House Rules: Magic

Optional rules in use:

Components

Material

Spells with material components with no cost listed require 1 gp per the spell's tier in spell components. When purchasing a spell component pouch, allocate how much gp worth of spell components are in it. Each time you cast a spell with material spell components, deduct the appropriate amount of gp from the pouch's total. You can refill your pouch at any Caster Tower, Magic Academy, or Shop. The spell component pouch weight 2 lbs. + 1 lb. for every 100 gp worth of components.

Counterspells

You can attempt to counterspell when you detect an opponent trying to cast a spell within your line of sight. As a provoking reaction, you can then make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + twice the spell's tier). If the check succeeds, you correctly identify the opponent's spell, and can attempt to counter it. If the check fails, you can't do either of these things.

To complete the counterspell, cast an appropriate spell as part of the same reaction. As a general rule, a spell can only counter itself. If you are able to cast the same spell and you have it prepared (or have a slot of the appropriate tier available), you cast it, creating a counterspell effect. If the target is within range, both spells automatically negate each other with no other results. Dispel magic can be used to to counterspell any spell, but requires a dispel check (see spell's description). Casting a spell to counterspell triggers the magic recharge cooldown of the used spell as normal.

If you have the Combat Reflexes feat, you can use the extra reactions granted by the feat to perform counterspells. Casting for counterspelling provokes as normal and can be cast defensively.

Detecting Casting

Casting magic is generally automatically known to observers based on its casting components. If the caster is able to omit all components of their spellcasting, such as using the Eschew Materials, Silent Spell, and Still Spell feats, the caster can attempt a Stealth check to hide their casting of the spell. This increases the spell's casting time by 1 act. Creatures within detection range automatically make a Perception to detect the spellcasting. The spellcasting does not provoke against creatures that did not detect it.

Detecting Spell-Like Abilities

Activating spell-like abilities is generally automatically known to observers. However, a creature can spend a full action to use their spell-like ability without being detected by making a Stealth check. Creatures within detection range automatically make a Perception to detect the spell-like ability activating. Using a spell-like ability stealthily does not provoke against creatures that did not detect it.

Duration

All spells and powers with a duration of minutes/level are now rounds/level, and their recharge time is general if they were previously 5 minutes. Spells with a duration 10 minutes/level are now hours/level, and their recharge time is at least 4 hours unless already longer.

Cooldown Magic


On Celesia, spellcasters do not have a hard limit on how many times they can cast magic per day. However, each casting leaves an ambient magical charge upon the caster that generally interferes with the casting of the same spell or spells of the same tier of power immediately after until that charge cools down. In general, the greater the spell's effect, the longer it takes for the charge to dissipate, but this can vary on the spell's specific attributes and how the spell is cast.

Cooldown Time

Spells with a duration of instantaneous, rounds/level, or a specific number of rounds that is less than 10 have a general cooldown. Spells with a general cooldown prevents the casting of any other general cooldown spell of the same tier. The length of the general cooldown time depends on how powerful the caster is in relation to the tier of the spell casted, ranging from the longest cooldown for the most powerful tier the caster can cast, to the shorted cooldown to the least powerful tier. See Table: General Cooldown Times.

Low casters are spellcasters that can only cast up to the 4th-tier. Moderate casters are spellcasters that can only cast up to the 6th-tier. High casters are spellcasters that can cast up to the 9th-tier or higher.

Table: General Cooldown Times

Spell Tier Low Casters Moderate Casters High Casters
Highest possible 1d3+1 rounds 1d4+1 rounds 1d6+1 rounds
Second highest possible 1d3 rounds 1d4+1 rounds 1d6+1 rounds
Third highest possible 1d2 rounds 1d4 rounds 1d4+1 rounds
Fourth highest possible 1 round 1d3 rounds 1d4+1 rounds
Fifth highest possible 1 round 1d2 rounds 1d4 rounds
Sixth highest possible 1 round 1 round 1d4 rounds
Seventh highest possible 1 round 1 round 1d3 rounds
Eighth highest possible 1 round 1 round 1d3 rounds
Ninth highest possible and lower 1 round 1 round 1 round

Spells with a duration of at least 1 minute have longer cooldown times that depend on the spell's duration. See Table: Cooldown Time by Duration. Unlike general cooldown spells, a specific cooldown spell only puts itself on cooldown instead of the spell's entire tier Specific cooldown spells are also unaffected when its tier is on cooldown from a general cooldown spell. Specific cooldown spells prepared in multiple spell slots, or spontaneously cast from a new spell slot each time, are unaffected from each other's specific cooldown.

For example, create food and water has a specific cooldown time of 24 hours because it has a duration of 24 hours. However, a cleric can cast it twice on the same day if she prepares the spell twice by using two of her 3rd-tier spell slots.

Table: Cooldown Time by Duration

Spell Duration Measurement Cooldown Time
Instantaneous or by rounds General
By minutes 5 minutes
By hours 4 hours
By days or longer 24 hours

Extracts

Once an extract is created, it occupies the extract slot until it is used or becomes inert. After being used or becoming inert, the alchemist can immediately spend 1 minute to mix a new extract for that slot.

Like casting spells, imbibing extracts leaves residual magical energies within the alchemist that prevent resonating extracts from being used until they fade away.

Extracts with no duration, a duration of instantaneous, or a duration measured in rounds prevents the imbibing of extracts of the same tier for a general recharge time as listed in Table: General Cooldown Times. Alchemists use the same column as wizards.

Extracts with longer durations have specific cooldown times, and do not affect other extracts of the same tier. These specific cooldown times depend on the extract's duration rate, as listed in Table: Cooldown Time by Duration.

Psionic Powers

Psionic characters can spend a full-round action to quickly meditate, and at the start of their next turn, regain power points equal to their key ability score modifier. This action provokes attacks of opportunity, and the manifester is flat-footed.

Like casting spells, manifesting psionic powers leaves residual magical energies within the caster that prevents resonating powers from being manifested until they fade away.

Powers with no duration, a duration of instantaneous, or a duration measured in rounds prevents the manifestation of powers of the same tier for a general cooldown time as listed in Table: General Cooldown Times.

Powers with longer durations have specific cooldown times, and do not affect other powers of the same tier. These specific cooldown times depend on the power's duration rate, as listed in Table: Cooldown Time by Duration.

Sphere Magic

Any talent that requires spending spell points incurs a cooldown on its whole Sphere or that specific talent. While a Sphere is on cooldown, only the powers from that Sphere that don't require spending a spell point can be used - any powers that require spending one or more spell points are unavailable. Any restrictions a Sphere already has, such as not being able to use a power on a target more than once a day, remain in force.

If the use of a spell would normally cost more than one spell point (such as from using metamagic), the recharge time is multiplied by the number of spell points that would have been spent. For example, if a Destructive Blast costing two spell points was cast at the highest caster level, it would incur a cooldown of 2d4+2 rounds on the Destruction Sphere.

If a talent that requires spending spell points has a duration longer that instantaneous or rounds/level, only that talent goes on cooldown instead of the whole Sphere, as per Table: Cooldown Time by Duration. If the talent has a use that does not require spending spell points, then it can still be used just for that spell point-less use while it is still on cooldown.

It is possible to "undercast" a spell by not using it at the maximum level. Doing this will reduce the cooldown time to the number of rounds for the chosen caster level as listed in Table: Sphere Caster General Cooldown Time. A spell cannot be undercast below Caster Level 1, nor below the minimum caster level needed to learn the talent. If there is a caster level requirement on a normally passive benefit (such as multiple selections of the Destruction sphere's Greater Blast talent), a spell that's been undercast cannot obtain any benefits beyond what the adjusted Caster Level would allow. For example, at Caster Level 4, a character could only benefit from Greater Blast once even if they've selected it two or more times. The same rule applies to feats and anything else that requires a minimum caster level in order to function - if it's undercast below their requirements, additional effects will not apply for that casting.

Advanced talents increase the spell point multiplier by 1 when calculating their recharge times.

Some advanced talents change the duration of a talent when spending a spell point. If you choose the spell point option from the advanced talent, only the advanced talent goes on cooldown, with a recharge time dependent on the duration it provides. The base talent is not on cooldown in this case.

If a talent (advanced or otherwise) provides two or more spell point options with different durations, the talent as a whole goes on cooldown for the cooldown time based on the option chose. For example, Enduring Portal has the choice of spending one spell point to make Portal's duration 1 hour/level (4 hour cooldown time) or two spell points to make it permanent (24 hour cooldown time). If you choose the permanent option, you cannot use the Enduring Portal advanced talent until the 24 hours have passed, even if you wanted to use the 1 hour/level option.

Sphere powers that do not take caster level into account are considered to be cast at your highest caster level.

When casting spells with Metamagic, each level increase counts as one spell point for determining the general cooldown time. For spells with a specific cooldown time, that cooldown is doubled for each metamagic used.

Spell Points: Spherecasters can spend a full-round action to quickly meditate, and at the start of their next turn, regain 1 spell point. This action provokes attacks of opportunity, and the spherecaster is flat-footed.

Special: The spell point pool of all Spherecasters are now 1/4 of what they normally receive in the base Spheres of Power rules. Some characters (such as Mageknights) have the option to spend spell points on class abilities instead of spells. These characters treat class abilities as a separate sphere with a 1d3 round cooldown on spell points that can be spent on their class powers. They may spend spell points from their normal quarter-size pool to spend additional spell points on their class abilities in a round.

Table: Sphere Caster General Cooldown Time

Caster Level General Cooldown Time (per spell point spent)
Highest Possible 1d4+1 rounds
Highest minus 2 1d4+1 rounds
Highest minus 4 1d4 rounds
Highest minus 6 1d4 rounds
Highest minus 8 1d3 rounds
Highest minus 10 1d3 rounds
Highest minus 12 1 round
Highest minus 14 1 round
Highest minus 16 0 rounds (No Cooldown)

Recharging Class Abilities

Several class abilities with limited uses per day can be recovered by spending certain amounts of time performing actions specific to those abilities. You cannot recharge an ability when your current amount of available uses reaches your maximum amount of uses per day for that ability.

Arcane Pool

Characters with an arcane pool can spend a full-round action of meditation to regain 1 point of their arcane pool. This action provokes attacks of opportunities, and the character is flat-footed.

Arcane Reservoir

Characters with an arcane reservoir can spend a full-round action of meditation to regain 1 point of their arcane reservoir. This action provokes attacks of opportunities, and the character is flat-footed.

Arcane School Powers

Characters with arcane school powers can spend 1 hour of meditation to regain 1 use of one power. The character is flat-footed for the duration of this meditation.

Bardic Performance

Characters with the bardic performance ability (or abilities that cound as bardic performance, such as raging song) can spend a full-round action of rehearsing to regain 1 round of bardic performance at the start of their next turn. The character must not be currently maintaining a performance to take this action. This action provokes attacks of opportunities, and the character is flat-footed.

Bombs

Characters with the bombs ability can spend 10 minutes of meditation to regain enough magical reserves to infuse 1 bomb. The character is flat-footed for the duration of this meditation. The character still needs available catalyst vials to turn into bombs.

Channel Energy

Characters with the channel energy ability can spend 1 hour of contemplation or in prayer to regain 1 use of one power. The character is flat-footed for the duration of this contemplation or while in prayer.

Domain Powers

Characters with domain powers can spend 1 hour of contemplation or in prayer to regain 1 use of one power. The character is flat-footed for the duration of this contemplation or while in prayer.

Inspiration

Characters with the inspiration ability can spend a full-round action of studying or contemplation to regain 1 point of inspiration at the start of their next turn. This action provoked attacks of opportunities, and the character is flat-footed.

Ki

Characters with a ki pool can spend a full-round action of meditation to regain 1 point of ki at the start of their next turn. This action provokes attacks of opportunities, and the character is flat-footed.

Lay on Hands

Characters with the lay on hands ability can spend a full-round action of contemplation or prayer to regain 1 use of their ability. This action provokes attacks of opportunities, and the character is flat-footed.

Martial Flexibility

Characters with the martial flexibility ability can spend 10 minutes of practice to regain 1 use of their ability. This practice does not affect the character's DV.

Rage

Characters with the rage ability (or abilities that count as rage, such as bloodrage) can spend a full-round action of intense, blood-pumping exercising to regain 1 round of their ability at the start of their next turn. The character must not be raging or fatigued when taking this action. This action provokes attacks of opportunities, but does not affect the character's DV.

Shifter Aspect

Characters with the shifter aspect ability can spend 10 minutes of communing with nature to regain 1 minute of their ability. The character is flat-footed for the duration of this communing.

Vampiric Focus

Characters with the vampiric focus ability can spend 10 minutes of meditation to regain 1 minute of their ability. The character is flat-footed for the duration of this meditation.

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