258 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
258 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
Description for SpellPnt.Zip:
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This is a spellpoint system for AD&D. It is mostly the work of Mark Morgan,
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but has been modified somewhat by Matt Miller. This version is NOT a text
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file: it is a very nice Ami Pro document. If you don't have Ami Pro, don't
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despair: PageMaker should be able to import this with relative ease. (But
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a slight warning: I'm not sure how well it will import the table and
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graphical data...) If you don't have PageMaker either, or anything else
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that can read .SAM files, go ahead and despair.
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Oh, and it uses the Optima TrueType font, but if you don't have that, don't
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worry, any sans-serif font will do.
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Spell Point System
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Author: Mark Morgan
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Internet address: mark.morgan@canrem.com
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Please send mail to the above address as to how you like the system, possible
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changes, and any other things you wish to say.
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The normal spell system causes an inbalance in power for the mage
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class. At lower levels, they are extremely weak, able to cast only 1 or 2
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spells before they become useless. Conversely, at higher levels, they are
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much more powerful than other classes. This system helps to balance out the
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mage class at all levels of power, without major modifications having to be
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made to the rest of the AD&D game system.
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I can hear the arguments from the players now--"But what's the point
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of using this new system if I can't have all the benefits I used to?"
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Instead of limitting mages, and other spell-casting characters, this system
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gives them increased flexibility. Spells do not need to be memorised in
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order to be cast--only the required number of spell points are needed for
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the spell to take effect. Enough of a preamble; on to the good stuff...
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Base Progression:
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Level Pure Pure Hybrid*
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Normal Specialist
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==============================================================
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1 2 3 1
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2 4 5 2
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3 7 9 4
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4 12 15 7
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5 18 23 11
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6 26 33 16
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7 35 45 22
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8 46 59 29
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9 58 75 37
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10 72 93 46
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11 87 113 56
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12 104 135 67
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(+1.5 x old lvl (+2 x old lvl) (+1 x old lvl)
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rounded up)
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Pure Normal: General priests and mages
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Pure Spec: Specialist mages and priests(including druids)
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Hybrid: Classes other than mages or priests who gain spells.
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* Note: Hybrid spell caster levels are considered from the first
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level that they gain spells. This is also their effective
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casting level. For example--as Bard's gain spells at
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character level 2. A 2nd level bard would have 1 spell
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point, and have an effective casting level of 1.
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Spell Point Multipliers:
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With the normal AD&D spell system, there are few advantages to a mage
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having a high Intelligence. They do not gain additional spells as does
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a cleric with a high Wisdom. Under this system, a bonus or penalty to
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the number of spell points is given to a pure spell user who has a
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high INT or WIS. The same bonus or penalty is given for a pure spell
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user who has a high CON. This represents an ability to sustain a
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greater amount of magical or holy energies in the spellcasters body
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in a given day.
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Hybrid spell users do not gain any bonuses to the number of spell
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points they recieve, but may, if their abilities are low enough, recieve
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a penalty as do pure spell users.
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Ability Multiplier
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Score
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===========================
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8 .70
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9 .80
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10 .85
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11 .90
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12 .95
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13 1.00
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14 1.05
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15 1.10
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16 1.15
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17 1.20
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18 1.25
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19 1.30
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A couple of examples on how this works may be in order.
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Example 1: Thom, a 6th level bard(hybrid user--level 5) has a 16
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INT and 10 CON. If he was a pure spell user, his multiplier for
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his INT would be 1.15, but as a hybrid user, he does not gain
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this bonus. His CON of 10, however, results in a 0.85 multiplier
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to his base Spell Points. The number of spell points he would
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normally have per day is:
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11(base) x 0.85(CON multiplier) = 9.35 which would be
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rounded down to 9.
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Example 2: Durik, a 9th level priest of Hades(pure specialist) has
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a WIS of 17(multiplier 1.20) and a CON of 16(multiplier 1.16).
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His total Spell Points normally usable would be:
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75(base) x 1.20(WIS) x 1.15(CON) = 103.50 which would be
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rounded up to 104.
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Spell Cost:
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Each spell costs it's level squared in spell points to cast. For
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example, a 5th level spell would cost 25 points, and a 2nd level spell
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would cast 4 points.
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Spells Castable:
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The levels of spells which could be cast by a character would not
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change under this system. For example, a mage would have to be 9th
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level before he could cast a 5th level spell. This has nothing to do
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with the number of Spell Points the character has, but the level of
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magical mastery achieved by the caster. There is no limit other than
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the number of Spell Points as to how the spells are to be divided.
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Continuing the examples from above:
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Thom, being a 6th level bard can cast only 1st and 2nd level spells.
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He could use his 9 spell points in any combination of 1st and 2nd
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level spells. He could cast 1 1st level(1 SP) and 2 2nd level(2x4 SP)
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or 9 first level spells.
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Durik, a 9th level priest with 104 spell points could cast spells
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of up to 5th level which do not exceed 104 SP. This could be used
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to cast 4 5th level spells(100 SP) and 2 2nd level spells(4 SP), or
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any other combination which would result in a maximum of 104 SP.
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Regaining Spell Points:
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Spell Points are regained by sleep. The number of points gained per
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hour of restful sleep depends on the character's level, and the type of
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spellcaster. A hybrid spell user regains SP at the rate of level x
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1/2 SP per hour of sleep. Pure Normal spellcasters regain level x SP
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per hour of restful sleep, while Specialists gain level x 1.5 SP per
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hour.
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Being Struck During Combat:
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If the caster sustains damage during the casting of a spell, the spell
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does not go off, and the caster loses the full amount of SP, unless he
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has the Concentration proficiency described below.
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Concentration non-weapon proficiency
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Priest: 1 slot wisdom-3
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Mage: 1 slot intelligence-3
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This proficiency gives the spellcaster a proficiency check to avoid
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losing the full number of Spell Points if struck during combat. It
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represents the ability to rein in the spell without full loss of SP.
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On a successful ability check, only 1/2 of the normal spell points
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(rounded up) are lost when struck. If the check is failed, the full
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amount is lost.
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OPTIONAL RULES:
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Overextending Normal SP Limits:
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Using this rule, it is possilble to use more than the normal amount
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of spell points in a given day, though it gravely affects the caster's
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health. When a spell is cast for which the caster does not have enough
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SP, the difference is SP comes directly from the caster's HP. Note that
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this HP lose is PERMANENT, and cannot be reversed by any means short of
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a full Wish. Even if a Wish is used, only 2d10 of the lost HP can be
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recovered. This obviously, is only to be undertaken when it is a life-
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or-death situation, else the spellcaster would soon find himself with
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almost no hit points.
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Cas
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No spell, regardless of the number of components which it normally has,
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can be reduced to zero components. There must always be at least one
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component, though it is the caster's choice of what that component will
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be. For example, suppose Merlin the wizard is caught within a Silence
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spell which he wishes to dispel. As Dispel Magic is a 3rd level spell,
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it would normally cost 9 SP to cast the spell. Since Merlin wishes to
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cast it without the Verbal component, the spell cost is doubled to 18 SP.
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It would not be possible for Merlin to cast the spell without somatic
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components as well, as this would reduce the number of components to
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zero.
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Holy Days:
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Most dieties are assumed to have days at which their power is greater
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than other days. These days are what mortals celebrate as holy days
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for their particular gods. Upon these days, specialty priests and
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paladins gain a bonus to the number of Spell Points which they recieve.
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For specialty priests, this bonus is 2 times the priests level, while for
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paladins, it is their effective level as a spellcaster. These points
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will remain with the spellcaster until the number of Spell Points drops
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below the normal maximum number of Spell Points. The priest or paladin
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must make a sacrifice of the type desired by the diety to gain this
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bonus.
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Spell Point Resovoirs:
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Spell Point resovoirs are a simple magic item which can be created by
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all pure spell users regardless of level, provided they have enough spell
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points to charge the item. Spell Point resovoirs allow a certain number
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of SP to be stored in them, to be later tapped and used by the spell
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user.
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The process of charging an item involves two steps. The item must
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first be purified by casting a Purify Resovoir spell(see below) on it.
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If the item is not destroyed in the casting, it is then open to recieve
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Spell Points from the spellcaster. To deposit Spell Points, it costs
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ten times the number of SP to be imbued in the item. For example, to
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store 5 SP into a crystal, 50 SP would have to be expended. All of the
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spell points which are to be put into an item must be done during one
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sitting. It is not possible to put 5 spell points into an item one day,
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and another 5 spell points into the item the day after.
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To tap the resovoir, the spellcaster need only have the item in contact
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with his skin, and think of the item while casting the spell. The spell
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points will then come from the item before coming from the caster's
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personal stock. Once all the spell points in a resovoir are expended,
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the item completely disintegrates.
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Note that spell resovoirs are attuned to the person who made them, and
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can only be used by them. It is NOT possible for a spellcaster to have
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more than one resovoir in existance at any time. The previous resovoir
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must be completely expended before a new one can be created.
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Purify Resovoir Level 2
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Mage School: Alteration
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Priest Sphere: Creation
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Range: Touch
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Components: V, S, M
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Duration: Permanent until expended
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Casting Time: 1 hour + 1 turn / spell point imbued
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Area of Effect: 1 item
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Saving Throw: n/a
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By means of this spell, the mage or pries is able to ready an item for
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use as a spell resovoir. The ritual is quite involved, and any
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disturbance of the caster results in the failure of the spell. Even if
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there are no interruptions in the ritual, there is still only a 10%
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chance per level of the spell actually working. Should the spell
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fail, the item is instantly converted to pure energy, which causes
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1 point of damage per each spell point which could be stored to all
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within 10 feet of the item. There is no save for this.
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Once the item has been purified, there is no chance of the resovoir
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exploding, and the spellcaster can begin to charge the item. Charging
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requires 1 hour and 10 SP for each SP which is to be imbued within the
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resovoir. If the charging is interrupted for any reason, charging
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cannot be resumed at a later period.
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The possible items which can become resovoirs are as follows:
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Item Maximum SP
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==================================
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quartz crystal(10gp) 2
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ornamental stone(100gp) 5
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gemstone(1000gp) 15
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gold ring(50gp) 5
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gold amulet(200gp) 10
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ivory wand(50gp) 5
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crystal wand(1000gp) 20
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The material component of this spell is the item to be charged, which
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obviously is not expended.
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