Magical Spell Acquisition

Magical spell acquisition explains how the mage character class acquires their collection of incantations and dweomers, which come in two forms: cantrips and spells. At the 1st level of experience, many of the former are gained, but only three of the latter — however, as a character obtains experience levels, the spell list that grows steadily contains a far more powerful magic.

This page is concerned with the first-time acquisition of mage spells rather than the means by which mages re-acquire cantrips and spells after use. Discussing that process for a moment, a mage records their steadily acquired spells and cantrips in a spellbook. This is used to mentally construct each spell in the caster's mind, in preparation of it's casting. This process of interpreting symbols and fixing them once again in the mage's mind is conveniently called "memorizing," though this is not an accurate description of what's really going on. It's worth noting that the preservation and upkeep of spellbooks is of utmost importance for the mage, as losing one would be most unfortunate.

Below can be found two tables, each explaining how these cantrips and spells initially come into the mage's possession. Cantrips are divided into "types," of which the player gets some of each. Spells are divided into "levels," which must not be confused with a character's experience level.

Gaining Cantrips

Cantrips are modest enchantments, simple to wield and typically swift to perform. While they possess practical utility and can occasionally divert or incapacitate an adversary briefly, they primarily serve as basic skills acquired by novice spellcasters from an early age.

Cantrip Type	Number Gained	New Cantrips
haunting sound	1-3	01-13
legerdemain	1-3	14-20
person-affecting	1-4	21-36
personal	1-4	37-51
reversed	1-4	52-70
useful	1 per point of intelligence above 9	71-00

Mage cantrips are categorized into six distinct types, as depicted below. The number specified signifies the initial quantity of cantrips a character obtains upon reaching 1st level. To determine which cantrips are acquired, roll the appropriate die and select that many from the lists provided in the associated links.

As the character progresses in levels and acquires new spells, a corresponding addition of cantrips occurs. The specific type of cantrip to be acquired is determined by rolling a percentile die.

For example, the mage Pamela advances from 3rd level to 4th level. In this transition, she gains one 1st-level and one 2nd-level spell, and consequently adds one additional cantrip for each spell gained. To determine what these cantrips are, she rolls on the table shown in the column "new cantrips." Pamela rolls a "31" and "77." Thus she acquires one "person-affecting" and one "useful" cantrip, which she chooses from the list among those cantrips she doesn't already have.

In contrast to spells that typically require a full round for casting, cantrips have the advantage of both a short casting time and the absence of the need to "discharge" the spell — both casting and discharge happen at the same time. This means that often a caster can perform other actions in the same round as casting a cantrip. This flexibility grants cantrips an advantage, making them particularly effective for rapid-fire openings in combat compared to the time-consuming preparation required for more potent spell attacks.

However, a spellcaster may not cast more than one cantrip in a given round, nor may they cast a cantrip in the same round following the discharge of a spell. This is because a caster simply hasn't the wherewithal to do so, as casting is a tiresome matter.

Gaining Spells

Mage Spell Acquisition Table

X.P. Level	1st lvl	2nd lvl	3rd lvl	4th lvl	5th lvl	6th lvl	7th lvl	8th lvl	9th lvl
1st	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2nd	4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
3rd	4	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
4th	5	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
5th	5	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
6th	5	3	2	–	–	–	–	–	–
7th	6	3	2	1	–	–	–	–	–
8th	6	3	3	2	–	–	–	–	–
9th	6	4	3	2	1	–	–	–	–
10th	7	4	3	3	2	–	–	–	–
11th	7	4	4	3	2	–	–	–	–
12th	7	5	4	3	3	1	–	–	–
13th	8	5	4	4	3	2	–	–	–
14th	8	5	5	4	3	2	1	–	–
15th	9	6	5	4	3	3	2	–	–
16th	9	6	5	5	4	3	2	1	–
17th	9	7	6	5	4	3	3	2	–
18th	10	7	6	5	5	4	3	2	1
19th	10	7	6	6	5	4	3	3	2
20th	11	7	7	6	5	4	4	3	2
21st	11	8	7	6	6	4	4	3	3
22nd	11	8	7	7	6	5	4	3	3
23rd	12	8	8	7	6	5	5	3	3
24th	12	9	8	7	7	5	5	4	3
25th	12	9	8	8	7	5	5	4	4
26th	13	9	9	8	7	6	5	5	4
27th	13	10	9	8	8	6	6	5	4
28th	13	10	9	9	8	7	7	5	4
29th	13	10	10	9	8	7	7	6	5

The acquisition table outlines the correct number of spells a mage should have, of each level of spell, at a given level of experience. For example, a 1st level character is expected to possess three 1st level spells. Meanwhile, a 5th level mage should have a distribution that includes five 1st level spells, two 2nd level spells and one 3rd level, for a total of 8 spells.

As characters advance in experience levels, they need to assess their current spell collection according to the spell count shown. For example, when a mage progresses from 5th to 6th level, they can observe that they need to acquire one 2nd level spell and one 3rd level spell to reach the correct spell count for that experience level. At the same time, the character would also gain two cantrips.

Mage Spell Tables

Here is a list of pages containing mage spells that the character can review and select from in assigning which incantations they wish to acquire:

• Mage 1st Level Spells
• Mage 2nd Level Spells
• Mage 3rd Level Spells
• Mage 4th Level Spells
• Mage 5th Level Spells
• Mage 6th Level Spells
• Mage 7th Level Spells
• Mage 8th Level Spells
• Mage 9th Level Spells

As a character's spells accumulate, the amount of space required within their spellbook also increases. More experienced mages often find themselves with a filled first spellbook and perhaps one or two additional ones. The process of "memorizing" these spells is akin to filling a bottle; once the spell is firmly entrenched in the caster's mind, it's as though a mental stopper is placed over the top of the bottle. Consequently, the spell's power remains contained within the mage until the metaphorical stopper is removed.

See also,
Magical Cantrip Tables
Magical Spell Tables