Casting A Spell

Mage Information

Casting Magickal Effects

All elements described below are detailed between pp. 528-547.

Step One – Effect

What Do You Want to Do, and How?

• -- What Effect are you trying to accomplish?
• -- Which Spheres are you using?

Step Two – Ability: Can You Do It?

• -- How does your character focus belief and practice into making it happen?
• -- Which tools and/ or rituals are you using?
• -- How long does it take?
• -- Is what you’re doing vulgar or coincidental?
• -- Are any allies assisting you?
• -- Do you have any mundane skills that might help?

Step Three – Roll

Are You Successful?

• -- Roll your Arete/ Enlightenment versus appropriate difficulty (minimum difficulty is 3):
  • Coincidental: Difficulty = highest Sphere + 3
  • Vulgar Without Witnesses: Difficulty = highest Sphere + 4
  • Vulgar With Witnesses: Difficulty = highest Sphere + 5

• -- Add or subtract modifiers (maximum +3/ -3).
• -- If you need to hit your target, roll appropriate combat Traits.
• -- Spend Quintessence and/ and or Willpower (if desired).
• -- Check the number of your successes.
• -- Do you need to roll more successes?
• -- Repeat for extended rituals/ rolls.

Step Four – Results: What Happens?

• -- What sorts of results did your magick have? (Damage, Duration, apparent effects, etc.)
• -- Did someone dodge, soak, resist, or use counter-magick against your Effect? If so, remove the successes they rolled from your own successes.
• -- Did you succeed? If so, determine its results. (Take Paradox if required.)
• -- Did you fail? If so, Effect fizzles. (Take Paradox.)
• -- Did you botch? If so, take Paradox as below:
  • Coincidental Botch: Gain one point of Paradox per dot in the highest Sphere used.
  • Vulgar Without Witnesses Botch: Gain one point of Paradox + one point per dot in the highest Sphere.
  • Vulgar With Witnesses Botch: Gain two points of Paradox + two points per dot in the highest Sphere. (Paradox has different rules in Mage Revised; see the Paradox Points Generated chart.)
• -- Did you get more than five points of Paradox? If so, Storyteller may roll for backlash.