Wizards: KNOWLEDGE + Thaumaturgy
Clerics: KNOWLEDGE + Prayer
Sorcerer: COMMAND + Sorcery

Magic users may use their magical powers in two similar but distinct ways. Using the first method the caster spends timecchannelling the weave into a unique pattern to achieve a desired effect. This method is virtually unlimited in its application but is both slow and draining. Using the second method the caster casts a specific spell which he had previously memorised, this method is both quick and less tiring but spell's offer limited options for customisation.

No matter what manner the caster uses to cast the spell they must expend weave points (WP's). Any attempt to cast magic costs one weave point, if the attempt is successful then the caster pays this activation cost as well as the cost of the spell itself. If the attempt to use magic fails the caster pays an extra weave point on top of the activation one as the weave resists his attempts to manipulate it.

Whichever method of spell casting is used and whatever the source of the casters arcane power all spell casting methods share some common traits. The first is that all require some sort of word or gesture to enact the magic. The second is that they are all obvious to those around them as people can sense the subtle (and not so subtle) changes that magic casting causes in the local environment.

The two methods of spell casting are outlined below:

Spell casting Method 1 - Freeform Spell casting

Using this method the caster shapes the forces of the weave to achieve a specific effect. This process consists of a two step process:

Step 1
I) Choose the effect they wish to emulate (as per Cosmic Power Step 1 - Wild Talents pg. 82).
ii) Assign dice up to your Spell casting skill to the chosen power. The Intensity of the spell is equal to the number of dice assigned to it.
iii) Roll STAT+Skill (as per your spell casting ability) against a difficulty equal to the Intensity of the spell. If
successful pay the price of the emulated effect (weave points = willpower) as well as the one weave point activation cost. The emulated effect is available for use for Width rounds. If the roll fails pay two weave points.

Step 2
Use the ability. When using a dice pool ability the pool rolled is equal to your spell casting STAT + amount of dice invested in the spell. However, the Width of any such rolls is limited to the number of dice invested.

Each step counts as one action. So in order to formulate a unique magical effect and use it in the same round the character will have to take a multiple action. Once an effect is in place it does not cost any weave points to use it.

An example: Peng Tong the Reviled is caught unawares by some of his victims more militant family members. Feeling that discretion is the better part of valour Peng Tong decides to take to the skies to escape his pursuers. He hasn’t used a spell like this before and so is using freeform spell casting to generate the effect. Peng Tong's Knowledge and Thaumaturgy are both 3.

Round 1: Peng Tong first chooses the effect he wants - he selects the "Flight" power (WT pg. 89). He then decides that he will assign 3 dice, his maximum, to the power. This means the power will be Intensity 3 and cost him 3 weave points. Finally he rolls to cast the spell, he's rolling his Knowledge+Thaumaturgy (6d) against a difficulty of 3. Peng Tong gets a 3x4 set, he successfully casts the spell and pays 4 weave points (one for activation plus three for the cost of the spell). The spell takes hold and will last for three rounds.

Round 2: The angry mob has closed with Peng Tong and begun its assault. It's a 6 man Threat 1 Unworthy Opponent. Rolling for them the GM gets a 3x5 set.

Peng Tong opts to take to the sky. To do so he activates the Flight spell he has just cast. To do this he rolls Knowledge (his spell casting STAT) 3 + 3d (the number of dice he invested in the spell). He gets a good roll of 4x1, easily enough to take off.

However, Peng Tong's only invested 3 dice in the spell and thus can have a maximum width of 3. So his 4x1 set counts as a 3x1 set for effects purposes. Meaning the peasants will be going before him. Dropping his 3x1 even lower to a 2x1. Luckily its still enough to take flight, so Peng Tong rises into the air streaming both blood and curses.

Spell casting Method 2 - Spell's

To use this method the caster must have purchased a spell during character creation or with experience during play. To use the spell the caster rolls his spell casting Skill + spell skill against a difficulty equal to the spells intensity. If successful the caster pays one weave point for activation and weave points equal to the Intensity of the spell and the spell takes effect. If unsuccessful the caster pays two weave points.

Spells are explained in the section below.

Spells

'What are spells?'
A spell is a pre-constructed bundle of effects along with any attached extras or flaws constructed with the Wild Talents power system. Each spell has two statistics. The first of these is Intensity, which measures the general power and weave point cost of the spell; it is determined by how many dice or levels the effect has (see chart below). The other statistic is Build cost this is a measure of how many Wild Talent character points the particular effect costs.

How do I cast a spell?
To activate a spell, roll your core spell casting STAT + the spells Skill against a difficulty equal to the Spell's
intensity. If the roll is successful then you pay weave points equal to Intensity+1 and the spell takes effect. If the roll is un-successful then you pay two weave points.

Intensity Cost
* 1 WP / 1 d
* 2 WP / 1 ED
* 5 WP / 1 MD

How do I construct a spell?
A spell is constructed like any other Wild Talents power. The caster may either construct the power from the ground up or they can select one of the powers from the "cafeteria style" list and modify to taste.

The spell's Intensity may not be more than twice than the characters core casting stat and the spell's Build cost may not exceed the casters core casting stat multiplied by five.

An example: Peng Tong the Reviled is an adept wizard with a Thaumaturgy skill of 3. He may have as many spells as he wishes as long as their Intensity is below or equal to 6 (twice his core casting stat) and their Build Cost is below or equal to 15 (five times his core casting stat).

When a spell is first constructed and purchased (as detailed below) the Intensity of the spell at that point is its "default" intensity.

An example: Peng Tong the Reviled, feeling the need for a worthy offensive spell, creates "Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile". A 3d Harm effect with the Attack and Useful Outside of Combat qualities. Onto this he adds the Disintegrate extra and the One Use Only flaw for a total cost of 1/2/4. The 3d thus costs 3 and is well within his 15 point Build Cost limit. So he decides to add the Area extra to two of the dice, this costs 12 points. So in the total "Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile" costs 15 points to build which is exactly Peng Tong's limit.

Once a spell is constructed and named the spell's effects, extras and flaws cannot be changed. However, the spell's Intensity can be Increased (as long as the resultant increase in Build Cost doesn’t go above the casters maximum) or Decreased as the caster wishes every time the spell is cast.

An example: Peng Tong the Reviled wishes to eradicate some lowly guardsmen and so unleashes the terrible might of Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile. It's been some time since Peng Tong created the aforementioned spell and his mastery of the arts arcane has increased his Thaumaturgy to 5. Deciding to make an example of the guardsmen he decides to increase the spell's Intensity to its maximum of ten (twice his Thaumaturgy skill). This would increase the build cost by 7 from 15 to 22 which is fine as its below Peng Tong's new Build Cost limit of 25.

It is important to note that the character does not need to pay the build cost of the spell.

How do I purchase a spell?
Characters do not purchase spell's per se. What they purchase is a skill in creating a specific set of arcane or divine effects i.e. they purchase the skill of casting the spell rather than the spell itself.

Once the character constructs and names a spell (as per the details above) they may then purchase the ability to cast this spell. This costs the same as a normal skill. However it has certain added benefits. For each level of skill a caster has in casting a particular spell they reduce the total Weave point cost of the spell by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

An example: After Peng Tong the Reviled creates Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile he then purchases a skill in casting the spell. This skill represents Peng Tong's experience with manipulating the weave in this particular way. As it's his signature move Peng Tong the Reviled's player invests four character points in it giving Peng Tong a "Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile" skill of 4.

After this, every time Peng Tong casts this spell he will roll Knowledge (3d) + Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile (4d). The spell itself is Intensity 3 and thus costs 4 weave points to cast, Peng Tong receives a -4 weave point adjustment from his Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile skill but the minimum cost to cast a spell is always 1 weave point.

What about scroll's and spell books?
Wizards, i.e. any character who's spell casting ability is Thaumaturgy, may learn new spells from scroll's, spell books and other wizards. To learn the first level of a spell the character must pay experience points equal to the Intensity level of the spell - 2 (minimum 1).

An example: After a particularly vile bit of villainy Peng Tong the Reviled finds himself the proud owner of a
scroll and a spell book. The scroll contains the potent spell "Falloran's Flaying Tentacles", an intensity 7 spell. The spell book contains little of interest beyond "Acid Breath" and "Feather Fall", which are intensity 3 and 1 respectively.

Peng Tong, deciding to expand his repertoire, decides to learn all three. The first rank in "Falloran's Flaying Tentacles" will cost him 5 experience points (Intensity 7 -2). However both "Acid Breath" and "Feather Fall" cost 1 experience point a piece for the first level (3-2 and 1-2 min 1).

Advanced Options

What's Arcane Blood?
Arcane Blood is an ability unique to sorcerer's that allows them to call upon the inherent arcane power of their blood to push themselves beyond the limits of more traditional arcane casters as well as allowing them to manipulate the weave more easily.

Sorcerer's received a 1 WP cost reduction on any spell cast. This may not reduce the WP cost below 1. The Sorcerer is also able to directly call upon the power of his blood and use his own life energy to power his magic.

When using this ability the Sorcerer may take one shock damage to the location of his choice to generate one WP or one killing damage to generate two WP's. Any spell powered by this ability has its difficulty reduced by one.

The Sorcerer may opt to use so much of their own life-force that they die, if they choose to do so then every one damage taken (either shock or killing) generates three WP's and the character's Intensity limit is tripled as opposed to doubled. It also reduces the difficulty of the roll by one for each health box converted.

An example: Cinnamon Divine (Sorcery 4) is trapped in the evil citadel of Peng Tong the Reviled, after a grueling battle her arcane resources are spent but still Peng Tong stands. In extremis Cinnamon calls upon her own life-force to power "Cinnamon's Cindering",an Intensity 3 spell which hurls a burning ball of (nicely scented) air at her opponent. Cinnamon has no weavepoint's remaining and so decides to call upon her life force. Cinnamon takes three shock damage to the torso in order to generate 3 WP's.

As an intensity 3 spell "Cinnamon's Cindering" would normally cost four WP's (Intensity+1). However Cinnamon's natural sorcerous affinity lowers the cost by one to three and as she's using her own life-force Cinnamon will be rolling against Difficulty 2 rather than 3 to cast the spell.

A few rounds later Cinnamon is nearly dead and realises that she is unlikely to defeat Peng Tong. However, she can't let him live on after what he did to Ned. Deciding to sacrifice herself to power one final cataclysmic magical assault Cinnamon converts her remaining four health boxes to generate 12 weavepoints, which is barely enough to fire off an Intensity 10 9d+1ED (which within her tripled intensity limit of twelve) version of "Cinnamon's Cindering". It would normally be a roll against difficulty 10 to cast this spell, however as Cinnamon has burned off four health boxes the Difficulty is reduced to 6.

What about my Holy Symbol?
If a Cleric prominently displays his Holy Symbol while casting a spell that is not opposed to his faith then he receives a 1 WP reduction to the cost of the spell. If the Cleric prominently displays his Holy Symbol while casting a spell that falls within one of his God's favoured domains then he receives a 2 WP reduction.

These reductions cannot decrease the cost of the spell below 1 WP.

What about Specialists?
A wizard may choose to specialise in a particular school of magic. One this specialisation is decided upon it cannot be reversed. To specialise the wizard simply announces the school he wishes to specialise in. Henceforth while casting spell's who's effects fall within the purvey of this school the caster receives a 2 WP reduction in the cost of any spell cast. This reduction cannot reduce the cost of the spell below 1 WP. The specialist also gains 1 free rank in Student of (his Specialist school).

However the specialist must also select two schools who's effects he can no longer access. If the specialist had previously learned spells which he is now restricted from casting he may convert the cost of those skills directly into experience points.

An example: Peng Tong the Reviled, feeling that people just don’t respect them like they should, decides to focus all his studies and training on mastering the destructive arts of the school of Evocation. From that point onwards Peng Tong will receive a 2 WP reduction in all spells who's effects fall under the school of Evocation. So anything from Peng Tong's Pernicious Projectile to Peng Tong's Orb of Obsidian Oblivion, as both conjure forth destructive forces they certainly fall under the auspices of the school of Evocation.

Peng Tong decides that his two barred schools will be the schools of Divination (forward planning is not his strongpoint) and Illusion (why fool them when you can fry them). So Peng Tong is now unable to create any illusionary effects or to employ any divination effects. Peng Tong had previously learned four ranks in the spell "Peng Tong's Tantalising Thaumaturgical Titillation", an illusion of jaw-dropping degeneracy. As he can now no longer cast this spell Peng Tong's player may convert the cost of this skill directly into experience points.

Magic Items

Magic items are probably best represented by one-use powers created as per the spell system outlined above. For magical items with charges the "Willpower Battery" flaw can be used and for items with a per day usage the "Recharge or duration" flaw can be used. More specific notes and examples for the various types of magical item follow below.

Magic Weapons
Generally Magical weapons simply provide a bonus to the users Weapon or Fight skill. However some Magical weapons have additional unique powers which are detailed in the magic items description.

Bonuses from D&D can be converted on the following scale:
* +1 Bonus : +1d to Fight or appropriate Weaponskill
* +2 Bonus : +ED to Fight or appropriate Weaponskill
* +3 Bonus : +2d to Fight or appropriate Weaponskill
* +4 Bonus : +MD to Fight or appropriate Weaponskill
* +5 Bonus : +3d to Fight or appropriate Weaponskill

Magic Armour
* +1 Bonus : +1 AR
* +2 Bonus : +2 AR
* +3 Bonus : +2 AR and an extra health box for each location covered
* +4 Bonus : +3 AR and an extra health box for each location covered
* +5 Bonus : +5 AR or +3 AR and an extra two health box's for each location covered

Shield's proved +1 Parry per +1 enchantment bonus.

Potions and Oils Rings Rods Scrolls Staffs Wands Wondrous Items