Yagura:SRD:Spellcasting Strain

Spellcasting Strain

Every character with magical ability suffers some level of strain when casting spells. Training and experience allow a character to withstand this strain without any negative effects, to a point. Therefore this strain threshold is a measure of the spellcasting ability available to a character.mana-based casting a real and balanced option.

Strain Tolerance

Your strain tolerance is a number representing the total amount of strain you can accumulate before suffering negative effects. Your strain tolerance is determined by your class, but not by your level or ability scores.

Casting a Spell

First you must select a spell to cast, as normal. If you prepare your spells you may only cast spells which you have prepared. Casting a prepared spell does not make the spell unprepared. If you cast spontaneously you may cast any spell that you know.

When you cast a spell, you have to channel a portion of the magic through your own body. This is taxing both physically and mentally, and is the basic limiting factor that determines how many spells you can cast without resting. Every spell has a strain cost, which depends on the level of the spell and your caster level, as shown on the tables below. At high class levels, some spells have no strain cost, which one would expect - a powerful spellcaster can cast basic spells all day long.

Whenever you cast a spell, you suffer strain equal to the spell's strain cost. As you cast more spells, the strain accumulates. As long your total accumulated strain is lower than your strain tolerance, you suffer no ill effect. Continuing to cast spells once your strain is over your tolerance, however, is extremely taxing on your body and mind.

As soon as your total strain exceeds your tolerance, you become fatigued (even if you are normally immune to this condition; this is fatigue of the mind, not the body). If while fatigued you wish to cast another spell, you must first make a Fortitude save with a DC equal to (20 + the spell's level + the amount of strain you have over your tolerance). If the save is successful, you cast the spell as normal. If the save is failed, the spell fizzles with no effect and you become exhausted (even if you are normally immune to this condition). While exhausted you may not cast any spells. You cease to be exhausted after an hour of complete rest.

Recovering Strain

Strain is lost at a rate of 1 strain every 15 minutes, regardless of your activity level. Fatigued due to excess strain goes away as soon as your total strain is no longer over your tolerance. However, you do not lose strain while exhausted.

Meditative rest or sleep allows you to lose strain at double the rate.

Strain Costs

The amount of strain it costs to cast a spell depends on your level and the type of caster you are, as defined by your spellcasting class.

Alpha Casters

Table: Strain Costs for Alpha Casters Level Strain Points 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 1st 5 8 — — — — — — — — 2nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 3rd 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 4th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 5th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 6th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 7th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 8th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 9th 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — 10th 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — 11th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — 12th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — 13th 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — 14th 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — 15th 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — 16th 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — 17th 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 18th 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 19th 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 20th 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 8

Table: Strain Costs for Beta Casters Level Strain Points 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 1st 8 — — — — — — — — — 2nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 2nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 4th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 4th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 4th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 7th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 8th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 9th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 10th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 11th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 12th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 13th 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — 14th 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — 15th 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — 16th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — 17th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — 18th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — 19th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — — 20th 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 — — —

Table: Strain Costs for Gamma Casters Level Strain Points 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 1st — — — — — — — — — — 2nd — — — — — — — — — — 3rd — — — — — — — — — — 4nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 5nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 6nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 7nd 5 8 — — — — — — — — 8th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 9th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 10th 3 5 8 — — — — — — — 11th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 12th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 13th 2 3 5 8 — — — — — — 14th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 15th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 16th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 17th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 18th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 19th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 20th 1 2 3 5 8 — — — — —

Spell Power

Most numeric effects of a spell are determined primarily by the spell's level, and not by the caster's level. Any reference to caster level within a spell, such as "1d6 per caster level" or "one target per two caster levels" or similar reference, is calculated as if the caster's level was equal to the spell power in the following table. An exception is made for range, which is modified from the SRD progression and listed by spell level in the following table.

Table: Spell Power

Spell Level	Spell Power	Close Range	Medium Range	Long Range
0	2	30'	60'	120'
1	4	35'	70'	140'
2	6	40'	80'	160'
3	8	45'	90'	180'
4	10	50'	100'	200'
5	12	55'	110'	220'
6	14	60'	120'	240'
7	16	65'	130'	260'
8	18	70'	140'	280'
9	20	75'	150'	300'

Thus a fireball always does 8d6 damage at up to 180', a charm person always lasts for 4 hours and only targets within 35', and fabricate always affects up to 120 cubic feet of material. If you want the spell to deal more, last longer, go farther, or affect a larger area you need to apply metamagic effects to it or cast a version of the spell that is a higher level.

Dispel Magic

An exception is made for dispel magic and greater dispel magic. These spells use your level in the relevant casting class rather than spell power to determine your likelihood of dispelling an effect.

Spell DCs

All spells have a DC of 10 + half caster level + casting ability modifier.

Metamagic

Preparation casters are still required to apply any desired metamagic effects to their spells at preparation. These spells take up a slot of the appropriate level and a number of spell points based on that slot when cast.

Spontaneous casters may choose to apply any metamagic feats that they know when casting a spell. They pay a cost in spell points based on the final level of the spell after all metamagic adjustments are complete. If the spell has a casting time of 1 full-round action or less, they must spend a swift action to apply metamagic effects. In the case of a quickened spell, this swift action also entails the entire casting of the spell. If the spell has a cast time of 1 round or more, they must spend an additional standard action to apply metamagic effects.

Some specific adjustments and clarifications to metamagic appear below.

Empower Spell

Empower Spell only carries a metamagic cost of 1 spell level, not 2.

The reasons behind this are fairly straightforward. Casting an empowered spell of level X has an effect roughly equal to casting a spell of level X and a spell of level X-1. Since we know that the cost of casting those two spells is the same as the cost of casting a spell of level X+1, we charge the same amount for this metamagic effect.

Heighten Spell

Heighten Spell increases the spell's level, which also increases the spell power of a spell. This is generally an inefficient way of boosting a spell's effect, but may be necessary to breach a defense.

Widen Spell

Widen Spell increases both the length and the width of line effects. This grants a similar effect to lines as it does other areas.