Simplified Magic

This simplified magic system appears in the Starter Set.


In Wʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ OLD ɪꜱ NEW, magic is a ‘freeform’ system in which you create your spells on the fly by spending Power Points (PP).

Theme

Choose a magical theme. This might be fire, insects, plants, weather, or something else. Your spells all manifest themselves along that theme. For example, if you are trying to unlock a door and your theme is fire, you might melt the lock; if it is insects, a hoard of termites might eat their way through the wood for you. The effect is the same, but the actual details vary.


Sample themes include:


Fire

Light

Ice

Insects

Necromancy

Plants
     Shadow

Weather

Casting

Casting a spell requires one action, a POWER attribute check, and the expenditure of one or more Power Points. 

Effects. If you are using magic to accomplish a task which already has a difficulty value associated with it (such as unlocking a cell door, lifting a fallen tree), then you will need to make a POW attribute check at that same difficulty. If the action would not normally attract an attribute check, such as washing the dishes or closing a window, then neither does the magical action.

Attacks. If you are attacking a creature with your magic, you will need to make a POW attribute check vs. its relevant DEFENSE. An unwilling target always requires an attribute check or attack.

Skills

Just like with any other attribute check, you can combine your POW check with a relevant skill. This increases the size of your dice pool as normal (and therefore the maximum number of PP you can spend on a spell).

Abjuration (for protection)

Displacement (for moving things)

Enchantment (for controlling creatures)

Evocation (for blasting stuff)

Healing (for curing wounds)

Summoning (for summoning creatures)


The full rules contain a much wider array of magical skills.

Spell Statistics

The statistics of your spell are based on the number of Power Points you spend. You can spend Power Points to increase your spell’s range, area, damage, duration, and other values. The table below shows how many Power Points you need to spend to achieve each effect. You must spend at least 1 PP to cast a spell.

You must purchase each statistic separately–so for 6 PP you might spend 3 PP on range and 3 PP on damage, or you might spend 2 PP on range, 2 PP on area, and 2 PP on damage.


Range/Area. The maximum range of your spells is determined by the number of Power Points you spend, and you can affect an area with a maximum diameter also determined by your Power Points.
   Movement. You can move a creature or object which fits within the area of your spell, including yourself, anywhere within range of your spell. The form of the movement is based on your theme–perhaps you are born aloft by insects, or you telekinetically lift a rock. The movement is physical. 

If you wish to teleport instead, it must be to a location you can see, and the maximum range is halved.

Duration. You can affect one person or object for an amount of time based on the PP you spend, or you can divide that duration between multiple people or targets within the spell’s area.

A duration of ‘concentration’ means that the spell lasts for as long as you concentrate on it, which uses both of your actions for the round.

Damage & healing. Your PP expenditure determines the total amount of damage you can inflict or heal. This damage or healing can be applied to one target or divided between multiple targets within the area. If a duration is specified, the damage is divided equally across that duration. The damage type is determined by your theme.

Alternatively, for 3 PP you can inflict or remove a condition such as blinded or charmed.

Protection. You can bestow SOAK for the duration of the spell. If your SOAK only applies to one damage type, you can increase the protection by +1d6 for free. It’s up to you what this looks like–a ghostly shield or suit of armor, a protective sphere, or perhaps your skin takes on the semblance of stone.

Summoning. You can summon a creature with a RANK equal to or less than that indicated by your PP expenditure, or multiple creatures whose combined RANKs are equal to or less than that RANK. The creature acts independently, will be allied with you until it vanishes or leaves at the end of the spell’s duration, and you do not control it unless you spend PP on control effects.

Control. You can compel or control a creature of the same RANK that you can summon one.

Examples

For example, if you have a POW dice pool of 4d6 or more, by spending 4 PP you can: