Magic

Spells are manifestations of magic. The requirements for casting a spell are listed on the corresponding class pages. All spells are cast by using specific gestures (somatic) and words of power (verbal). Most spells don’t require material components or foci. Otherwise, the spell system is very similar to Pathfinder with a few changes. The rules for concentration and spell interruption are the same. Light, medium, and heavy armor adds a spell failure chance.

Arcane spells and Divine spells are not common concepts in FFd20. If you are taking any item, feat, feature, or effect from Pathfinder that mentions “Arcane” then that covers all spells within FFd20 except spells cast by Clerics. As for Divine spells, they interact with only Clerics.

Another departure from Pathfinder is that FFd20 does away with spellbooks, for the most part, almost all spellcasters just know all their spells and don’t need a written counterpart. Bards require a songbook for their songs.

Metamagic Feats

Metamagic feats are applied spontaneously and do not increase the casting time of the spell, however, it will increase the MP cost. In order to apply a metamagic feat to a spell, the caster must be able to spend MP at the increased cost of the spell.

Bard Songs

Bard Songs are how bards utilize their songcraft. Songs provide a variety of effects to enhance allies and enfeeble enemies. While not considered to be spells, songs are affected by spell resistance, spell failure and can only use metasong feats. Songs can only be crafted into Orchestrion Rolls.

Spell Types

Magic is divided into seven types: black magic, blue magic, chronomancy, geomancy, necromancy, red magic, white magic. Black magic grants a mage the power to inflict chaos upon creation, while white magic brings order to creation. Blue magic uses the ability of creatures into spells to cast. Chronomancy controls all aspects of time. Geomancy uses the terrain and the elements to harness raw power. Necromancy uses dark magic to raise the dead as well as the living. Red magic blends some of black and white magic as well as its own particular blend to enhance the capabilities of the red mage.

Black Magic

Black magic is almost exclusively offensive, and is practiced by black mages. With few exceptions, these spells focus on dealing damage to a target or hindering its ability to fight. A large portion of black magic is focused on the power of the elements. Skilled mages seek out their foes’ elemental weaknesses, and adapt their magic to strike with precision.

Blue Magic

Blue magic has a variety of different types of spells. It relies on creatures with supernatural abilities to copy from them and make it their own. Depending on the creatures the blue mage learns from, they have a terrifying variety of spells to utilize. Blue Magic can only be crafted into wondrous items. They cannot be crafted into alchemical items (or Pathfinder potions if your game uses those), wands, Materia, and they cannot be crafted into scrolls or any written format.

Chronomancy

Chronomancy controls all aspects of time. Manipulation of time is a dangerous area for spellcasters, even the most harden of time mages are rightly to be feared.

Geomancy

Geomancy focuses primarily on the elements and terrain. Geomancy works well with Black Magic. Geomancers are the only known spellcasters that can harness the power of geomancy.

Necromancy

Necromancy gives necromancers the power over life and death. They are able to mimic undead powers through spells.

Red Magic

Red magic blends the healing and protection of white magic and the elemental destruction of black magic as well as adding its own particular enhancing red magic to make the red mage an extremely versatile mage.

White Magic

White magic is primarily defensive, but it has its share of enfeebling magic and a small dab of direct damage as well. White magic mostly focuses on healing others and restoring life. White magic is practiced by white mages.

Spell Schools

Beneath the spell name is a line giving the school of magic that the spell belongs to. Almost every spell belongs to one of ten schools of magic. A school of magic is a group of related spells that work in similar ways. A small number of spells are non-elemental, belonging to no school.

Cantrip

Cantrips, also referred to as 0-level spells, are the lowest level of magical effect that a spellcaster can create. These are able to be cast infinitely, as long as the caster has a casting score of 10 or higher. A few cantrips can have MP used to empower them, these are noted on the cantrip if it is an option.

Cantrips cannot be learnt via teachers or scrolls, nor can they be selected in place of learning a 1st or higher level spell through levelling or casting modifier. Creatures may select cantrips if their FCB grants spells such as a Hume’s FCB for Black Mage.

Chronomancy

Chronomancy uses time to manipulate opponents.

Dark

Dark magic is always of the shadow element. Rather than directly damaging opponents like elemental magic, dark magic may deal lesser damage but drain the opponent of stats or cause otherwise harmful negative effects. Black mages are masters of dark magic. A spellcaster cannot use the Spell Focus feat to select this school; They must use the Dark Focus feat instead.

Elemental

Elemental magic focuses on damaging opponents with the elemental power of earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, or wind. Black mages specialize in elemental magic. A spellcaster cannot use the Spell Focus feat to select this school; They must use the Elemental Focus feat instead. A single element can be chosen at a time.

Appearing on the same line as the school, when applicable, is a subschool that further categorizes the spell with the Elemental school. The subschools are earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, and wind. Subschools are noted in (brackets) next to elemental, for example: elemental (fire).

Enfeebling

Enfeebling magic cripples opponents by reducing their ability to do battle. Black mages are exceedingly adept with enfeebling magic.

Enhancing

Enhancing magic boosts the fighting ability of allies. White mages are experts of enhancing magic.

Healing

Healing magic is used to heal wounds or cure negative status effects. Healing magic causes damage to the undead. White mages specialize in healing magic

Illusion

Illusion magic deceives all senses to either distract, hinder, hide, or bewitch the target.

Light

Light magic is always of the holy element. Light magic smites the wicked with holy power, but usually in a less direct method than elemental magic. White mages are especially proficient with light magic. A spellcaster cannot use the Spell Focus feat to select this school; They must use the Light Focus feat instead.

Necromancy

Necromancy masters the power of life and death, often teetering between both.

Non-Elemental

Non-elemental magic has no element-type. It is raw unrefined energy, very difficult to resist or endure.

Summoning

Summon magic conjures creatures or items. Summon magic can also be used be Summoners to cast powerful magic that stem from creatures.

Subschools

Some spell schools can be further categorized into subschools that come with additional rules and limitations. These subschools are charm, compulsion, divination, figment, glamer,  pattern, phantasm, polymorph, scrying, shadow, and teleportation. A subschool is noted in (brackets).

Charm: A charm spell changes how the subject views you, typically making it see you as a good friend.

Compulsion: A compulsion spell forces the subject to act in some manner or changes the way its mind works. Some compulsion spells determine the subject’s actions or the effects on the subject, others allow you to determine the subject’s actions when you cast the spell, and still others give you ongoing control over the subject.

Divination: Divination spells enable you to learn secrets long forgotten, predict the future, find hidden things, and foil deceptive spells.

Figment: A figment spell creates a false sensation. Those who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. It is not a personalized mental impression. Figments cannot make something seem to be something else. A figment that includes audible effects cannot duplicate intelligible speech unless the spell description specifically says it can. If intelligible speech is possible, it must be in a language you can speak. If you try to duplicate a language you cannot speak, the figment produces gibberish. Likewise, you cannot make a visual copy of something unless you know what it looks like (or copy another sense exactly unless you have experienced it).

Because figments and glamers are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can. Figments and glamers cannot cause damage to objects or creatures, support weight, provide nutrition, or provide protection from the elements. Consequently, these spells are useful for confounding foes, but useless for attacking them directly.

A figment’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier.

Glamer: A glamer spell changes a subject’s sensory qualities, making it look, feel, taste, smell, or sound like something else, or even seem to disappear.

Pattern: Like a figment, a pattern spell creates an image that others can see, but a pattern also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. All patterns are mind-affecting spells.

Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that usually only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This impression is totally in the minds of the subjects. It is a personalized mental impression, all in their heads and not a fake picture or something that they actually see. Third parties viewing or studying the scene don’t notice the phantasm. All phantasms are mind-affecting spells.

Polymorph: a polymorph spell transforms your physical body to take on the shape of another creature. While these spells make you appear to be the creature, granting you a +10 bonus on Disguise skill checks, they do not grant you all of the abilities and powers of the creature. Each polymorph spell allows you to assume the form of a creature of a specific type, granting you a number of bonuses to your ability scores and a bonus to your natural armor. In addition, each polymorph spell can grant you a number of other benefits, including movement types, resistances, and senses. If the form you choose grants these benefits, or a greater ability of the same type, you gain the listed benefit. If the form grants a lesser ability of the same type, you gain the lesser ability instead. Your base speed changes to match that of the form you assume. If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing. The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form.

In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strength modifier for determining damage bonuses.

If a polymorph spell causes you to change size, apply the size modifiers appropriately, changing your armor class, attack bonus, Combat Maneuver Bonus, and Stealth skill modifiers. Your ability scores are not modified by this change unless noted by the spell.

Unless otherwise noted, polymorph spells cannot be used to change into specific individuals. Although many of the fine details can be controlled, your appearance is always that of a generic member of that creature’s type. Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature.

When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body. Items that provide constant bonuses and do not need to be activated continue to function while melded in this way (with the exception of armor and shield bonuses, which cease to function). Items that require activation cannot be used while you maintain that form. While in such a form, you cannot cast any spells that require material components (unless you have the Eschew Materials or Natural Spell feat), and can only cast spells with somatic or verbal components if the form you choose has the capability to make such movements or speak, such as a dragon. Other polymorph spells might be subject to this restriction as well, if they change you into a form that is unlike your original form (subject to GM discretion). If your new form does not cause your equipment to meld into your form, the equipment resizes to match your new size.

While under the effects of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision), as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as dragoneers that can grow claws) still function.

While most of these should be obvious, the GM is the final arbiter of what abilities depend on form and are lost when a new form is assumed. Your new form might restore a number of these abilities if they are possessed by the new form.

You can only be affected by one polymorph spell at a time. If a new polymorph spell is cast on you (or you activate a polymorph effect, such as wild shape), you can decide whether or not to allow it to affect you, taking the place of the old spell. In addition, other spells that change your size have no effect on you while you are under the effects of a polymorph spell.

If a polymorph spell is cast on a creature that is smaller than Small or larger than Medium, first adjust its ability scores to one of these two sizes using the following table before applying the bonuses granted by the polymorph spell. (see table to the right)

Scrying: a scrying spell creates an invisible magical sensor that sends you information. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of sensory acuity that you possess. This level of acuity includes any spells or effects that target you, but not spells or effects that emanate from you. The sensor, however, is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ of yours, and thus functions normally even if you have been blinded or deafened, or otherwise suffered sensory impairment.

A creature can notice the sensor by making a Perception check with a DC 20 + the spell level. The sensor can be dispelled as if it were an active spell.

Lead sheeting or magical protection blocks a scrying spell, and you sense that the spell is blocked.

Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.

Teleportation: A teleportation spell transports one or more creatures or objects a great distance. The most powerful of these spells can cross planar boundaries. Unlike summoning spells, the transportation is (unless otherwise noted) one-way and not dispellable. Unless otherwise stated you must teleport any creature or object from a solid surface to another solid surface, this is only superseded if the creature would otherwise die from the action (E.G. a water-breathing creature being teleported outside of water, or an air-breathing creature being teleported underwater). If you are falling you may use a swift/immediate spell to teleport to the ground.

Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane. Anything that blocks astral travel also blocks teleportation.

Spell Descriptions

Name

The first line of every spell description gives the name by which the spell is generally known.

[Descriptor]

Appearing on the same line as the school, when applicable, is a descriptor that further categorizes the spell that may also have categories based on other factors, they normally do not affect the game unless the target creatures have some form of immunity or bonus against them. These descriptors are chaotic, curse, death, disease, emotion, evil, fear, fire, force, good, language-dependent, lawful, mind-affecting, pain, poison, and sonic. Descriptors are noted in [square brackets].

Chaotic: Spells that draw upon the power of true chaos or conjure creatures from chaos-aligned planes or with the chaotic subtype should have the chaos descriptor.

Curse: Curses are often permanent effects, and usually cannot be dispelled, but can be removed with an Esuna, Esunaga, Esuna, Greater, Basuna or Esunaga, Greater.

Death: Spells with the death descriptor directly attack a creature’s life force to cause immediate death, or to draw on the power of a dead or dying creature, often referred to as “death effects”. The death ward spell protects against death effects, and some creature types are immune to death effects.

Disease: Disease effects give the target a disease, which may be an invading organism such as a bacteria or virus, an abnormal internal condition (such as a cancer or mental disorder), or a recurring magical effect that acts like one of the former. Creatures with resistance or immunity to disease apply that resistance to their saving throw and the effects of disease spells.

Emotion: Spells with this descriptor create emotions or manipulate the target’s existing emotions. Most emotion spells are illusion, except for fear spells, which are usually necromancy.

Evil: Spells that draw upon evil powers or conjure creatures from evil-aligned planes or with the evil subtype should have the evil descriptor.

Fear: Spells with the fear descriptor create, enhance, or manipulate fear. Most fear spells are necromancy spells, though some are illusion spells.

Fire: Fire effects make the target hotter by creating fire, directly heating the target with magic or friction. Lava, steam, and boiling water all deal fire damage. Fire effects can also cause confusion, dizziness, exhaustion, fatigue, nausea, unconsciousness, and death. Spells that manipulate fire or conjure creatures from fire-dominant planes or with the fire subtype should have the fire descriptor.

Force: Spells with the force descriptor create or manipulate magical force. Force spells affect incorporeal creatures normally (as if they were corporeal creatures).

Good: Spells that draw upon the power of true goodness or conjure creatures from good-aligned planes or with the good subtype should have the good descriptor.

Language-Dependent: A language-dependent spell uses intelligible language as a medium for communication. If the target cannot understand or hear what the caster of a language-dependent spell says, the spell has no effect, even if the target fails its saving throw.

Lawful: Spells that draw upon the power of true law or conjure creatures from law-aligned planes or with the lawful subtype should have the law descriptor.

Mind-Affecting: Mindless creatures (those with an Intelligence score of “—”) and undead are immune to mind-affecting effects.

Pain: Pain effects cause unpleasant sensations without any permanent physical damage (though a sensitive target may suffer mental repercussions from lengthy exposure to pain). Creatures that are immune to effects that require a Fort save (such as constructs and undead) are immune to pain effects.

Poison: Poison effects use poison, venom, drugs, or similar toxic substances to disrupt and damage living creatures through chemical reactions. Technically, acids and poisons are both chemical reactions, but for the purpose of this game, they are categorized as different effects, with acids dealing hit point damage and poisons causing ability damage, ability drain, bleeding, confusion, convulsions, nausea, paralysis, reduced healing, suffocation, unconsciousness, or death. Creatures with resistance to poison (such as dwarves) apply that resistance to their saving throws and the effects of poison spells. Creatures with immunity are immune to poisonous aspects of poison spells, but not necessarily all effects of the spell (for example, a spell that creates a pit full of liquid poison could still trap or drown a poison-immune creature).

Sonic: Sonic effects transmit energy to the target through frequent oscillations of pressure through the air, water, or ground. Sounds that are too high or too low for the humanoid ear to detect can still transmit enough energy to cause harm, which means that these effects can even affect deafened creatures. Sound effects can cause hit point damage, deafness, dizziness, nausea, pain, shortness of breath, and temporary blindness, and can detect creatures using batlike echolocation.

Level

The next line of a spell description gives the spell’s level, a number between 1 and 9 (for spells), a number between 1 and 6 (for songs), that define the spell’s relative power. This number is preceded by the name of the class whose members can cast the spell or perform the song. A spell’s level affects the DC for any save allowed against the effect.

Casting Time

Most spells have a casting time of 1 standard action. Others take 1 round or more. You make all pertinent decisions about a spell (range, target, area, effect, and so forth) when the spell comes into play.

Range

A spell’s range indicates how far from you it can reach, as defined in the Range entry of the spell description. A spell’s range is the maximum distance from you that the spell’s effect can occur, as well as the maximum distance at which you can designate the spell’s point of origin. If any portion of the spell’s area would extend beyond this range, that area is wasted. Standard ranges include the following.

Personal: The spell affects only you.

Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit.

Close: The spell reaches as far as 25 feet away from you. The maximum range increases by 5 feet for every two full caster levels (30 feet at 2nd caster level, 35 feet at 4th caster level, and so on).

Medium: The spell reaches as far as 100 feet + 10 feet per caster level.

Long: The spell reaches as far as 400 feet + 40 feet per caster level.

Range Expressed in Feet: Some spells have no standard range category, just a range expressed in feet.

Magical Writings

To record a spell/song in written form, a character uses complex notation that describes the magical forces involved in the spell/song (through the use of Scribe Scroll or Scribe Orchestrion Roll feat). The writer uses the same system no matter what her native language or culture. However, each character uses the system in his own way. Another person’s magical writing remains incomprehensible to even the most powerful spellcaster until he takes time to study and decipher it.

To decipher magical writing (such as a single spell/song in another’s spellbook or on a scroll/orchestrion roll), a character must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the spell/song’s level). If the skill check fails, the character cannot attempt to read that particular spell/song again until the next day. A read magic spell automatically deciphers magical writing without a skill check. If the person who created the magical writing is on hand to help the reader, success is also automatic.

Once a character deciphers a particular piece of magical writing, he does not need to decipher it again. Deciphering magical writing allows the reader to identify the spell/song and gives some idea of its effects (as explained in the spell/song description). If the reader can cast the spell or perform the song, he can attempt to use the scroll/orchestrion roll.

Learning New Spells/Songs

Spellcasters/Bards can learn new spells/songs through several methods. A spellcaster/bard can only learn new spells/songs that belong to that respective spellcasting/songperforming spell/song lists.

• Spells/Songs Gained at a New Level: Most spellcasters/bards (except Blue Mages, which only gain one new spell per level) perform a certain amount of spell/song research between adventures. Each time a character attains a new spellcaster/bard level, he learns two spells/songs of his choice. The two free spells/songs must be of spell/song levels he can cast.
• Spells/Songs Learned from a Scroll/Orchestrion Roll: Most spellcasters/bards (except Blue Mages) can also learn a spell/song whenever he encounters one on a magic scroll/orchestrion roll. The spellcaster/bard must first decipher the magical writing (see Magical Writings). Next, he must spend 1 hour studying the spell/song. At the end of the hour, he must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell/song’s level). If the check succeeds, the spellcaster/bard understands the spell/song and learns it (can learn higher level spells/songs even if he cannot cast them). A spell/song successfully learned from a magic scroll/orchestrion roll disappears from the parchment. If the check fails, the spellcaster/bard cannot understand or learn the spell/song. He cannot attempt to learn that spell/song again until one week has passed. A failed Spellcraft check does not cause the spell/song to vanish.
• Independent Research: Most spellcasters/bards (except Blue Mages) can also research a spell/song independently, duplicating an existing spell/song or creating an entirely new one. The cost to research a new spell/song, and the time required, are left up to GM discretion, but it should probably take at least 1 week and cost at least 1,000 gil per level of the spell/song to be researched. This should also require a number of Spellcraft and Knowledge (arcana) checks.
• Learning from a spellcaster/bard: Spellcasters/bards can also pay another spellcaster/bard to teach them their spells/songs, as long as they are the same class of caster (Black Mage for Black Mage, Red for Red, etc.). Learning from a spellcaster/bard takes 1 hour per Spell/Song Level. When determining if a spellcaster/bad has a spell/song and is willing to teach you, refer to the settlement’s spellcasting for hire. When trying to find an equal level spell (8th from a metropolis) there is a 20% chance of finding it, this becomes 30% if it is 1 level lower and 40% if 2 or more levels lower (7th from a metropolis is 30%, 6th-1st is 40%). You can normally only learn between the hours of 0800 – 1700, or whatever normal working hours are in the setting, though the GM may alter prices to allow teaching outside of those hours.
• Cross-Class teaching: You may learn spells from a different spellcasting class as long as they are within the same list (Red Mage can teach Black and White magic etc.), however, due to the difference in casting styles this takes 1 hour and 30 minutes per Spell Level and costs 50% more than if you learnt from your same class. The chance of finding a teacher with your spell is the same as noted above.

Refer to the Table: Spell/Song Level and Teaching Costs for specific pricing.