Specifications for Power

Types of Spells

Direct: Any power which affects Target directly without being missiled. Includes many Arcane and Limited Powers.
Arcane: Includes all powers in the Arcane Spell Book. Does not include Elements and Inborn Powers.
Invoked: A force that is summoned such as elements, spirits or creatures that are invoked.
Area: Affects a called radius or area around target.
Missiled: Projectile powers that target such as fireballs, lightning bolts, arcane globes of power, etc.
Inborn: Powers that are not magic but traits of a creature.
Psymantic: Powers which influence the mind, including but not limited to dementia, domination and presence.
Quantum: Powers which alter reality; including but not limited to illusory, phantasmancy and quantum projection paths.

Resisting Magic


Arcane: MR resists all Arcane paths. Some races may also have resistance which guards against one specific arcane path.
Limited Paths: MR resists direct spells only, otherwise; these powers can only be resisted by rolling valid checks or saves.
Inborn Paths: Saves alone can protect against inborn powers.
Path of Chaos; Chaos Aspected: MR is effective only against arcane aspects. Otherwise saves or valid checks may apply, or special resistance against chaos aspected paths must be acquired through play.
Elements: special resistance against one elemental path can be acquired, and some races are born with specified elemental resistance.

Checks vs. Magic

Willpower vs. WP is used against psymantic powers such as domination and dementia.
Willpower vs. Charisma is used against psymantic powers such as presence.
Logic and Intelligence vs. Logic and Willpower is used against quantum powers such as phantasms, illusory and quantum projection.
Willpower and Constitution vs. Level of pain against spells which cause pain.
Constitution acts as focus vs. Distraction spells.
Strength vs. Intelligence for holding spells.
Wisdom vs. Logic to gain knowledge or information from another character.
Movement = Yards for distance covered in tests of speed.
Reflexes vs. Dexterity against attacks coming out of haste.
Hasted Combat does not add to checks, it adjusts HB to +1 per ace; with an AR bonus of +1 AR per ace. HB does not stack with normal HB but AR bonus does stack with normal AR. If normal HB is higher then do not adjust HB for Haste
Movement vs. Movement + Haste for contests of speed. Haste adds +1 movement per success to normal movement roll.

Magic Specifications - MA Specs

Use these guidelines unless a power states otherwise. Specs are listed in alphabetical order.

Action Rate (AR) and Defense: if AR runs out on defense, checks and defensive abilities such as dodge use no AR. AR is for MA and PA rolls only.

Aggravated Damage: does normal damage and lasts 1 turn, +1 per ace. Aggravated damage is damage which continues after a hit, such as wounding, fire, ice, acid and electrical effects inflict.

Anti-Factors: Power of roll = power of anti-factor or the power a factor is reduced by.

Area or range: Up to +1 yard per success. Long ranged powers or weapons set at +10 feet per success.

Artifacts: MA roll = Level of Power. Artifacts are sentient and must have at least one penalty for their use, such as; drain and emulate willpower,


Base Level: Highest Character class Level; Mage-Highest MA level, Warrior-Highest PA Level, double or triple classes-Highest level of the most used class.

Boost Levels: +1 per ace for brief durations.

Boost or Bestow Resistance: +1% per success, +2% with improved power.

Bypasses: when bypassing immunities, wards, or resistance, reduce resistance or immunity by power of Roll. Immunities=200% resistance.

Chance Rolls: use these dice to determine anything that is a matter of chance or to determine something quickly. Set chance at 1-99 on a 1 d100, as 1-5 on 1 d6, as 1-19 on a 1 d20; figuring spread and difficulty of chance. Use for chance of encountering an enemy or ally, for chance of something failing or succeeding, for chance of intervention, for any chance occurance, or use in place of LoD. Player can call for a chance roll once during an encounter at any time during a game.

Checks Modified or Set: use random check rolls in Game Guide, or for checks set by MA, roll stamina used = # d6 check roll.

Check Gains or Losses: of up to +1, +1 per ace, no mental or ethical check loss can drop below 5.

Divination Powers: gain +1 knowledge per ace. Knowledge can be anything off of a character sheet or in a GM's quest guide, or can determine something which lies ahead in a game if a GM consents to it.

Draining Powers: drains -1 check as specified per ace. Duration depends on level used or specs of power used. Most common are drain stamina, drain health (HP), drain Willpower and Drain Strength.

Drain Life: drain -1 called check, combat, or power level per hit. Duration depends on level used or specs of a draining power. Power and skills are actually knowledge drains. Some life drains syphon -1 called level per ace.

Duration: Use for time and permanency affects, or any duration roll as needed. Durations can be changed by altering a condition. Suggested levels establish what duration a power can last unless otherwise stated.
Brief Durations: last up to 1 turn, +1 turn per ace. {levels 1-8}
Temporary Durations: lasts up to 1 hour, +1 hour per ace. {levels 9-16}
Lasting Durations: last up to +1 day per success, or +1 week per success on a crit. {levels 17-24}
Long Term Durations: last up to +1 month per success, or +1 year per success on a crit. {Levels 25-32}
Called Durations: can last any duration called up to Total Roll=Years or be called as permanent. {Levels 33-40}

Electrical Effects: aggravated damage and stun for -1 AR, -1 AR per ace.

Fire Effects: aggravated damage on all fire

Ice and Freeze Effects: does aggravated damage and -1 movement, stamina, and dexterity per ace, 0 movement for 2 turns on a crit, and frozen for 2 turns if mvm reaches 0. Those frozen take +5 additional damage per ace on weapons because those frozen are brittle. Death blows have a 50% chance of skipping off of ice because of force behind blow.

Innate Power: Learned by successful practice, each spell mastered when used successfully in an active situation.

Haste: Combat does not add to movement check, it adjusts HB to +1 per ace; with an AR bonus of +1 AR per ace. HB does not stack with normal HB but AR bonus does stack with normal AR. If normal HB is higher then do not adjust HB for Haste. Haste adds +1 per success to normal movement for contests of speed.

Holding Spells: these spell types are dispelled on a hit unless it guards from attacks.

Layered and Weaved Effects: up to +1 effect per AR used, +1 AR to layer effects, per spell.

Multiple Targets: +1, +1 per ace

NPC Start Levels: of invoked or created creatures is up to +1 per stamina level used, +1 per ace unless otherwise stated by a power.

Path of Chaos Bonuses: +1 HB all on spells and targeting per pentacle mastered. +1 on saves per pentacle mastered. +1 d6 on all paths per pentacle mastered.

Permanency: Makes temporary durations or powers permanent on a crit until permanency factor or condition is broken. Power vs. Base Level for free saves.

Perpetuated or Streamed Effects: Last until another spell is cast or up to +1 turn, +1 per ace as called.

Power of Artifacts and Magical Items: MA roll=Power. Level used to create magical, enchanted, sentient, or elemental items defines the level of the item. This level is used for all rolls that the power of the item does not cover.

Power vs. Character Base Level: Use this spec whenever a power affects another character's fate, overall form, or their levels.

Power vs. Checks: Power vs. Check, and if power succeeds against level check, but fails against opposing check, Checks can be used to boost magic when opposing checks. Adjust HB to +1 HB per five check levels, or add +1 d6 per five check levels to magic roll. Check bonus HB do not stack with normal HB.
Arcane, Elemental and Limited Magic: Intelligence check
Domination and Dementia: Willpower check
Quantum and Illusory: Logic Check
Bard, Presence, and Story Telling: Charisma Check.

Power Improved: +1 d6 to any roll.

Power and LoD: MA roll = Power or LoD of aspects.

Power vs. Power: This applies whenever a power opposes another power. if an effect is not valid against a power, counters fail. for example, lightning cannot counteract fire, but water can.

Seals, Marks, and Signatures: Must be dismantled before a spell can be broken.

Shielding Spells: these spell types are dispelled when the one shielded attacks.

Spell Book: All followers and priests of chaos have a spell book which they record formulated spells in which they have perfected. Gods and Hierophants of chaos surpass the need for their spell book.

Spell Formulation: fails with 0 aces as well as normal failures. Name path and effect of spell, level being rolled, and specs of spell. Death spells follow same rules as all death blows.

Stamina Costs:
-1 stamina per AR spent on all physical actions (PA)
-1 stamina per 3 levels of magic on magic actions (MA)
-1 stamina per 5 levels of magic at levels 31+
Defensive rolls do not use stamina

Weaver Penalties: All weaver powers have a backlash penalty of full damage when no aces are rolled, or when a power fails. Damage doubles on a botch. Damage does not include the actual effect of a power.

If in Doubt?

    Use this guide as a standard when in doubt of a roll. All kinds of things can come up in RP and if this guide does not cover it? Improvise a simple roll and balanced it with the situation at hand as well are you are able. Chance rolls can decide many things as well. Submit any questions you have about rolls and GM will respond to query and add relevent Q&A to Specifications page.



Contents by JD and Sparky © Copyright 2008