Feature Showcase - Spellcasting and Mana
Mana and Empowering Spells
Spellcasting in PAD differs pretty heavily from its DND and pf2e counterpart but it does share some similarities. To start, you still have a spell save DC and spell attack as normal. You also gain access to new spells as you level up your character. Where PAD starts to differs is that all spells are cantrips, meaning you can cast them an unlimited amount of times.
Theses spells however are all very weak or have very short durations. On paper, this makes spellcasters much weaker then their DND versions but that’s where the mana system comes in. Spellcasters will have access to a pool of Mana, gaining more as they level up. Mana can be spent to Empower spells, making them more powerful or changing the casting range of the spell. There is a limit to amount of Mana you can spend on a spell however, so you can’ spend 10 in one turn to nuke a creature.
Delivery
When you change the range of a spell, you are changing its Delivery. The spells delivery could be as simple as a targeting a creature within 30 effect, or an area of effect that’s as big as the Mana you spend on it.
All the Delivery options for spells are listed here if you want to read them.
Each spell uses a delivery method determining how it reaches its target. Deliveries have a base Mana cost and can be upgraded by spending additional Mana.
| Delivery | Base Cost | Upgrade Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Aura | 2 | +1 per 5 ft. increase |
| Cone | 2 | +2 per 5 ft. increase |
| Cube | 1 | +1 per additional 5 ft. cube |
| Imbue | 0 | +2 per additional target |
| Glyph | 2 | — |
| Line | 2 | +1 per 10 ft. of extra length |
| Remote | 0 | +1 per additional target |
| Sphere | 2 | +1 per +5 ft. to radius |
| Touch | 0 | — |
| Aura: 10 foot radius cantered on you, affecting all targets within | ||
| Cone: 15 foot area in front of you | ||
| Cube: 5 foot area you can see | ||
| Glyph: Creates a 5 foot square glyph on the ground in an area you can see That doesn’t already have a glyph within 5 feet. You can use an action on a subsequent turn to cause the spell to appear on the glyph when you choose. Afterwards, the glyph disappears. | ||
| Imbue: Targets a weapon wielded by a creature within 60 feet. If the weapon hits a creature while imbued, you can spend a reaction and 1 mana to to cast the spell with a range of Touch against the target. | ||
| Line: 5-foot-wide, 30-foot-long, 10-foot-high area. Expanding the area’s height by 5 feet and length by 10 feet is double the mana cost. | ||
| Remote: A target you can see within 30 feet. | ||
| Ranged spells targeting a creature within 5 feet are Hindered. | ||
| Sphere: 5 foot radius sphere you can see. | ||
| Touch: A target within 5 feet, or yourself. Touch grants [[Favored and Hindered (Advantage System) | Favored]] on spell attack rolls and [[Favored and Hindered (Advantage System) | Hindered]] on saving throws. |
Sources
Spells also have an additional component that modifies the them called the spells Source. Sources allow spells to gain brand new properties or alter the spell in different ways.
This effectively means that when you cast a spell, you choose which Source of magic you pull from, you spend x amount of Mana to change its damage, range and other effects and then cast the spell, spending as many actions as the spell lists.
I’ll give an example of how the system works with the Spell Guiding Bolt.
Example
- Spell Level: 1
- Tradition: DivineTradition
- Casting Time: 2 actions
- Components: Evocation Radiant
- Casting Requirements: Verbal Somatic Material
- Duration: 1 Round
A flash of light streaks toward a creature of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 radiant damage, and the next attack roll made against this target before the end of your next turn has Favored.
Empower: the damage increases by 1d6
*Most of the bolded text is pretty self explanatory but I'll explain why **components** has been changed. Components now refers to actual magic that forms a spell and certain feats can alter spells with certain components. For example **Life Domain** Clerics can heal themselves when they cast spells with the #Vitality component.*
When I cast this spell, I first pick a source from the Clerics source list (I’ll explain sources at a later point as they also apply to PAD’s feat system). Because this is a 1st level spell, I’ll use the 1st level source Protection.
Protection
Source Level: 1
- Target: 1 creature you can see Allies: Grant a +1 to AC and all saving throws for 1 minute to the target of this spell.
At Higher Levels: Increase the AC and Saving Throw bonus by 1
In this case, I’ll apply this bonus to a nearby ally as the target lists 1 creature I can see.
Next, I’ll spend Mana to modify the Delivery of the spell. I happen to have 2 targets within 15 feet of me so I’ll spend 2 Mana to make the range of the spell a Cone. I’ll also Empower the spell, spending one mana to make the damage 2d6 instead of 1d6.
I then roll a spell attack against both targets within the cone, apply damage as normal. I also now grant a +1 to AC and all saving throws to the ally I chose.
An that’s spellcasting! This is obviously very experimental and will require balancing down the line. The goal with this system is make spells feel a lot more dynamic and customizable and to give Spell casters even more options with how they cast their spells.