receive a +3 skill roll bonus on their Occult roll when working within that school of magic. However, they incur a -3 skill roll penalty when working with any other school of magic. When dealing with magic of a general nature, the specialized magician receives neither a bonus nor a penalty.
- Alteration is concerned with the magician's ability to change, often radically, the structure and composition of any object. Alteration may change one form of matter or energy to another form of matter or energy.
- Conjuration is concerned with the magician's ability to create matter or energy out of nothing. In truth, creating something from nothing is impossible, even for a magician, but the actual source is somewhere far enough away that it makes no difference.
- Divination is concerned with obtaining information through magical means. Divination can find hidden things, reveal the truth behind deceptive magic, and see into the future or the past.
- Enchantment is concerned with beguiling and controlling the minds of others. Enchantment can make someone see something that no one else can see, can influence someone's behaviour, or even alter their memories.
- Illusion is concerned with appearances. Illusion spells can be used to camouflage, illuminate, or obscure something without changing its structure or fundamental nature.
There are two additional schools which the SIT has prohibited, and which carry a harsh sentence for those convicted of using them: Diabolism (communing with entities beyond the mortal world) and Necromancy (manipulating the forces of death and undeath).
Jazz Sorcery
Jazz Sorcery has roots in the magical and musical expression of West Africa and the western Sahel, in the magical traditions of the Savages of the American West, and in European military sorcery. After originating in African American communities in the late 19th century, Jazz Sorcery became internationally known by the 1920s. Since then, Jazz Sorcery has had a profound influence on other magical styles worldwide.
Jazz Sorcery is not explicitly prohibited, but neither is it recognized by the SIT as a distinct school of magic. However, due to its pagan associations, Jazz Sorcery is condemned by the Gallican Catholic Church as a heresy, and its practitioners may run afoul of the law for that reason. Jazz Sorcery was originally developed by African musicians around the beginning of the 20th century. As the first original magical style to emerge from the Confederation of American States, Jazz Sorcery has been described as "American thaumaturgy". Its practitioners often rely upon musical rituals, pagan symbolism, and sympathetic magic.
The Société Impériale de Thaumaturgie refuses to recognize Jazz Sorcery as a legitimate branch of magic because its practitioners steadfastly refuse to submit themselves to the authority of the SIT. In fact, some in the Société maintain that such resistance to authority is one of the basic tenets of Jazz Sorcery.
Identifying Spells
If a character with the Occult skill witnesses a spell being cast, or is able to examine a spell currently in use, they may make a moderately difficult (DV 12) Occult (Reason) roll to identify the school of the spell, and whether it is offensive, defensive, or utilitarian in nature. If they make a remarkably difficult (DV 15) Occult (Reason) roll, they are able to analyze the spell in great detail: the range, the scope, the intended effect, and so on.
If the spell was cast with subtlety, and the character somehow notices it anyway, the character attempting to identify it incurs a -3 skill roll penalty on this Occult (Reason) roll.
Cantrips
Casting a cantrip has three prerequisites: the character must have a Power Level of 1 or greater, the character must have the Occult skill, and the character must have the Arcane Caster gift. A character who meets these requirements may cast a very simple spell, or "cantrip", without spending Magic Points, and often without making an Occult roll. A cantrip has the following requirements:
- Requires a standard action to cast
- Requires the caster to repeat magical phrases and gestures
- Affects a single target, or less than a two meter diameter area
- Lasts one round in combat, one scene out of combat.
A cantrip may have a range up to 5 m, and it can accomplish one of the following:
- Accuracy: Increase chances of a successful action, adding +1 to a specific action value (AV)
- Creation: Create an ordinary object of mediocre quality, up to 5 kg
- Damage: Inflict at most 1 normal Endurance damage
- Defense: Increase chances to avoid an attack, adding +1 to defense against normal attacks
- Resistance: Provides resistance to damage, adding +1 resistance to normal attacks
- Restoration: Restore at most 1 Endurance
- Sensation: Cause a noise, odour, taste, image, or other simple sensory effect (but not as an attack)
- Telekinesis: Allow the caster to magically move a 5 kg object up to 5 m (but not as an attack)
- Natural: Have a result that is often found in nature
- Ordinary: Have an otherwise ordinary effect that would take a person with tools and training up to an hour
A cantrip does not require an Occult (Presence) roll unless the target is a person or a creature, and it does not reduce the caster's Magic Points. However, a magician may only have one cantrip active at a time.
Spells
Casting a spell has three prerequisites: the character must have a Power Level of 1 or greater, the character must have the Occult skill, and the character must have the Arcane Caster gift. A character who meets these requirements may attempt an Occult (Presence) roll to cast a spell.
Casting a spell has three steps:
- Count the aspects to determine the level of the spell
- Make an Occult roll, incurring a penalty equal to the level of the spell
- Spend Magic Points, subtracting the level of the spell from the character's Magic Points
Unless the caster has added aspects which alter them, a spell has the following requirements:
- Requires a standard action to cast
- Requires the caster to repeat magical phrases and gestures
- Affects a single target, or less than a two meter diameter area
- Has hand-to-hand range
Aspects
The number of aspects a spell has is called its "spell level". The level of the spell determines the penalty on the caster's Occult roll and the amount deducted from the character's Magic Points.
A spell may have the same aspect multiple times. For aspects pertaining to time, distance, or area, each additional level of that aspect multiplies its effect tenfold (×). For aspects which affect a target directly, each additional level of that aspect adds +1 to its effect (+).
- Range (×) The spell has range beyond hand-to-hand. Maximum range is based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Range each multiply that distance by 10.
- Area (×) The spell affects everything within an area. Maximum area is based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Area each multiply that radius by 10.
- Salvo (×) The spell affects multiple people within range simultaneously. Maximum number of targets equal to "Effect", based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Salvo each multiply that number by 10.
- Duration (×) The spell lasts beyond a single round. Maximum duration equal to "Effect", based on the caster's Power Level; rounds for combat spells, hours for noncombat spells. Additional levels of Duration each multiply that time by 10.
- Accuracy (+) The spell grants a +1 bonus to a specific action value (AV). Additional levels of Accuracy each increase that bonus by +1.
- Creation (×) The spell creates an ordinary object of good quality. Maximum mass is equal to "Lift" on the Brawn chart, based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Creation each multiply that mass by 10.
- Damage (+) The spell inflicts up to 3 normal damage (depending on how well the magician rolls against the defender). Additional levels of Damage each increase that maximum by +1.
- Defense (+) The spell grants the caster's Power Level to their defense against all attacks, including alteration and mental attacks. Additional levels of Defense each increase that by +1.
- Illusion (×) The spell creates a convincing illusion with all associated sensory effects. Maximum size of the illusion is based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Illusion each multiply that radius by 10.
- Information (+) The spell allows the caster to perceive or obtain information about a person, place, or thing. Maximum number of targets equal to "Effect", based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Information each increase that number by +1.
- Perception (+) The spell grants the caster a sense they do not normally have. Additional levels of Perception each grant another new sense.
- Resistance (+) The spell adds the caster's Power Level to their resistance to all attacks, including alteration and mental attacks. Additional levels of Resistance each increase that by +1.
- Restoration (+) The spell restores up to 3 Endurance (depending on how well the magician rolls against DV 12). Additional levels of Restoration each increase that maximum by +1.
- Summoning (+) The spell summons a creature to aid the caster. The creature has the same attribute values as the caster (or less), but its attributes may be re-arranged as appropriate. Additional levels of Summoning may each either increase the number of creatures by +1 or increase one of the summoned creature's attributes by +1.
- Telekinesis (×) The spell allows the caster to mentally move an object. Maximum mass is equal to "Lift" on the Brawn chart, based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Telekinesis each multiply that mass by 10.
- Transformation (+) The spell changes a person, place, or thing into something else. Maximum and minimum result of the transformation is based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Transformation each increase the caster's effective Power Level by +1. If a transformed creature is reduced to 0 Endurance, the transformation ends.
- Travel (×) The spell grants the ability to run, swim, fly, or teleport. Movement rate is on the Agility chart, based on the caster's Power Level. Additional levels of Travel each multiply that speed by 10.
- Unnatural (+) The spell has a result that does not occur in nature. Additional levels of Unnatural each grant another new result.
- Utility (+) The spell has an otherwise ordinary effect that would take a person or persons with proper tools and training more than an hour. Additional levels of Utility each grant another new effect.
Count the number of aspects the spell has: this is its level.
Techniques
The spell level can be reduced by the use of techniques. Each technique used reduces the spell level by 1. The spell level can be reduced by up to half (round down, even if the fraction is more than one-half), to a minimum of 1.
- Contagion: The caster has an item important to the target, or a part of the target itself
- Focus: The caster holds a wand, staff, amulet, holy symbol, or other obvious object
- Material: The caster uses rare or valuable materials which are consumed by the casting of the spell
- Ritual: The caster spends 20 minutes or more to cast the spell
- Sacrifice: The caster kills something... an animal, let's say
Rolling Dice
The caster makes an Occult (Presence) roll based on the type of spell. The level of the spell is applied as a penalty to the roll.
The spell is either resisted by the intended target, or it is a moderately difficult (DV 12) task when the target is not a person or a creature. If the spell has the "area" or "salvo" aspects, the magician rolls once, and each intended target defends individually.
| Spell | Difficulty (DV) |
|---|---|
| Normal attack | 8 + target's Ranged Combat (Agility) |
| Mental attack | 8 + target's Mental Combat (Presence) |
| Alteration attack | 8 + target's Ranged Combat (Agility) or Hand-to-hand Combat (Brawn) |
| Creating a +3 defensive ward | Moderate (DV 12) |
| Creating a useful effect | Moderate (DV 12) |
| Granting a travel spell to a willing target | Moderate (DV 12) |
Extra Effort
The caster can expend more of their Magic Points than necessary in order to offset the spell level penalty on their Occult roll. For every extra Magic Point the character spends, the penalty on the Occult roll is reduced by 1, to a maximum of -0. The player may decide to spend the Magic Points before or after they roll their dice.
Specialization
If a magician has chosen to specialize in one of the avenues of magic, they receive a +3 skill roll bonus on their Occult roll when working within that school of magic. However, they incur a -3 skill roll penalty when working with any other school of magic.
Subtlety
A magician can cast a spell with subtlety (without using audible incantations or obvious gestures), but this imposes a -3 skill roll penalty on their Occult roll. Subtlety does not alter the level of the spell.
Magic Points
A character with the Arcane Caster or Sacred Caster gift has a number of Magic Points equal to twice their Power Level. If a character's Occult roll is successful, and they cast a spell, they then deduct the spell level from their Magic Points. If the character has used extra effort, they spend that amount of Magic Points, as well.
Illusions
The character may spend a Magic Point to make an illusion "persistent": it lasts until next sunrise or sunset, or until the caster chooses to regain the point of spent Magic Point.
The character may spend a Magic Point to make an illusion "solid", creating a simple object of good quality: it lasts until next sunrise or sunset, or until the caster chooses to regain the point of spent Magic Point.
Types Of Attacks
Each attack, regardless of its source, is one of three types: normal, mental, or alteration.
Most attacks are normal attacks. Normal attacks are usually targeted with and opposed by the target's Agility or Brawn, and are usually obvious. A successful normal attack reduces the target's current Endurance or Health. Clubs, swords, and powers such as Blast are all normal attacks. Armor and powers such as Force Field are effective against normal attacks.
Mental attacks are those which affect the target's mind directly. Mental attacks are usually targeted with and opposed by the target's Mental Combat (Presence), and are obvious to anyone who has Mental Resistance or mental powers, but are usually invisible to everyone else. A mental power has a range based on the character's Power Level, and affects a single target. Armor and powers such as Force Field are not effective against mental attacks: only Mental Resistance is effective against mental attacks. However, mental attacks inflict half of the damage which exceeds the target's resistance (round down, even if the fraction is more than one-half, to a minimum of 1).
Alteration attacks are those which transform the target in some way, or which affect one of the target's attributes. An alteration power is either hand-to-hand (1 m) or has a range based on the character's Power Level, and affects a single target. Alteration attacks are usually opposed by the target's Ranged Combat (Agility) or Hand-to-hand Combat (Brawn), and are usually obvious. Armor and powers such as Force Field are not effective against alteration attacks: only Alteration Resistance is effective against alteration attacks. However, alteration attacks inflict half of the damage which exceeds the target's resistance (round down, even if the fraction is more than one-half, to a minimum of 1).
If the attack inflicts damage, the effects are essentially permanent, but can be healed. If the attack causes some unusual effect or affects the target in some unusual way, it lasts for the duration of the current scene or conflict. However, an attack that deprives a character of their movement or free will can be opposed.
To "break out" of an attack with an ongoing physical effect, such as blindness or being forced to sleep, the target must use a standard action to make a successful Survival (Brawn) roll against 8 + Power Level of the attacker. If the target has Alteration Resistance, they may add their Power Level to this roll.
To "break out" of an attack with an ongoing mental effect, such as mind control, the target must use a standard action to make a successful Survival (Presence) roll against 8 + Power Level of the attacker. If the target has Mental Resistance, they may add their Power Level to this roll.
If the target's roll is successful, they recover from the ongoing effect.
Unintended Consequences
Magic is not natural to mortals. It is alien at best, and at worst magic is an insidious and corrupting force. Careful and skilled magicians can avoid the negative consequences of magic for a while, but no one escapes them forever.
When a magician attempts to cast a spell but fails their Occult roll, the uncontrolled magical forces wreak havoc with their body, twisting and corrupting it. The worse they failed their roll, the more severe is this corruption. In the interests of simplicity, this usually results in the reduction of the magician's maximum Endurance. Alternately, the player may choose to roll on the fun and terrifying "Optional consequences of failed Occult roll" table below. If the player chooses to roll on the optional consequences table, the character's maximum Endurance is not reduced: they suffer the optional consequences, instead.
| Occult Roll Failed By |
Maximum Endurance Lost |
Typical Consequence |
Optional Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | 1 | Trickle of blood from the nose | Minor |
| 4-6 | 2 | Bleeding from the nose and ears | Moderate |
| 7-9 | 3 | Blood flowing from the eyes, ears, and nose | Severe |
| 10-12 | 4 | Blood gushing from every orifice | Critical |
| Roll 2d6 | Consequence | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | Major | Severe | Critical | |
| 1 | White hair | |||
| 2 | Obsession | |||
| 3 | Hair loss | |||
| 4 | 1 | Phobia | ||
| 5 | 2 | Pallor | ||
| 6 | 3 | Stench | ||
| 7 | 4 | 1 | Lame | |
| 8 | 5 | 2 | Webbed digits | |
| 9 | 6 | 3 | Hunched back | |
| 10 | 7 | 4 | 1 | Blight |
| 11 | 8 | 5 | 2 | Tumours |
| 12 | 9 | 6 | 3 | Bulbous eyes |
| 10 | 7 | 4 | Lesions | |
| 11 | 8 | 5 | Glowing eyes | |
| 12 | 9 | 6 | Scaly skin | |
| 10 | 7 | Face rot | ||
| 11 | 8 | Polymorph | ||
| 12 | 9 | Eye stalk | ||
| 10 | Gelatinous skin | |||
| 11 | Extra arm | |||
| 12 | Tentacles | |||
- White hair: All of the character's hair turns luminescent white, all over their body.
- Obsession: The character develops an uncontrollable obsession or fascination with an object, color, or circumstance. Pick a word randomly from the dictionary: the character will seek this thing out, cut out photos of it from magazines, collect it, and so on.
- Hair loss: All of the character's hair falls out, all over their body.
- Phobia: The character develops an uncontrollable fear or revulsion toward an object, color, or circumstance. Pick a word randomly from the dictionary: the character will avoid this thing at all costs.
- Pallor: The character's skin becomes ashen grey in color, and powdery in texture.
- Stench: The character exudes a putrid smell, like rotting flesh and sewage.
- Lame: One of the character's knees, or ankles, or hips becomes painful, giving them a pronounced limp.
- Webbed digits: The character grows membranes of skin between their fingers and between their toes.
- Hunched back: The character's back twists and bends, giving them a hunched-over appearance.
- Blight: Plants within ten meters of the character wither and die. Milk-producing animals stop producing, or give milk that is sour.
- Tumours: The character develops numerous benign skin tumours, ranging in size from as small as an olive to the size of a tangerine. This doesn't impair their movement; it's just grotesque.
- Bulbous eyes: The character's eyes triple in size and protrude slightly from their head. This doesn't affect the character's vision; it's just freaky looking.
- Lesions: The character's skin is covered in oozing sores. This isn't painful; it's just gross.
- Glowing eyes: The character's eyes becomes translucent, and they glow with a sickly yellow or green light. This doesn't impair the character's vision; it's just freaky looking.
- Scaly skin: The character's skin becomes hard and scaly, like that of a desert lizard or alligator. This doesn't provide any resistance to damage; it's simply ugly.
- Face rot: The character's nose, ears, and lips rot away and fall off. This doesn't impair their senses; it's simply grotesque.
- Polymorph: The character is transformed into a ordinary animal no smaller than a cat, and no larger than a medium-size dog. They can think and speak normally, and their Power Level attribute is reduced to 1. On the bright side, the polymorph removes any other magical consequences from which the character may be suffering: when they recover from the polymorph, they are their normal, human-appearing selves again.
- Eye stalk: The character grows an additional, completely functional eye on their face or head, on the end of a 20 centimeter long stalk.
- Gelatinous skin: The character's skin becomes sticky and translucent, and has a wet, gummy texture. The doesn't make the character more vulnerable to injury; they're simply grotesque.
- Extra arm: The character grows an extra arm from their torso. This new appendage is somewhat clumsy, and not entirely under the character's control.
- Tentacles: The character's arms become boneless tentacles. They are as useful for grasping and manipulating objects as hands; they're just grotesque.
The player of the magician who has been disfigured should make a note of the severity of the failure (minor, major, severe, or critical), because this will have an impact on the difficulty of reversing the effect.
Recovering From Magical Consequences
Normally, a character suffering from the consequences of a failed Occult roll recovers one maximum Endurance after they have refrained from any use of magic for an hour or so. After that, a character who completely abstains from using magic will regain one maximum Endurance per day; a character who has used magic in the past 24 hours will not.
A character who has been altered or disfigured by an optional consequence does not recover from that consequence until they completely abstain from using any magic for 24 hours. Additionally, a character who continues to use magic while suffering from an optional consequence risks their condition becoming permanent. Each morning after a day in which the character used magic, the player rolls 2d6. On a roll of 2, their character's disfigurement has become permanent.
To reverse the unintended consequences of a failed Occult roll, the character attempting to cast the restorative magic must succeed at an Occult (Presence) roll. The difficulty of reversing the unintended consequences of a failed Occult roll is based on the severity of that failure.
| Failure | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | 12 | Moderately difficult |
| Major | 15 | Remarkably difficult |
| Severe | 18 | Extremely difficult |
| Critical | 21 | Inconceivable! |
Counterspells
During their turn, or as a forced action, a character who is able to cast spells may use a standard action to counter a spell cast against them (no Occult roll is required). A counterspell might entail conjuring a magical shield to try and block the spell, trying to neutralize the spell with an inverse effect, or it might involve using finesse to try and divert the spell away: the choice is up to the player.
Casting a counterspell adds +3 to the caster's defense against all spells until they take their next turn.
A character may choose to cast a counterspell after the attacker has determined that the attack will successfully hit: there is no need to counterspell an attack that misses.
Empowering Objects
A caster can temporarily imbue non-living materials with magic. In practice, this allows a character to create pieces of magical "equipment", or to create a semi-permanent magical effect, such as a ward (a spell which will discharge under specified conditions).
To empower an object, the caster spends a day working on the object, and spends the Magic Points to cast the spell stored in the object. If all of the empowered objects are identical, the magician may prepare multiple objects simultaneously. The caster can choose not to regain the Magic Points spent on the object(s) or ward: the empowered items or ward will last until the caster chooses to recover their spent Magic Points, or until the item or ward is discharged.