Mage: The Awakening 2 nd

edition

SPELLCASTING GUIDE by Jean-Frédéric Pluvinage (jean@foxtablet.com.br)

1. Choose spell (Determine intent, Practice and Arcana needed)

2. Choose casting method 3. Check caster’s Active spells

IMPROVISED ACTIVE SPELLS

+1 Mana if not using Ruling Arcanum
PRAXIS
Exceptional Success at 3 successes
ROTE If above caster’s Gnosis then
Free Reach as having
+1 Reach needed to pay
5 dots in Arcanum
Grimoire: Double ritual casting time
for each spell above the limit.
Sleepwalkers with connection to caster
and Rote Action quality.
may consent to maintain 1 (Medium
Memory: Can use Skill Yantra (and Rote
connection) or 2 (Strong connection)
Action quality if you designed the spell).
additional spells.

Add Reach needed for each spell

Add 1 Mana if improvised spell and not using Ruling Arcanum
above Active Spell limit

4. Determine Free Reach

= Practice level of spell = Caster’s highest Arcanum level

1 2 3 4 5
+1 Free Reach +1 Free Reach +1 Free Reach +1 Free Reach +1 Free Reach

5. Check Spell Factors

Can become Primary Factor

PRIMARY FACTOR? PRIMARY FACTOR? (+1 Reach)
Primary Factor’s starting level = Highest Arcanum

Potency Duration Scale Range Casting Time

Standard Standard Standard (Subjects) Standard Standard
Potency 1 0 1 Turn 0 1 Subject (Size 5) 0 Touch, self or aimed Ritual casting time
Potency 2 -2 2 Turns -2 2 Subjects (Size 6) -2 Touch with Dexterity + Each interval of a Ritual
Brawl or Weaponry. (according to Gnosis) gives
Potency 3 -4 3 Turns -4 4 Subjects (Size 7) -4
Aim with Gnosis+Firearms
Potency 4 -6 5 Turns -6 8 Subjects (Size 8) -6 a Bonus die, up to +5.
or Athletics (pick the highest)
Teamwork is allowed.
Potency 5 -8 10 Turns -8 16 Subjects (Size 9) -8 - Defense

–2 for each extra –2 for each extra

Standard (AOE)
Potency 10 turns
Arm’s reach 0
Small room -2
Large room -4
+1 Reach House floor -6
+1 Reach
Small house -8

Advanced Advanced Advanced (AOE) Advanced Advanced

As above, but gain
1 Scene/Hour 0 Large house 0
+2 bonus to Withstand 1 Day -2 Parking lot -2 Sensory Instant
Dispellation. And 1 Week -4 Supermarket -4 +1 Reach to affect subject Yantras may still
+1 bonus to Clash of Wills. 1 Month -6 Shopping Mall -6 that is remote viewed. expand casting time.
1 Year -8 City Block [Max] -8
Advanced Advanced (Subjects)
Indefinite -10 5 Subjects (Size 5) 0 Sympathetic Range Attainment (Space 2) and/or
Also requires +1 Mana 10 Subjects (Size 10) -2
Temporal Sympathy Attainment (Time 2) may be
applied. These attainments Sensory Range, the use of a
20 Subjects (Size 15) -4 Sympathy Yantra and cost 1 Mana each.
Conditional Duration 40 Subjects (Size 20) -6
80 Subjects (Size 25) -8
Spells with Sympathetic Range and/or Temporal
Attainment (Fate 2) may Sympathy are Withstood by connection strength
be applied for +1 Mana, (add +1 if caster doesn’t know subject’s sympathetic name).
–2 for each extra 2 x
increasing Duration factors. subjects or +5 in Size
6. Check Yantras
Maximum number of Yantras = [Gnosis divided by 2 (Rounded up) ] + 1
After offsetting penalties, maximum bonus from all Yantras combined can’t exceed +5.
Drawing upon one Yantra is a reflexive action. Every other Yantra used adds 1 turn each to the spell.

Places Sacrament Tools Sympathy Actions

Demesne +2 Normal +1 Path Tool +1 Material +2 Concentration +2
Environment +1 Takes effort to find +2 Order Tool +1 Subject as they are now Spell must have more
This includes mages without From another realm +3 Soul Stone +2 to +3 Representational +1 than 1 Turn. Canceled
Arcanum of spell, Sleep- Caster can use Soul Stone if taking non-reflexive
Subject as they were once
walkers and Proximi assist- of another mage as +2 Tool action or damage.
ing in Teamwork Ritual. Yantra, or +3 if owner’s
Symbolic 0
Indirect tie to subject High Speech +2
Supernal Verge +2 Gnosis is higher than caster’s.
Legacy +2 Can’t be used reflexively.
Adamant Hand +1
Persona Dedicated Tool Based on Adamant Hand Legacy members and daimo-
nomika can be used if targeting
Mudra +Skill
Merit. A combat action Only usable with Rotes.
members and items of Legacy Add +1 die if Skill is
Persona +1 to +4 Dedicated Tool 0 (using Athletics, Weaponry
Based on Shadow Name -2 penalty to Paradox or Brawl - related to Merit) from the caster’s Order.
becomes a reflexive Order Sympathetic Range and Tem-
and Cabal Theme dice pool. poral Sympathy Attainments Rune +2
Tool Yantra to use in a Breaking Runes cancels
Merits. reflexive spell this turn or need at least 1 Sympathy Yan-
Caster’s Soul Stone can be tra to work but these Yantras spell.
subsequent spell.
used as a Dedicated Tool provide no bonus in this case.
Yantra.

Final dice pool modifier can go below -5. But even when accounting Ritual casting time and Yantras,
if final modifier is -10 and puts Dice Pool below 0 (Chance Die) then spell is impossible.

7. Check Paradox
Most common causes: if caster used inured spell, there are sleeper witnessing obvious display of magic
and/or reach was used above the limit of free reaches, then you must roll for Paradox.

Paradox Dice Pool Release Contain

Roll final Paradox Pool. Roll final Paradox pool.
+Special: The number of Paradox Dice
Paradox occurs with at Contest Paradox by
gained per extra Reach above Free Reach is Before rolling Paradox least 1 success. rolling Wisdom.
equal to Gnosis divided by 2 (Rounded up) Pool choose to Release,
+2 die if caster is inured to spell. Each success becomes a Each success on Wis-
or Contain Paradox
+1 die if 1 or more Sleeper witness obvious Paradox Reach to be dom roll cancels 1 Par-
display of magic. used by the Storyteller adox success. Cancelled
And gain 9-again quality for Few Sleepers As a third secret option, AND a penalty modifier successes deal 1 Resist-
And gain 8-again quality for large group Scelesti can also befoul to the spellcasting roll. ant Bashing damage each
And gain Rote Action quality for full crowd a spell with antinomian to caster.
+1 for each Paradox roll after the first on sorcery, always Releas- If the spellcasting roll
ing Paradox. They roll fails, there is still the If at least 1 Paradox
the same scene.
Gnosis and each success occurrence of Paradox. success still remains,
–2 If using a Dedicated Magical Tool. controls a Paradox spellcasting roll isn’t
–1 for each 1 Mana spent. Reach AND reduces the penalized nor there is an
Even with Mana spent and Dedicated Magical Tool, Paradox penalty for the anomaly but caster gets
always roll at least a chance die. Spellcasting roll. Paradox condition.

Caster must pay Mana (if needed). If it is above what caster can spend per turn, then casting time is extended.

8. Roll Spellcasting pool

Gnosis + Arcanum (+/– Spell Factors) + Yantras (optional)
+ Willpower (optional) + Teamwork dice (optional)
–Paradox successes if paradox was released
For Combined Spells, use dice pool of Gnosis + Lowest Arcanum used.
Add a –2 penalty to the pool for each spell after the first one.
Yantras, spell factors and one single set of free Reach affect the same spellcasting pool and effects.
Check if spell is Withstood. Withstand level is Attribute (living things), Ranks (Ephemerals), Connection strength (sympathetic magic).
Multiple Withstand ratings (i.e. offensive magic with sympathetic range) uses highest Withstand level +1 for every additional rating.
Direct damage spells are not Withstood. If Withstand level = Spell Potency, then spell is active for its Duration but has no effect.
If a Sleeper witnessed successful obvious spell, roll Sleeper’s Integrity at end of the Scene. Successes removes spell factors if spell is still present.
Primary Factor is reduced for last. If all factors are reduced to a minimum, any further success destroys the spell.