Magic on Octas requires the use of the Daemonic language (also sometimes known as "the language of magic" for that reason). Each spell below has a Daemonic score listed. This is the minimum ability with the Daemonic language required to use the spell.
Some magics have a Mode. This indicates what sub-skill(s) of the Daemonic language may be used for casting the spell. If a success roll against language ability is required, the language sub-skill score for the specific casting mode used applies. A slash / means that multiple modes are available and any can be chosen. + means both modes listed must be used together and the lowest-scoring sub-skill will be used for rolls.
Magical spells normally take one combat round each. If chaining multiple spells together for advanced effects, then each spell in the chain takes one combat round. Any successful strike (causing damage to any characteristic score, not armour) against a spell-caster will break a chain-in-progress, and it will have to be started over.
Pervasive magic is in the air and does not require a device for casting. Pervasive magic must always be performed in the Daemonic language (excepting the triggering of a magic set-up in advance with the trigger spell, though both the trigger spell itself, and its chained effect-spell, still require the Daemonic language, just the trigger itself is language-agnostic).
Humans tend to be a bit wary of magic, many human cultures even downright condemn it, though this doesn't stop humans using it secretly. As such, it is uncommon to find magical items openly for sale in human lands. It is not so hard at all to find them for sale in back-rooms or under-the-counter, however, if one knows how to discretely ask the right questions of the right kinds of people.
Daemons, on the other hand, treat magic as almost mundane and even entrust less-dangerous magical items to their children as playthings.
Dragons are quite pragmatic about magic, being chiefly interested in its weapons applications.
The various Uplifted tend to adopt a similar attitude to humans, though less aggressively so, magic being more a matter of dis-interest than distrust.
Below, the abbreviation Dem stands for Daemonic Skill, and refers to the spell-caster's ability with the Daemonic language in the mode in which the spell was cast. SS stands for Spell Specialisation and refers to the character's skill level for the particular spell.
To learn a spell, the caster must first have a Written Demonic skill equal to the spell's Daemonic Language level (Dem), and a copy of the spell in written form - even spells that cannot be cast in a written form can be described in it. They must also, of course have the appropriate Daemonic Language sub-skill in the appropriate casting mode to be learned.
So a signed spell of difficulty 4 requires a Written Daemonic score of at least 4 to read the spell description, and also a Signed-Daemonic score of at least 4 to actually cast it in that mode.
Alternatively, learning from a written form may be avoided if an experienced caster is willing to teach a new spell to a character directly. This requires the learner to have a Daemonic Language sub-skill of an appropriately high level in the casting mode(s) being learned.
When a spell is first learned, it should be added to the Skills list as a 'specialisation'. The starting ability score will be 0 (zero). This is not the same as not knowing the spell (which is indicated by the spell not being listed at all) but simply means the spell has not been practised yet.
Once a spell is learned, it can be used as often as desired, within any casting limitations specified for the spell (there are no spells-per-day limits in Octas).
To cast a learned spell, the caster must have a skill in the Demonic Language for their chosen casting mode (Spoken/Written/Signed). The spell's Ability score is added to the Daemonic Language score for the casting mode to obtain the total effectiveness. A DD roll equal to or below the effectiveness score indicates the spell is successful.
As with other skills, a DD roll with a 0 on the high dice indicates the spell was performed so well that the player may roll 2D against either the spell Ability score or the Daemonic Language score in any casting mode that was used, to try to improve that score.
As per other skill-improvement rolls, if the roll is equal-to or greater than the the score rolled against, it increments by 1, and learning-rolls against scores of 0 will all-ways succeed).
A roll of 00 on a spell-casting roll is an automatic increment on one of the used language or ability scores.
Note that there is a hard-limit of 16 points on all Daemonic Language scores, so you cannot apply extra points to any of these that are already maxed out!
When casting a spell, the success will be a DD roll lower than or equal to the caster's Current-Mental score plus their Demonic Language skill in the chosen casting mode, plus their specialisation score for that particular spell.
Casting a spell will drain the number of points off the character's Current-Mental equal to the spell's Daemonic language level. This drain applies irrespective of if the spell was successful or not.
This spell will add 1D units of charge to any magical device for each invocation. WARNING: if the rolled charge plus the existing device charge exceeds the maximum for the device, the device will explode causing damage to anyone within 8 lengths distance from the explosion (see exploding magical devices below).
As for recharge, but roll two 1D and choose which result to apply to the device, except: A roll of 00 will perfectly-recharge the device by 7 charge units or to its exact maximum, whichever is lower. A Roll of 77 will destroy the device without exploding it.
Success on this spell will allow the caster to know the current charge on the target magical device. Casting-failure will result in them being told the wrong answer: the GM should roll 2D and give the number (even if this does not make sense for the device in question!).
When chained with another spell, the chained spell will trigger when a stated condition occurs. The condition may be any definable thing, including a word or phrase (in any language known to the caster), an environmental condition, a gesture, etc. If the chained magic requires a target, the target can be either the source of the trigger, the nearest valid described target to the location where the spell was cast, or an explicitly named target.
This spell generates a field of light around the caster (if spoken or signed) or an object (if written on it). The Light has a maximum radius of 8*CMB (Current Mental Bonus) lengths (and will auto-fail if the CMB is zero). The caster may specify a lower range than their maximum if they desire. The light will last for 1D+CMB minutes if spoken or signed, or indefinitely if written. It can be extinguished early by the caster at the cost of 1 combat action. Defacing the written form will also cancel the spell.
A successful light spell from any caster will also cancel a darkness spell.
This spell generates a field of darkness around the caster (if spoken or signed) or an object (if written on it). The darkness has a maximum radius of 8*CMB (Current Mental Bonus) lengths (and will auto-fail if the CMB is zero). The caster may specify a lower range than their maximum if they desire. The darkness will last for 1D+CMB minutes if spoken or signed, or indefinitely if written. It can be extinguished early by the caster at the cost of 1 combat action. Defacing the written form will also cancel the spell.
A successful darkness spell from any caster will also cancel a light spell.
This spell will restore +D+CMB (Current Mental Bonus) points to any one of a target's Current scores (caster chooses which score in advance of casting), not exceeding the value of their Base Score (left-over points are discarded).
This version of the heal spell allows the Current score to go above the Base score, but will have no effect if the current score is already above the Base.
Excess Current scores will reduce by 1 point per minute back to the base score (assuming they are not knocked down more quickly by damage).
This perversion of the Heal spell will remove 1D+CMB points to any one of a target's Current scores (caster chooses which in advance of casting), rolling over to Base score if Current reaches zero. A roll of 7 on the 1D, however, will restore DS points to the target, up to the value of their Base score, instead.
This spell will instantly transfer a target which the caster can see or touch (including self) to another location. The location must be one which the caster can clearly visualise from their immediate surroundings or from memory. The caster must know the approximate location of the destination relative to their present location, and must be able to visualise it in a way that is truly unique to that location within its approximate area. You cannot teleport a target to 'a field over the mountain west of here', but can teleport a target to a field of a particular unique shape to its general region, or with a distinctive tree in it, etc. You can teleport a target to a moving vessel, such as a ship or wagon, if its approximate location and distinct uniqueness within that location can be visualised. Changes in relative velocity are automatically accounted for in the teleportation to, from or between moving objects.
The spell will fail if the target is alive and the destination's environmental conditions are outside of what they could reasonably survive in.
Long-range teleports outside of a single god's domain generally won't work without the cooperation of the god at either the source or the destination, and risks antagonising the god not involved. It is generally best avoided!
The written form of this spell is generally used chained to a Trigger spell to create automatic portals.
If successful, the Daemon targeted by the spell will follow the instructions given to it to the best of its abilities for the duration of the spell. It has no free will in the matter and will place completing its tasks even above self-preservation when necessary.
Daemons hate this, and will be hostile after a successful spell (or an unsuccessful attempt if they notice the attempt).
This common chaining of the Control Daemon and Portal spells, as might be expected, teleports a Daemon to the vicinity of the caster, and forces them to the caster's will. The Daemon is teleported in from a random location that might be anywhere on Octas (usually Hell), and after the spell completes, the Daemon (or its corpse) will be teleported back to whence it came.
Just as with Control Daemon, after the spell's hold is released, the Daemon will be hostile to the spell-caster and associates, however it will be sent back to Hell by then, so it is generally impotent to do anything about it. However, this sort of thing is a major source of the general hostility Daemons feel for surface-dwellers in general, and magic-users in particular.
As a chaining of two simpler spells, this spell requires two combat-rounds to cast.
The Written form of this spell is generally only used chained, in turn, to a written Trigger spell to make traps, though using a Daemon as a recorded-message service is a more benign possible use.
Will call a single ball of fire down on a specified target location. The fireball will burn for 8 lengths radius around the target, causing +D of physical damage to all within this radius.
This spell only works under an open sky.
Will call a single lightning bolt down on a specified target. The lightning will cause 2D+8 physical damage to the target, and 1D physical damage to anyone directly touching the target.
This spell only works under an open sky.
Will call a single bolt of extreme cold down on a specified target. The cold will cause 2D+16 physical damage to the target, and snap-freeze the volume within 8 lengths radius of the target to 20 degrees colder than it was before, for a short time.
This spell only works under an open sky.
This spell will cause a short 1D+CMB minute full-force gale in the volume 64-lengths radius around the caster if spoken or signed. If written, the focus of the gale will be the place written. If used in water, it will cause a strong current in the same volume.
The caster is unaffected by the surrounding maelstrom. They can also, at a penalty of -1 per length radius, extend the calm 'eye' of the maelstrom out from themselves up to 8-lengths.
This spell will cause a brief (1-combat-round) strong gust of air in the volume 4-lengths radius around the target. If used in water, it will cause a sudden movement of water in the same volume. The direction is random.
As per Random Gust, but the caster may specify the direction of air (or water) movement.
This spell will cause a brief (1-combat-round) downpour of fresh water in the volume 8-lengths radius around the target. The amount of water that falls is specified by the caster in advance, up to CMB blocks weight.
1 blocks weight of water is about 38 litres or 10 gallons.
Will cause a minor earth tremor focused on the target and with a radius of 64 lengths. uStrong enough to knock over unsecured objects, but not strong enough to damage fixed things like buildings, unless they are already on the edge of falling down anyway.
An object up to the size of a cube with casters-CMB lengths to a side can be made to look like something else. The effect is only visual.
An object up to the size of a cube with casters-CMB lengths to a side can be made to look like something/someone else. The effect is only visual. The spell does not account for hidden objects acting 'out of character' so a player made to look like a large urn can still move about, but it will look like the urn is moving about in a very un-urn-like manner!
An object is duplicated to an illusory duplicate of itself nearby. The original is not hidden. If the target moves, the doppelganger will mirror the movement exactly.
Additional doppelgangers of the same object may be simultaneously created up to the caster's CMB (A CMB of 0 still allows 1 doppelganger).
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