7/27/2019 Variant Casting

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This optional method or casting spells borrows heav-

ily rom the Star Wars Sage Edition RPG published by

Wizards o the Coast. Since were not copying any speci-

icSWSEpowers or charging or these rules, no apologies

are made or what is essentially a variant an work.

Using this method greatly changes the way all orms o

Arcane Background workread these rules careully.

Caveat: These rules are a variant bolted onto an exist-

ing system. As such, ambiguous situations may arise. We

recommend the GM go with the spirit o the rules at all

times, rather than the letter o the rules.

Spell pickSEach spellcaster begins with a number o casting

picks, not unique spells, as shown below:

Type Picks

Cleric 4

Hrimwisard 4

Rune Mage 4*

Other 6**

* Pick one rune as normal. His spell picks must come

rom that single rune.

** Covers druids, elementalists, heahwisards, and

song mages

When choosing spells the character can take as many

as he likes, up to the maximum picks allowed or his

spellcaster type. However, each pick o a spell is also themaximum number o times that spell can be invoked in a

single encounter. Thus, i a caster wants to be able to cast

boltmore than once per ght, he needs to spend extra

picks taking more castings o bolt. Once the picks are

made, they cannot be chosen later. A cleric must take a

minimum o one pick or his deitys signature spell.

Because the heroes will have a xed number o cast-

ings o each spell, we recommend you copy out the spell

text onto an index card and give the hero one card o

the relevant type or each casting he takes. When a spell

is cast, successully or not, the card is placed ace down

on the table.

Example: Umberto plays a heahwisard. He has 6

casting picks under this system. Umberto elects to takearmor, bolt (x2), detect/conceal, entangle, and stun.

In any specifc encounter Umberto is limited to just a

single use oarmor, detect/conceal, entangle,andstun,

and just two castings obolt.

GaininG More pickSTaking the New Power Edge no longer grants the

knowledge o a single new spell. It gives the caster a

number o bonus spell picks. Every caster gains a mini-

mum o one spell pick. I his arcane skill is d4 or d6 he

gains one extra pick. An arcane skill o d8 or d10 grants

two additional picks. An arcane skill o d12+ grants

three more picks. Rune mages may take a maximum o

one new rune or each New Power Edge. The picks may

be taken rom spells the caster already knows, new spells

or which he qualies, or a mixture o old and new.

In this variant system the New Power Edge may be

taken a maximum o once per Rank, not per advance-

ment as normal. A character who takes the New Power

Edge during character generation cannot take the Edge

again until he reaches Seasoned.

Example: Umbertos heahwisard has reached Sea-soned. His arcane skill is d10, giving him a total o three

picks when he takes New Power. He takes another cast-

ing oarmor, and learns defection (x1) andquickness

(x1). His spell list is now armor(x2), bolt (x2), defec-

tion, detect/conceal, entangle, quickness, andstun.

recoverinG SpellSCasters can recover spells in several ways.

When an encounter ends the caster recovers all his

spells (see below).

Spending a benny as a ree action allows a character

to immediately recover one spell o his choice.

A character dealt a Joker may recover one spell ohis choice.

encounterS

Encounters come in two typescombat and non-

combat. Combat encounters cover tabletop ghts, mass

battles, and chases, as well as any scenes or which action

cards are dealt. An encounter is deemed to end one game

minute ater the last action card is dealt. At this time the

caster recovers all his spells. Should an encounter end

but another encounter start beore one minute passes,

then it is treated as an extension o the previous encoun-

ter and no spells are recovered. To prevent rule abuse, a

combat encounter must involve enemy combatants.Non-combat scenes cover things like negotiations,

gathering inormation, sneaking up on a position, travel

across country, and so on. In general, these scenes dont

involve any use o action cards or initiative purposes.

Because o the wide timescale these scenes may cover,

they last until the GM determines them to end. However,

we recommend a minimum o one hour o game time be

applied to prevent abuse o thehealingspell.

(c) Triple Ace Games, 2010

variant caStinGoptional expanSion