d100 magic stuff

[Koumei]

It's going to be used when I can be arsed continuing Dungeon Crusade 2.0, but in the meantime, Miekle wanted me to help out with this for his BIWA system, so...

Magic is a strange, varied thing, however despite the many ways it can be expressed, there are limits, and furthermore, it cannot just be shaped on the fly: magic has to be studied. Spells, when researched, are written down for others to study and learn, although the writings are not magic in and of themselves, just as the schematics for a nuclear battery are not in and of themselves a source of substantial energy. It can take a long time to learn these spells, but once learned, they can be accessed quickly by focusing on the energy and how you wish to shape it, bringing up that which you memorised by rote.

The cost to learn a spell is ten experience ((the equivalent of +10% to a skill)), but no further study is learned.

Spells in this world all have variable strengths - the power depends entirely on the wielder and their state of mind. Being distracted makes it harder to express magic, whereas various drugs not only open the neural connections and help you maintain concentration while optimising the flow of magic through your body, they can actually burst into raw energy that adds to your power directly. Essentially, any spell you cast has a power level, but that is not determined by the spell itself, and you cannot re-study a spell to permanently increase its power level. The power level is determined every time you cast the spell.

When casting a spell, you have two options: the first is to go by rote, expending the minimal required energy and going with the "safest" option. This requires no roll, treating it as though you had barely passed (a roll of 100). Those casters new to their trade, with a low ((magicka)) skill rating, are likely to rely exclusively on this option. If a spell is defined as "Passive" - a magical effect that is ongoing once unlocked, then no roll can ever be made, and takiing the baseline effects is required.

The other option for most spells, and the preferred method for experienced spellcasters or those empowered by ((old spice)) is to attempt to push it to the limit. Concentrating on a spell and trying to enhance its capabilities can allow you to perform greater effects, however there is the danger that in thinking about it and trying to manually do it, you can stumble and fail altogether as your nerves get in the way. This requires rolling a ((magicka)) check, and for every measure of success, the spell power increases by plus one.

Spells are listed with a number of variables, and in some cases the variables depend on the spell power. In all cases, this is listed with the abbreviation "SP". For instance, if something dealt "damage of 2+SP", then the basic damage would be three if cast by rote (as the Spell Power is 1), or if it were rolled and two measures of success were gained, the power would increase to three and thus the damage would be five. If a variable is not explicitly states as being modified by spell power, then it is not.

Magical Resistance: some creatures and objects are just not easily affected by magic. Such things are listed as having Magical Resistance, with a number. If ever a number is absent, assume it to be one. Any time they are hit by a magical effect, whether good or bad, they reduce the spell power as applied to them by their listed Magical Resistance. For instance, if a blast of flame deals "Spell Power + 2" fire damage to all in a "Spell Power" metre radius, then a creature in the area with Magic Resistance 1 does not reduce the radius, nor do they reduce the damage for other people. They merely reduce the damage they suffer. If Magic Resistance reduces a spell's power to zero or less (such as any Magic Resistance for spells cast by rote), then the spell has no effect on them whatsoever, even if features of the spell do not rely on spell power.