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| priority:magic:casting_traditions [2026/03/09 05:15] – elfinlocks | priority:magic:casting_traditions [2026/03/09 21:58] (current) – Hyperlinking Perform skill entries elfinlocks |
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| In some cases, a player may find that part-way through a campaign, their tradition has begun to drift or change outright. When situations like this arise, it is important for the player and the GM to work together to find a solution. Perhaps the player loses the ability to speak, and thus cannot be a Verbal caster anymore; they might seek out a patron or other entity to supplement this loss. Perhaps an Area-Bound mage learns to transfer their location's magic into a physical item, and gains the Casting Focus Tradition instead. Other times a player might just enjoy a newly introduced concept, and wish to delve further into it. | In some cases, a player may find that part-way through a campaign, their tradition has begun to drift or change outright. When situations like this arise, it is important for the player and the GM to work together to find a solution. Perhaps the player loses the ability to speak, and thus cannot be a Verbal caster anymore; they might seek out a patron or other entity to supplement this loss. Perhaps an Area-Bound mage learns to transfer their location's magic into a physical item, and gains the Casting Focus Tradition instead. Other times a player might just enjoy a newly introduced concept, and wish to delve further into it. |
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| After you select a Casting Tradition, select a Favored School of magic to go alongside it. Selecting your Favored School wisely provides you with a unique benefit: **every five Caster Levels you gain, all spells of your Favored School receive +1 to their saving throw DC, to a maximum of +4 at Caster Level 20.** Another favored school may be selected for an additional Tradition point. While these bonuses cannot stack, and the same school may never be selected multiple times, a new school can be selected each time. | After you select a Casting Tradition, select a Favored School of magic to go alongside it. Selecting your Favored School wisely provides you with a unique benefit: **every five Caster Levels you gain, all spells of your Favored School receive +1 to their saving throw DC, to a maximum of +4 at [[priority:magic#caster_level|Caster Level]] 20.** Another favored school may be selected for an additional Tradition point. While these bonuses cannot stack, and the same school may never be selected multiple times, a new school can be selected each time. |
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| ===== Casting Focus: 1-2 ===== | ===== Casting Focus: 1-2 ===== |
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| To cast magic, you must present a Focus (for Divine Casters, this usually is a symbol of your deity or their church). The focus may be any worn item, including weapons and armor, as long as it is clearly visible. If your focus is ever taken from you, you must make a Caster Level check (DC 10 + [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] expended) in order to manifest magic. | To cast magic, you must present a Focus (for Divine Casters, this usually is a symbol of your deity or their church). The focus may be any worn item, including weapons and armor, as long as it is clearly visible. If your focus is ever taken from you, you must make a [[priority:magic#caster_level|Caster Level]] check (DC 10 + [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] expended) in order to manifest magic. |
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| If instead you lose all ability to cast when your focus is taken or otherwise unavailable, this Tradition is worth 2 points instead. | If instead you lose all ability to cast when your focus is taken or otherwise unavailable, this Tradition is worth 2 points instead. |
| ===== Diagram Magic: 4 ===== | ===== Diagram Magic: 4 ===== |
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| In order to perform any magical effect, either you or your target must be entirely contained within the boundaries of a special diagram. Creating this diagram requires a full-round action for every 5-foot square contained within the diagram. Once the circle has been drawn, attempt a [[priority:skills:knowledge|Knowledge (Arcana)]] check as part of the full-round action to draw the final part of the circle against a DC of (15 + the amount of [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] expended) to determine if it was done correctly. You may take 10 on this check if not in combat or stressed. You can increase the speed at which you draw the diagram, but at greater risk of making a mistake; doing so prevents you from taking 10 on the check, and for every step by which you reduce the time required to draw the diagram, increase the Spellcraft DC by +5, to a maximum of +20 - to draw the circle as a free action. | In order to perform any magical effect, either you or your target must be entirely contained within the boundaries of a special diagram. Creating this diagram requires a full-round action for every 5-foot square contained within the diagram. Once the circle has been drawn, attempt a [[priority:skills:knowledge|Knowledge (Arcana)]] check as part of the full-round action to draw the final part of the circle against a DC of (15 + the amount of [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] expended) to determine if it was done correctly. You may take 10 on this check if not in combat or stressed. You can increase the speed at which you draw the diagram, but at greater risk of making a mistake; doing so prevents you from taking 10 on the check, and for every step by which you reduce the time required to draw the diagram, increase the [[priority:skills:knowledge|Knowledge (Arcana)]] DC by +5, to a maximum of +20 - to draw the circle as a free action. |
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| The diagram need not be drawn with any special materials (unless you also possess the [[priority:magic:casting_traditions#material_casting2|Material Casting]] Tradition), and can be done with sprinkled salt, paint, blood, a finger in sand, or anything else that may be on hand of negligible cost, so long as it is clearly visible. Permanent portable diagrams are usually not possible (as any scuff to the diagram disrupts the magic), but a diagram may be made out of fixed, permanent material such as metal. If a diagram is disrupted (any amount of damage dealt to the surface it is carved upon, or sufficient force from water, wind, or any other effect that might disperse the material the diagram was created with, at GM discretion) then any magic currently being maintained by concentration via the diagram immediately ends, and no further magic may be used until a new circle is drawn. Spells and effects created by magic within the diagram (including summoned creatures) **never** disrupt it even if they would otherwise. | The diagram need not be drawn with any special materials (unless you also possess the [[priority:magic:casting_traditions#material_casting2|Material Casting]] Tradition), and can be done with sprinkled salt, paint, blood, a finger in sand, or anything else that may be on hand of negligible cost, so long as it is clearly visible. Permanent portable diagrams are usually not possible (as any scuff to the diagram disrupts the magic), but a diagram may be made out of fixed, permanent material such as metal. If a diagram is disrupted (any amount of damage dealt to the surface it is carved upon, or sufficient force from water, wind, or any other effect that might disperse the material the diagram was created with, at GM discretion) then any magic currently being maintained by concentration via the diagram immediately ends, and no further magic may be used until a new circle is drawn. Spells and effects created by magic within the diagram (including summoned creatures) **never** disrupt it even if they would otherwise. |
| ===== Draining Casting: 3 ===== | ===== Draining Casting: 3 ===== |
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| Using magic saps your lifeforce. Whenever you expend [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]], you are dealt damage equal to the amount of [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] used, which cannot be avoided by damage immunity, reduced by damage reduction, and cannot be healed through any means except rest. The only way to avoid the damage is by making a Fortitude Save, with a DC equal to 11 + [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] expended (for example, you must make a DC 14 Caster Level check to mitigate damage from a standard Tier 3 spell). | Using magic saps your lifeforce. Whenever you expend [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]], you are dealt damage equal to the amount of [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] used, which cannot be avoided by damage immunity, reduced by damage reduction, and cannot be healed through any means except rest. The only way to avoid the damage is by making a Fortitude Save, with a DC equal to 11 + [[priority:magic#mana|Mana]] expended (for example, you must make a DC 14 [[priority:magic#caster_level|Caster Level]] check to mitigate damage from a standard Tier 3 spell). |
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| ===== Emotional Casting: 1 ===== | ===== Emotional Casting: 1 ===== |
| A caster with Skilled Casting must be able to perform their skill to use their magic, which is similar to but not the same as possessing other Traditions. For example, a caster who must draw to create magic must have at least one hand free, and unless he also possesses the [[priority:magic:casting_traditions#somatic_casting1-2|Somatic Casting]] Tradition, he may do so while wearing any armor he chooses without a chance of arcane spell failure. Likewise, a caster who uses music to create magic must be able to speak, and unless he also possesses [[priority:magic:casting_traditions#verbal_casting1|Verbal Casting]], he can do so by simply whispering, and thus not automatically break [[priority:skills:stealth|Stealth]]. | A caster with Skilled Casting must be able to perform their skill to use their magic, which is similar to but not the same as possessing other Traditions. For example, a caster who must draw to create magic must have at least one hand free, and unless he also possesses the [[priority:magic:casting_traditions#somatic_casting1-2|Somatic Casting]] Tradition, he may do so while wearing any armor he chooses without a chance of arcane spell failure. Likewise, a caster who uses music to create magic must be able to speak, and unless he also possesses [[priority:magic:casting_traditions#verbal_casting1|Verbal Casting]], he can do so by simply whispering, and thus not automatically break [[priority:skills:stealth|Stealth]]. |
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| At the GM’s discretion, this drawback may count as two drawbacks if the skill involved requires bulky equipment or the use of both hands (for example, the Perform [strings] skill, or Craft [stonework]). | At the GM’s discretion, this drawback may count as two drawbacks if the skill involved requires bulky equipment or the use of both hands (for example, the [[priority:skills:perform|Perform]] [strings] skill, or[[priority:skills:craft|Craft]] [stonework]). |
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| ===== Somatic Casting: 1-2 ===== | ===== Somatic Casting: 1-2 ===== |
