7-9: The magic that is already
means that a priest who
+1d10
partial y through you ignites
overdraws or fumbles always
inside you. Not only does the
uses the mixed elemental
Vigor Threshold &
spell fail but you suffer an ele-
fumble result.
Stamina
Will
mental fumble effect as noted
(Magic)
below.
Casting spel s and invocations draws mag-
>9: Your magic explodes with
ic (referred to as chaos) from the elemental
a catastrophic effect. Not only
realms through your body to create a magi-
do you suffer an elemental
fumble effect, but any focusing
cal effect. Every magical y capable character
item you are carrying explodes
has a Vigor Threshold which shows how
as if it were a bomb (doing
much magic you can channel through your
1d10 damage) with a 2 meter
body before you start to damage yourself.
radius.
You can cast any spell with a STA Cost be-
low or equal to your Vigor Threshold with-
out harming yourself.
Elemental Fumble Effect
Your power also depends on your STA de-
Element
Effect
rived statistic. This is how much magic you
can use before you become exhausted and
Magic sparks out of your body.
pass out. When you cast a spell or use magic,
You not only take 1 point of
damage for every point you
you subtract the STA Cost from your STA. If
Mixed
fumbled by but also suffer one
you have too little Stamina left you become
of the effects below, chosen
stunned and must make a Stun save to re-
randomly by the GM.
cover. While stunned, you recover Stamina
The earth around you rocks.
at a rate equal to your REC.
Earth
You take 1 point of damage for
every point you fumbled by
Overexertion and Fumbles
and are also stunned.
The air rushes around you.
While casting magic you can overexert your-
You take 1 point of damage for
self to cast bigger spel s. You can attempt to
Air
every point you fumbled by
cast a spell that has a larger STA Cost than
and are thrown back 2 meters.
your Vigor Threshold by sacrificing Health
Your body bursts into flames.
Points. For every 1 point of Vigor Cost be-
Fire
You take 1 point of damage for
yond your Vigor Threshold, you must spend
every point you fumbled by
5 HP.
and are also set on fire.
If you fumble while casting a spel ,
Frost crackles and hardens
around your body. You take
you risk damaging your body. As with any
Water
1 point of damage for every
fumble, any time you roll a natural 1 on your
point you fumbled by and are
magical attack, you must roll another 1d10.
also frozen.
With that number, refer to the Magic Fum-
ble Outcome table.
167
Magical Focuses
Dimeritium Effects
Mages use magical staves and amulets to
Dimeritium
lower the STA Cost of a spell by a specific
Roll
Effect
Dimeritium is a strange min-
amount based on the focus. Magical focuses
eral that damps the use of
can never bring a STA Cost below 1 point
The dimeritium makes your
magic. Nilfgaardian Mage
and must be in the mage’s hand to work. A
≥18
skin itch. You feel uncomfort-
able but nothing more.
Hunters use cuffs, chains, and
mage can only utilize one focus at a time,
Your skin feels itchy and you
weapons made of a bluish
even when carrying several. Weaving magic
≥16
feel mildly queasy but you are
aloy of dimeritium and iron.
through focuses takes a great deal of atten-
unimpaired.
It is the best defense against
tion and control.
Your skin feels itchy, you feel
mages, assuming you can put
queasy, and your body spasms
Dimeritium, Bane of Mages
≥14
from time to time. Every 1d6
the dimeritium on them. No
one knows how it works and
Dimeritium is a precious metal found
turns, roll a DC:15 Endurance
check or be staggered.
it occurs rarely in the North,
sparsely all over the world. Due to its com-
mainly in Kovir and Povis ,
position it has anti-magic properties, which
Your skin burns and your
≥12
stomach is roiling. You are
(like everything else the gods
makes it impossible for average magic users
nauseated.
may have put in the ground).
to summon up magic while touching the
Your skin feels like it’s on fire
If you figure out why it works,
substance. The very presence of dimeriti-
and you can barely focus on
be sure and let the University’s
um can lessen a magic user’s Vigor Thresh-
≥10
anything. You must roll Stun
chemists know. It’s driving
old by 1 for every unit of it within 5 meters.
saves every round.
them insane.
When forced to touch dimeritium, a magic
The dimeritium boils the mag-
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
user reduces their Vigor Threshold to 0 and
≤10
ic in your system and you take
1d6 damage per round that you
must make an Endurance check (DC:16)
are touching the dimeritium.
and apply the results from the Dimeritium
Effects table. This check must be made every
half hour as long as contact continues.
Highly Skilled Mages
Highly skilled mages like Yennefer of Ven-
gerburg or the infamous Vilgefortz of Ro-
geveen are capable of feats that most average
mages couldn’t even dream of. Magic spel s
normal y rely on incantations and hand
gestures. However, high Spell Casting skill
allows magic users to omit certain compo-
nents when casting, as shown below.
Skill
Requirements
1-6
All magic requires spoken words and
hand gesture.
7-8
Spel s/invocations only require hand
gestures.
Spel s/invocations only require minor
9-10
gestures, which can be made with any
part of the body.
168
Magic Targeting
Rituals
Spel s and invocations affect different numb- Rituals require more focus and precision
than the average spell or incantation. Cast-
• Direct: Direct spel s affect one or more targets ing a ritual requires specific components for specifical y, but do not affect you or the area the ritual, and significant time. Much like nearby. These spel s act much like standard crafting, you must spend the amount of time
ranged attacks.
listed for the ritual first. Next, roll a Ritual
• Area of Effect: Area of effect spel s fill a certain Crafting check against the DC of the ritual.
area and affect anyone inside it. These spel s act If you succeed, the ritual is successful. If you much like direct spel s, except that anyone in fail, the ritual has no effect, and the ritual the area must make a defensive roll against your components are used up. If you fumble a
Spell Casting rol .
ritual, you take 1 point of damage for each
• Self-Affecting: Self-affecting spel s only affect point of Vigor spent.
the caster of the spel . To cast a self-affecting spell
you only have to roll above the casting DC of the Being Interrupted
spell.
If you are interrupted by something before
you can finish the ritual, you must make a
Ritual Crafting roll to keep focus and con-
tinue. The DC to continue the ritual is 15 if
you were shaken, bumped, yelled at, or had
something tossed at you. If you are attacked
and physical y harmed, the DC to continue
the ritual is 18. If you are physical y removed
from the ritual area, you can continue if you
get back to the area in 1 round and make a
DC:16 Ritual Crafting check.
Group Rituals
Other people can help you perform a ritual.
These people don’t have to be magical y po-
tent, but they must be able-bodied enough
to help draw chalk circles, place ritual items,
or recite text. Every person you have help-
ing you (maximum 4) lowers the DC of the
ritual by 1.
Hexes
Hexes function a bit differently from both
spel s/invocations and rituals. To weave
a hex you must draw not only a certain
amount of magic, but also personal hatred
for the targeted person or place. Failing to
cast a hex does nothing. There’s no backfire
unless you fumble. If you do fumble, you
have a 50% chance of inflicting the hex on
yourself.
169
Transportation & Cavalry
Control Rolls
Control Modifier
Bareback Penalty
When riding bareback
When riding animals or driving vehicles
(without a saddle of any
you have to concern yourself with keeping
Mount/Vehicle
Control Mod.
form) you are at a -2 to al
control. Whenever you attempt a maneu-
Control checks.
ver, you must make a Control check to keep
Horse
+2
your transportation under control:
War horse
-2
Mule
-0
REF stat+Ride skill
+Control Mod.+1d10
Ox
-2
Sailboat
-1
Redanian Cavalry
This Control check must beat a DC appro-
Sailing ship
-1
The Redanian cavalry are
priate to whatever maneuver you are trying
Cutter
-0
our finest army units. They
to accomplish.
Cart
-0
are trained rigorously. But this
• Simple (15): Swerve a vehicle or jump a low ob-
Carriage
-1
is not the only reason cavalry,
stacle on a horse.
any cavalry of semi-com-
• Difficult (20): Control a skidding vehicle or
petent riders, is dangerous.
make an abrupt stop.
Vehicle Control Loss
What is the most dangerous
• Very Difficult (25): Jump a vehicle or leap a high
weapon in an army? The
obstacle on a horse.
Roll
Result
sword? The halberd? The tre-
buchet? Give me a horse any
1-2
Skid or Slew: No other results.
day. Your horse can kill your
Control Modifiers
Major Skid: Slide 1d10x2 meters side-
opponents simply by stepping
Each mode of transportation has its own
ways in the direction of travel. If you
on them and running into
control modifier. Add the value from the
3-4
hit an object, use the Charging rules to
them, even in plate mail. One
see what damage is done to your vehi-
control modifier table to your Control rol s.
cle and the object.
can use a horse and a weap-
Rolled the Vehicle:
on. Mounted on a horse you
Your vehicle skids
are elevated and a moving
Control Loss
1d10x3 meters sideways in the direc-
tion of travel and rol s. In a land vehi-
target. Horses can make a
If you fail a Control check, you risk losing
cle, you, the vehicle, and the animals
hasty retreat. Well-trained
control completely and having horrible
5-6
pulling it take 5d6 damage. In a wa-
riders can hang from one side
ter vehicle, you have capsized and are
things happen to you and your mount/ve-
trapped underwater until you make a
of their saddle using their en-
hicle. If you are driving a vehicle, use the
DC:12 Swimming check to swim out
tire horse as cover. The rum-
Vehicle Control Loss table. If you are on a
and up.
bling and shaking of a line of
mount, something happens to both you and
well-trained cavalry has been
the mount. Roll twice on the Mounted Con-
known to seriously dishearten
trol Loss table, once for the riders and once
infantry. A well-barded horse
for the mount, to see what happens.
is nearly unstoppable.
–Brandon of Oxenfurt
170
Mounted Control Loss
Getting Out From
Under A Horse
Roll
Personal Results
Mount Results
If your mount fal s on top of
Tack Dropped: The reins slip out of your hands. Refusal: Your mount simply doesn’t to do what you, you have two options:
1-3
You are now at a -1 to Control checks until you you want it to do. You must make another Con-grab them again, which requires a turn.
trol check next round.
let it come to and get off you
naturaly or try to get out
Spooked: Your mount startles and rears. You
from under it. If someone
Bucked: Your mount bucks. Make a DC:15 must make an Athletics check (DC:16) to stay
4
Athletics check. You must succeed to stay in on its back and an Animal Handling check
can make a Physique check
the saddle.
&n
bsp; (DC:18) to calm it down before you can keep
with a DC of 25, they can lift
riding.
the horse off of you.
Bucked: Your mount bucks. Make a DC:18 Stumble: Your mount stumbles and must make 5
Athletics check. You must succeed to stay in
a DC:14 Athletics check to stay standing.
the saddle. If you fall you are considered prone.
Bucked: Your mount bucks. Make a DC:20 Stumble: Your mount stumbles and must make 6
Athletics check. You must succeed to stay in
a DC:18 Athletics check to stay standing.
the saddle. If you fall you are considered prone.
Trip: Your mount trips and must make a DC:15
Bucked: Your mount bucks. Make a DC:25 Athletics check or fall and take 1d10 points of 7
Athletics check. You must succeed to stay in damage to one randomly rolled leg. Roll 1d10.
the saddle. If you fall you are considered prone. 1-3: Front Left, 4-6: Front Right, 7-8: Back Left, 9-10: Back Right.
Thrown: You have been thrown from your
mount. Roll 1d6/2 to see how many meters you
fly. If you land without hitting anything, roll lo- Trip: Your mount trips and must make a DC:20
cation and take 1d6 damage to that location. If Athletics check or fall and take 2d10 points of 8
you hit something along the way, roll location damage to one randomly rolled leg. Roll 1d10.
and then take a number of d6 damage equal to 1-3: Front Left, 4-6: Front Right, 7-8: Back Left, the number of meters you would have flown.
9-10: Back Right.
If you hit a living thing, it takes this damage
as wel .
Thrown: You have been thrown from your Fall: Your mount fal s over. If you are on it or mount. Roll 1d6 to see how many meters you within a meter of it, make a DC:18 Athletics
fly. If you land without hitting anything, roll lo- check to avoid being landed on. If you fail, your cation and take 1d6 damage to that location. If mount fal s on you. Roll a random location to 9
you hit something along the way, roll location see what part of you fal s under the horse, then and then take a number of d6 damage equal to take 2d10 damage to that location. Your horse
the number of meters you would have flown. takes this as torso damage. After this you are
If you hit a living thing, it takes this damage trapped under your mount. You can attempt a as wel .
Control check the next turn to get it off of you.
Thrown: You have been thrown from your Faint: Your mount faints from the sheer stress mount. Roll 1d10 to see how many meters you of the situation. If you are on it or within a me-fly. If you land without hitting anything, roll lo- ter of it, make a DC:18 Athletics check to avoid cation and take 1d6 damage to that location. If being landed on. If you fail, your mount fal s on 10
you hit something along the way, roll location you. Roll a random location to see what part of and then take a number of d6 damage equal to you fal s under the horse and take 2d10 damage the number of meters you would have flown. to that location. Your horse takes this as torso If you hit a living thing, it takes this damage damage. After this you are trapped under your as wel .
The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG Page 38