Casting Spells

Magic is very powerful and very deadly in the World of Exterminis. There are no complex formulae to memorize, complex gestures to be made, or esoteric materials to gather. A wizard just crafts the spell they want to cast in their mind and release the energy. That’s all there is to it.

To balance this power, every living thing and every natural object has innate magic resistance that protects it from spells. This resistance must be overcome in order to affect something with magic, but it can be lowered voluntarily by sentient beings should they desire to do so (to receive healing magic, for example.)

In game terms, casting a spell requires a Spellcasting check. If the caster rolls higher, then the spell takes effect. However, if the target rolls higher, then the spell has no effect, and the Akasha used to cast the spell is wasted.

The Spheres of Magic

There are three Spheres of Magic in Exterminis: Reign of Destruction. The Sphere of Light governs healing magic, the Sphere of Shadow governs alteration magic, and the Sphere of Darkness governs damaging magic. These are the only types of magic in the game.

The Sphere of Light

Wounds, poisons, diseases, curses, and other debilitating effects can be healed and cured through access to the Sphere of Light.

Each Akasha that is spent on a healing spell cures 1d6 wounds. So, if a caster spends three Akasha, he can heal 3d6 wounds to a single target. Healing two targets of 3d6 wounds would cost 3 Akasha for each of them, for a total of 6. The range of healing magic is 10′ per caster level.

Curses, poisons, diseases, and other maladies have a difficulty number, which was set by the GM secretly when the malady was created. To heal the condition, the caster must roll higher than the difficulty number. Each Akasha grants 1d6 on the roll. So, for 5 Akasha, the caster can roll 5d6 to try to heal the condition.

The Sphere of Shadow

The Sphere of Shadow is used to change a person, animal, thing, or the environment in some significant way. Each Akasha allows the spellcaster to alter one trait or feature of one target for one minute. Each additional trait costs one extra Akasha. So, for two Akasha, the spellcaster can change two traits for one minute.

Sample changes to a person or creature include:

• Changing their height, weight, eye color, skin or fur coloration, or gender.
• Changing their eyes to give them Night Vision.
• Changing a person to an animal.
• Giving them the ability to fly.
• Giving them a Natural Weapon
• Causing them to go blind or deaf.
• Enhancing a Characteristic by 1 point per Akasha.
• Giving them telepathy.
• Changing their size by one category per Akasha (Small to Medium, for example.) Changing from Small to Huge would cost 3 Akasha (Small to Medium, Medium to Large, Large to Huge.)

Sample changes to an object include:

• Changing the material it is made of.
• Changing its weight or shape.
• Making it invisible.
• Making it look like another object.
• Changing its size by one category per Akasha (Small to Medium, for example.) Changing from Small to Huge would cost 3 Akasha (Small to Medium, Medium to Large, Large to Huge.)

Sample changes to the environment (10′ per Akasha diameter circle) include:

• Making it colder or warmer by 10 degrees per Akasha.
• Making it rain/Making it stop raining.
• Moving an object from one place to another
• Changing the ground to make it rough terrain.
• Changing water to ice.
• Changing mud to quicksand.
• Creating the illusion of a creature or object.
• Teleporting a person, creature, or object 10 feet per Akasha.

The Sphere of Shadow cannot be used to make permanent changes.

The Sphere of Darkness

The Sphere of Darkness is used to deal damage and to cause curses, diseases, poisons, and other maladies.

There are three basic spells in the Sphere of Darkness: Elemental Bolt, Elemental Explosion, and Cause Malady.

An Elemental Bolt causes 1d6 wounds per Akasha to a single target. The range is 10′ per level of the caster. Elemental Bolts use one of the magical damage types: Heat, Cold, Shock, Acid, Poison, Sonic, Psychic, Force, Radiant, or Necrotic.

Additional targets can be damaged by using an Elemental Explosion. The Akasha cost must be paid for every target in the area (Radius: 10′ per caster level). So, if four targets are in the area, it would cost 4 Akasha to give them all 1d6 wounds each. To cause 2d6 wounds to each of them cost 8 Akasha, and to give them all 3d6 wounds would cost 12 Akasha. Each target requires a separate Spellcasting Check.

You do not have to pay extra Akasha for anyone in the blast area (such as your friends) you do not wish to hurt. Untargeted persons and creatures are not damaged by spells.

When you want to cause a malady (Curse, Poisoning, Disease), you roll 1d6 per Akasha you want to spend. The result becomes the difficulty number used to try and cure it. Applying the malady requires a Spellcasting check.