Casting a Spell

A Magic Skill Check is resolved like a normal Skill Check, with the magic’s result being measured by the number. The suit modifies the success chance in the same way as a normal Skill Check, if the color of the card matches the color of the element chosen, that means the character was able to more easily draw out that type of magic this turn and they get the +1 bonus, otherwise, they get -1 for unfavorable conditions.

The chart below gives a general idea of the strength of a spell based on the number of the check.

  
    Check Value
    Example Result
  
    4
    Sparks, Low Light Glow moving something small 2 meters.
  
    6
    Creating a bright light, flipping a heavy wooden table, electrifying an appliance.
  
    8
    Freezing a group of soldiers’ feet to the ground, pulling up a stone pillar to provide cover from bullets.
  
    10
    Freezing a person in place, becoming invisible to the people in a sparsely populated room, starting a fire capable of burning down a wooden building.
  
    12
    Capsizing a large sized boat, blowing a boulder-sized hole in a castle wall, consuming a car in vines.
  
    16
    Creating a rift to pull a war machine to another dimension, becoming invisible to an entire gala of people, moving enough air to maintain extended flight.

Check Value	Example Result
4	Sparks, Low Light Glow moving something small 2 meters.
6	Creating a bright light, flipping a heavy wooden table, electrifying an appliance.
8	Freezing a group of soldiers’ feet to the ground, pulling up a stone pillar to provide cover from bullets.
10	Freezing a person in place, becoming invisible to the people in a sparsely populated room, starting a fire capable of burning down a wooden building.
12	Capsizing a large sized boat, blowing a boulder-sized hole in a castle wall, consuming a car in vines.
16	Creating a rift to pull a war machine to another dimension, becoming invisible to an entire gala of people, moving enough air to maintain extended flight.

Non-Encounter Casting

When a character wants to cast a spell outside of an encounter, they draw one card. Non-encounter situations allow Players have more time to search for the correct types of magic, so they can choose any element they want. Additionally, for each additional influence a character has from their Skill Tree, they gain an additional +1 to any non-encounter Skill Check performed.

Magic, when used this way, depletes the specific magic type and can only be done reliably once every so often. Depending on the setting, 10 minutes is recommended. Other magic types are unaffected.

Jokers

If the Red Joker is drawn during a Cast Magic Skill Check, the value of the Joker should be considered a 14 and the suit is the suit of the Player’s choice. In the case of a Black Joker, the value is 0 and no suit, meaning no element is present.

Casting in Encounters

In an encounter, when your character wants to use a Power, you will use the two cards you drew at the start of your turn to cast your character’s Powers. They have a couple options available to them as using a Power Skill only uses one hand, a single main action. The suits present on the cards determine what Power Skill can be used. Once a Power Skill is used to cast a spell, that type of power from that card is depleted this turn.

To cast a spell, you first choose which Cast Magic Skill you are using based on the suits present on the cards, and then select a Style for your spell. Next assign one card to be the Energy and the other to be the Influence. If your character does not know a Style, they cannot cast a spell.

Energy is directly related to the damage the spell will do, along with the strength of the Cast Magic’s Effects. With no Effects being added, the value of the number card chosen for Energy is equal to the damage dealt.

Influence determines the spell’s ability to hit a target. A target’s difficulty to hit is a combination of their Avoidance and their distance from the power user. Targets within 12 meters, or two zones, have no penalty to hit, but the difficulty to Influence targets increases by 2 for every 12 meters, or two zones, further away the target is. Refer to the chart below as a quick reference.

Any target further than 36 meters, or 6 zones, away from the caster does not take damage unless the Influence value is greater than the target’s Avoidance plus the difficulty due to distance. They are considered Obscured.

  
	Distance
    Influence Difficulty Modifier
  
     <12m (6 hexes) 
    0
  
  	 <24m (12 hexes) 
    2
  
     <36m (18 hexes) 
    4
  
    Increasing by +2 for every 12m after 36m. Enemies further than 36m do not take damage from spells below their Avoidance.

Distance	Influence Difficulty Modifier
<12m (6 hexes)	0
<24m (12 hexes)	2
<36m (18 hexes)	4
Increasing by +2 for every 12m after 36m. Enemies further than 36m do not take damage from spells below their Avoidance.

Casting with Both Hands

You can choose to have your character use both hands to cast a spell instead of one. This uses both of their main actions but makes their spell more powerful and reliable. If you choose to do so, you can add one Effect of value (5) or lower to your Power for no extra cost and then apply the passive benefits from your character’s Power Skill Tree to their Power.

For example, if Emily has spent three points in Magic (Radiant) she will have a +1 to Influence, and +2 to her Power as earned by the General Skill. This benefit is only granted when she casts a spell using both of her attack actions.

Spell Modifications

You have additional options available when your characters use a spell. You can extend the duration of an Effect, you can have your Power hit multiple targets, or you can enhance your Effects.

Extending the Duration

All Effects last 1 turn, unless stated otherwise. A character can extend this duration by one for each Energy they spend.

Multiple Targets

When a character wants to hit multiple targets, they can spend one Influence for each additional target they wish to hit. This does not mean the spell deals its Energy in damage to each target. By default, the Energy will be the total damage that spell can do, spread equally among all targets hit, rounded up. In some uncommon cases, larger fractions of that total Energy can be used if it fits the narrative or is reasonable within the bounds of the draw.

These targets must all be within the same range from the character. In other words, they all targets must be within the 0-to-12-meter range of the character or within the 12 to 24 meter range as an example. Additionally, the Player must be able to draw and explain narratively how their spell is shaped on the battlefield as to hits only those selected targets. The Dealer has final say in the validity of a shape.

Enhancing an Effect

Some Effects will have a + next to their Energy cost. This indicates they can be enhanced. For each Energy a character spends the strength of the Effect increases by one. This will override any weaker Effects on a creature. Some Effects have an increased cost to enhance like Fortify for example.

For example, if an enemy wolf has a Wound and a character wants to apply a deeper Wound, they can use the Wound X Effect and spend 3 Power, instead of the typical 2. This applies a Wounded Effect that does 3 damage each turn, replacing the 2 damage Wound currently on the wolf.

Standard Effects

Additionally, all Cast Magic Skills have the following Effects. These Effects are all shapes that apply full damage and Effects to all targets in the shape.

Cone (4) - You attack all targets in half of the zone you are in and the zone adjacent to that half of the zone.

Line (3) - You attack all targets in a straight line from you to a location up to two zones away.

Self Zone (2) - You attack all targets in your current zone, other than yourself and those you are carrying.

Zone (3) - You attack all targets in an adjacent zone.