Lucid's Magic Rules

The Magic Skill
The Magic skill is primarily represents a character’s knowledge of arcane or spiritual energies, along with any racial connections (such as a Pegasus or Griffon’s ability to walk on clouds).

Magic Skill Formula: =2*CHA+20

Racial Use
The Magic skill also represents the advanced knowledge and experience required for difficult (or strenuous) tasks involved with racial arcane abilities, with different requirements per spell etc.

While primarily this refers to Unicorn magic, It is also viable for other actions - such as pegasus cloud-creation - where Survival may classically be implemented; this would fall squarely into GM-discretion.

There are many abilities a character may use that require no roll, however a GM may choose to institute on in situations of severe distraction. Normal combat situations, however, should not normally require any additional Magic roll beyond those specified by the ability or spell.

Magic Basics
Unicorns, Alicorns (and perhaps some mutants) make use of Magic as a standard racial ability.

Casters make use of three unique stats: These stats may be affected by Traits, Perks and campaign events. They are the basis for all Spellcasting, functioning as follows:
 * 1) Potency
 * 2) Versatility
 * 3) Strain

Potency (POT)
=ROUNDUP(END/2)

A character’s Potency is determined by the Endurance stat. It represents the raw maximum power of a spell or action. It dictates the size and weight of objects a caster might lift with telekinesis and how far away their Telekinesis works. It also dictates the strength of all spells, though each spell interacts with Potency in it’s own way.

Versatility (VER)
=ROUNDUP(INT/2)

The Versatility stat is determined by a character’s INT and represents the unicorn’s adaptability and ability to concentrate on multiple spell functions simultaneously. This manifests in a multitude of ways, including in how many objects a Caster may carry in Telekinesis.

Strain
=((3*INT+3*END)+((INT+END)*(Level-1)))/2

Somewhat more complex, Strain is determined by Intelligence, Endurance and the character’s level. It represents a character’s magical reserves.

Most magical actions cost Strain. Each spell has it’s own Strain cost that changes based on Spell level (Basic, Advanced or Expert). A unicorn may go below 0 Strain:

If a spell's strain cost takes the user to (or below) 0 Strain, all Magic checks are done with a negative Magic modifier of POT+20, which. The same is true of spells cast when already below 0 strain. Spells cast at 0 Strain or below ALWAYS require a Magic check; this includes many basic actions using Telekinesis.

If a spell takes a caster to -20 Strain, the character experiences ‘Magical Burnout,’ as explained below.

A character cannot ever have a pool of less than 1 strain. If any effects would make a caster’s maximum strain less than 1, it reduces it to 1. Likewise, if a player took a trait or cast a spell that would lower the strain pool to below 1, the strain pool is only reduced to 1. If it is already at 1, it remains the same.

Strain is regained through sleep or rest:

Magical Burnout
When the a character’s horn is crippled or they reach -20 Strain, the spellcaster is considered Burned Out and may not cast any spells until all strain is replenished; the caster’s strain is immediately returned to 0  and Strain is recovered at half the normal rate.

Magical Burnout does not stack; Burnout due to a crippled horn takes priority and replaces any prior instance of Magical Burnout. (Horn limb and associated cripple effects are explained later.)

Telekinesis
Considered a ‘Racial Spell’ (as explained below), Telekinesis is a unicorn’s most versatile and important skill and is usually the first magic they learn. Most unicorns will use their Telekinesis - rather than their hoof or mouth - for even the most basic of actions.

Fundamentals
This spell allows a Unicorn to hold or grasp up to (POT * VER) objects and perform fine manipulation on up to (VER) help/grasped objects. Fine manipulation is required to use a skill with the affected objects (such as picking a lock or firing a weapon).

At - and beyond - (VER+5) meters all actions require a Magic roll, regardless of difficult, with a penalty the GM deems appropriate

Magic rolls for weight, range or lack of Strain do not stack. Only one roll is required, but all modifiers are applied in combination. Magic rolls do stack with other skill rolls.

When using weapons in Telekinesis, the user’s Potency must equal or exceed the STR requirement for the weapon. In most cases failure to meet the requirement results in the weapon being dropped immediately on an impact (such as a bullet or Unarmed attack) or when fired. In the case of weapons that fire in burst shots, this could have disastrous consequences. Heavy Weapons are also dropped on critical failure and require  a (LCK+1) roll to prevent immediate condition degradation.

Movements done with Telekinesis are done - at basic - with the rough maximum speed of a swift trot (and may potentially be intercepted). Faster actions (such as an attack) build up speed over range and are considered a “Momentum” action if moved beyond 5 meters. For Momentum actions a Magic roll is required to stop the movement and avoid inadvertently launching an object from Telekinesis.

Deliberate launching of objects or ponies with the Momentum action is considered part of the Throwing skill; this is the normal means of using of the Throwing skill with telekinesis. Momentum strain and AP cost do not apply.

Range and Power
A caster has a Telekinesis range of (2xPOT)+5 meters; however, a Magic Skill roll is necessary to use Telekinesis to move objects outside of your line of sight. Attempting fine manipulation of objects outside of your line of sight requires a skill rank of at least 70 in the associated skill.

The caster may attempt to move or manipulate any object up to the size category that corresponds to their Potency, however incredibly heavy objects (outside the weight expected to be moved by a pony of equivalent STR to the caster's Potency) may require a Magic Skill check of appropriate difficulty and additional strain or simply be impossible.

Manipulable size category is directly proportional to the caster’s Potency, with 4 Potency corresponding to a size category of 0. The caster’s size category is not considered.

The caster’s effective strength for attacks using Telekinesis (such as making a melee attack with a telekinetically wielded weapon) is equal to her Potency.

Self-levitation - the act of affecting oneself with Telekinesis - is exceptionally hard, costing 15 Strain a turn to merely lighten oneself, and requiring a Magic check at a -30 penalty each turn to maintain.

Contested Use
When attempting to lift manipulate intelligent objects or creatures, the caster must roll their Potency against the opponents AGI. Those with a means of propulsion (a wall to push against or wings, for example) may also make an opposed (STR+2) roll to break free once per turn (or suitable amount of time). If firing a projectile weapon to get out of a telekinetic sheath, the weapon’s strength requirement (with no bonus) is used.

Similarly, opponents may use their (STR+2) to contest the caster’s attempt to manipulate anything they are holding.

AP and Strain Costs
Most actions with telekinesis cost 0 Strain and the AP associated with the action ("General action" is 20AP), however the following rules apply first: (*** A single action that requires multiple skill rolls does not require multiple strain costs, however multiple actions on one roll would require strain for each separate action)

Mighty Spell
Basic-level Telekinesis - as described in this section - is NOT applicable with any ranks in Mighty Spell, however Telekinesis does still benefit from the perk. Instead, Mighty Spell is implemented as Advanced and Expert levels; each explained in detail within the ‘Trained Telekinesis’ section below.

(Advanced and Expert Spells require a character to have the appropriate perks before they can begin studying the spell.)

Trained Telekinesis
For some unicorns Telekinesis is more than just a useful skill; it is something to be honed and improved. Such casters are capable of great Telekinetic feats by channelling much more energy into the spell, though at the expense of depleting their magical ability at an incredible rate.

Advanced
(One Trick Pony: This spell is considered a part of the Basic-level Telekinesis for characters with the One Trick Pony trait, and is gained on character creation.)

Advanced Telekinesis is available to all Unicorns through normal spell-learning means. This spell allows a caster to use Mighty Spell ranks 1 and 2 (assuming they have the perks) with the following rules:

You may increase your Potency for the duration of a single Lift (assuming a Magic roll is required) or Momentum action (such as an attack). Potency and Strain are multiplied as dictated by the caster’s Mighty Spell rank: (Ranks 2-4 are only available with the One Trick Pony trait.)

Multiple actions of one type may be done simultaneously in this way, however all Strain is also multiplied; Opposed Lifting and Momentum actions (such as attacks) using Mighty Spell are both considered to have a base cost of 10 Strain.

Momentum movements using Mighty Spell cannot be slowed. If the caster were attempting a Melee attack, they would immediately lose grasp of the weapon on a miss. The caster should consider her actions carefully; the consequences of a miss could be dire.

MIghty Spell when applied to Lifting actions increase effective Potency for both determining spell strength and manipulable Size Category. If the caster chooses to increase Versatility rather than Potency, any Lifting (done during the Mighty Spell effects) is achieved assuming a base Strain cost of 10.

Crane’s Namesake
(This spell is only available to characters with the trait ‘One Trick Pony’.)

This spell is considered an ‘Advanced’ level spell and allows a One Trick Pony character to make use of Advanced Telekinesis with Mighty Spell ranks 3 and and 4.

Expert Telekinesis
(This Spell is only available to characters who do NOT take the ‘One Trick Pony’ trait.)

Upon learning this spell a caster is granted the same abilities as with the Advanced level, however casting may be done as if the caster were in possession of Mighty Spell Rank 2.

Spellcasting
Casting races, such as Unicorns, can gain access to a plethora of Magical abilities beyond Telekinesis. These abilities come in a variety of Spell types and levels.

Spell levels are Basic, Advanced and Expert. Advanced and Expert spells require perks to even attempt to learn. Learning spells with an Advanced or Expert level also require all previous levels of the spell to be known.

Spell Types are as follows:
 * Racial Spells
 * Ministry Spells
 * Mundane Spells

Racial Spells
These spells are those a caster always begins play with. They’re the inherent abilities they’ve had since their first light of day. These spells are different between Unicorns and Alicorns. Mutants may have their own.

Racial Spells (excluding Telekinesis) cost 45AP to cast in combat. Telekinesis is a much more free ability, functioning more akin to an appendage than a spell (check the spell description for details).

Ministry Spells
This refers to all non-racial spells from the Muny spell list, which are considered to be specifically Ministry-taught spells. Once available in libraries across Equestria for those with the correct ID, these spells vary greatly; from those available to children through basic education, right through to those only available to the most elite Ministry of Arcane Sciences or Ministry of Peace officials.

Ministry spells cost 45AP to cast.

The list is not exhaustive. Non-Ministry-affiliated spellbooks can and will exist that teach a variety of other spells within the major schools. Unicorns may in fact invent their own spells based on skills they possess, dream up or see used (This is explained further down). Many of these spells may be found in limited or variant versions that are harder or easier to cast, doing slightly different things.

Mundane Spells
Mundane spells are custom spells created by a player (with GM approval) to allow much more variety in a caster's spell selection. While those picked at creation are generally weak, they should be versatile and allow much more fluidity to magic.

Generally they are (seemingly) over-specific spells that have much more practical use when applied inventively. Basic, advanced or expert levels are treated as any spell and are subject to all normal spell limitations, with the exception of any differences listed here.

Example Mundane spells:
A unicorn from Tenpony Tower (or other 'classy' upbringing) might have the spells 'Clean', 'Alter Clothes'  and 'Steady telekinesis'. With this s/he has the ability to cleanse canvasses, paint more accurately and make any outfit fit perfectly. In practice, however, they can also clean wounds, steady a gun held in telekinesis or give a modifier to those fixing clothes. A pony talented with light might have a spell for lighting candle wicks from any distance’ but in practice the spell may be more useful for lighting the fuse on explosives.

Mundane spells cost 15 AP to cast during combat and tend to have low Strain costs due to their simple and very easy nature.

Spell Schools
The Ministry Spell list is separated into seven distinct schools. Each school focuses on a distinct type of magic. On creation most characters would have access to only one school of magic, requiring perks to unlock access to other schools, however this is subject to character Traits. The schools are as follows: (*** the Offense school is distinct in that it requires a Quest Perk to unlock.
 * ***Offense
 * Defence
 * Illusion
 * Perception
 * Medical
 * Imbuing
 * Manipulation

The Horn Limb:
Horns are counted as a limb, with HP equal to Potencyx10. For every 10 HP lost, the spellcaster's Potency is reduced by 1.

Crippled Horns:
Crippled horns result in inability to cast and immediate 'Magical Burnout'. Even if all strain is recovered (at a reduced rate of 50%), however, the unicorn will not be able to cast until the horn is restored. If a horn is broken into pieces the parts must be retained for standard limb healing techniques. If pieces are lost, the horn must be regrown at a hard negative modifier by a unicorn with the 'Wasteland Surgeon' perk, or regrown with the drug Hydra.

Starting Spells
In addition to the appropriate Racial Spells, casters must determine their starting spell school (Alicorns are considered to have the spell school associated with their racials) and receive a selection of Basic-level Ministry spells and Mundane spells

Spells taken are determined by their Versatility stat. Unicorns with the ‘One Trick Pony’ trait have unique rules as dictated by the trait.

Applicable Racials

Basic ‘Ministry’ Spells: VER/3 (rounded up)

These spells must usually be from chosen spell school, unless otherwise stated by a trait (such as Spread Thin).

A normal character may reasonably take spells from outside their chosen spell school only if it relates to their Cutie Mark/Special Talent.

Taking Offense spells on character creation requires a Quest Perk be awarded to the character by the GM and should be discussed in depth.

Basic ‘Mundane’ spells: VER/2 (rounded up)

Mundane spells taken on creation MUST relate to the character’s background or talent. Speak to the GM about your desired spells.

Mundane spells taken on creation would normally also conform roughly to a character’s spell school, however there should be much more leeway in this.

If you take the trait ‘One Trick Pony’ for any spell other than Telekinesis, the caster gets both that spell and Telekinesis, however their Potency and Versatility are effectively reduced to 2 for any and all tasks other than the spell they chose for the trait.

Spell Acquisition:
Unless stated otherwise in a trait, all spellcasters have the potential to learn new spells, or create their own. There is no way to learn spells just by levelling up. There are four ways a Unicorn can learn new spells: Any new spell learned through study (including ‘Invention’ means) requires the character to have the spell school associated with the spell.
 * Books
 * Tuition
 * Invention
 * Intuition (/Osmosis)

Learning a specific spell through any means requires the appropriate perks, however certain techniques may be much simpler or more desirable than others. Books can be stolen, but a tutor who demands payment in caps may also be able to teach you tricks for better using a spell.

A caster cannot learn spells that they cannot cast without causing burnout; it is impossible to learn a spell with a cost beyond their current maximum strain+20. This is affected by modifiers, however reliance on unnatural means to raise strain total could negative repercussions.

Books:
Spellbooks come in a variety of types. Sometimes specialised to a school of magic, sometimes just one spell. They may contain any Mundane or Ministry spells the GM wishes. Spellbooks are NOT a rare sight in the wasteland, however books containing high level or specialised spells may be rather harder to find than a book on how to make your horn light brighter.

Examples:

Common books: Uncommon books: Rare books: Ministry-issued books: Ministry-Issued books refer specifically to Ministry spells of a certain school or job and will likely not be found in a run down village library.
 * 'how to clean your cat, unicorn edition!
 * 'magical fire enkindling for foals'
 * 'basic manipulation magic for foals'
 * 'advanced illusion magic for the modern pony'
 * 'how fire works and what burns well'
 * 'Expert Imbuing, MAS style'

Tuition:
A spellcaster may learn spells (assuming they meet requirements and have the correct spell school) from other spellcasters through direct tuition. Magic tutors may exist in any settlement with Unicorns or wandering the wastes, though it is unlikely they will know spells from more than one school and in many cases may not know more than a few Mundane spells.

Player Characters may also teach each other spells as a tutor would.

Another possibility is by paying close attention to the magic of another spellcaster outside direct tuition, however this is a much slower process and requires high Intelligence and Perception.

At its most basic, this technique can be done completely unconsciously through extended exposure to another caster’s practices. The result would perhaps manifest in an INT check (while watching) and the spontaneous understanding of the new spell.

Invention:
A spellcaster may create her spells by combining knowledge of other spells in their repertoire or altering existing spells. It may also be possible to create a simpler version of a spell that is beyond the spellcaster's ability.

A character may theoretically create spells for other casters, however they must still have the associated spell school.

Intuition:
A spontaneous means of learning magic on the fly: The caster may twist a spell in new ways to fit a circumstance, but this is only possible if related to special talent.

This means of learning is liable to require hard skill checks (Magic or other relevant skills) and still requires training to recreate reliably.

Unlike through other means, this technique also allows some blurring of the lines between spell schools. A highly skilled medical unicorn may be able to learn the Offense spell 'Heart Attack' for instance, without officially having access to the school itself. This would, however, be an immense feat and require experience in heart-related magical practice.

Learning Time:
To learn a new spell, a character must (in most cases) spend time studying, be it with a spell tutor, spellbook or a pencil and paper (to write down how their own invented spell works).

The time spent studying for such spells is determined by Versatility (15-(VER) hours) and may be affected by spell difficulty as determined by the GM. Early casts would usually come with a higher chance of failure or critical failure as the GM feels necessary. A GM may also institute the following optional rule:

Optional Rule
The following is considered a completely non-standard rule and must be decided on by a game’s GM, else be considered NOT in effect:

Once studied, a spellcaster must roll Magic to attempt new spells, but with an increased Critical Failure band of 50-VER. The critfail band quickly tapers off, however, as it is decreased by 5 on every critical success or critical failure. Spells that do not normally require a roll will still require one until the malus has been removed.

The above increase to critical failures would not be not affected by traits or other conditions that may affect critical failure; the trait ‘Jinxed’ would be taken into account BEFORE the effects of this rule.

The time for learning a spell is a cumulative total of all time focused only on learning. Inventing spells (or learning purely through watching another) would require skill or SPECIAL checks in addition to time spent studying.