Chapter 6 - Mana

Supernatural phenomena are the effects produced from Mana, a powerful force that infuses the multiverse with its energy. There are some who are able to channel its power and use it to bring to bear powerful effects. These effects are categorized as the MANA APTITUDES.

How it works - Mana

Mana, in essence, is raw cosmic energy, likened to the live current of electricity. The MANA attribute represents the ability to channel raw power energy from the cosmos and store it inside oneself. Holding mana in this way comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. NOTE: of all the abilities, Mana is the only attribute that starts at 0, while the rest start with 1 during hero creation.

Spell Essence Aptitudes give your hero access to various spell effects, which take a MANA roll. Your hero can, at first, only manifest spell effects in their space, or upon those they touch. Purchasing certain Spell Shape Aptitudes will give your hero other ways to manifest these effects. Metamagic Aptitudes give your hero the ability to augment their spells to greater effect.

Following are the actions that can be taken with MANA.

Casting a spell: the SHAPE action

To cast a spell, your hero takes the SHAPE action. Regardless of failure or success, mark a spell cast. Each successive spell cast accumulates a -1 penalty on SHAPE actions.

Overchannelled: Mana is raw, unfiltered magical power running through your hero's body, and they can only channel so much of it effectively. The following table shows the effects of overchannelled:

When your MANA roll for an action with the spell trait critically succeeds, your hero gains a number of overchannel.

• In EASY and NORMAL difficulties, the number is one (1).
• In HARDCORE and HONOUR, this number is equal to the critical multiplier.

Backlash: Each degree of failure incurs an instance of bleeding.

• on a critical fail, gain the stunned condition (in addition to any other instances gained from multiple injuries).
• the next degree of failure gains the dying condition (in addition to any other instances gained from multiple injuries).
• the next degree of failure gains the unconscious condition (in addition to any other instances gained from multiple injuries).
• this final degree of failure causes instant death.

Other MANA Aptitudes

Novice (Tier 1)

• ACOLYTE

  General | Prereq: any 2 novice Spell Essence aptitudes | Bonus to actions with the spell trait. Your hero's shape action gains the reaction trait. Decrease the divisor for your hero's boost action by 1.

• BEAMCASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: affect a line starting from your hero and extending three units (15ft).

• CONECASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: affect a cone starting from your hero and extending two units (10ft).)

• FAMILIAR

  General | Prereq: SUMMON | Can use a ten minute ritual to call for the service of a familiar, a magical creature that will serve you.

• MAGICCIRCLE

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: affect the confines of a circle, it's effect triggered on conditions specified by the caster

• POOL

  General | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS

• RAYCASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: attack a target up to 4units(20ft) away.

• USEARTIFACT

  General | Bonus to rolls involving using a magic item.

Journeyman (Tier 2)

• ABJURER

  General | Prereq: DISPEL | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the DISPEL tree. You can add the reaction trait to your hero's shape action if they are shaping DISPEL.

• ADEPT

  General | Prereq: ACOLYTE + any 2 journeyman Spell Essence aptitudes | Bonus to reactions with the spell trait. Decrease the divisor for your hero's boost action by 1.

• ARTILLERIST

  Spell Shape | Prereq: novice spell shape aptitude | Allows a spell effect to affect an area up to 2 square units (10ft), at a range of 8 units (40ft).

• CLOUDCASTER

  Spell Shape | Prereq: any novice spell shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: manifest as a cloud of magical energy that fills a cube, the length in units per side of which can be up to their MANA value squared.

• DIVINER

  General | Prereq: COMMUNE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the COMMUNE tree.

• EMPOWERED

  Metamagic | Prereq: any novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Gain one additional success (if your hero has at least one success) when counting successes after the SPELL ROLL.

• ENCHANTER

  General | Prereq: USEARTIFACT | Allows for creation of magic items.

• EVOKER

  General | Prereq: any 2 of ACID or AIR or COLD or DARKNESS or FIRE or FORCE or EARTH or LIGHT or LIGHTNING or METAL or SONIC or STONE or WATER or WOOD | Bonus to any SPELL ROLL using one of the prereq spell effects.

• FARSHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: any novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Double that spell's range.

• FOCUSEDSHAPER

  General | Prereq: FOCUS | Reduce the cost to sustain a non-instantaneous spell effect.

• HEALER

  General | Prereq: CURE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the CURE tree.

• ILLUSIONIST

  General | Prereq: GLAMER, FIGMENT, PATTERN | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the GLAMER, FIGMENT, and PATTERN trees.

• MANAFORM

  General | Bonus to boost action. Your hero can then take the shape action, shaping a manaform, gaining the bonus to physical actions for as long as your hero sustains the manaform, and can deliver the effects of the shape with a DEF-contested reflex attack. Effects for this purpose count the number of successes on the initial shape action.

• MANARAGER

  Your hero's sustain action gains the rage trait, and can be used to sustain their rage. The CR is equal to the number of rounds your hero has been raging. Each use of sustain in this fashion increases overchannelled by one. Critical success increases overchannel as normal. Your hero can take the boost action while raging.

• MENTALIST

  General | Prereq: ENTICE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the ENTICE tree.

• NECROMANCER

  General | Prereq: HARM | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the HARM tree.

• POLYMORPHIST

  General | Prereq: TRANSMUTE | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the TRANSMUTE tree. Allows for TRANSMUTE to affect living matter for a success.

• QUICKSHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Decrease the casting time (in ticks) of the spell by one.

• RITUALIST

  General | Your hero has learned to channel more efficiently, using rituals to help shape spell effects. A ritual takes ten minutes per tier of the spell effect being shaped. The cost of the spell is reduced by half.

• SCROLLSCRIBE

  Spell Shape | Prereq: any novice spell essence, ARCANIST | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: confine the casting of the spell to a scroll, for later use. The CR to identify the spell held within the pages is the SPELL ROLL.

• SPELLSWORD

  Spell Shape | Prereq: MELEE | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: affect the struck defender of an attack. Must shape the spell immediately before the attack.

• SPHERICASTER

  Spell Shape | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: manifest as a ball of magical energy that fills a unit space (5ft square) and can be moved every round (with concentration), affecting whomever or whatever it touches. Moving the ball in this way is a 2-tick action, and the ball rolls or hovers with a speed that treats your hero's MANA as it's REFLEX.

• SPLITRAY

  Metamagic | Prereq: RAYCASTER | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: split the ray of effect into two, targeting up to one additional targets who can't be more than the spell effect's range apart from each other.

• SUMMONER

  General | Prereq: SUMMON | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the SUMMON tree. Allows for the summoning of living creatures, each success increases the output of the spell TBD.

• VESSEL

  General | Prereq: POOL | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS.

• VORACIOUSDISPELLER

  General | Prereq: ABJURER | Bonus to DISPEL. When your hero successfully counters or dispels a spell effect, they can damage the caster, who takes damage equal to the difference between your hero's AFFECT ROLL and the CR.

• WALLCASTER

  Spell Shape | Prereq: novice spell shape aptitude | Allows a spell effect to manifest as a wall up to 2 square units (10ft).

• WIDESHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: novice spell essence aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Double the affected area of the spell effect.

• WILDSHAPE

  General | Your hero has the ability to turn into a beast their size category or one smaller. No fly, swim, or burrow speed until MANA 3.

Veteran (Tier 3)

• ARTIFICER

  General | Prereq: ENCHANTER | Bonus to rolls made to create magic items.

• BLEEDOFF

  General | You may reduce the cost of the next spell your hero casts by an amount up to their OVERCHANNELLED value. Doing so reduces OVERCHANNELLED by that amount.

• MANATHROTTLE

  General | Allows you to choose the amount of dice you roll for your hero's SPELL ROLLS, up to their MANA score.

• METAMAGE

  General | Prereq: three novice metamagic aptitudes, two journeyman metamagic aptitudes, and one other veteran metamagic aptitude | Choose a metamagic aptitude your hero has applied to their spell effect. Square it's cost addition, and apply it again. This can be done a number of times equal to half your hero's MANA (round down).

• NETHERMANCER

  General | Prereq: NETHERMANCY | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS in the NETHERMANCY tree.

• REFLECT

  General | Prereq: ABJURER | Bonus to DISPEL. When your hero successfully counters a spell effect, they can turn the magic back upon the caster, as appropriate. The caster is allowed the same saves as the original spell.

• SEER

  General | Prereq: DIVINER | Bonus to PROPHECY SPELL ROLLS

• SMITE

  Spell Shape | Prereq: QUICKCASTER | Your hero can cast a spell as part of a single attack action, affecting the struck defender.

• TELEPORT

  General | Prereq: SUMMONER | Your hero can be the target of their own SUMMON spell effect.

• TELESHAPER

  Metamagic | Prereq: any journeyman metamagic aptitude | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: cast the spell effect without verbal or somatic components.

• THIRSTYDISPEL

  General | Prereq: ABJURER | Bonus to DISPEL. When your hero successfully counters or dispels a spell effect, they can reduce their cast count by the difference between the AFFECT ROLL and the CR. Divide this number by 6 and reduce overchannel by that amount.

• UNFETTERED

  Metamagic | Prereq: EMPOWERED | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Gain two automatic successes (for no points, and your hero must have at least one success) when counting successes after the SPELL ROLL.

• WARLOCK

  General | Prereq: *TBD | (Something to do with a pact with a patron to receive additional magic)

• WITCH

  General | Prereq: *TBD | Bonus to SPELL ROLLS when casting as a ritual. Additional bonus if that spell targets someone.

Peerless (Tier 4)

• HIGHOCTANE

  Metamagic | Prereq: UNFETTERED | Add to the cost of a spell effect to: Gain three automatic success (for no points, and your hero must have at least one success) when counting successes after the SPELL ROLL.

• PERMANENCY

  General | Prereq: TBD | Add to the cost of your hero's spell effect to: instead of having to concentrate on a non-instantaneous effect to sustain it, this spell effect will persist.

Expert (Tier 5)

• MANACAPSTONE

  General | Your hero's BOOST action's MANA divisor decreases by 1. For each hour of rest, double the amount your hero reduces their cast count. Your hero's overchannel can be up to three times their MANA score before explosive death. Reduce the tick cost of all actions with the spell trait by one.

Spellcraft Components and Implements:

The use of components and implements add to the power of spells cast. They either pay for mana costs or can reduce the CR of the spell. Material components are consumed during the casting of the spell. Verbal components, such as "magic words" only lower the CR, and vary by their complexity. Somatic gestures have similar functionality. Certain components and implements have more effectiveness with different manifestations of magic. Implements can naturally and automatically modify spells. Whether to deal more damage or to increase the range, these items can be crafted or found in the world.