There are three types of magic: arcane, divine, and nature.
Magic Power and Power Points: Spellcasters can cast any spell they know that is within their current ability. When they do, they choose how many Power points to expend, up to but not exceeding their Magic Power. The more Power points expended, the more powerful the spell's effects will be. The spell's Magic Power usually equals the Power points expended on it. The exceptions are contingent spells and permanent spells, where the spell's Magic Power is the Power points expended - 4.
Spells with a Minimum Power Point Cost of 0: Spellcasters can cast spells with a power point cost of 0 a number of times a day equal to 3 plus their Magic Power. After that, they must expend a minimum of 1 power point each time they cast such a spell.
Power Points and Fatigue: Characters who expend too much of their power become worn out. If a character has less than 50% of their Power points left, they are fatigued. If a character has less than 25% of their Power points left, they are exhausted. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.
Regaining Power Points: Characters who are not fatigued or exhausted regain expended Power points 8 hours later. Characters who are fatigued or exhausted cannot regain expended Power points, even if 8 hours has passed, until they are no longer fatigued or exhausted.
Ability Scores and Spells: To learn a spell, a spellcaster
must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + half the minimum Power points
required to cast the spell. To cast a spell, a spellcaster must have a Charisma
score equal to at least 10 + half the Power points to be expended. The Difficulty
Class for a saving throw against a spell is 10 + the spellcaster's Charisma
modifier + half the Power points expended.
A spellcaster with the Devout Belief feat
can use their Wisdom score instead of their Charisma score.
Casting Components: A spell's components are what you must
do or have to cast it. There are six possible components.
Mental: Casting a spell requires thought, which is why casting a spell
provokes an attack of opportunity if the caster isn't careful. All spells must
have a mental component.
Verbal: Casting a spell requires a spoken incantation. All spells have
a verbal component, which can be removed by the Hide
Spell feat.
Somatic: Casting a spell requires a measured and precise gesture, which
is why casting a spell in armour you are not proficient with requires a Concentrate
check. All spells have a somatic component, which can be removed by the Hide
Spell feat.
Material: Casting a spell using arcane magic requires a physical material.
This is an object (such as blood) that is used up in casting the spell, even
if the spell fails. This component can be removed by the Hide
Spell feat.
Focus: Casting a spell using divine magic requires a physical focus.
This is an object (such as a cross or bible) that isn't used up in casting the
spell. This component can be removed by the Hide
Spell feat.
XP Cost: Casting some powerful spells requires a sacrifice of experience
points (XP). You or another willing creature you are touching must spend XP
as part of casting the spell. The XP is used up in casting the spell, even if
the spell fails. You cannot spend more XP in casting a spell than you currently
have: if you attempt to do so, you spend the XP, but the spell fails.
Countering Spells: In most cases, it is possible to counter
other magic spells and effects. However, divine magic cannot
be countered by arcane or innate magic under any circumstances: there is nothing
as potent in Arda than the will of the True God. When you counter a spell, either
you dispel it or you negate it.
Dispel: You must make a dispel check of 1d20 + your spell's Magic Power
against a DC of 11 + the other spell's Magic Power. If you succeed, you end
the ongoing effects of the spell. The Remove
Magic spell is the most common way to dispel a spell, but some spells specifically
counter and dispel each other (for example, Haste
and Slow). Some spells have effects that continue
after the magic is dispelled (for example, Fly
and Slow Fall).
Negate: You do not need to make a dispel check. Instead, compare your
spell's Magic Power against the other spell's Magic Power. If your spell matches
or exceeds the other spell, you prevent the other spell taking effect. The Counter
Magic spell is the most common way to negate a spell.
Heightened Spells: Heightened spells have additional or improved effects when more Power points are expended casting the spell. A heightened spell takes no additional time to cast.
Diminished Spells: Diminished spells have a reduced effect when less than the minimum Power points required are expended casting the spell. A spellcaster can learn and cast the diminished spell earlier than the normal spell, but knowing the diminished spell does not allow the spellcaster to cast the normal spell. A spellcaster who knows the normal spell can also cast the diminished spell. You can heighten a diminished spell.
Modifying Spells: Spellcasters can modify spells using metamagic feats.
Reviving the Dead: It is possible to revive the dead if the dead creature's soul remains part of the Cycle of Arda and the person is willing to return. Any mortal person properly buried by someone with the Devout Belief feat or who had Devout Belief at the time of their death cannot be brought back: their soul has left the Cycle of Arda, either for heaven or nonexistence, depending on who you believe. Innate magic can interrupt the passage of a deceased creature's soul through the Cycle of Arda and prematurely restore them to life. Arcane magic can break the Cycle of Arda and bring the soul back to its body, either as a living creature or as an undead corpse.
Spell Resistance: Some arcane creatures have an extraordinary
ability to avoid being affected by spells. The Resist
Magic spell also grants spell resistance. To affect such a creature with
a spell that is affected by spell resistance, the spellcaster must make a Magic
Power checkfor the spell (1d20 + Power points expended) at least equal to the
creature's spell resistance. If the caster fails the check, the spell doesn't
affect the creature. The possessor does not have to do anything special to use
spell resistance. The creature need not even be aware of the threat for its
spell resistance to operate.
Only spells and spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance. Extraordinary
and supernatural abilities (including enhancement bonuses on magic weapons)
are not. Some spells ignore spell resistance, particularly those that do not
target the creature.
An arcane creature can voluntarily lower its spell resistance. Doing so is a
standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Once a creature
lowers its resistance, it remains down until the creature's next turn. At the
beginning of the creature's next turn, the creature's spell resistance automatically
returns unless the creature intentionally keeps it down (also a standard action
that does not provoke an attack of opportunity).
An arcane creature's spell resistance never interferes with its own spells,
items, or abilities.
True Names: All living things have a soul, and all souls have a True Name. It is different from the creature's common name, or their name in this life. Most creatures keep their True Name secret, because someone who knows magic and knows your True Name has an advantage over you. At the minimum, any time a spellcaster casts a spell using a verbal component that incorporates a target's True Name, the spell has a +1 bonus to overcome spell resistance (if any) and the target suffers a -1 penalty to any saving throw. Some spells have particular effects that are enhanced by knowing the target's True Name.
No Planes: Although both arcane and divine magic come from outside Arda, both are fully expressed within Arda. There is no power within Arda that can transport a creature outside Arda: only the True God's grace allows a soul to leave the Cycle of Arda for whatever waits beyond. Arcane creatures live throughout Arda, on cloud castles, high mountains, forests, and underworlds. Elemental creatures can be found throughout Arda wherever there is a concentration of their element.
The World of Spirits: In addition to the physical world, there is also the World of Spirits. The World of Spirits is invisible and overlaps the physical world: creatures in the World of Spirits can see the physical world, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. The souls of the dead enter the World of Spirits as part of the Cycle of Arda, and usually return to the physical world only when born into a new body. Some souls that cannot or will not to give up their past life can enter the physical world, taking on limited physical existance with an insubstantial and translucent body of mist. Magic can allow the living to see into or travel through the World of Spirits, though usually at some cost.