Spell Point System
Spell Points
Character classes with the ability to cast spells do so through the consumption of spell points, which represent the reserve of magical energy supplied by the spellcaster that is needed to properly manifest the effect of the spell upon reality. For arcane spellcasters, this energy is known as anima; whereas, for divine spellcasters, it is termed pietas. Necromancers and warlocks draw upon miasma instead. The spellcaster's reserve of spell points is determined by both class and level, as detailed in the Spell Points per Day table given below. In order to cast a particular spell, a character expends the number of spell points equal to the level of the spell being cast. Thus, a Level 3 spell would cost 3 spells point to cast. Expended spell points are recovered through rest and preparation as detailed in the Spell Preparation section.
Spell Preparation
For those character classes that require spell preparation (e.g., clerics and mages), players declare which spells they are preparing for the day. Spellcasters do not need to prepare a particular spell more than once to use it multiple times during the day as their spell points allow them to cast any combination of prepared spells up to the limit of their spell point reserve. To illustrate, Telica, a human cleric at 5th Level with a WIS score of 14, would possess a total of 8 spell points. On a daily basis, she can prepare two 1st-level spells and two 2nd-level spells. A spellcaster can elect to cast any combination of the spells chosen for preparation for the day as long as he or she possesses enough spell points to cast them. As such, Telica could cast any combination of the prepared 2nd-level spells up to three times, with enough spell points left over to cast any of the prepared 1st-level spells twice.
Bonus Spell Points and Bonus Spells
Bonus spells for a high ability score are considered bonus spell points instead. As such, the spellcaster can cast more of his or her spells per day. The number of bonus spell points gained from a high ability score can be determined in the following manner, first by finding the row for the character’s prime requisite ability score by class on Table: Bonus Spell Points. (e.g., WIS for clerics and druids, INT for wizards, etc.). After that, consult the column for the highest spell level of spell the character able to be casted by the character based on his or her experience level. The amount of bonus spell points the character has access to is located where the row and column meets. The number of bonus spell points may change if the character's prime requisite ability score permenantly increases or decreases, as well as with each increase in experience level.
By consulting the Bonus Spell Points table, one can see that Telica, the 5th-level cleric with a WIS of 14 would recieve 2 extra spell points per day added to the daily 6 points a 5th-level cleric receives. If, somehow, Telica's WIS was temporarily increased due to some mystical boon, she would not recieve additional bonus spell points. On the other hand, if her natural WIS were 17, when Telica reached the 6th experience level, the number of bonus spell points available to her would increase from 2 to 3 due to the fact that she could now cast 3rd-level spells, leading to an overall increase from 8 to 12 total spell points per day.
Spontaneous Spellcasters
Characters who possess the class ability of spontaneous spellcasting (e.g., sorcerers) do not have the limitation of having to prepare spells each day. Instead, members of these classes are able to cast any spell in their repertoire as long as they possess enough spell points. Those character classes with the ability to cast a limited number of spontaneous spells (such as druids) are considered to have such spells always prepared, and thus, need not reserve spell slots for them. This allows them to cast these spells at any time provided they possess the spell points to do so.
Replenishing Spell Points
Spellcasters replenish spell points in the same manner spells are regained in the core rules. This means that spellcasters require the same amount of rest in order to replenish their reserve of spell points.
Spell Casting
Every spell requires a certain amount of spell points to be spent to fuel the reality-bending effect the spellcaster desires to invoke. The more powerful the spell (i.e., the higher the level), the more spell points need to be spent, as per the Spell Point Cost table. zero-level spells cost no spell points to cast. If a spellcaster is capable of casting zero-level spells, he can cast a number of zero-level spells each day equal to 1 + the number of 1st level spells able to be prepared at his or her character's level. Therefore, a 2nd level mage may cast 3 cantrips per day, and a 6th level mage may cast 4 cantrips per day. Likewise, a cleric or druid may cast 1 orison at 1st character level, 2 at 2nd level, 3 at 3rd level, and 4 at 7th level.
For spells that have more powerful effects as a spellcaster's level increases, the actual level of the spellcaster is used to determine the power of the spell's effect. However, those spells that determine damage through a number of dice based on the spellcaster's level (e.g., Magic Missile, Fireball) are considered to provide the minimum number of damage dice based on the prerequiste class level needed to cast the spell. To increase the damage dealt by these kinds of spells, the character may elect to spend additional spell points to increase the number of dice rolled for damage. Each additional spell point spent during casting increases the spell's damage effects by one caster level up to the spellcaster's actual level (or above the maximum level normally allowed by the spell.)
For example, Zhuge, a 7th-level wushi, can cast the Magic Missile spell using 1 spell point - thus releasing one missile. At the time of casting he could elect to spend three extra spell points to increase the caster level of the spell to 4th, allowing him to release an additional missile. An additional four spell points would allow him to cast the spell at his maximum level of 7, granting him the ability to release three missiles.
Multiclass Spellcasting
Characters who belong to two or more classes with access to spellcasting ability possess separate pools of spell points for each class (e.g., a cleric/mage would have seperate pietas and anima pools. Bonus spell points from ability scores are applied separately to each pool.
Miscellaneous
If a character suffers an effect in which he or she would lose a spell slot under the core rules, the character loses the number of spell points required to cast spells at his or her highest-level instead.
Henosis
In the World of Tel campaign setting, those who are able to perform acts of theurgia do so through quieting their ego-consciousness through intense meditation and prayer, allowing their chosen deity to use the spellcasters' bodies as vessels through which the deities can act upon the plane of existance that Tel resides in. As the mortal form is not built to withstand direct contact with the divine, theurgia includes potentially dangerous physical exertion. As such, when a divine spellcaster has spent seventy-five percent of his or her daily allotment of pietas, the character is considered to be fatigued. If the character is forced to spend the entirity of his or her daily allotment of pietas, the character is considered exhausted.
Mundane Fatigue
The effects concerning spell points and fatigue also apply if the spellcaster is fatigued by mundane effects (such as a forced march)
Recovering Spell Points
Due to the physical demands henosis with one's deity requires, divine spellcasters must rest in order to recover from the fatigue induced by theurgia. A character who is exhausted must rest for 1 hour to recover enough so that he or she is considered fatigued. Upon recovery, the character regains 1/3rd of his or her pietas. Another hour of rest allows the character to recover up to 2/3rds of his or her maximum number of pietas. However, it would take another 6 hours of rest (for a total of 8) for the character to recover the full amount of spell points and leave fatigued status. Similarly, spell preperation in order to choose different spells requires a full, uninterrupted 8 hours of rest.
Spells that replenish fatigue and exhaustion allow the spellcaster to recover up to 2/3rds of the spellcaster's maximum spell points (assuming someone else cast the spell - there is no perpetual spell point machine)
Supplication
In times of utter desperation, theurgical spellcasters are also capable of sacrificing their own life essence to fuel spells through supplication. When a character does not possess enough spell points to cast a particular spell, the player may elect to cast the spell using supplication. In order to do this, the character's player announces that he or she is attempting to supplicate and which spell the character is attempting to cast. The player then makes a CON check with the spell level as a negative modifier. If the character passes the check, the spell is cast normally but the spellcaster is immedately exhausted; if the check fails, the spell is still cast, but the character takes nonlethal damage equivalent to the level of spell cast.
Arcane Paradox
Whereas theurgical spellcasters fuel their magical works through henosis with the divine, arcane spellcasters have the hubris to attempt to gaze back at the Ar with their own mind's eye. Through puzzling out various mystical paradoxes, optical illusions, and koans, arcane spellcasters learn how to effect change upon reality through will alone. In the World of Tel campaign setting, anima and miasma represent the mental reserve and willpower needed to see beyond the veil of mundane reality with one's sanity intact.
Unlike theurgical spellcasters, arcane spellcasters do not become fatigued from spending spell points. However, like divine supplication, an arcane spellcaster may risk his or her sanity in exchange for the ability to cast a spell without having the requiste number of spell points. In order to do this, the character's player announces that he or she is using arcane paradox to cast a spell and informs the GM which spell the character is casting. The player then makes an INT roll with the spell's level as a negative modifier. If the player succeeds, the spell is cast but the character is dazed for one round. However, if the roll fails, the spell is cast with the character entering into a confused state for 2 rounds + 1 per level of spell cast.
