Magic Updates & Rules
 
 
Variations on Magic

  No Grade 0 for physical Adepts - Eliminated Grade 0 for initiation, starting all initiation at Grade 1. I like many others don't believe spending 9-12 Karma for no true advantage is reasonable.

Aura Reading Skill (Modifications):

Any character that has or that gets access to the Astral Plane, gets the Aura Reading skill free of charge at a rating equal to their intelligence. From this point on it is a
skill in all regards that can be improved as any normal skill. It will never be lower than the character's Intelligence skill though, so it will get a free upgrade if the
character increases his intelligence, and the new Attribute Rating is higher than the existing skill rating. 

Spontaneous Spellcasting 

The process of spontaneously casting a spell not already known by the spellcaster is as follows; 

     Select the appropriate spell to be cast. Use spell lists where possible, as there is usually an appropriate spell listed, which is much quicker than diving through the Grimoire to
     design a spell. 
     Make a Magical Theory roll based on the Drain Code (see the Grimoire, page 118), but instead of dividing by 2, multiply by 2. One success only is needed. This is a Complex
     Action. If unsuccessful then you don't know how to cast the spell. Sorry. This Magic Theory roll is used to establish a shaky link to the astral plane, configured in the correct
     form of the spell required.
     If successful, then make a normal Spell Success Test, with any Magic Pool dice you wish to allocate, i.e. treat as a normal spell.
     Now comes the sting. Drain is similar to that of the original spell, had it been learnt, except that, due to the tenuous astral connection, the drain is at the Force of the spell, not half
     the Force.
     Stand back and watch them fall.

Note: Totemic advantages/disadvantages apply to both tests. Metamagic applies to the spellcasting only. Spontaneous spells cannot be Locked, Quickened, or Hardened, due to their
tenuous or transitory nature. There are no bonuses to learning a previously used spell at a later date. 

     Albion has been caught out (again). Lets just say that irritating the Yakuza is not the wisest of natures pursuits. He is currently running full tilt down an alleyway, completely
     unarmed, and without a decent spell to his name. He begins to think that disappearing might be a good option, but– oops! no invisibility spell, Mom. He begins to
     concentrate. 

     Albion has a Magic Theory of 6 and he wants a Force 6 Invisibility spell. The drain is normally [(F/2)M] so his Magical Theory roll has a target number of 12 – (Force x 2). 

     He rolls 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 14-lucky, but time consuming-1 Complex Action gone. 

     Albion has Sorcery 6 and a Magic pool of 6, hence he can roll up to 12 dice, needing a target number of 4. He allocates 3, and rolls. He gets 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, and 11 - 4
     successes, giving his pursuit an extra modifier of +8 to their perception tests—they run right past (low level goons—don’t you love em?). 

     The Yaks having gone, Albion now takes drain as he drops the spell. He has a target number of 6, needing 4 successes to blank out the drain—no divider, remember. 

     He has a Willpower of 4, and 3 dice remaining, hence he has a grand total of 7 dice to roll. He gets 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, and 6; oh dear, not good enough, but hey, what's a Moderate
     Stun between friends?

Lego Magus (Gathering Magic) 

A mage with the Lego Magus power may enhance his spellcasting abilities by "Gathering Magic". Once he has decided to cast a spell, and specified a Force Level, he may attempt to
"Gather Magic" in order to make it more potent. To do this he must meditate, connecting his mind to Astral Space. For every Complex Action he spends in such meditation (up to a
maximum equal to his Magic Attribute) he may try to "Gather Magic". Every action he may roll a number of dice equal to his Magic Attribute - this represents him using his "sensitivity" to the threads and currents of Astral Energy- to Gather Magical Force. Target Number is the Declared Force of the spell. For every 2 success he gathers one point of magical force. At the end, he MUST cast the spell at the declared force or loose the spell and the Gathered Magic. 

For every point the mage gathers his Drain Target number goes down 1, thus possibly reducing a spell that would have caused physical damage to stun damage. 

EXAMPLE: 

Say the mage has an Magic Attribute of 7. He decides to cast a Force 9 fireball. Its combat time, and his crew is badly outnumbered. He declares all this stuff and goes into astral space to Gather Magic. He spends only 2 complex actions doing this (he's in a hurry) and gets 4 successes. Now he must cast the spell, which he does, his Drain Target number is now 7. In
addition, he resists the spell as if he had cast it at Force 7 (Drain is stun, not physical).