Magic-users and Fighter-mages get one spell slot of their own level per day, and two slots for spells of each lower level.
E.g.: a 6th level magic-user could cast one 6th level spell per day, and two spells each of levels 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.
A higher-level spell slot can instead be used for a spell of the level immediately below, but no lower.
E.g.: a 10th level spell slot could be used for a 9th level spell, but not an 8th or lower level spell.
Magic-users are limited to spells of a level equal to or lower than their INT score.
Fighter-mages are likewise limited by their INT score, but they can never cast spells higher than Level 12 even if their INT is higher than 12.
A spell takes just one round to cast, but ten minutes per spell level to prepare for casting. Thus, a 3rd level spell will take 30 minutes to prepare, while a 12th level spell will take two hours (120 minutes). Either, once prepared, could be cast in a single round.
Preparing a spell is a difficult combination of impressing on one�s mind a complex arrangement of incantations, gestures and mental patterns and attitudes, and of constructing a magically charged and/or mnemonic device (the material component of the spell) that focuses the spell energies into a usable form. Some spells require rare and valuable substances for the construction of their focus. The material component is invariably destroyed in the casting of the spell.
Once prepared, the spell may be cast at any later time, unless any of the following conditions apply:
A spell-slot need not be filled ahead of time. The magic-user may elect to leave it blank, and prepare and cast a spell of the appropriate level when he or she knows more about the situation at hand.
This can be risky in a dangerous location however, as the long periods of uninterrupted study and construction required to prepare spells can leave the wizard (and the rest of the party) vulnerable to attack � and the wizard�s valuable spell-books might then be damaged!
All spells require the clear utterance of an incantation, and that both hands be free to move in order to make specific magical gestures. They also require material components to focus the magical energies; these material components are consumed by the casting of the spell, so can be used only once.
Material components can be specified for each spell (if you enjoy that level of book-keeping) or the magic-user can simply spend a certain amount of gold on generic components. In any case, the material components for a spell cost a minimum of 1gp per spell level.
Spell books are large, heavy and bulky. They are also quite valuable.
The usual size of a spell book is about 12 x 18" (30 x 45cm) and about 4" (10cm) thick. It contains 100 leaves of vellum (200 pages) and weighs in the region of 12-15 lbs.
A spell takes up one page per level. Thus, a 1st level spell will fit on to one side of a single leaf, while a 20th level spell would require twenty pages to describe in detail all the complex instructions necessary to cast the spell.
Spell scrolls can normally be used in exactly the same way as spells from a spell book (i.e. by studying and preparing the spell for later casting), in which case the the spells they contain can be re-used again and again as long as the appropriate material components are at hand. In fact, many magic-users� spell "books" are nothing more than a motley collection of scrolls, sometimes not even bound together.
In an emergency however, they can be read and cast directly from the scroll. In such a case the scroll itself acts as the focus of the spell, and is destroyed in the casting.
A spell can be read, in the same way as a scroll, directly from a spell book. However, if the pages holding the spell instructions are not first removed from the book, the casting of the spell may destroy not only those pages but also the pages holding neighbouring spells! In a worst-case scenario, it could create a chain-reaction and destroy the entire book! Obviously, this is a last-ditch tactic, something no wizard would willingly do.
Magic-users may not cast any spells when wearing any type of armour with the single exception of magical bracers.
Fighter-mages may cast spells while armoured, but only as long as the spell being cast is no higher in level than three times the "plus" of the armour. For example, a fighter-mage in +1 armour may cast any spell up to Level 3; if they wished to cast a higher level spell, then they would have to doff their armour to do so. Armour of +2 allows the casting of any spell up to Level 6, +3 armour allows casting up to Level 9, and +4 or better armour allows spell casting up to the fighter-mage�s maximum of 12th level.
All spell use requires the free use of both hands, so no weapons may be in hand, nor any shield worn on arm while casting spells.
Unless specifically stated in the spell description, any spell cast as an attack allows the victim a saving throw to avoid or mitigate its effects. For these purposes, any spell that the target is unwilling to be affected by is an attack, regardless of whether the spell effect would be harmful or not.
NOTE: The spells shown in these lists are those that have been developed and polished by the Ancient Masters to the point where their effects are reliable, consistent and predictable. Other spells do exist in the repertoires of specific magicians, but they are not necessarily reliable. Beware.