Journey: Spells

Here's where we talk about spells.

Spell Overview

Spells are a subcategory of Specials, and are tied to Skill: Arcana.

Every spell is a skill in its own right (just like standard skills), and has a dice pool. Spells are slightly more complicated than other skills, however, and as such, their dice pools are not listed in the stat blocks; you have to read the spell description to get a better feel for what the spell utilizes.

In addition to the spell's dice pool, many spells call upon other skills, as well; chief amongst these are Skill: Arcana, Skill: Spellcraft, and Skill: Concentration.

Spell Stats

Name

The name by which the spell is commonly referred.

Spell [Type]

Indicates any descriptors of the spell, if applicable. Descriptors interface with other game elements.

Prerequisites

These run the gamut from skills to attributes. These will be in the format of Type: Feature (Rating).

XP Cost

The cost, in XP, to learn the spell. You can gain further training in the spell, improving its dice pool (and gaining other advantage, as well, dependent on the spell), but doing so costs additional XP.

Mana Cost

The cost in mana tokens to cast the spell. If you do not have sufficient mana tokens, you cannot cast the spell; if you do not have a mana token pool, you cannot cast spells at all.

Action Cost

The action cost of the spell. Spells that can reasonably be used in combat will use one of the standard action types, or list an action cost in ticks.

Some spells may have the (Channeled) modifier, meaning that you are actively casting the spell until your next turn. Such a spell can be interrupted or suffer from pushback if you suffer damage or are otherwise inconvenienced while casting.

Action Type

The action type of the spell. This interfaces with other game elements.

Range

The range of the spell, expressed in normal measurements.

Duration

The duration of the spell's effect, listed in either normal increments or in ticks.

Dice Pool

The total dice pool used for the spell. If this entry is not listed, then the spell is more complicated than a single dice pool roll.

Avoid

If the effect of the spell can be avoided, the appropriate skill or trait is listed here.

Spell List

Spells that aren't links don't exist yet.

Amplify Magic: Increases the power of magic effects in a small area.
Arcane Bolt: Hurl a bolt of arcane energy at a target.
Arcane Shield: Surround yourself in a magical shield of force.
Blink: Teleport a short distance.
Caustic Spray: Douse a creature with acid.

Counterspell: Counter a spell being cast.
Dampen Magic: Weaken the power of magic effects in a small area.
Detect Magic: Detect the presence or absence of magic.
Disguise: Disguise a creature.
Dispel Magic: Completely negate ongoing magic effects.

Flame Burst: Blast a creature with fire.
Flight: The target can fly.
Hold: Hold a creature in place.
Icy Touch: Freeze a creature.
Invisibility: Make a creature invisible to sight.

Lightning Bolt: Create a bolt of lightning.
Mana Drain: The target loses mana tokens.
Mana Siphon: Drain mana from the target.
Polymorph: Turn a creature into something else.
Portal: Create a portal to a distant location.

Prestidigitation: Perform a variety of small magical "tricks."
Seal: Magically seal a door or other portal.
Spell Reflection: Cause spells to bounce off a creature.
Teleport: Teleport to a distant location.
Tiny: Reduce a creature's size.

Spell Descriptions

AMPLIFY MAGIC
  Spell [Arcane]
  XP Cost/Rank: 6 + 3/rank
  Mana Cost: 6 + 2/rank
  Action Cost: Long
  Action Type: Spell (Utility)
  Range: 25 ft
  Area: 10-ft radius burst
  Duration: 20 ticks
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: None (Beneficial)
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / No / No

  You attempt to amplify the power of magical effects that emanate from a particular location.

  When you cast this spell, make a skill check with this skill's aggregate dice pool. Whenever a spell is cast in the area, if the
  skill check for the spell is below your check with this spell, the spell is treated as being one rank higher.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Duration: The duration of this spell increases by 20 ticks. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Area: The area of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires: Rank 4 [1d8])
    Stronger Amplify: Spells that are affected by this spell are treated as being two ranks higher. (Requires: Rank 6 [1d12])
    Greater Amplify: The stronger amplify effect of this spell causes spells to be treated as an additional rank higher. You
can take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires: Stronger Amplify, Rank 8 [1d12+1d4])
    Mana Floes: When you cast this spell, you may choose to increase the mana cost by 4 + 1/rank. If you do, whenever a spell is
affected by this spell, it refunds one mana token per rank to the caster; a spell cannot refund more mana tokens than it took to
cast. However, the duration of this spell is reduced to 5 ticks, and if you have taken the Duration upgrade, it only extends the
duration by 5 ticks for each time you have taken it. (Requires: Rank 10 [1d12+1d8])
    Nexus: When you cast this spell, you may instead choose to target a single creature, rather than an area. If you do, any
spells that creature casts and any spells that target that creature are affected by this spell. (Requires: Rank 12 [2d12])

ARCANE BOLT
  Spell [Arcane]
  XP Cost/Rank: 2 + 2/rank
  Mana Cost: 0 (see text)
  Action Cost: Medium
  Action Type: Spell (Attack)
  Range: 50 feet
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instant
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: Reflex
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / Yes / No

  You form arcane power into a bolt of energy, which you sling at your target.

  You must have at least one mana token to cast this spell.

  Make an aggregate skill check with this spell, opposed by your target's Reflex trait. If you overcome the opposed roll, you
  deal arcane damage to the target equal to a skill check with this spell.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell increases by 10 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Empowered Bolt: When you cast this spell, you may spend a mana token. If you do, add 1 to the damage the spell deals. (Requires
- Rank 2 [1d4])
    Improved Empowered Bolt: When you cast this spell, you may spend mana tokens, up to your Potential. If you do, this spell deals
extra damage equal to the tokens expended. (Requires - Empowered Bolt, Rank 4 [1d8])
    Rapid Bolt: When you cast this spell, you may increase the mana cost by two mana tokens plus an additional mana token per rank.
If you do, this spell's action cost is reduced one step (ie, from Medium to Short). (Requires - Rank 6 [1d12])
    Arcane Volley: When you cast this spell, you may increase the mana cost by four mana tokens plus an additional two mana tokens
per rank. If you do, this spell's action cost is increased one step (ie, from Medium to Long), and you can target up to two
creatures with this spell, using the same roll for the opposed roll and dealing the same damage to each target. (Requires - Rank 8
[1d12+1d4])
    Improved Volley: When you opt to make use of the arcane volley upgrade, you may spend an additional two mana tokens per
rank. If you do, you can target another creature. You can take this upgrade multiple times; each time you do, you can opt to spend
an additional two mana tokens per rank to target another creature. (Requires - Arcane Volley, Rank 10 [1d12+1d8])

COUNTERSPELL
  Spell [Arcane]
  XP Cost/Rank: 2 + 2/rank
  Mana Cost: 3 + 1/rank
  Action Cost: Quick (Reaction)
  Action Type: Spell (Utility)
  Range: 25 feet
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instant
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: Special (see text)
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / No / No

  With a flash of arcane power, you attempt to interrupt a spell being cast.
 
  Make an aggregate skill check with this spell, which is opposed by you target's skill check with the spell they are casting. If
  you overcome their roll, you successfully interrupt the spell.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Negation: You gain a +1 power bonus to the skill check for this spell. You can take this upgrade multiple times; the power
bonus cannot exceed your Potential.
    Range: The range of this spell increases by 10 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.

DAMPEN MAGIC
  Spell [Arcane]
  XP Cost/Rank: 5 + 2/rank
  Mana Cost: 4 + 2/rank
  Action Cost: Medium
  Action Type: Spell (Utility)
  Range: 25 ft
  Area: 10-ft radius burst
  Duration: 20 ticks
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: Special; see text
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / No / No

  You attempt to dampen the strength of magical effects in the area.

  When you cast this spell, make a skill check with this skill's aggregate dice pool. Whenever a spell is cast in the area, if the
  skill check for the spell is below your check with this spell, the spell is treated as being one rank lower. Spells that are
  reduced to an effective rank of 0 or lower have no effect.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Duration: The duration of this spell increases by 20 ticks. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Area: The area of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires: Rank 3 [1d6])
    Deeper Dampening: Spells that are affected by this spell are treated as being two ranks lower. (Requires: Rank 5 [1d10])
    Greater Dampening: The deeper dampening effect of this spell causes spells to be treated as an additional rank lower.
You can take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires: Deeper Dampening, Rank 7 [1d12+1d2])
    Restricted Mana: The mana cost of this spell increases by 4. Whenever a spell is affected by this spell, its caster must
spend an additional one mana token per rank of this spell, or else the spell fails. (Requires: Rank 9 [1d12+1d6])
    Dead Zone: When you cast this spell, you may instead choose to target a single creature, rather than an area. If you do, any
spells that creature casts any any spells that target that creature are affected by this spell. (Requires: Rank 11 [1d12+1d10])

DISPEL MAGIC
  Spell [Arcane]
  Prerequisites - Spell: Amplify Magic (1d6), Spell: Dampen Magic (1d6)
  XP Cost/Rank: 6 + 4/rank
  Mana Cost: 5 + 3/rank
  Action Cost: Long
  Action Type: Spell (Utility)
  Range: 25 ft
  Area: 10-ft radius burst
  Duration: Instant
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: Special (see text)
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / No / No

  With a flourish of arcane power, you attempt to snuff out magical effects in a small area.

  When you cast this spell, there is a chance that you immediately end each spell effect in the area. The casters of the spells in
  effect make aggregate skill checks with their respective spells; if the result is lower than your aggregate skill check with this
  spell, the spell's effect immediately ends.
 
  Magic items are also possibly affected by this spell. Each magic item must make a skill check as though it were a spell with a
  rank equal to the Spellcraft skill of its creator, then makes an aggregate skill check using that rank twice (so if the item was
  created by a crafter with a Spellcraft of 1d6, the item makes a skill check with a 2d6 dice pool). If the item fails to overcome
  your skill result with this spell, the item ceases functioning for 10 ticks for each point by which it failed.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Area: The area of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Insistence: You gain a +1 power bonus to the skill check for this spell. You can take this upgrade multiple times; the power
bonus cannot exceed your Potential.
    Item Dispelling: When a magic item fails to overcome your skill check, it ceases functioning for an additional 5 ticks for
each point by which it failed. You can take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires: Rank 3 [1d6])
    Disruption: When you cast this spell, anyone casting a spell in the area must immediately make a skill check with the spell
they are casting. If they fail to overcome your skill check, the spell fails. (Requires - Spell: Counterspell (1d6), Rank 4 [1d8])
    Improved Disruption: When you interrupt a spell, the caster of that spell loses a mana token; if the caster has no remaining
mana tokens, this upgrade has no effect. You can take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires - Spell: Mana Drain (1d6),
Disruption, Rank 5 [1d10])

MANA DRAIN
  Spell [Arcane]
  XP Cost/Rank: 4 + 2/rank
  Mana Cost: 4 + 2/rank
  Action Cost: Short
  Action Type: Spell (Utility)
  Range: 25 feet
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instant
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: Will
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / No / No

  You attempt to rip apart the magical power of another creature, sundering their ability to craft spells.

  Make an aggregate skill check with this spell, which is then opposed by your target's Will trait. If you overcome the opposed
  roll, your target loses one mana token for each point you exceeded their roll by.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell increases by 10 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Empowered Drain: Increase the mana cost of this spell by 1/rank. Your target loses an additional mana token for each point
by which you exceeded the opposed roll. (Requires - Rank 4 [1d8])
    Reactive Drain: You may cast this spell as a Quick action; doing so doubles the mana cost of this spell. (Requires - Spell:
Counterspell (1d8), Rank 6 [1d12])
    Mana Leak: When you cast this spell, you may spend additional mana tokens, up to 1/rank. If you do, and successfully
overcome the opposed roll, your target loses an additional mana token every 10 ticks; the mana leak effect occurs once for every
additional mana token you spend. (Requires - Rank 8 [1d12+1d4])
    Rapid Leak: Your mana leak effect occurs every 5 ticks, rather than every 10. (Requires - Rank 10 [1d12+1d8])
    Deeper Leak: Your mana leak effect drains an additional mana token every time it occurs. You may take this upgrade
multiple times. (Requires - Rank 10 [1d12+1d8])

SPELL REFLECTION
  Spell [Arcane]
  Prerequisites - Spell: Arcane Shield (1d6)
  XP Cost/Rank: 3 + 2/rank
  Mana Cost: 3 + 3/rank
  Action Cost: Short
  Action Type: Spell (Utility)
  Range: 25 ft
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 20 ticks
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: None
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / Yes / No

  You construct an intricate lattice of arcane energy around the target, which can cause magic cast at the target to reflect back at
  its source.

  When you cast this spell, make a skill check. Whenever the target of this spell is targeted by another spell, that spell's skill
  check is compared to the check you made for this spell; if this spell's skill check wins, the spell is reflected back at the
  caster.

  A spell can only be reflected once.

  If the target attempts to cast a spell on himself, and the spell is reflected, it is reflected to the nearest legal target within
  range of the spell; if no such target exists, the spell fails.
 
  If you win the opposed roll, the spell's target changes to the caster, but its effective rank is reduced by the rank of this
  spell, to a minimum of 1.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell increases by 5 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Insistence: You gain a +1 power bonus to the skill check for this spell. You can take this upgrade multiple times; the power
bonus cannot exceed your Potential.
    Duration: The duration of this spell increases by 20 ticks. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Improved Reflection: The reduction of the effective rank of reflected spells is reduced by one (if you would reduce a spell's
effective rank by four, you reduce it by three instead). You can take this upgrade multiple times; spells successfully reflected are
always reduced by at least one rank. (Requires - Rank 3 [1d6])
    Reflective Field: If the target of this spell is affected by a spell that affects an area, this spell has a chance to reflect
it; if it does, then the caster's square is affected by the spell. If the target of this spell attempts to cast a spell with an area
that includes himself, if the spell is reflected, the caster's square is unaffected by the spell. (Requires - Rank 4 [1d8])
    Absorptive Reflection: When this spell successfully reflects a spell, you may reduce the spell's effective rank by an additional 
rank. If you do, you gain one mana token. (Requires - Spell: Mana Drain (1d6), Rank 5 [1d10])
    Improved Absorption: When you opt to use the absorptive reflection upgrade, you gain an additional mana token. You can
take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires - Absorptive Reflection, Rank 7 [1d12+1d2])

LIGHTNING BOLT
  Spell [Lightning]
  XP Cost/Rank: 4 + 2/rank
  Mana Cost: 3 + 1/rank
  Action Cost: Standard
  Action Type: Spell (Attack)
  Range: 50 ft
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instant
  Dice Pool: This + Spellcraft
  Avoid: Reflex (Negates)
  Take Min/Avg/Max?: No / Yes / No

  You hurl a bolt of lightning at your target. Make an attack roll with this spell's aggregate dice pool (the dice pool for this
  skill plus your Spellcraft skill), opposed by your target's Reflex skill. If you successfully hit, you deal damage to the target
  equal to a skill check with this skill.

  UPGRADES
  Each time you improve this spell's rank, you may select one of the following upgrades.

    Range: The range of this spell is increased by 10 feet. You can take this upgrade multiple times.
    Unerring: You gain a +1 power bonus on the attack roll for this spell. You can take this upgrade multiple times; the power
bonus cannot exceed your Potential.
    Shock: If you successfully hit with this spell, the creature is (stunned) for a number of ticks equal to the amount by which
you overcame the opposed roll. (Requires: Rank 3 [1d6])
    Area: This spell now affects a 5-ft line extending from you to the extent of the range. (Requires: Rank 4 [1d8])
    Lasting Shock: The shock effect lasts an additional tick for each point by which you overcame the opposed roll. You can
take this upgrade multiple times. (Requires: Shock, Rank 5 [1d10])
    Concussion: You gain a +1 power bonus to damage dealt with this spell. You can take this upgrade multiple times; the power
bonus cannot exceed your Potential. (Requires: Rank 6 [1d12])
    Chain Lightning: When you cast this spell, you may spend mana tokens equal to half this spell's mana token cost. If you do,
you can target another creature within 30 feet of the original target; use the same attack roll, but the damage the second target
takes is half of what the primary target took. (Requires: Rank 7 [1d12+1d2])