Editing Samsara:Ultramundane abilities (section)

===Labyrinths and Lycanthropes (Each Spell as an Ability)===
This metaphysic also calls for mastering individual spells, but this time the characters are not expected to know hundreds of them.  Rather, they might know just a few spells and painstakingly piece together a few dozen more over time.  This would serve well for settings without “professional” wizards, but with folks who get what they can and Johnny One-Spells.  Of course, professionals might have learned ten or twenty spells.  This might fit into a setting inspired by the original Dying Earth.

Each spell is an ability: <i>Bolt of Acid</i> +3 or <i>The Efficacious Incantation of Perspicuous Sagacity</i> +1.  Even with this fairly inflexible system, the GM will have to decide if the spell is capable of being changed by the caster or not.  Does the Bolt of Acid always produce exactly the same effect?  Or could the caster attempt to increase the range in exchange for a penalty?  This decision need not be known to the players.  Maybe “everybody” knows what the Bolt is like, up until the time that the player finds himself in a tough spot and tries to jury-rig a new version that affects multiple targets.  Experimentation might be used in this system as well as the preceding one.

This system would function in either mode, although would fit the Classical mode best given its rigid structure.