Starfinder 2nd Edition - Chapter 7: Spells

Source: Archives of Nethys - SF2E Chapter 7: Spells

Overview

"Whether it comes in the form of eldritch artifacts, otherworldly beings, or witchwarpers altering reality with strange spells, magic brings fantasy and wonder to Starfinder."

This chapter explains how spells function and details the mechanics for spell preparation and casting across different spellcaster classes.

Spellcasting in Starfinder

Magic coexists with widespread technology across the galaxy. After Triune's Signal connected galactic cultures, spellcasters preserve ancient magical traditions through "arcane universities, occult societies, and religious orders." Most spellcasters carry backup technology alongside their magical abilities.

The tradition notes that "most spellcasters use analog spellcasting, and blending the two together to create a hybrid item requires training." Technomancers represent a rare exception, combining magic with machine command.

Magical Traditions

Spellcasters access one of four distinct magical traditions, each with unique characteristics:

Arcane

Practitioners employ "logic and rationality to categorize the magic inherent in the world." This tradition features the broadest spell list but performs poorly affecting spirits or souls. Witchwarpers and technomancers exemplify arcane practitioners.

Divine

"The power of the divine is steeped in faith, the unseen, and belief in a power source from beyond the Universe." Mystics with cosmic healing or shadow connections practice divine magic.

Occult

Practitioners "seek to understand the unexplainable, categorize the bizarre, and otherwise access the ephemeral in a systematic way." Witchwarpers touched by the Gap or mystics linked to the Akashic Record practice occult magic.

Primal

"An instinctual connection to and faith in the world, the cycle of day and night, the turning of the seasons, and the natural selection of predator and prey" characterize this tradition. Mystics with elemental or cosmic rhythm connections practice primal magic.

Tradition Application

When casting spells, spellcasters add their tradition's trait to the spell. Classes determine which tradition(s) a character accesses. Some abilities grant spells from alternate traditions, which then use the caster's tradition rather than the spell list's original tradition.

Spell Slots

Characters from spellcasting classes cast spells using spell slots. A 1st-level character has few 1st-rank slots daily; advancement grants more slots of higher ranks. Spell ranks range from 1 to 10, indicating overall power.

Prepared Spells

Prepared spellcasters (such as Technomancers) select spells daily during preparation. The character chooses a number of different-ranked spells determined by character level and class. "Your spells remain prepared until you cast them or until you prepare spells again."

Cantrip Exception: Once prepared, cantrips can be cast repeatedly until the next preparation without expenditure.

Multiple Castings: Preparing the same spell multiple times allows casting it multiple times daily.

Spellcasters might gain abilities enabling mid-day spell swaps, though only daily preparation counts for duration-based effects lasting "until the next time you prepare spells."

Spontaneous Spells

Spontaneous spellcasters (including Mystics) select casting spells from their repertoire at the moment of casting. This grants "more freedom in your spellcasting, but you have fewer spells in your spell repertoire."

Daily preparation refreshes all spell slots without changing the repertoire itself.

Heightened Spells

Both prepared and spontaneous casters can cast spells at higher ranks than listed—called heightening. Prepared casters heighten by preparing spells in higher-rank slots; spontaneous casters heighten using higher-rank slots if they know the spell at that rank.

Heightening Mechanics

When heightened, "the spell's rank increases to match the higher rank of the spell slot you've prepared it in or used to cast it." This proves useful for counteracting and other rank-dependent effects.

Heightened Benefits

Many spells list additional specific benefits when heightened, described at the spell's end. Heightened entries specify required ranks for extra advantages. Each entry states "specifically which aspects of the spell change at the given rank."

Cumulative Benefits

Some heightened entries use "+X" notation, indicating benefits per rank increment above the base rank. These benefits stack cumulatively.

Example: "Slice reality says 'Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 1d8.' Because slice reality deals 7d8 void damage at 6th rank, a 7th-rank slice reality would deal 8d8 void damage, an 8th-rank spell would deal 9d8 void damage, and so on."

Heightened Spontaneous Spells

Spontaneous casters must know spells at the specific rank they wish to cast them. Spells can be added to the repertoire at multiple ranks, allowing different casting options.

Example: "Skyfire wings added as 3rd-rank and 7th-rank spells allows casting at either rank but not 5th-rank."

Signature Spells

Many spontaneous classes offer signature spell features permitting heightened casts of limited spells even when known at a single rank.

Lower-Rank Casting

Spontaneous casters may cast lower-rank known spells using higher-rank slots without heightening. The spell uses its known rank without heightened effects, generally inefficient except in specific circumstances.

Example Justification: "For instance, if your party was having trouble with an invisible enemy, and you had revealing light in your repertoire but had already spent all of your 2nd-rank spell slots, it might be worth it to use a 3rd-rank spell slot to cast the spell, even though it'd have no heightened benefit."

Cantrips

Cantrips are "weaker than other spells but can be used with greater freedom and flexibility." These spells carry the cantrip trait and don't consume spell slots. "Casting a cantrip doesn't use up your spell slots; you can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day."

Preparation: Prepared casters prepare a specific number of cantrips daily but cannot prepare them in spell slots.

Auto-Heightening: Cantrips automatically heighten to "half your level, rounded up. For a typical spellcaster, this means its rank is equal to the highest rank of spell slot you have."

Focus Spells

Focus spells derive from specific sources like fields of study, mystical force connections, or alternate reality exposure. Characters learn focus spells exclusively through class features or feats, not from spell lists.

Casting Mechanics

Focus spells use a special Focus Points pool separate from spell slots. Characters cannot prepare focus spells in slots or spend slots to cast them; conversely, Focus Points cannot cast non-focus spells.

Stat Blocks: Focus spell stat blocks display "Focus" instead of "Spell," carrying the focus trait.

Auto-Heightening: Like cantrips, focus spells automatically heighten to "half your level rounded up." Characters cannot cast focus spells if their minimum rank exceeds this auto-heightened rank.

Focus Point Mechanics

• Casting any focus spell costs 1 Focus Point
• Characters gain focus pools upon first obtaining focus-granting abilities
• Maximum pool size equals "the number of focus spells you know or 3, whichever is lower"
• Pool counts only spells requiring Focus Points

Refocusing

All Focus Points refresh during daily preparations. The Refocus activity allows regaining 1 Focus Point through prayer, study, or meditation. "You can Refocus multiple times to regain multiple points, up to your pool's maximum."

Spellcasters with Focus Spells

Spellcasting classes' focus spells match their tradition. Mystics determine focus spells through their connection; Witchwarpers through their paradox.

Non-Spellcasters with Focus Spells

Non-spellcasting classes granting focus spells also provide spell attack and spell DC proficiencies, plus the magical tradition. However, "you don't qualify for feats and other rules that require you to be a spellcaster or have a spellcasting class feature—those require you to have spell slots."

Focus Points from Multiple Sources

Characters may gain focus spells from multiple sources (typically through archetypes). Rules for consolidation:

• Single focus pool counts all focus spells determining point quantity
• Any Focus Points apply to any focus spells
• Refocusing succeeds if following any source's guidelines
• Multiple sources don't alter spell traditions
• Each source provides its attribute modifier for spell calculations

Innate Spells

Innate spells are "natural to your character, typically coming from your ancestry or a magic item." These carry no spellcasting requirement but grant spell attack and DC training. "When you gain an innate spell, you become trained in the spell attack modifier and spell DC statistics. At 12th level, these proficiencies increase to expert."

Casting: Innate spells don't qualify for spellcaster-requiring abilities, as those need spell slots. The ability granting innate spells specifies casting frequency, typically once daily.

Attribute: Unless noted, Charisma serves as the spellcasting attribute modifier for innate spells.

Rank Flexibility: Characters can cast innate spells "even if it's not of a spell rank you can normally cast. This is especially common for monsters."

Heightening: Innate spells cannot be heightened normally. Some abilities grant innate spells at higher base ranks or specify casting ranks differently.

Dual Casting: Characters might possess both innate and prepared/spontaneous versions of the same spell, using separate slots.

Casting Spells

Spellcasting involves "gestures and utter incantations," so inability to speak prevents most casting. Characters with long-term speech disabilities should work with GMs on analogous casting methods.

Sensory Manifestations

Spellcasting creates "obvious sensory manifestations, such as bright lights, crackling sounds, and sharp smells." Nearly all spells manifest visible "spell signature—a colorful, glowing ring of magical runes or circuitry" appearing near hands or adjusted by tradition/class. Witchwarpers show "ripples or winkles in reality," while mystics display "connection"-inspired signatures.

Visual Customization: "How spellcasting looks can vary from one spellcasting tradition or class to another, or even from person to person. You have a great deal of freedom in flavoring your character's magic however you wish!"

Action Economy

Spells vary in required actions per stat blocks. "You cast cantrips, spells from spell slots, and focus spells using the same process, but must expend the spell when casting a spell from a spell slot and must spend 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell."

Casting as Activity: "Some rules will refer to the Cast a Spell activity, such as 'if the next action you use is to Cast a Spell.' Any spell qualifies as a Cast a Spell activity."

Costs and Loci

Costs

Some spells require listed monetary resources or valuable materials like gems or reagents. "The listed money, valuable materials, or other resources...are expended during the casting."

Loci

A locus "is an object that funnels or directs the magical energy of the spell but is not consumed in its casting." During casting, casters retrieve the locus and can replace it afterward. Loci cost significant resources but avoid consumption. "Unless noted otherwise, a locus has negligible Bulk."

Long Casting Times

Spells requiring minutes or hours to cast prevent other actions or reactions. "At the GM's discretion, you might be able to speak a few sentences."

Timing Rules: These spells carry the exploration trait and cannot be cast during encounters. "If combat breaks out while you're casting one, your spell is disrupted."

Disrupted and Lost Spells

Certain abilities and spells disrupt others, causing no effect. "When you lose a spell, you've already expended the spell slot and spent the spell's costs and actions." Spells disrupted during Sustain actions "immediately end."

Ranges, Areas, and Targets

Spells with ranges affect targets, create areas, or manifest things within that range. Ranges vary from feet to miles, planets, or beyond.

Touch Range

Touch-range spells require physical contact using unarmed reach. "You can usually touch them automatically, though the spell might specify that they can attempt a saving throw or that you must attempt a spell attack roll."

Range Enhancement: When abilities increase touch spell range, "start at 0 feet and increase from there."

Areas

Some spells create areas like bursts, cones, emanations, or lines. If originating from the caster's position, the spell has only an area; if the area appears elsewhere, the spell has both range and area.

Targets

Target spells allow selecting creatures, objects, or specific entities within range. "The target must be within the spell's range, and you must be able to see it (or otherwise perceive it with a precise sense) to target it."

Unseen Targets

"At the GM's discretion, you can attempt to target a creature you can't see, as described in Detecting Creatures."

Invalid Targets

If targeting incorrectly (e.g., a driftdead with a living-only spell), "your spell fails to target that creature. If a creature starts out as a valid target but ceases to be one during a spell's duration, the spell typically ends, but the GM might decide otherwise."

Willing Targets

Some spells restrict to willing targets. "A player can declare their character a willing or unwilling target at any time, regardless of turn order or their character's condition."

Area & Target Interaction

"Spells that affect multiple creatures in an area can have both an Area entry and a Targets entry. A spell that has an area but no targets listed usually affects all creatures in the area indiscriminately."

Line of Effect

"You usually need an unobstructed path to the target of a spell, the origin point of an area, or the place where you create something with a spell." Detailed rules appear on the line of effect page.

Durations

Duration describes spell effect length. Spells lasting longer than instantaneous have Duration entries, potentially lasting rounds, minutes, or longer. "If a spell's duration is given in rounds, the number of rounds remaining decreases by 1 at the start of each of the spellcaster's turns, ending when the duration reaches 0."

Post-Duration Effects

Ongoing effects persisting after spell duration aren't magical. Example: "Sunburst that creates a brief, intensely bright flash of light might blind someone for a time, even permanently. This blindness couldn't be counteracted because it is not itself magical."

Caster Incapacitation

"If a spell's caster dies or is incapacitated during the spell's duration, the spell remains in effect until its duration ends, using the caster's initiative order."

Sustaining Spells

Sustained-duration spells "last until the end of your next turn unless you use the Sustain action on that turn to extend the duration of that spell."

Long Durations

Spells lasting "until your next daily preparations" continue if the caster skips preparing a new spell in that slot during daily prep. Spontaneous casters instead "expend a spell slot during your preparations."

"Doing so extends the spell's duration until your next daily preparations. This effectively Sustains the spell over a long period of time. If you prepare a new spell in the slot (or don't expend a spell slot), the spell ends."

Non-Slot Spells: "You can't do this if the spell didn't come from one of your spell slots."

Incapacitation Endpoint: "If you are dead or otherwise incapacitated at the 24-hour mark after the time you Cast the Spell or the last time you extended its duration, the spell ends."

Unlimited Durations: "Spells with an unlimited duration last until counteracted or Dismissed. You don't need to keep a spell slot open for these spells."

Dismissing

Some spells permit early dismissal via the Dismiss action by caster or target.

Defenses

Spells allowing saving throws or AC defenses list defense types in stat blocks. "Any details on the particular results and timing of the save appear in the text unless the entry specifies a basic saving throw, which follows a standard rule."

Defense Conditions: "If a spell allows a defense only under certain circumstances or at a certain time, the Defenses entry is omitted, since the text needs to explain it in more detail."

Saving Throws: Defense-allowing spells "use the caster's spell DC." AC-defense spells typically require spell attacks.

Basic Saving Throws

Basic saves apply when Defenses entries specify this term. "The spell's potential effects all relate to the damage listed in the spell's description."

Results Scaling:

• Critical success: No damage
• Success: Half damage
• Failure: Full damage
• Critical failure: Double damage

Spell Attacks

Some spells require spell attack rolls to affect targets, typically for ray accuracy or precise targeting. "A spell attack roll is compared to the target's AC."

Bonus Application: Attack bonuses and penalties apply to spell attacks. "Spell attacks benefit from any bonuses or penalties to attack rolls, including your multiple attack penalty, but not any special benefits or penalties that apply only to weapon or unarmed attacks."

Damage: "Spell attacks don't deal any damage beyond what's listed in the spell description."

Atypical Attacks: Rarely, spells require other attack types using normal rules for that attack type.

Identifying Spells

Identifying requires recognizing spells, especially with non-obvious effects.

Automatic Recognition: "If you notice a spell being cast, and you have that spell in your repertoire or prepared it that day (even if you already cast it), you automatically know what the spell is, including the rank to which it is heightened."

Unknown Spells: To identify unknown spells, spend an action attempting Recall Knowledge. "You typically notice a spell being cast due to its sensory spell manifestations."

Long-lasting Spells: Already-manifested spells require Identify Magic instead of Recall Knowledge "because you don't have the advantage of watching the spell being cast."

Counteracting

Spells like dispel magic can eliminate other spells' effects. "At least one creature, object, or manifestation of the spell you are trying to counteract must be within range of the spell that you are using."

Check Process: Perform a "counteract check using your Charisma (or other spellcasting attribute modifier) and your proficiency bonus for spell attack rolls."

Hostile Actions

Spells preventing hostile actions or ending upon hostile action use restrict "one that can harm or damage another creature, whether directly or indirectly, but not one that a creature is unaware could cause harm."

Example: "Casting sonic scream into a crowd would be a hostile action, but opening a door and accidentally freeing a horrible monster wouldn't be. The GM is the final arbitrator of what is a hostile action."

Setting Triggers

Trigger-requiring spells activate upon specific events or conditions—simple sensory cues. "The spell activates as a reaction when the spell's sensor observes something that fits its trigger."

Trigger Types: Examples include "the presence of a type of creature, such as 'creatures with six or more tentacles,' or it could be an observed action, such as 'whenever someone enters the spell's area.'"

Deception: Disguises and illusions "fool the spell as long as they appear to match its parameters."

Visual Detection: Spells detecting visually "must have line of sight. Darkness doesn't prevent this, but invisibility does, as does a successful Stealth check to Hide (against the spell's DC)."

Auditory Detection: "For auditory detection, line of sight isn't necessary, though the sound must be audible at the spell's origin point. A Stealth check to Sneak can fool the sensor."

Walls

Wall-creating spells specify "depth, length, and height...also specifying how it can be positioned."

Shaping: "Some walls can be shaped; you can manipulate the wall into a form other than a straight line, choosing its contiguous path square by square."

Path Rules: "The path of a shaped wall can't enter the same space more than once, but it can double back so one section is adjacent to another section of the wall."

Reading Spells

Spell formats follow standardized layouts with entries appearing when applicable.

Standard Spell Stat Block Format

Header: "Spell Name one-action Spell Rank"

Entries:

Trait - Lists spell traits

Tradition - Lists magical traditions. "Some feats or other abilities might add a spell to your spell list even if you don't follow the listed traditions."

Cast - Longer-than-single-turn spells include time requirements. "If the spell has a cost, locus, requirements, or a trigger, that information is also listed in this section."

Range, Area, and Targets - Lists range, area, and targetable entities. "If none of these entries are present, the spell affects only the caster."

Defense and Duration - Details defensive mechanics. "A Duration entry appears if the spell has one. A spell that doesn't list a duration takes place instantaneously, and anything created by it persists after the spell."

Description - Spell effects follow a horizontal line, potentially detailing saving throw results (critical success, success, failure, critical failure).

Heightened - Special heightened effects appear at stat block end.

Other Spell Traits

Darkness and Light

Non-magical light always shines in non-magical darkness; non-magical light fails in magical darkness. "Magical light always shines in non-magical darkness but shines in magical darkness only if the light spell has a higher rank than that of the darkness effect."

Counteracting: Spells with darkness or light traits "can always counteract one another, but bringing light and darkness into contact doesn't automatically do so. You must usually cast a light spell on a darkness effect directly to counteract it."

Minion

Minions "directly serve another creature." A minion "acts on your turn in combat, once per turn, when you spend an action to issue it commands."

Command Types:

• Companions: Command via auditory, single action with concentrate trait
• Summoned minions: Sustain the effect
• Default behavior: Without commands, minions defend themselves or escape obvious harm

Abandonment: "If left unattended for long enough, typically 1 minute, mindless minions usually don't act, animals follow their instincts, and sapient minions act how they please."

Control Limit: "You can have a maximum of four minions under your control."

Action Economy: Minions have "only 2 actions and 0 reactions per turn, though certain conditions (such as slowed or quickened) or abilities might give them additional actions or a reaction."

Control Restrictions: "A minion can't control other creatures."

Summoned

Summoned creatures gain the summoned trait. "A summoned creature can't summon other creatures, create things of value, or cast spells that require a cost."

Minion Status: Summoned creatures have "the minion trait."

Spell Overpowering: "If it tries to cast a spell of equal or higher rank than the spell that summoned it, it overpowers the summoning magic, causing its own spell to fail and the summon spell to end. Otherwise, the summoned creature uses the standard abilities for a creature of its kind."

Command Structure: "It generally attacks your enemies to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with it, you can attempt to command it, but the GM determines the degree to which it follows your commands."

Action Timing: "Immediately when you finish casting, the summoned creature uses its 2 actions for that turn."

Transformation Reversion: "A spawn or other creature generated from a summoned creature returns to its unaltered state once the summoned creature is gone. If it's unclear what this state would be, the GM decides."

Banishment: "Summoned creatures can be banished by various spells and effects. They are automatically banished if reduced to 0 Hit Points or if the spell that called them ends."

Morph

Morph spells "slightly alter a creature's form." Granted Strikes gain the magical trait.

Stacking: "You can be affected by multiple morph spells at once, but if you morph the same body part more than once, the second morph effect attempts to counteract the first."

Polymorph Interaction: "Your morph effects might also end if you are polymorphed and the polymorph effect invalidates or overrides your morph effect."

Example: "For instance, a morph that gave you wings would be dismissed if you polymorphed into a form that had wings of its own (though if your new form lacked wings, you'd keep the wings from your morph)."

Compatibility: "The GM determines which morph effects can be used together and which can't."

Polymorph

Polymorph effects "completely transform the target into a new form."

Stacking: "A target can't be under the effect of more than one polymorph at a time. If it comes under the effect of another, the second effect attempts to counteract the first. If it succeeds, it takes effect, and if it fails, the spell has no effect on that target."

Granted Strikes: Polymorph-granted Strikes are magical.

Appearance: "Unless otherwise stated, polymorph spells don't allow the target to take on the appearance of a specific individual creature, but rather just a generic creature of a general type or ancestry."

Battle Form Mechanics: When taking battle form, "the special statistics can be adjusted only by circumstance bonuses, status bonuses, and penalties. Unless otherwise noted, the battle form prevents you from casting spells, speaking, and using most manipulate actions that require hands."

Equipment Absorption: "Your gear is absorbed into you; the constant abilities of your gear still function, but you can't activate any items."

Size Expansion: "If a polymorph effect causes you to increase in size, you must have space to expand into or the effect is disrupted."

Illusions

Illusion magic "creates false sensory stimuli." Some allow disbelieving, which ignores spells upon successful checks. "This usually happens when a creature Seeks, Interacts, or otherwise spends actions to engage with the illusion, comparing the result of its Perception check (or another check or save the GM chooses) to the caster's spell DC."

Mental Illusions: "Mental illusions typically provide rules in the spell's description for disbelieving the effect (usually via a Will save)."

Proof Through Engagement: "If a creature engages with an illusion in a way that would prove it's not what it seems, the creature might know that an illusion is present, but it still can't ignore the illusion without successfully disbelieving it."

Vision After Disbelief: "Disbelieving a visual illusion makes it and those things it blocks seem hazy and indistinct, which might block vision enough to leave the other side concealed."

Subtle Spells

Subtle spells "can be cast without incantations and doesn't have obvious manifestations. Most of these spells enhance your subterfuge or stealth, such as invisibility."

Feat Enhancement: "Some abilities, like the Conceal Spell feat, allow you to make spells subtle even if they wouldn't normally be."

Spellshape

"Many spellcasters can gain access to spellshape actions, typically by selecting spellshape feats."

Timing: Spellshape actions "tweak the properties of your spells. You must use a spellshape action directly before casting the spell you want to alter."

Loss Conditions: "If you use any action (including free actions and reactions) other than casting a spell directly after, you waste the benefits of the spellshape action. The benefit is also lost if your turn ends before you cast the spell."

Effect Integration: "Any additional effects added by a spellshape action are part of the spell's effect, not of the spellshape action itself."

Rituals

Rituals are "esoteric and complex spells that anyone can cast. It takes much longer to cast a ritual than a normal spell, but rituals can have more powerful effects."

Casting Rituals

Ritual casters need not be spellcasters. Primary casters must know the ritual, have spell rank no higher than "half your level rounded up," and possess required skill proficiency.

Primary Caster Role: The primary caster attempts the ritual's required skill check, determining outcomes. The check determines tradition.

Spell Slots: "Rituals do not require spell slots to cast."

Heightening: Casters "can heighten a ritual up to half your level rounded up, decided when the ritual is initiated."

Casting Duration: "A ritual always takes at least 1 hour to perform, and often longer."

Timing Classification: "While a ritual is a downtime activity, it's possible—albeit risky—to perform a ritual during exploration with enough uninterrupted time."

Daily Requirement: "A ritual's casting time is usually listed in days. Each day of casting requires 8 hours of participation in the ritual from all casters, with breaks during multiday rituals to allow rest."

Reduced Participation: "One caster can continue a multiday ritual, usually with some light chanting or meditation, while the other casters rest."

Continuous Requirement: "All rituals require repeated spellcasting words and gestures throughout their casting time."

Learning Rituals

"Learning a ritual does not count against any limits on spells in your spell repertoire or on any other normal spellcasting ability."

Availability: "Rituals are never common, though if you look hard, you can probably find someone who can perform an uncommon ritual for you. They may still be unwilling to teach it to you."

Cost

Ritual costs appear in Cost entries, listing "valuable components required to cast the ritual. If a ritual doesn't have any such components, it won't have a Cost entry."

Consumption Timing: "The cost is consumed when you attempt the primary skill check."

Cost Formulas: Often presented as "a base cost multiplied by the target's level and sometimes the spell's rank. If the target's level is lower than 1, multiply the cost by 1 instead."

Heightened Costs: "Heightened versions that increase the base cost multiply it by the target's level or another value as appropriate."

Creature Creation Costs: "Most rituals that create permanent creatures, such as create undead, use costs based on the level of the creature."

Creature Creation Ritual Table

Secondary Casters

"Many rituals need additional secondary casters, who also don't need to be able to cast spells. Unlike a primary caster, a secondary caster doesn't need a minimum level or skill proficiency."

Indication: "The Secondary Casters entry, if present, indicates the minimum number of secondary casters required."

Checks

At ritual culmination, "you must attempt the skill check listed in the Primary Check entry to determine the ritual's outcome."

DC Standard: "Primary checks usually have a very hard DC for a level that's twice the ritual's spell rank."

Modifier Restrictions: "As with other downtime activities, fortune and misfortune effects can't modify your checks for the ritual, nor can bonuses or penalties that aren't active throughout the process."

GM Adjustment: "The GM can adjust the DCs of rituals, add or change primary or secondary checks, or even waive requirements to fit specific circumstances. For example, performing a ritual in a location where ley lines converge on the night of a new moon might make a normally difficult ritual drastically easier."

Secondary Checks

"Often, a ritual requires secondary checks to represent aspects of its casting, usually with a standard DC for a level twice the ritual's spell rank. A different secondary caster must attempt each secondary check."

Execution Order: "If there are more secondary casters than checks, the others don't attempt any. Secondary casters attempt their checks before you attempt the primary check; no matter their results, the ritual proceeds to the primary check."

Secondary Results:

• Critical Success: +2 circumstance bonus to primary check
• Success: No bonus or penalty
• Failure: -4 circumstance penalty to primary check
• Critical Failure: As failure, plus reduce primary check success degree by one step

Effect

"A ritual's effect depends on the result of the primary check."

Save DC Calculation: "If an effect lists a save DC, use your spell DC for the ritual's magic tradition (or 12 + your level + your highest mental attribute modifier, if you don't have a spell DC)."

Chapter Navigation

<< Chapter 6: Equipment

Chapter 8: Playing The Game >>