Reducing Spell Cost

Just as wizards can allocate extra energy to hold magicks free, cast spells of higher level than normal, or gain additional levels of casting ability, they may also save spell points by memorizing fixed magicks with limitations or reduced power levels. A spell may be reduced in cost by 25% (round up) per limitation selected, to a maximum reduction of 50% for two limitations. Restrictions include the following:

Reduced Spell Power: By investing a spell with less energy than normal, a wizard can save a few spell points. This reduces the caster’s level by four, affecting range, duration, damage, and all other level-based variables. In addition, the spell can be more easily dispelled, since the effective casting level is used for this purpose.

If the spell has no level-based variables (e.g., charm person) this limitation cannot be selected. A wizard must be at least 5th level in order to take this limitation.

Prolonged Casting Time: The wizard can store less energy than normal in the spell, hoping to draw energy from his immediate environment when the time comes to cast it. This results in a lengthy period of gathering energy before actually releasing the spell. Spells with a casting time of less than one round require a preparation time of a number of rounds equal to the spell’s listed casting time, so a spell with a casting time of 3 would require three full rounds of uninterrupted concentration before the wizard could actually cast the spell. Spells with a casting time of one round require one full turn to cast, and spells with a casting time of more than one round can’t be reduced in cost through this limitation.

Special Casting Condition: By narrowing the focus and application of a spell, a wizard can reduce the amount of energy and effort required to commit it to memory. For example, the wizard can memorize a spell that can only be cast by the light of the moon or only affects certain types of objects (such as a shatter on crystal only). If the spell is particularly restrictive, the DM may allow a 50% reduction in cost. For example, a spell that can only be cast while the wizard is standing in one specific place of power in the middle of nowhere might qualify. Naturally, the DM should keep a very close eye on spells with this limitation; if it’s not really a limitation, the wizard shouldn’t catch a break for it.

Instead of requiring certain conditions to be right for casting, the wizard might have to take special steps to ensure that the target can be affected. For example, his charm person spell might require the caster to know the target’s name or spend a turn conversing with the subject. Or, a magic missile might have no effect unless the wizard has touched the subject with his bare hand that day. It’s even possible that a wizard may have a spell that automatically fails against a target wearing a certain color or carrying a lucky charm.

A wizard shouldn’t have more than one or two casting conditions that he normally observes. It’s fine for a shadow mage to have a number of spells that can’t be cast in daylight, but if he also has another spell that can’t be used while it’s raining, and a third that only affects orcs, the character concept is clearly being discarded in favor of game effect.

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