The contents of this message are Copyright 1991 for David F. Nalle, but are
free to use for reference and may be reproduced in any electronic medium as
long as they are not distributed for sale or profit.
So much for the annoying disclaimer. I thought that people might like to
see the new version of the spell design system for Ysgarth. If you get
really excited by it, we are accepting submissions of spell designs for
Ysgarth, as well as groups of related spells with accompanying explanatory
material as articles for Abyss Magazine.
Here it is...
WorldCraft Module 2: Spell Design and Classification System
All spells in Ysgarth are identified by a three letter classification.
This is a logical system which represents the methods by which the spell
operates and is part of the underlying system by which the spells were designed
and by which new spells can be designed. This system was used to design over
500 spells for SpellCraft, but it was not included there for reasons of space
and because there may be Ysgarth GameMasters who don't want this information
and the potential power of spell design available to all of their players.
Sometimes too much information can be a dangerous thing and we recommend that
access to this system be limited judiciously as seems appropriate to your
campaign.
Each letter in the spell classification represents a specific quality
of the spell. The first letter signifies the Medium, the material or substance
with which the spell works. The second letter represents the Effect, what the
spell does and how it operates. The third letter is the Target or Object,
where and how the spell's operation is directed. Each of these adds certain
costs to the spell and contributes to determining its characteristics, in
combination with a Magnitude system which determines the level of magical power
of the spell.
The Classifications
Given here are tables for the three classifications with their
classification letter (CLS), what it applies to, a Rating (RAT) used in
determining Spell Cost (CST) and an AP Value used in determining APC Cost (APC)
and Fatigue Point Cost (FPC).
Medium
CLS Description RAT APV
A Spirit/Magical/Soul 5 6
B Mental/Mind/Senses 5 6
C Life/Flesh/Energy/Animal/Living Matter 4 5
D Matter/Earth/Non-Living Solids 3 5
E Liquid/Water/Fluids 3 4
F Gas/Air 4 3
G Radiant Energy/Heat/Light/Electricity 5 2
H Non-Radiant Energy/Force/Non-Physical Matter 6 4
Effect
CLS Description RAT APV
A Communication 3 5
B Detection/Information 5 3
C Analysis/Prediction/Prophesy 6 11
D Locate/Guidance 3 13
E Intensification/Expansion/Reduction 4 6
F Protection/Barrier 4 4
G Repulsion/Attraction/Misdirection/Deflection/Gathering 3 4
H Subdual/Stop/Arrest/Immobilize/Hold 2 3
I Instruct/Command/Direct 3 6
J Command/Direct/Animate 5 2
K Transportation/Movement 7 3
L Summoning 3 11
M Creation 5 9
N Envelope/Bind/Link/Join/Assimilate/Combine/Remove 6 9
O Alter/Transform/Deform/Reform 6 7
P Heal/Afflict/Cure/Infect 6 11
Q Restore/Return to Previous Status 8 15
R Eliminate/Destroy/Kill 8 9
Target/Object
CLS Description RAT APV
A All in Area/Locus/Radius 4 4
B Specific Target/Entity (Distance not Limited) 3 3
C Object or Target (Within Limited Area or Range) 2 5
D Specific Substance or Type of Thing (Distance not Limited) 4 5
E Self/Caster/Internal 4 3
F Formation/Shaped/Creation 5 4
G Missile/Aimed Targetting 3 2
Magnitude
The Magnitude (MAG) of a spell is based entirely on the specific characteristics you want a spell to have, and in combination with the values of RAT and APV for the CLS of the spell it is used to determine the various costs for using a spell.
Magnitude is based on three factors, Range (RAN), Duration (DUR) and Damage (DAM). Also factored in under Duration is Delay (DEL) and Damage includes various forms of damage and also Resistence (RES) factors. Note that the three part breakdown of damage is for damage to living things, non-living objects and AP damage, respectively.
MAG Notes/Resistence Levels RAN DUR DAM
0 0 RAN Effects Caster/0 DUR Happens Instantly S I 0/0/0
1 Vegetable Resistence Level/Touch Range T CR 5/10/20
2 Animal Resistence Level 1M Mi 10/20/40
3 Human & Lesser Spirit Resistence Level 5M 10Mi 15/30/60
4 10M Ho 20/40/80
5 Extra Planal Distance Resistence for Summoning 50M 12Ho 25/50/100
6 Prime Spirit Resistence 100M Da 30/60/120
7 500M 3Da 35/70/140
8 Information Gained/Return to Nature Resistance 1K We 40/80/160
9 Greater Spirit Resistence 5K 2We 45/90/180
10 Human Fatal Res/Non-Physical Distance Resistence 10K Mo 50/100/200
11 50K Se 55/110/220
12 100K Ye 60/120/240
13 500K De 65/140/260
14 1KK Ce 70160/280
15 Unlimited DUR or RAN or Total Destruction DAM 5KK Mil 75/180/300
In this chart under RAN S is Self, T is Touch, M is Meters, K is
Kilometers and KK is units of 1 Million Meters. Under DUR I is instantaneous,
CR is Combat Round, Mi is Minutes, Ho is Hours, Da is Days, We is Weeks, Mo is
Months, Se is Seasons, Ye is Years, De is Decades, Ce is Centuries and Mil is
Millenia. Damages are: CEP Located/Overall or Burn or FP/AP or MP. Passive
damage gets the DAM of double the MAG. If damage is based on a particular
characteristic each MAG equals that stat divided by 2 as damage.
The Formulae
All it takes to create a spell is to know what it does and how it does
it and then find its appropriate stats as given for its Classification and
Magnitude and then plug them into a couple of simple formulae.
To a certain degree how you classify spells and interpret some aspects
of magnitude is up to you, but a look at the spells in SpellCraft and some
common sense should give you an idea of where things fit. In these fomulae
Total MAG means the magnitudes for RAN, DUR, DAM, Resistence and anything else
factored in all added together.
To find the LSP Cost (CST) of a spell use the formula CST=(Medium RAT x
Effect RAT x Target RAT x Total MAG)/100. Always round up.
To find the APC of a spell use the formula APC=(Medium APV x Effect APV
x Target APV x Total MAG2)/100 Round off to lower increment of 5 if APC is
above 50 and below 100, 10 if over 100. 50 or 100 if APC is over 500 or to
lower 100 if APC is over 1000. For FPC divide APC by 50.
Mana Point Cost (MPC) for a spell is equal to its MAG exactly.
There are also some strange factors to be taken into consideration in
some spells. If a spell does multiple kinds of damage count the MAG for each
kind. When resistence is required (a Saving Throw), you must take into account
the RES MAG of the normal target of the spell. If the spell has a naturally
reduced save the RES MAG is doubled if the save is reduced by a third. Most
saves are assumed to start at three times a specific characteristic. If a
spell is passive and only does damage if encountered, rather than sending its
damage to the target the MAG is halved. If damage can be altered by Damage
Class the MAG is doubled and the MD of the effect, which is then altered for DC
is equal to the DAM value.
If a spell does damage for multiple rounds or over a broad area
regardless of the number of targets in that area the magnitude is determined
slightly differently. Instead of figuring in the MAG for the DAM of such
spells use the formula (ARE MAG x DAM MAG x DUR MAG) and this is added into the
formula in place of the MAG of the DAM. The MAG of the DUR and ARE are still
figured in separately in the normal places. In this formula if any of the
elements have a MAG of 0 that is treated as a 1. Note that ARE is equivalent
to RAN with those spells which have A as the last letter in their
classification or work within a radius rather than at a specific location.
Note that some spells may also have delays factored in before they take
effect. These count as essentially negative DUR, with the negative MAG equal
to half the MAG of that time period if it were DUR instead of DEL.
Example
With this system you can create virtually any spell you want if you use
sound judgement. For example, Rain of Slime would be classified as EMA,
because slime is a liquid which is created and falls in a specified area,
effecting everyone there. Its MAG would be 17, because it effects a 3M Radius
(MAG 3), Lasts for an 1 Minute (MAG 2) and does 20 AP Damage to everyone in the
area (MAG 2 x 2 x 3 = 12). This would make the CST 11, because you round up.
The APC would be 420 (rounded up to nearest 10) and the FPC would be 9 (rounded
up).
Conclusion
This is a versatile, flexible, and potentially powerful system and
GameMasters should take some care in how available it is to players and should
reserve approval for spells which are created. The system is designed to be
balanced so that nothing outrageous or inappropriate is created, but the
mechanics of spell design involve a lot of interpretation and analysis and GMs
should make sure players are not cutting corners and that the spells they
