Cost Calculation
Casting a spell always costs at least one point of mana. This “initiation cost” cannot be mitigated away. To determine whether you have overmitigated, if doing so is necessary, do not consider this point in the spell’s cost.
Before determining a spell’s cost, you have to define the target and the effect, as many of the variables depend on these. How you choose to define the target is as important as what the target is; for example, if the target is Shannon and the effect is “changes target’s hand into a bird’s claw”, then you define variables like Size according to Shannon’s size, but if the target is Shannon’s hand and the effect is “changes target into a bird’s claw”, then you define Size according to the size of Shannon’s hand. The spells do the same thing, but may have differing costs because they were defined differently.
Sorcery
Sorcery spells are divided according to the type of energy manipulated: Thermal, Electrical, Kinetic, Luminous, and Sonic Energy, or manipulating heat, manipulating electricity, manipulating movement, manipulating light, and manipulating sound.
Energy Type:
Thermal: +4
Electrical: +6
Kinetic: +8
Luminous: +6
Sonic: +4
Thermal is considered the easiest to manipulate, because it’s constantly moving and therefore you just have to shunt it to where you want it to go.
Electricity is somewhat harder to manipulate, as you have to make a circuit for it. At the same time, that is the hardest part, making it more difficult than manipulating heat, but not so difficult as other types.
Kinetic Energy is the hardest type to use effectively, as removing and imparting energy to make things move takes a lot of work. However, it is also the most versatile, being considered the category that mechanical energy falls under.
Luminous Energy is an esoteric type, but requires about the same amount of work to set up as Electrical Energy.
Sonic Energy is perhaps the easiest to understand, and although a bit tricky to create, it’s no harder then creating heat energy, seeing as how it’s vibrations in the air. Vibrations do not require some great talent to manipulate; as such, it is not hard to control sound.
Once you have the energy’s type, you must determine how much of it you want. For ease of use, I defined power separately for each energy type.
Power:
+1 for every step.
A thermal energy step is a change of 300 degrees Celsius. So making it up to 300 degrees colder or hotter is +1, 300-600 degrees colder or hotter is +2, and so on. However, below 0 degrees the steps reduce in size to 30 degrees. So, for instance, taking something from -40 C to +50 C is +3 total (you go through two steps to get to 0 and one step to get from there to your goal). As a sidenote, your average fire is a little under 600 degrees Celsius, but air fires (which is what you make if you create a fire without specifying a fuel source) are typically around 2000 degrees.
An electrical energy step is 200 megajoules. So up to 200 megajoules is +1, 200-500 megajoules is +2, et cetera. As a sidenote, average lightningbolts are 500 megajoules.
A kinetic energy step is 800 pounds*meters/seconds under normal Earth gravity. That is to say, moving 1 pound 800 meters in a second, moving 800 pounds one meter in a second, moving 2 pounds 400 meters in a second, et cetera.
A luminous energy step is 40,000 lumens. If you want to restrict the distance the light travels, divide that by the number of meters you want to restrict it to, rounded up to the nearest meter (so restricting it to traveling one meter does not decrease step size, restricting it to traveling two meters decreases the step size to 20,000 lumens, et cetera). As a sidenote, bright sunlight delivers 100,000 lumens per square meter at Earth’s surface.
A sound energy step is 40 decibels. So up to 40 decibels is +1, 40-80 is +2, and so on. As a side note, human shouting is around one hundred decibels.
Volume Affected:
+1 for every tenth of a cubic meter affected (so +10 per cubic meter, divisible), minimum +1.
It is assumed that to shield yourself from energy backlash requires a separate spell. So no calling down fireballs on yourself, okay? Although you could use a protective item as well.
Alchemy
Alchemy’s cost is partly determined by how much stuff you are affecting. This works on two axes, the object’s mass and its size.
Mass is defined according to how much something weighs under standard Earth gravity.
Mass:
+1 per 50 pounds.
Size is a bit different. Very small things are hard to manipulate because they require such fine control. At the same time, very large things are also hard to manipulate.
Size:
If the object is more than half your size, add +1 mana for every time your size it is (so something ¾ as big as you is +1, something one and a half times your size is +2, something a little more than twice your size is +3, and so on).
If the object is smaller than that, consult this table:
Half to a fourth your size: +2
A fourth to an eighth: +3
An eighth to a sixteenth: +4
One-sixteenth or smaller, but visible: +5
Too small to see: +7
Subatomic: +8
For transmutation spells, add the subatomic size modifier and the size modifier for the size of the object transmuted.
Living:
Yes: +2
No: +1
Living things often have self-correction systems; they have a sense of what they ‘should’ be like, and seek to remain that way. Nonliving things, on the other hand, lack such a sense.
In addition, if performing Alchemy on a living creature, you must go through the following track; for Alchemy on the nonliving, skip on to general modifiers.
Living Alchemy
First, you have to decide if you are healing/harming the body or mutating it. (Mutations can be harmful or beneficial, depending on the type you give. No one will thank you for giving them gills if no water is nearby.)
If you are healing/harming the body, determine the wound type. The more damage you add/remove, the more the spell costs.
Wound:
Very Minor: +1 (Paper cuts/minor bruises and whatnot, will heal on its own in a few hours.)
Minor: +2 (Sprained wrists, or things of that nature. Painful, but nothing that will not heal on its own in a few days.)
Major: +4 (Broken limbs. Will heal, but will take weeks to do so,)
Severe: +8 (Broken spine or destroyed kidney. Survivable, but crippling wounds.)
Lethal: +12 (Heart attack, transmuted blood. Not survivable without outside help.)
Mutation
Mutations are tracked by two different modifiers: how much of a change to the body it is, and how disparate or different the change is.
Change:
Minor: +2 (This would be modifying your eyes or limbs. Not giving you new stuff so much as altering what you already have.)
Moderate: +4 (This would be giving yourself extra of things you already have. For example, who doesn’t want 3 eyes? (Answer: Anyone fighting a gorgon.))
Massive: +6 (This would be giving yourself extra things that other creatures have. I always wanted to have wings. Too bad they don’t work right.)
Disparity measures how different the mutation is from your current body.
Disparity:
Slight: +2
Moderate: +4
Massive: +6
Examples of Disparity levels for Minor Changes:
Slight: This would be like giving yourself hawk vision. Although the eyes are different, they operate on similar principles. Alternatively, something like making your muscles stronger or your skin tougher or your vision just a little bit sharper. Buffs and debuffs (bonuses or penalties to Form or Endurance) typically fall under this level, but require an additional +3 per point of change.
Moderate: To keep up the eye theme: This would be like giving yourself compound eyes. Still an eye but it operates on different principles then your own does and requires more work to make
Massive: This would be giving yourself the ability to see radiation or something. It’s not even remotely similar to any of your organs in anyway
Examples of Disparity levels for Moderate Changes:
Slight: Giving yourself a third eye like a hawk’s or like your own two eyes.
Moderate: Giving yourself a third eye that is a compound eye.
Massive: Giving yourself a third eye that can see radiation.
Examples of Disparity levels for Major Changes:
Slight: Giving yourself a third arm that is a bone spear.
Moderate: Giving yourself a third arm that is a praying mantis foreleg.
Massive: Giving yourself a third arm that happens to be a ghost’s arm.
Enchantment
The first step in Enchantment is deciding the spell’s direction: projection, putting what you want into a person’s mind, or retrieval, taking what you want from a person’s mind.
An enchanter could send you the image of Edward from Twilight making kissy faces at you in order to make you freak out. That would be projection. Or he could call on your own darkest fears to bring that same image out. That would be retrieval.
It is inherently harder to take than it is to give in this case, so projection is easier than retrieval.
Direction:
Projection: +2
Retrieval: +3
After deciding whether a spell is projection or retrieval, you have to decide what part of the mind it affects.
I have divided the mind into roughly four parts (I apologize to any Psych majors that this scars horribly): Current Thoughts, Memory, Beliefs and Senses.
Aspect:
Thoughts: +1
Senses: +1 per sense affected
Memory: +3
Beliefs: +7
Fortitude: +1 and another +3 per point of change
Current thoughts are easy to manipulate, as they are almost constantly in flux anyway.
It is difficult to manipulate every sense perfectly. However, individual senses are not hard to trick. So while each individual sense only costs 1 mana, multiple senses cost as much as all of their individual costs put together. So a sight spell would cost +1, a sight and sound spell would cost +2, and so on.
Memory is difficult to manipulate, as it is usually fairly ingrained into our minds.
Beliefs are deeply held parts of a person, the core principles or ideals that they hold dear, even if that principle is simply “Survive”. Changing these beliefs is incredibly hard and thus costs the most mana because of how deeply ingrained these beliefs tend to be.
Fortitude is pretty much your mental stats, Essence and Will. It is not really an Aspect in the same way as the others, but is defined that way for convenience. You can use Enchantment to raise them or lower them; it costs +1 to choose this Aspect and then +3 for every point of change. So +2 to Essence would cost +7, -3 to Willpower would cost +10, et cetera.
The final stage is to decide how blatant you are with your manipulations. The more blatant the manipulation, the harder it is.
This is tracked on two levels, Awareness and Willingness. If someone is aware that a spell is being performed, they are much more likely to be capable of resisting and throwing up barriers.
Awareness:
Unaware: +1
Somewhat Aware: +3
Very Aware: +5
Unaware means that the target has no idea someone could be around to do things to them, nor do they expect anyone to. This is admittedly rare in Scholomance, but it could happen. It also includes being asleep or unconscious, or heavily drunk/drugged.
Somewhat aware means that the target knows that Enchantment is a possibility and is on guard, but not actively searching.
If the target is very aware, they know that they are under attack and are actively trying to resist mind attacks.
Willingness:
Fully Willing: +1
Somewhat Willing: +3
Unwilling: +5
It is much easier to mind-whammy people if they want you to. However, the mind is subconsciously against this, so there will always be some resistance. As a side note, a person who is willing to allow you to perform mind magic on them is considered Unaware. Conversely, never add more than +3 for the unwillingness of an Unaware person, no matter how unwilling they are.
As a note, all animals that are not sapient (able to tell the difference between right and wrong) are assumed to be Unaware (Why would they expect magic mind attacks?) and Somewhat Willing, as they do not have a very strong will to fight back with.
Conjuration:
Conjurations are first categorized by the type of summon.
Summon Type:
Force/Concepts: +6 (These are things like summoning gravity or death to do your bidding. It is possible, but they really don’t like doing it, thus it costs a fair amount of mana to do. As an aside, summoning the anthropomorphic incarnation of death or somesuch would include both this category and the next, and you would have to pay both costs.)
Beings: +3 (This would be your magical beasties and the like.)
Objects: +1 (The inanimate.)
Now, the second distinction. Is the target sapient, or not? Sapient beings are assumed to not really want to go hurtling across realities to do what you tell them to. Thus, they instinctively try to resist. If you could somehow make one agree to being summoned by you, then they would have the nonsapient cost. Furthermore, a sapient creature requires an Essence check to summon against their will.
Sapience:
Yes: +3
No: +1
That covers most of what Conjuration is considered to do, but the question of how far you are reaching in order to grab something remains.
Origin:
Same Plane: +1
Identical Plane: +4
Similar Plane: +6
Dissimilar Plane: +8
Beyond: +11
Same plane should be fairly self-explanatory. You must have a destination in mind in order to move things around within a plane via Conjuration.
An identical plane is much like the one you are currently on, it just happens to not be the same plane. This is a bit of a misnomer, but I wanted a pithy phrase.
Similar worlds have some major differences but still run on (most of) the same basic principles. For example, your standard D&D world would be a Somewhat Similar world from Earth.
Dissimilar worlds do not have much in common beyond still having life (usually) and some form of physics.
Beyond. This is essentially where the eldritch abominations find things to be freaky and possibly insane. Reaching here and bringing it back is incredibly difficult.
As an aside, it is assumed that souls that you summon come from the afterlife. Consult the Headmaster for details.
As a further aside, note that our homeworld is considered an Identical Plane if Conjuring from Scholomance.
Summoning a spirit to yourself to let it possess you carries a +3 cost, along with how much it costs to pull that spirit from where it resides to you.
Spirit Possession: +3
Additionally, summoning something bigger than yourself costs +1 mana for every additional time your size it is over the first. (Where X is how many times your size it is, rounded up to the nearest whole number, add (x-1) mana to the cost of the spell.)
So if it is only twice as big as you, that would be +1, three times is +2, etc.
Size:
+1 per additional time your size over the first. For things your size or smaller, +0.
Note: Size is calculated by volume. The size for a Force/Concept is based on the volume affected.
Number
To summon multiple beings, add:
Objects: +1 per additional object.
Beings: +<Spell’s Size cost modifier> per additional being, or +1 per additional being, whichever is greater.
Forces/Concepts: Cannot be done in multiples. Must be summoned individually.
To dominate a sapient you have Conjured, your Essence must exceed its Essence. Essence values for sapient summons are set by the Headmaster. To dominate a nonsapient summon, no check is needed; you can do so automatically. You cannot, however, dominate something that has no mind, such as an ordinary book or table.
In addition, if dominating your summons, add +3 to the cost of the spell.
Domination:
Yes: +3
No: +0
General Modifiers
Okay, so now that you have added school modifiers, time to add the general modifiers.
Range: +1 mana per five meters of distance between the caster and the target, minimum +1. Affecting yourself, however, is +0 instead. Except for Conjuration. A Conjuration’s Range is the distance from the target to the destination (for the same plane), or from the caster to the destination (for interplanar transport from other planes to your plane), or from the caster to the target (for interplanar transport from your plane to other planes). This applies regardless of the target’s identity. If moving yourself to another plane... um... then you get +0, lucky you.
Duration: +1 per five minutes, minimum +1; Instantaneous spells are +0 instead. Permanent spells are always considered Instantaneous.
Permanency for Alchemy:
Permanent spells cost twice as much plus the spell’s Mass cost.
So a +14 spell to affect 96 pounds of stuff would be +30 if it was permanent.
It should be noted that most basic Alchemy is of instantaneous duration; that is to say, it has no duration cost and does not have to be made permanent to retain the effects.
Example: Shannon uses her floor spear spell. That spear sticks around forever unless something else happens to change that. A permanent floor spear spell would continuously make spears.
Permanency for Sorcery:
Permanent spells cost twice as much plus the spell’s Energy Type cost.
So a +14 Thermal spell would be +32 if permanent.
Sorcery, like Alchemy, is usually instantaneous.
Example: A sorceror uses a nonpermanent spell to light a piece of wood on fire. The fire will continue to burn merrily without any additional mana being used for as long as it is supplied with fuel, provided it was just a normal fire. Getting a fire to burn eternally without need for fuel, on the other hand, would require a permanent fire spell.
Permanency for Enchantment:
Permanent spells cost twice as much plus the spell’s Aspect cost.
So a +14 Memory spell would cost +31 if it was permanent.
The mind normally tries to repair itself if given enough time, so it is very difficult to make an enchantment permanent.
An example of a nonpermanent enchantment with lasting effects: Using illusions to condition a dog to fear a certain sound.
An example of a permanent enchantment: Implanting a permanent fear of a certain sound in a dog’s mind.
Permanency for Conjuration:
Permanent conjurations cost twice as much plus the spell’s Summon Type cost.
So a +14 Object summoning would cost +29 if permanent.
Unlike most other kinds of magic, summons tend to snap back to their original location for some reason. However, it is possible to effect a permanent shift, should you wish to do so.
Examples of nonpermanent conjuration: Summoning a griffin to attack your foe and then vanish. Appearing where a friend is to assist them briefly.
Examples of permanent conjuration: Summoning a griffin to guard your Atelier. Warping directly back to your Atelier after class.
Unlimited Range
This rarely comes up unless you are creating an item with a spell stored or imbued in it. If you want to not worry about a spell’s Range, calculate the spell as if the Range is Close (cost +1), then after everything else, including Permanency if applicable, multiply the cost by ten. Then go through the Thaumaturgy track.
Mitigation
As a note, the Headmaster still has the ability to veto spells if he or she feels like it. Even if they worked before. This is explained in universe by some higher power screwing with you. Possibly the in-game headmaster, for that matter.
Verbal Mitigators
Verbal mitigators are spoken words. The value of the mitigator depends on the length of the phrase. The phrase must make sense and be applicable to the situation at hand. If you overrun the word limit for one step, it defaults to the next.
Each step is 6 words longer than the step before it. The first step is 6 words long.
So the first step is 1-6 words, the second is 7-18 words, the third is 19-54 words, and so on.
To determine the mitigation, count how many steps you went through, then add that much.
So one word is 1 point of mitigation, 10 words is two points, and so on.
To calculate step size for any given step, just take 6 times the number of the step. Add that to the maximum value of the last step to determine the endpoint of the new step. (For the mathematically inclined, the maximum value of a step is [(6*<step number>)!].)
To determine how much mitigation you get from a set number of words, you unfortunately just have to calculate out every step until you hit the right one. So, for your convenience, I made you a table.
+1 mitigation = 1-6 words
+2 mitigation = 7-18 words
+3 mitigation = 19-54 words
+4 mitigation = 55-78 words
+5 mitigation = 79-108 words
Note that multiple people saying the same thing does not count for any more than if one person said it. Nor does repeating something count for more than saying it once.
Sonic Mitigators
Sonic Mitigators Revised as of 21/04/2012
This is any sound other than words.
Sounds that do not contain words are sorted by appropriateness for the spell at hand. This includes things like bird calls or even nails on a chalkboard. Naturally, some sounds help your mitigation and others hinder it.
Very appropriate: 4 mitigation.
Appropriate: 2 mitigation.
Mildly appropriate: 1 mitigation.
Neutral: 0 mitigation.
Mildly inappropriate: -1 mitigation.
Inappropriate: -2 mitigation.
Very inappropriate: -4 mitigation..
Somatic Mitigators
Somatic mitigators are divided into two categories: positions and gestures.
Positions are, as the name suggests, when you hold your body a certain way. For example standing in a firebender’s stance while casting a fireball spell. This would be a major position; a minor position would be say holding your hand in the sign for stop when making a time stop spell.
Position:
Major: +2
Minor: +1
Gestures are moving your body around. They, too, are divided into Major and Minor. A minor gesture would be something like snapping your fingers for a sonicboom spell. A major one would be making a chopping motion with your arm to generate a razor wind.
Gesture:
Major: +2
Minor: +1
Material Mitigators
Material mitigators are physical objects, symbols, or substances. They are divided into levels.
The levels for material mitigators are:
Very Minor: 1 mitigation: These are only tangentially related to the spell in question. As an example, if casting a scrying spell, you used silicon beads as a mitigator.
Minor: 2 mitigation: These are connected, but it is not something you would normally think of using for the spell in question. Going back to the scrying example, using, say, a microscope.
Medium: 3 mitigation: These have a definite link, but lack a specialization to that particular spell. For example, for your scrying spell, you use a bowl of water. It is connected to scrying, but you could also use it for healing, potion making, etc.
Major: 4 mitigation: These are focused and connected to the spell in question, and thus very powerful. For example, using some of the herbs that the Oracle at Delphi used would be very useful for our scrying spell.
Very Major: 5 mitigation: These are permanently linked to a spell and couldn't really be seen as useful for anything else. Going back to the scrying, having the skull of the Oracle at Delphi would be a great mitigator.
Locational Mitigation
Locational mitigation is casting in an environment that fits with a spell. For example, casting a fire spell is a lot easier in, say, a volcano, even without the added heat decreasing the Power required. This means picking your battleground is very important. If you tend to summon demons, don’t fight someone on holy ground.
Location:
Very appropriate: 4 mitigation.
Appropriate: 2 mitigation.
Mildly appropriate: 1 mitigation.
Neutral: 0 mitigation.
Mildly inappropriate: -1 mitigation.
Inappropriate: -2 mitigation.
Very inappropriate: -4 mitigation.
Examples:
Very Appropriate: Summoning a dryad in a forest.
Appropriate: Summoning a dryad near a single tree.
Mildly Appropriate: Summoning a dryad in a grassy field.
Neutral: Summoning a dryad on dirt.
Mildly Inappropriate: Summoning a dryad on rocky ground.
Inappropriate: Summoning a dryad in a stone room or a cave.
Very Inappropriate: Summoning a dryad in a desert or volcano.
Thematic Mitigation:
Thematic mitigation is a theme within a single spell. For instance, doing everything in threes (saying the chant three times, using three of each material mitigator, et cetera). You need at least two things fitting the declared theme to get points for it; those two give you +1 mitigation total. This is on top of any mitigation they already grant you.
You can continue to add things that fit the theme to get additional mitigation, as follows:
1 additional thing gives you +1 mitigation. (1 thing over the previous level.)
3 additional things give you +2 mitigation. (2 things over the previous level.)
6 additional things give you +3 mitigation. (3 things over the previous level.)
And so on. In general, each level of “thematicness” requires one more thing to reach from the previous level than the previous level did.
Multiple themes do stack, but the second theme requires twice as many things in all categories
(four to count as a theme at all, two more for another +1, another four for the next +1, et cetera), the third three times as many (six to count, three for the extra +1, six for the next +1, et cetera), and so on.
So to outline:
Two items total (0 extra): +1 mitigation (total)
Three items total (1 extra): +2 mitigation (total)
Five items total (3 extra): +3 mitigation (total)
Eight items total (6 extra): +4 mitigation (total)
The levels are determined by the number of additional items and go up as a basic addition series.
1 = 1 additional item needed
1+2 = 3 additional items needed
1+2+3 = 6 additional items needed
1+2+3+4= 8 additional items needed
1+2+3+4+5= 15 additional items needed
etc.
Each time one of these numbers is reached, the spell gains an additional point of mitigation.
To tell how much mitigation you get, simply look at the last number in the addition series (so, for example, 15 items gives you +5); this is added on top of the +1 for fitting a theme.
Themes can be stacked, but your second theme will cost twice as much: four to start, then
2(1) = 2 additional items needed
2(1+2) = 6 additional items needed
2(1+2+3) = 12 additional items needed
2(1+2+3+4)= 16 additional items needed
2(1+2+3+4+5)= 30 additional items needed
Mastery
Each level of Mastery in a school gives you 1 point of mitigation for all spells in that school.
In addition, it expands the range of correct mana cost by +/- 1.
Example: Kirana has level 1 Alchemy Mastery. If she were casting an Alchemy spell that costs 15 points, she could spend and mitigate anywhere from 14 to 16 points of mana and that would count as perfectly meeting the cost. Her Mastery would also count as one point of that mitigation.
Multiple Casters
Each secondary caster in a spell may add as much of their own mana as they wish; each point of mana spent in this way adds 1 mitigation to the spell for the primary caster.
A person helping in this way may contribute as much as he or she wants. However, if someone contributes more mana than the caster, that contributor may attempt to take over the spell. Contested control is determined by Essence checks. If control is successfully wrested away, apply the new controller’s Masteries instead of the original caster’s, and allow the new controller to redefine the spell as they wish. Yes, this may result in the spell being over- or under-powered and requires recalculating everything. Sorry about that.
If a spell necessitates an Essence check other than contested control checks, such as domination of a Conjured creature, each person who contributes mana to the spell may add their Essence to either side of that check.
Note that you can also transfer mana from your own pool to someone else’s; doing so costs one point of mana for every point the target recovers. Giving someone so much mana that their current mana exceeds their maximum will result in whatever the Headmaster wants it to.
Thaumaturgy
On account of the initial wording of this being awkward but rewriting being difficult, a quick just-the-numbers outline is below, followed by the long wordy detailed explanation.
Item Type:
Consumable: +3
Usable: +1
Trigger Type:
Consumable: +0
Voluntary: +0
Trap: +2
Previous Thaumaturgy (per previous spell):
None: +1
Identical spell: +2
Similar spell: +3
Dissimilar spell: +4
Different school: +6
Imbued Spells:
Active: +0, then x4
Passive: +3, then x4
Thaumaturgy can be described as a means of preparing a spell and paying its mana cost in advance so that you can use it quickly and without fear of mana exhaustion when you need it. In order to do so, you must store the preprepared spell in an object. The item can also be made usable by someone else, should you wish it to be so.
Once a stored spell has been used, it is gone; each stored spell can only be used once. However, you can imbue a spell into an item, which is to regular storing what permanent spells are to nonpermanent spells. An item with an imbued spell is always a usable item.
Now, in general, when you store a spell, first you go through the entire process of calculating the spell’s cost normally, except you leave out the one mana of spell initiation, because you are not casting the spell yet. You then set that number aside and calculate the cost to store the spell.
At this stage, you can leave any variable “undefined”; if you do this, you pay the cost of that variable at casting instead of at storage, and also set the variable’s value at that time.
Example: You could store a fireball spell, but not specify a range; you would then have to specify a range when you used the spell and add the appropriate Range cost to the cost to use the item.
If you wish to predefine a target-based variable at storage, simply choose any value you like; this value is the upper limit of the spell’s effect. (For instance, you could predefine the Mass variable of an Alchemy spell as 300 pounds under Earth gravity; the spell would then affect any creature of that mass or less.)
There are two main divisions of spell storage:
Consumable Item: Something which is ingested/burned/otherwise used up in order to release the stored spell. A consumable item cannot have a spell imbued into it, nor can a spell stored in it have undefined variables. Examples: A potion which is drunk to receive its effect; a scroll which is burned to release the spell stored in it; a disk which is snapped in half to activate its spell.
Usable Item: Something which is triggered in a way that does not damage the item. Example: A wand which one waves while yelling “Fuego!” to cast its stored fire spell.
A consumable item costs +3 mana to create, while a usable item costs only +1. However, activating a usable item costs one mana just like initiating any spell, while activating a consumable item costs no mana.
Then add:
+1 if the item is not magical in any way yet.
+2 if the item already contains an identical spell (same effect, same parameters for things like range and duration, etc.; trying to store two ten-meter fireball spells in one rock, for example).
+3 if the item already contains a similar spell (not exactly the same effect, but sort of similar; two fire spells with different durations, say).
+4 if the item already contains a spell which is in the same school but otherwise dissimilar (a fire spell and a lightningbolt spell, for instance).
+6 if the item already contains a spell which is in a different school entirely (a fire spell and Shannon’s floor spear spell, for example).
Add twice as much if the previous spell is an imbued spell instead of a stored spell.
Note that these costs are cumulative; you must add to the mana cost for every spell stored in the object.
An illustration:
Suppose you have an amulet which contains a spell to throw lightningbolts, a spell to summon griffins, and a spell to throw fireballs. You wish to add to this amulet a spell that creates a wall of fire. You would need to add +13 mana in multistorage costs: +3 because of the fireball spell (still fire, but in a different shape and likely with differing range and duration), +4 because of the lightningbolt spell (same school, but different energy type), and +6 because of the summoning spell (different school).
For those who are confused as to the distinction between “similar” and “dissimilar within a school”, you can say that if at least one of the numerical categories has a different value, you add +3, and if at least one of the nonnumerical categories has a different value, you add +4. If categories of both types have differing values, you add the higher cost only.
Finally, you need to set a trigger for your stored spell. A trigger can be anything you like, as general or specific as you want: activates if anyone other than the maker picks it up, activates when the maker holds it in the light of the sun, activates when waved in the air while someone shouts “Hoogabooloo!”, activates when anyone holding/wearing/touching/near it wants it to, whatever. If it is a consumable item, this may include destroying, damaging, or using up the item; otherwise, the item will likely damage or destroy itself. If it is a usable item, the trigger must include paying at least one point of mana plus any ‘undefined variable’ costs.
In general, there are two types of triggers, voluntary trigger and trap trigger. A voluntary trigger is something that the user does; a trap trigger is something that someone else, usually the target, does. A trap trigger spell must have all of its variables defined, including “costless” variables such as the shape of a fire spell (fireball, fire wall, et cetera) or the exact type of creature summoned by a Conjuration (griffin, hippogriff, et cetera). Trap triggers do not take any mana to activate, even if they are usable-type items. The caster of a voluntary trigger spell is the person who triggers it, while the caster of a trap trigger spell is the person who set the trap.
Trigger:
Consumable: +0
Voluntary: +0
Trap: +2
Voluntary or trap only matters for usable items; for a consumable item, the activation cost has already been prepaid and does not have to be paid again.
To imbue a spell instead of merely storing it, calculate the total cost to store the spell, then quadruple that cost. This is the cost to imbue the spell.
Imbued spells come in two types, active and passive. The cost to imbue them is the same, but the effects are different:
An active imbued spell is exactly like a stored spell, except with infinite uses.
A passive imbued spell is always “on”, affecting whoever is holding/wearing/wielding the item in question. The cost of such a spell should always be calculated as if its duration is instantaneous.
A passive spell costs +3 to imbue, but has no activation cost; it is essentially cast as it is imbued and remains activated permanently. It has no trigger. (This is applied before the quadrupling.)
Thaumaturgical costs can be mitigated just like any other part of the spell’s cost, but note that all mitigation is applied after the thaumaturgical modifiers.
Some examples of thaumaturgy:
1. Creating a potion that temporarily grants +1 to Form.
This would be Alchemy, as it affects your physical body, so we follow the Alchemy track.
Mass: This is intended for normal adult humans, so to be safe, up to 200 pounds. +4.
Size: Made by a smallish person and intended for general use, so go with up to double caster’s size. +2.
Life: Yes. +2 and go through the organic Alchemy track.
Mutation
Change: Minor. +2.
Disparity: Slight. +2, and +3 because this is a one-point stat change.
Now general modifiers.
Range: Within one meter, this is intended to operate when ingested. +1.
Duration: Hmm, say an hour for this one. +12.
Total that up, and the cost of an hour-long +1 Form spell is 28 points of mana.
Then we go through the thaumaturgy track.
A potion is a consumable item, so +1.
This potion has no other magic in it yet, so +1 for that as well.
Trigger is, naturally, “target drinks the potion”. (Trigger: Consumable. +0.)
The total cost to create a potion that grants +1 to Form for Medium-sized or smaller creatures of Large mass or less for one hour is 30 points of mana.
2. Storing a fireball spell in a bracelet that already contains several other spells.
This is, naturally, a Sorcerous spell, so to the Sorcery track!
Energy Type: Thermal. +4.
Power: Going for a pretty average fireball, say 650-ish degrees Celsius of temperature change assuming normal temperatures. +3.
Volume affected: Say a small fireball, only about the size of your head. That is, I dunno, but less than a tenth of a cubic meter I think. +1.
Shape: Sphere. +0.
General modifiers:
Range: Ten meters sounds good. +2.
Duration: Instantaneous; the fireball appears on the spot and either sets things on fire or fails to do so. Either way, no need for it to stick around. +0.
Cost to create a fireball ten meters away: 10 points of mana.
And the thaumaturgy now:
This bracelet is a usable item. +1.
The bracelet already contains several other spells:
An identical fireball spell (the caster wanted two, just in case): +2.
A spell to generate light: +4.
A notice-me-not spell: +6.
Trigger is, say, “user is wearing the bracelet, points at target, and recites the first two lines of The Raven”. (Trigger: Voluntary. +0.)
Total cost to add the fireball spell to the bracelet: 23 points of mana.
3. Imbuing a summons into a dais that calls a guardian beast to protect the sacred ground.
This would be a Conjuration. Conjuration track, initialize!
Summon Type: Being. +3.
Sapience: No. +1.
Origin: Similar Plane. +4.
Size: Four times caster’s size. +3.
Domination: Yes. Preset a domination to attack offenders. +x.
General modifiers:
Range: Right on the dais; +1.
Duration: Say... half an hour. +6.
This conjuration costs 18 points of mana normally.
Now, the thaumaturgical costs.
The dais is considered a usable item. +1.
This particular dais has no other thaumaturgy in it. +1.
Set the trigger as “someone enters the sacred ground without praising Alu’matra”. (Trigger: Trap. +2.)
This spell would cost 22 points of mana to store. However, we want to imbue it, so we quadruple that to get a cost of 88 points of mana.
4. Imbuing a passive-type blindness spell into a necklace.
An Enchantment this time, so to the Enchantment track with us!
Direction: Projection. +2.
Aspect: Senses (sight). One sense, so +1.
Awareness: Very aware, we want this to always work. +5.
Willingness: Unwilling, no one wants to be blinded. +5
General modifiers now.
Range: Close. +1.
Duration: Instantaneous. +0.
Cost of an instantaneous blinding-someone-nearby spell: 14 points of mana.
And the thaumaturgy:
Considered a usable item. +1.
Suppose it already has a passive deafness spell on it. That would be a similar spell, imbued. +6.
This is a passive spell, so +3.
24 points quadrupled is 96 points to imbue this spell.