Spell Checks — Advanced Old School Revival

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Rolling a Spell Check

Roll + Attribute+ Arcana(vs. Spell Check)

Spells may fail if the target actively resists. The victim may make a opposed check vs. the spellcaster to resist the spell, unless it says otherwise. The spellcaster and the victim both use the attribute as prescribed by spell's type of magic for the roll. This is called a spell check. Success means the spell fizzles out and does not affect the target. In this case, the MP spent to cast the spell are lost.

Psionics uses Mighty;
Thaumaturgy uses Deft;
Sorcery uses Smart.

Concentration

Some spells specifically require you to concentrate for the entire duration of the spell, or else the spell ends and your victims are released from its effects. Other spells may imply that concentration is necessary, but from a mechanical point of view these are directed spells. For example, a spell like Ensorcell specifies concentration explicitly, whereas a spell like Control (Gravity) only implies it.

(See the rules on concentration in spell logic for more details.)

Resisting Ongoing Effects

When you're subject to a spell that renders you helpless or otherwise incapacitated, for each round you're subject to the effects of the spell you may make a spell check to break the spell's hold over you. This is the case for directed spells and spells maintained by concentration.

Each round after the spell is in effect, you make a new spell check to resist at the start of your turn. This check is made at an escalating +2, and the spellcaster must roll to set a new TN for you to resist. Therefore if you're subject to petrification, on the first round after you've been petrified, you may attempt to resist at a +2. On the second round, at a +4, and the third round, at a +6, and so on.

Example of Spell Check

Barbara, a 3rd level psychic, is cornered by a bunch of ruffians in an alley, but they do not know she is a powerful psychic. She plans to teach them a lesson.

GM: The ruffians’ leader takes out a chain and plans to tie you up. You have the initiative. What do you do?

Barbara: I’d like to cast Control (Gravity) on these fools. My eyes glow and I raise my palm as if to lift them up.

GM: Okay, what does that spell do?

Because spells in OSR+ are written to be a single paragraph at most, it’s easy to read the exact text of the spell so everyone can be reminded how it works. Here’s the text of Control (Gravity):

You can manipulate gravity fields in the area of effect, affecting targets as if they had far greater or lesser density or mass. (You do not actually change their density or mass, but gravity behaves as if you had.) If gravity manipulated in this way is used to cause harm to a target, apply the peril of the Force maleficence.

GM: Great. There’s three of them plus the leader, but this spell affects an area. For 3 MP, you can affect the entire encounter.

The encounter is the alleyway the scene takes place in. If the encounter were a large field and the ruffians were all within a melee space, Barbara would only need to spend 2 MP.

Barbara: Got it. I’m going to slam them against the wall! (rolls a d6) That’s 3 plus my 6 Mighty, and I have Psionics so 11 total.

GM: (rolls a spell check to resist, but they fail). These goons didn’t see it coming—they lift up against the wall in shock, struggling against the invisible forces holding them there!

At this point Barbara can direct the spell by controlling gravity in the area of effect for as long as the spell’s duration—they are only entitled to a spell check to resist if she uses the spell to hold them or cause harm. For example, she could fling them down the alleyway to inflict the peril of the Force maleficence, or release them from her grasp from 10 feet in the air, to cause falling damage. She retains the ability to Control (Gravity) in the area of effect for up to 6 rounds (she’s 3rd level and she spent 3 MP to cast the spell), so she can decide to throttle the ruffians next turn, or use her spell against the environment as she sees fit throughout its duration.

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