Specialist Wizards

Specialist wizards’ saving throw adjustments for spells within their schools of specialization apply during duels unless the characters choose to forgo them. Such adjustments require an extra turn of preparation when building the arena. Specialists are free to use any available bonus spells during a duel.

Specialists also suffer from a disadvantage in duels; spells from their opposition schools gain an extra power rank. For example, dispel magic spells have a rank of 13, not 12, when used against illusionists because Abjuration is opposed to Illusion. The bonus represents the specialists’ lack of experience when dealing with magic from their opposition schools.

A dueling arena provides a stable magical environment, and wild surges and level variations never occur within them. It is possible to construct an arena that allows level variations, but both combatants must be wild mages and wild surges still are impossible. In a duel, level variations raise or lower a spell’s power rank.

For example, Johan the Rat casts an unseen servant spell, which normally has a power rank of 10. If Johan rolls a level variation of –5, that particular unseen servant spell has power rank of 5.

A spell’s other dueling characteristics and effects can also be altered by a level variation. For example, if Johan were a 13th-level wild mage and cast a fireball spell with a level variation of –5, the fireball spell’s power score would be reduced to 7 and the spell could inflict only 8d6 points of damage. The spell’s movement also would be reduced from 5 to 4.

Elementalists’ saving throw adjustments apply during duels. The elementalist ability to cast a spell at higher level than normal does not apply unless both combatants are elementalists. If used, the casting level increase boosts the spell’s power score and other characteristics in the same manner as described above.

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