Spellcasting and song performing works in the same way that it does in the Pathfinder, but all spells/songs suffer spell failure from armor and all spells/songs cost magic points rather than number of spells/songs per day. Magic points (MP) are used to fuel spells and songs. After at least 8 hours of rest, characters may meditate for 30 minutes to restore their amount of magic points equal to their caster level plus their primary casting modifier. Twenty-four (24) hours of complete rest allows a spellcaster to recover double the amount for resting. All spellcasting classes get additional magic points for high attributes. Casters need not prepare spells, as all casters can cast any spell they know at will. A caster has no limit on the amount of spells he or she may know.
The cost for Spells and Songs are calculated as such: Spell/Song level x 1 MP. (I.E. a 9th level spell will be 9 MP to cast or a 5th level song will be 5 MP to perform.)
The maximum MP a spellcaster can spend on spells/songs using feats is equal to the highest spell/song level they can cast/perform. (I.E. A 10th level Black Mage can spend up to 5 MP on a single spell.)
Spellcaster classes function off of an MP pool, and while they gain a set amount of MP in accordance to their class level (see respective class tables), they also gain bonus MP from their associated casting modifier (be it Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) and their current spellcasting level (note: this is different from caster level!). Bonus MP is given fully from a multiclass.
Casting Modifiers and Bonus MP
A modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when your character tries to do something related to that ability. You also use the modifier with some numbers that are not die rolls. A positive modifier is called a bonus, and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
The ability that governs bonus MP depends on what type of spellcaster your character is: Intelligence for black mages, blue mages, and time mages; Wisdom for astrologians, geomancers and white mages; or Charisma for bards, dark knights, holy knights, illusionists, red mages, necromancers, and summoners. In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level (see the class descriptions for details.) Your given casting modifier and your current spell level (found on your respective class table) dictates how much bonus MP you will get, as per the following table: Bonus MP is based off of your highest spell level. It is not cumulative of all spell levels.
Example: If you are a 2nd level Black Mage, then you would have 4mp at base. If you had an 18 Intelligence, then you would gain 1MP as Bonus MP.
When you level to level 3, with the same 18 Intelligence, you would have 5mp at base and gain 3MP as Bonus MP since you have access to 2nd level spells.
Table: Bonus MP per Day (by Spell Level)
| Ability Score | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Can't cast spells tied to this ability. | ||||||||
| 2-3 | Can't cast spells tied to this ability. | ||||||||
| 4-5 | Can't cast spells tied to this ability. | ||||||||
| 6-7 | Can't cast spells tied to this ability. | ||||||||
| 8-9 | Can't cast spells tied to this ability. | ||||||||
| 10-11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12-13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 14-15 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 16-17 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 18-19 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 20-21 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| 22-23 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| 24-25 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| 26-27 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 25 | 31 | 38 | 46 | 46 |
| 28-29 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 31 | 37 | 44 | 52 | 61 |
| 30-31 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 23 | 33 | 45 | 52 | 60 | 69 |
| 32-33 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 26 | 36 | 48 | 62 | 70 | 79 |
| 34-35 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 30 | 40 | 52 | 66 | 82 | 91 |
| 36-37 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 31 | 46 | 58 | 72 | 88 | 106 |
| 38-39 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 66 | 80 | 96 | 114 |
| 40-41 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 51 | 69 | 90 | 106 | 124 |
| 42-43 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 40 | 55 | 73 | 94 | 118 | 136 |
| 44-45 | 5 | 13 | 25 | 41 | 61 | 79 | 100 | 124 | 151 |
