Just as wizards can allocate extra energy to hold magicks free,
cast spells of higher level than normal, or gain additional levels
of casting ability, they may also save spell points by memorizing
fixed magicks with limitations or reduced power levels. A spell
may be reduced in cost by 25 percent (round up) per limitation
selected, to a maximum reduction of 50 percent for two limitations.
Restrictions include the following:
Reduced Spell Power: By investing a spell with less energy than normal, a wizard can
save a few spell points. This has the effect of reducing the caster’s
level by four, affecting range, duration, damage, and all other
level-based variables. In addition, the spell can be more easily
dispelled, since the effective casting level is used for this purpose.
If the spell has no level-based variables (e.g., charm person) this limitation cannot be selected. A wizard must be at least
5th-level to take this limitation.
Prolonged Casting Time: The wizard can store less energy than normal in the spell, hoping
to draw energy from his immediate environment when the time comes
to cast it. This results in a lengthy period of gathering energy
before actually releasing the spell. Spells with a casting time
of less than one round require a preparation time of a number
of rounds equal to the spell’s listed casting time, so a spell
with a casting time of 3 would require three full rounds of uninterrupted
concentration before the wizard could actually cast the spell.
Spells with a casting time of one round require one full turn
to cast, and spells with a casting time of more than one round
can’t be reduced in cost through this limitation.
Special Casting Condition: By narrowing the focus and application of a spell, a wizard can
reduce the amount of energy and effort required to commit it to
memory. For example, the wizard can memorize a spell that can
only be cast by the light of the moon or only affects certain
types of objects (such as a shatter on crystal only). If the spell is particularly restrictive, the
DM may allow a 50 percent reduction in cost. For example, a spell
that can only be cast while the wizard is standing in one specific
place of power in the middle of nowhere might qualify. Naturally,
the DM should keep a very close eye on spells with this limitation; if it’s not really a
limitation, the wizard shouldn’t catch a break for it.
Instead of requiring certain conditions to be right for casting,
the wizard might have to take special steps to ensure that the
target can be affected. For example, his charm person spell might require the caster to know the target’s name or spend
a turn conversing with the subject. Or, a magic missile might have no effect unless the wizard has touched the subject
with his bare hand that day. It’s even possible that a wizard
may have a spell that automatically fails against a target wearing
a certain color or carrying a lucky charm.
A wizard shouldn’t have more than one or two casting conditions
that he normally observes. It’s fine for a shadow mage to have
a number of spells that can’t be cast in daylight, but if he also
has another spell that can’t be used while it’s raining, and a
third that only affects orcs, the character concept is clearly
being discarded in favor of game effect.
