Optional: Преимуществаs of Вредныйl Conditions

A resourceful spellcaster draws upon experience to lend power to her Магии. In the same way many of the порча conditions above offer advantages under the right conditions, at the GM’s discretion, the standard conditions described in Appendix 2 of the Core Rulebook can provide Преимуществаs as well. If the following material gives a spell failure chance, this is in addition to other rolls to succeed at casting (such as caster level checks and мистическое заклинание failure from armor) and is Resolved after those rolls.

Кровотечение: While a spellcaster is affected by this condition, her inflict wounds spells inflict an extra point of damage per die. This only applies when using an inflict wounds spell, not when using those spells to лечение нежить.

Слепота: A слепота spellcaster can use some of the energy of a spell with the Света descriptor to try to counteract the слепота condition. Also, when a слепота spellcaster casts a spell with the Света descriptor, she can choose to take a 20% chance of spell failure with that spell. If the caster successfully casts the spell, the spell also ends the слепота condition.

Замешательство: While замешательство (either temporarily, or permanently by way of an безумие spell or effect), a spellcaster can tap into that замешательство during periods of lucidity. When a замешательство spellcaster can act Без чертыly, the DCs of her spells that give замешательство or безумие effects are increased by 1. The caster also gains a +2 бонус мастерства on caster level checks made to bypass устойчивость к магии with those spells.

Опутывание d: A spellcaster who is опутываниеd and casts a spell with the force descriptor can choose to take a 20% chance of spell failure on that spell. If she successfully casts the spell, she ends the опутываниеd condition, or if she is anchored, her movement is no longer prevented, but she is still опутываниеd.

Растерянность: A растерянность spellcaster can use some of the energy of a spell with the тьма descriptor to try to counteract the растерянность condition. When a растерянность spellcaster casts a spell with the тьма descriptor, she can choose to take a 20% chance of spell failure with that spell. If the caster successfully casts the spell, the spell also ends the растерянность condition.

Глухота: A глухота spellcaster can use some of the energy of a spell with the sonic descriptor to try to counteract the глухота condition. When a глухота spellcaster casts a spell with the sonic descriptor, she can choose to take a 20% chance of spell failure with that spell. If the caster successfully casts the spell, the spell also ends the глухота condition.

Едва жив: A едва жив spellcaster can tap into her ужасs of impending Смерти to empower her Воплощение (healing) spells. Once в день, while едва жив due to damage taken, a spellcaster can choose to treat a single Воплощение (healing) spell she casts on herself as having a caster level two levels higher than her actual caster level. She must actually cast the spell; this ability cannot raise the caster level of a spell cast from a Магии item.

Захват: While being захват, a spellcaster can choose to take a 20% chance of spell failure when casting a touch attack spell. If the spell is successfully cast, the caster gains a +2 bonus on the attack roll against the creature grappling her.

Тошнота: A тошнота spellcaster can use some of the energy of a Воплощение (healing) spell to try to counteract the тошнота condition. When a тошнота spellcaster casts a Воплощение (healing) spell, she can choose to take a 20% chance of spell failure with that spell. If the caster successfully casts the spell, the spell also ends the тошнота condition.

Яд e d or Дезориентация: Once в день, while a spellcaster is ядed or дезориентация, she can take a 20% chance of spell failure when casting a single spell that causes a яд or дезориентация effect. If the spell is successful, the СЛ of any яд or дезориентация effect granted by that spell increases by 2.

Потрясение: While a spellcaster is потрясение, once в день she can channel her ужас to increase the power of a single spell with the ужас descriptor that she casts. When she does so, the spell СЛ of that spell is increased by 1. She must actually cast the spell; this ability cannot raise the caster level of a spell cast from a Магии item.

Ошеломление: Once в день, while a spellcaster is ошеломление, she can take a 20% chance of spell failure when casting a single spell that takes a swift or основное действие to cast. If the spell is successfully cast, she can take a move action directly after casting the spell.

 

 

МАГИЧЕСКАЯ ДУЭЛЬ

Spellcasters are no stследопытs to battle, but there’s a difference between the Хаоса of a huge melee, with dozens of feral monsters ищущее to tear the caster limb from limb, and a more civilized duel between rivals ищущее to settle a dispute. Make no mistake, these duels can be just as мертвly, but the rules surrounding them make for a different style of combat—one in which both combatants can attack and defend with ease, allowing the true skill and power of each to determine the victor.

 

Starting a Duel

A spell duel is a form of combat, but unlike ordinary combat, the participants must all agree to willingly enter the duel and abide by its rules. If either side сломать s the rules, it is considered the loser of the duel, regardless of any other outcome, and if its members continue aggressive action, the fight returns to the standard rules for combat.

The rules for a duel between spellcasters are usually very simple, but can be changed and altered by the participants, so long as both sides agree. Such discussions typically happen before the duel, allowing both sides to properly prepare, but as with all elements of a duel, this is not always the case. Most duels utilize the following simple rules.

· Each participant must fight alone and can receive no help from outside sources, with the exception of фамильяры or other bonded creatures.

· Each participant must fight with Магии. The use of melee or ranged weapons is forbidden, with the exception of bonded objects and weapons that can cast spells, such as staves.

· The use of summoned or otherwise conjured creatures is forbidden, unless the duel expects such creatures to combat one another at the behest of the participants (rather than directly attacking the дуэльное opponent). This sort of creature duel is common among друидs, призывательs, and conjurers.

• The duel lasts until one of the casters has been knocked без сознания or otherwise prevented from continuing. Spells such as паралич (гуманоид) do not end duels, but превращение камня в плоть certainly does, assuming the target fails her испытания. Some duels go to the Смерти and are only ended when one дуэлянт or team is a smoking pile of Праха.

 

Duel Combat

A duel functions much like ordinary combat, with a few notable exceptions that make for a more exciting and challenging encounter.

At the start of the duel, each participant makes an initiative check, just like in standard combat. Because duels are always planned and expected, there is never a surprise round. Alternatively, some duels start off with each side facing off, waiting for the other to f linch or сломать  Решимости. In such cases, substitute a Блеф, Запугивание, or Проницательность check in place of the standard initiative check. The skill used is decided by the individual participants and is reflective of their approach to the duel.

At the beginning of each round, the participants check the состояние of the duel (the GM may want to mark the beginning of each round in some way during initiative tracking as a reminder to check this состояние). So long as all participants agree to continue дуэльное, the duel goes on. If any one of the participants withdraws from the duel, the duel immediately ends for all participants, even those who want to see it continue. The participant or side that ended the duel is considered the loser of the duel. The duel’s remaining participants can, among themselves, agree to resume the duel, but this is considered a separate duel from the previous one and does not involve those who withdrew from the duel.

Each participant in a duel can act Без чертыly on her turn, but if she casts a spell, that spell must affect or target either herself or one of the other duel participants (whether this participant is an ally or an opponent). For example, a дуэльное mage could not cast ускорение on her allies and exclude herself, but she could cast it on herself and her allies. The same goes for offensive spells, such as огненный шар —the дуэльное caster must include one of her opponents in the duel among the targets of the spell, and could not affect some nearby creatures to the exclusion of her opponent.

In addition to the Без черты set of actions a дуэльное caster can выступление each round, each participant in a duel may take a special counterspell action called a дуэльное counter, as noted below.

 

Дуэльное Counter

Each participant in a duel can take a special action once per round called a дуэльное counter. A дуэльное counter is similar to a counterspell, but is easier to use.

When a дуэльное opponent tries to cast a spell, the targeted spellcaster can make a Колдовство check (СЛ 15 + the spell’s level) as a свободное действие. If the check succeeds, she identifies her opponent’s spell and can attempt a дуэльное counter. If it fails, she cannot attempt a дуэльное counter against that spell.

A дуэльное counter is an прерывающее действие that does not provoke внеочередные атаки. To attempt a дуэльное counter, the countering дуэлянт must расход a spell or a spell slot of a level equal to or higher than that of the spell being cast. Note that characters who cast spells spontaneously (such as бардs and чародейs) must choose what exact spell they are using to counterspell in addition to the slot being used. The countering дуэлянт must then make a caster level check against a СЛ of 15 + the spell’s caster level. Unlike when using a true counterspell action (which requires a readied action), even expending an exact copy of the spell being cast does not guarantee success. The caster attempting the counterspell receives a bonus or penalty on her check depending upon the level of the spell slot expended and the exact spell used, as noted in Table 2–3. If the check is successful, the spell is countered—it is negated and the spell is lost. If not, the spell happens as Без черты and the дуэлянт attempting to counter the spell takes a –2 penalty on any испытания made against the spell’s effect.

Alternatively, a spellcaster can use рассеивание магии or greater рассеивание магии as a дуэльное counter. When a дуэльное spellcaster does so, she does not need to опознание the spell being cast, can counter a spell of any level, and must succeed at a caster level check against a СЛ of 11 + the spell’s caster level. When рассеивание магии is used as a дуэльное counter, it is not modified by any of the circumstances in Table 2–3.

Because reaпри смерти to counterspell is its own action, a participant can choose to ready to counterspell and make a дуэльное counter in the same round. This is only useful if the participant is facing multiple opponents or someone with access to Quickened Spell or other abilities that allow casting two spells in the same round.

 

TABLE 2–3: ДУЭЛЬНОЕ COUNTER MODIFIERS

Circumstance	Check Modifier
Spell is of a different school	2
Spell is of the same school, but not the same spell	+2
Spell is of a higher level than the spell being countered	+1 per level higher
Spell is the same as the spell being countered	+10

 

Duel Results

While duels can be treated as another form of combat, they are usually done to Решимости a dispute between colleagues or rivals and are not usually intended to end in Смерти. As a result, duels are usually fought with a specific prize in mind. Скрытности academies are known for having duels to assign important faculty positions and as competitions between students for valuable prizes. In some places, Магииal duels of this kind are so common that special areas are конструкцийed specifically for duels. Such дуэльное yards are sometimes made with special Магии that can be activated for дуэльное competitions, converting all damage to nonlethal damage and preventing or reversing Магии that instantly slays a foe or does permanent повреждение. That is not to say that accidents don’t happen, and more than one student has lost a limb or even her life while on such “safe” fields.

Regardless of the conditions, most duels are serious

affВоздухаs, with each side putting pверховая езда, Чести, treasure, and even their lives on the line to win the Дня. While villains might try to cheat the rules and exploit every advantage, the more noble дуэлянт sees the competition as a chance to prove her superiority and skill on the field of battle, using only her Магии and wits.