Divine Magic Rules

Learning Divine Magic

To learn Divine Magic spells the caster must meet the following requirements:

The caster must be an Initiate, Holy Warrior or Priest within a religion that teaches the spell the character wants to learn.

The character must pay a cost in growth points, equal to twice the magnitude of the spell, to the deity. Incremental purchase of spells is allowed, e.g. the player buys Shield 1 for two growth points and then later increases this to Shield 3, by spending an additional four points.

Casting Divine Magic

Divine magic has the following characteristics when casting.

A character must be able to gesture with their hands and be able to chant to cast a spell.

Whenever casting a Divine Magic spell, there will always be a sight and sound that nearby creatures can detect, be it a flash of light, a crack of thunder or shimmering in the air. The exact effects are up to the Referee and player to decide but the caster will automatically be detected by any creatures within ten times the magnitude of the spell, in metres.

Casting Divine Magic is automatically successful and does not cost any magic points when it is cast, since its source is the deity. Divine magic spells always take only a single combat action to cast and take place on the character’s Influence skill in combat order.

Having cast a Divine Magic spell the character must perform worshipper duties in downtime to regain the spell; see below for details.

If a spell has variable magnitude and the character knows it at a high magnitude, it can be cast multiple times (see Splitting Magnitude below).

Regaining Cast Divine Magic

Normally Divine Magic is regained during the downtime between adventures. A character will visit their religion’s temples or shrines and regain their magic by participating in quiet contemplation or ecstatic worship as is appropriate to their religion.

In-game characters may regain Divine Magic by one of two ways.

• Each time the character successfully performs a worshipper duty, the character regains the choice of one of their spent spells.
• They may also call on their deity and spend a point of Fortune to regain a spent spell of their choosing.

Limitations

Divine Magic spells do not stack, e.g. Shield 1 + Shield 2 does not equal Shield 3.

Dismissing Divine Magic Spells

A caster can dismiss any spell with the Permanent or Duration trait that they have cast as a single combat action. Ceasing to cast a Concentration spell is an immediate free action.

Splitting Magnitude

Divine magic allows the caster to ‘split’ a spell’s magnitude into multiple spells. For instance, if the caster knows the Absorption spell at magnitude 3, they may choose to cast it as a single magnitude 3 spell, or they may split it into three magnitude 1 Absorption spells, or one magnitude 1 and one magnitude 2 Absorption spell.

The Power of Divine Magic

When in a direct contest with other forms of magic, Divine Magic has double its normal magnitude.

Spell Traits

The traits used by Divine Magic spells are detailed below.

Area (X): The spell affects all targets within a radius specified in metres.

Concentration: The spell’s effects will remain in place so long as the character concentrates on it. Concentrating on a spell is functionally identical to casting the spell, requiring the caster to continue to gesture with both arms, chant, and ignore distractions.

Duration (X): The spell’s effects will stay in place for the number of minutes indicated.

Instant: The spell’s effects take place instantly. The spell itself then disappears.

Magnitude (X): The strength and power of the spell. Also, the minimum number of magic points required to cast it.

Non-Variable: The spell costs the stated magnitude, which may not be increased or decreased.

Permanent: The spell’s effects remain in place until they are dispelled or dismissed.

Progressive: This indicates that the spell can be learnt and cast at greater levels of magnitude than the minimum.

Ranged: These spells have a maximum distance of the character’s POW x 5 in metres.

Resist (Dodge/Persistence/Resilience): The spell’s effects do not take effect automatically. The target may make a Dodge, Persistence or Resilience test (as specified by the spell) in order to avoid the effect of the spell entirely. Note that Resist (Dodge) spells require the target to be able to use Reactions to Dodge. In the case of Area spells, the Resist (Dodge) trait requires the target to dive to avoid the spell’s effect.

Touch: These spells require the character to actually touch their target for the spell to take effect. The caster must remain in physical contact with the target for the entire casting.

Common: If the spell Common spell, available to learn from all religions. Here’s a quick list for reference:

Consecrate, Create Blessed Item, Create Idol, Dismiss Magic, Divination, Excommunicate, Exorcism, Extension, Mindlink, Soul Sight,
Spirit Block, Mythic Journey.

Variable: The spell has a non-set magnitude.