Casting Guide

The Mechanics of Casting
To cast an effect, roll Arete.

In the core book, there is a Magical Feats chart which lists suggestions for required successes when casting various different effects. Ignore it. We don't use it here. On this site, calculating successes works as follows:

Number of Targets (excludes self-targeting and sensory magic) + Desired Duration + 1 success to "pull off the effect" + additional Threshold (if there is one)

What is Threshold? Basically, it's the game's way of allowing for subjectivity and realism. Many standard effects will not require any additional threshold (though some do,) so chances are you won't have to worry about this too much. But if you are attempting to perform a feat that is particularly difficult, complex or massive in scale, then an appropriate threshold (additional number of required successes) should be added on.

Note: Some Time and Correspondence effects will add to the threshold. Namely, anything that requires the mage to cast through space and/or time, such as scrying or divination. Casting across the gauntlet will also add to the effect's threshold. For these effects, see the Correspondence, Time and Gauntlet charts on pg. 209 of the Core Book - or read below where I've listed them in this guide.

Willpower
Spending a point of WP on an effect will give an automatic success. Only 1 point of WP may be spent in this way per roll.

Duration Chart

 * 0 successes = 1 turn
 * 1 success = 1 scene
 * 2 successes = 1 day
 * 3 successes = 1 month
 * 4 successes = 6 months
 * 5 or more successes = ST Discretion

Determining Difficulty

 * Coincidental = Highest Sphere used in the effect + 3
 * Vulgar = Highest Sphere + 4
 * Vulgar with Sleeper Witnesses = Highest Sphere + 5


 * Using a Specialty Focus: -1
 * Using a Unique Focus: -1
 * Practiced Rote: -1
 * Taking your time: -1
 * Spending Quintessence: -1 per point, max -3
 * Appropriate to your resonance: -1
 * Using item with target's essence (sympathetic magic): -1
 * Having researched lore on the subject prior to casting: -1
 * Near a Node: -1 to -3


 * Extending (only applies once): +1
 * Simultaneous Effects: +1 to +3
 * Not using a focus: +3
 * Opposed to your resonance: +1
 * Fast-casting: +1
 * Distracted: +1 to +3
 * In conflict with Avatar: +1 to +3
 * Outlandish or greater feat: +1 to +3

Note that difficulty modifiers may not exceed +3 or -3, total, and that the minimum difficulty for casting an effect is 3.

Example of Casting
Mark wishes to calm a crying child through the use of Mind magic, so he casts Empathic Projection (Mind 2). His roll happens as follows:

[Arete 2, diff 5 (Mind 2 + 3 for a coincidental effect) -1 for using his specialty focus, -1 for taking his time = diff 3, spending WP]

The number of successes he needs to calm the girl for the rest of the scene would be:

1 (target) + 1 (duration) + 1 = 3

He rolls 2 successes, plus the automatic success gained from WP, totaling to 3 successes. If he had not gained the required number of successes, then he could have extended the effect at +1 difficulty and rolled again.

Direct Damage Effects
Direct damage effects are direct attacks on an opponent that translate into immediate damage in the form of health levels. These effects do not require any successes to be spent on duration, as they are considered "instant" effects. Scoring damage from these attacks works as follows:

All successes beyond those required to target = 2 health levels of damage.


 * Forces attacks do +1 additional level of damage beyond this (total, not per success)
 * All Direct Damage attacks do unsoakable lethal or aggravated damage (depending on the form the attack takes,) except for Mind attacks, which do bashing (and can be soaked.)

Clarification: So that no one is confused, in the case of direct damage effects, "pulling off the effect" equals doing damage to the target. So yes, that 1 success needed to pull off the effect applies damage as normal.

Extended Effects
Casting can be extended over multiple turns if needed. To extend an effect, simply roll the effect again at +1 difficulty the following turn. One may continue in this way (the difficulty modifier is not cumulative) for as many turns as the mage is capable of extending, theoretically.
 * If you fail an extended casting roll, you may continue casting at +1 difficulty per failed roll (this one is cumulative.)
 * If an extended roll botches, you may spend 1 WP point and sacrifice 1 turn to keeping the effect going without screwing up the whole affair. Doing so loses you 1 previous success. Further rolls are made at +1 difficulty, as with a fail. This can only be done once. A second botch will destroy the effect.

Note that there is a cap to how many successes a Mage can achieve for one effect. That cap is the Mage's Willpower + Arete. So an Initiate mage (Arete 2) with a WP of 6 cannot achieve more than 8 successes, total.

Simultaneous Effects
Mages cannot focus on an unlimited number of effects at once. For every 2 effects which are actively being maintained, +1 difficulty will be added to the next roll (this is cumulative.)

However, as stated in the House Rules, on this site we have a few exceptions to that rule. The following effects should not be considered when determining penalties for simultaneous effects:
 * Sensory Effects
 * Mind Shields (self only)
 * Semi-permanent Wards or Bans that have been set up at the character's home, or at the chantry (all others count as normal)

Note: In general, once your character has created an effect that doesn't require regular upkeep, you don't need to consider it something that's being "actively maintained." (For instance, if they created a magical plant and left it in a forest somewhere.)

Countermagic
Countermagic can be used to weaken or undo another mage's effect. Countermagic is considered a defensive tactic, so any mage may default to countermagic by aborting their current action, at no penalty.
 * In order to counter an effect, a mage must first know that the effect is being cast. This requires a reflexive Per+Awareness roll (or a successful Prime 1 effect.)
 * The mage must also have at least one dot of every Sphere being used in the effect.

To use countermagic, roll Arete at difficulty 8. Each success gained will nullify one success made on the countered effect.
 * If the mage has at least one dot of Prime, additional successes made beyond those needed to nullify the effect can be applied to turning the effect back around on the caster!

If a mage doesn't have the requisite knowledge necessary to perform countermagic, they may still counter the effect with Quintessence (again, this requires Prime 1.)
 * To do this, first make the usual countermagic roll (Arete, diff 8.) Successes gained will determine how many points of Quintessence may be spent (up to Avatar limit.)
 * Each point of Quintessence spent will raise the difficulty of the opponent's Arete roll by 1 (without the usual limit of 3!)
 * The opponent can still use WP and Quintessence to attempt to undercut this defense.

Acting in Concert
(aka: Group Casting)


 * In order to assist another character with an effect, all of the characters involved must have compatible paradigms. It's necessary to be able to agree on one casting method if multiple mages wish to blend their Wills together.
 * All mages with the necessary sphere ratings to cast the effect roll their dice in full and simply add their successes together.
 * Additional help may be gained from those who do not have the required spheres, but they may only add 1 success each to the effect.
 * Un-Awakened consors and acolytes may also assist in a ritual. For everyfiveun-awakened who assist in this manner, add 1 success.

Paradox
Depending on a number of different variables, your character may garner paradox when they cast an effect. Paradox is basically what happens when the laws of established reality get offended and slap you in the face.

Successful or failed Coincidental effect = No Paradox Botched Coincidental effect = Paradox equal to the highest Sphere used in the effect

Successful or failed Vulgar effect without Sleeper witnesses = Paradox equal to the highest Sphere used in the effect Botched Vulgar effect without witnesses = Highest Sphere used in the effect + 1

Successful or failed Vulgar effect with Sleeper witnesses = Highest Sphere used in the effect + 1 Botched Vulgar effect with witnesses = Highest Sphere used x 2, + 2

Note: When calculating Paradox for extended effects, add +1 per additional roll if the effect was botched. This rule only applies to botches. Otherwise, calculate as normal.

Paradox backfires at the end of the scene, except for that which is gained from a botch. Paradox gained from botched effects backfires immediately, unless the Mage chooses to spend a point of WP to stave off the backlash until the end of the scene.

Backlash
 * During a backlash, the mage rolls a number of dice equal to the total amount of Paradox that has accumulated, at difficulty 6. Any successes achieved on this roll will do one level of (soakable) bashing damage.
 * In addition, a backlash may also result in a Paradox flaw. Paradox flaws are up to ST discretion, but in general they should fit the nature of the effect that caused the Paradox and the amount of Paradox that was acquired.
 * Up to 5 points of Paradox = A minor, short term flaw (optional.)
 * 6 to 10 points = A more moderate flaw, usually adding between 1 and 3 to the difficulty of all rolls for a number of rounds equal to the amount of Paradox accumulated.
 * 11 to 15 points = A fairly serious flaw, usually adding 4 to 6 to dice difficulties, possibly inflicting an additional level or two of damage and/or hitting the mage with something completely bizarre.
 * 16 to 20 points = An incapacitating flaw of appropriate length.
 * 21 or more = Either a very serious, incapacitating flaw or a permanent flaw, in addition to gaining one or two dots of permanent Paradox (as appropriate.) At this degree, the mage will also have to contend with either a Paradox Spirit or a Paradox Realm (at ST discretion.)

When this roll is made, all of the character's Paradox is purged.