Magic/Rules

=Basic Magic Rules= Magic grants a magic-user the ability to accomplish great things that would otherwise be impossible. Lifting and throwing objects with your mind, summoning angels, or controlling the minds of others, are all possibilities of magic. Here we will go over the fundamentals of magic before then going into greater details.

Base Casting Bonus
Base Casting Bonus (BCB) is a representation of your prowess as a caster. Similar to base attack bonus, not all base casting bonuses are equal between classes. As a result this doesn’t inherently mean a lower BCB character will be bad a casting, but they may lack access to some of the more complex castings on their high casting counterparts; this is usually balanced by lower BCB having higher BAB and high BCB having low BAB allowing for the mixture of magic and martial to be a higher or lower focus of the character.

Undercasting
You may cast a spell intentionally at a diminished effect at less than your maximum Base Casing Bonus (minimum 1), Casting Ability Modifier (minimum 0), or even Spell Prowess Bonus (minimum 1). These decisions are made before the spell is cast.

Casting Ability Modifier
Casting ability modifier (CAM) is usually determined by your class, either given depending on the class or a choice made within the class. Casters generally use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. In this system casting ability modifier is used to determine the spell attack roll and number of spell points of a character. If a character has a casting ability modifier determined by multiple sources (such as through multiclassing) you use the casting ability modifier of the class you possess the most levels in (if equal use the one you put levels in first), if multiple classes use the same modifier add them together for the purposes of determining the class you have the most levels in for the purposes of determining your casting ability modifier.

Spell Prowess Bonus
Spell Prowess Bonus (SPB) is a representation of one level in casting classes. Similar to Martial Prowess Bonus (MPB) this helps determine a portion of the scaling on spells between classes. This is usually used to determine what the foe must roll against for saves so as long as one continues taking levels in casting classes their spells may remain capable for the level they’re at.

Save Attack Roll
Usually when casting a spell with a save attached one makes a “Save Attack Roll” this is usually 1d20 + ½ SPB + CAM. The foe then rolls their appropriate saving throw against this resulting value. If a spell targets multiple creatures or lingers for multiple turns, you roll your save attack roll once when the spell is cast and each creature rolls their saving throw against this value; each additional round the spell lingers you make a new save attack should the spell call for additional save attacks, unless specified otherwise.

A natural 20 is a “critical success” while a natural 1 is a “critical failure”. A foe rolling a natural 20 on their reflex save is a “critical success” while a natural 1 is a “critical failure”.

This means for a foe a critical success from the attacker or a critical failure from the defender means automatic success of the spell. Some spells may have additional effects on a critical success while others may simply have additional effects based on how much you exceed their value.

A critical failure from you or a critical success from the defender usually means your spell has no effect, usually completely negating the effects of your spell even if you had a reduced effect on a normal success from the defender.

Matching critical successes or critical failures from both the attacker and defender is not considered a critical success or failure and the final values of both rolls must be used to determine success or failure.

Note a creature may choose to willingly fail a saving throw, this is not treated as a critical failure (such as damaging items for a critically failed reflex save) but you still treat their result as a 1.

You always know whether or not your save attacks are successful, unless specified otherwise by the spell or the target has an ability that allows it to deceive you.

Degrees of Success and Failure
Some spells measure a success or failure in degrees. Success is determined from the attacker, meaning an attacker equaling or exceeding the saving throw of the defender is considered a success, while failing to exceed is considered a failure for the attacker.

A degree of success is when an attacker exceeds the saving throw of a defender by at least 5. Some spells and abilities may call for multiple degrees of success, so two degrees of success would require the attacker to exceed the defender’s saving throw by at least 10. This is usually used by spells to create more severe effects based on how poorly the defender was able to handle the spell.

A degree of failure is generally then measured as being at 5 lower than the result of the defender’s saving throw. Some spells may call for multiple degrees of failure as well. This is usually a reduced or sometimes directly negated effect on a failed save attack.

Opposed Checks
Some spells or effects might call for a SPB check against a spell or effect. Rolling the 1d20+ the SPB + CAM of both casters and comparing results to determine the outcome.

Spell Pool & Spell Points
A spell pool is a resource pool that casters use to create various spell effects each day. Any class that grants a spell pool is considered a casting class for the purposes of determining one’s SPB. A spell pool contains a number of points determined by the character’s Levels in casting classes + their Casting ability modifier. Hybrid classes do not count as casting classes for the purposes of determining capacity of their spell pool. Unless specified otherwise, a spell pool replenishes each day after 8 hours of rest.

Some spells may not have a spell point cost associated with them. For those that do they will list the cost that should be deducted from your spell pool. Some spells or modifiers to spells may incur multiple spell point costs for the effect, you must be able to pay the entire spell point cost to cast this spell.

Spell Resistance
Spell resistance is the ability to avoid being affected by spells. Some items and spells grant spell resistance, while some creatures have a natural resistance to magic in the form of spell resistance.

Spell resistance is represented as SR 5%, SR 10%; the number representing the creature’s level of spell resistance. Spell resistance similar to the miss chance of concealment requires the attacking creature to roll a d100 (or percentile dice), to determine success. If the value is equal to or lower than the creature’s SR value then the spell immediately fails against and any effect does not occur against that creature. If you succeed the spell works as normal.

Spell resistance is rolled before a creature would need to make an opposed saving throw against a spell, but after any required attack rolls have occured to determine if the spell would hit or not. This is because if a spell misses a creature it would not be subject to the spell, while a saving throw is a representation of a creature’s ability to shrug off a spell that has already begun to affect them.

Concentration Checks and Casting Spells
To cast a spell you must concentrate. If something interrupts your concentration while you’re casting, you must make a concentration check or lose the spell. When you make a concentration check you roll 1d20 + Concentration Skill (skill ranks, skill modifier, and any other miscellaneous bonuses to the concentration skill.)

Casting Defensively
When casting a spell you leave yourself open as you attempt the casting, you may avoid this by making a concentration check to both keep your defenses raised while casting the spell. The DC of this is 15 + the BCB of the spell. Should you succeed you cast the spell and do not provoke an attack of opportunity. Should you fail you cast the spell as normal but provoke an attack of opportunity, which in itself may be subject to a concentration check.

Injury
If you take damage while trying to cast a spell you must make a concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + the damage taken + ½ the BCB of the spell. If you fail this check you lose the spell without effect.This interrupting event strikes during spellcasting if it comes between the time you started and the time you complete a spell. Damage taken to temporary hit points still counts as damage for the purposes of determining the DC of the concentration check.

If you are maintaining an already cast spell or taking continuous damage (such as a bleed effect) the DC instead becomes 10 + ½ the damage taken + ½ the BCB of the spell you are casting. If the continuous damage dealt was the last damage the effect could deal (such as the bleed duration ending), then the damage is over and does not distract you.

Grappled, Pinned, or Entangled
If grappled or pinned the DC is The grappler’s last combat manuever check used to establish or maintain the grappled + ½ the BCB of the spell you’re casting. If entangled the effect is simply 15 + ½ the BCB of the spell you’re casting. These effects usually restrict the motions of the caster in some way making for a distraction to their casting.

Motion
Motion is broken down between Vigorous, Violent, or Extreme motion. In vigorous motion such as a mount, wagon ride, or a boat in rough water you may be subject to a DC 10 + ½ the BCB of the spell concentration check. Violent motion such as a boat in rapids or a storm requires a DC of 15 + ½ BCB of the spell concentration check. Extreme motion such as an earthquake has a DC of 20+½ the BCB of the spell concentration check.

Weather
Blinding rain or sleet can be a distraction requiring a DC 5 + ½ the BCB of the spell concentration check to cast the spell. While hail, dust, debris can be more distracting requiring a DC 10 + ½ the BCB of the spell concentration check to cast the spell.

Casting Times
Most abilities require a standard action to cast, but there are exceptions. Certain spells or abilities may increase the time required to cast a spell. If a casting time is adjusted up or down the following table should be referenced for increments of time that a spell cast may increase.

Distances
Many spells and some class features use the terms close, medium and long as indicators for range. Some class features may use class levels or hit die in place of BCB to determine the power of an ability.

Aiming a Spell
You must make choices about whom a spell is to affect or where an effect is to originate, depending on a spell’s type. The next entry in a spell description defines the spell’s target (or targets), its effect, or its area, as appropriate.

Target or Targets
Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.

If the target of a spell is yourself (the Target line of the spell description includes “You”), you do not receive a saving throw, and spell resistance does not apply. The saving throw and spell resistance lines are omitted from such spells.

Some spells restrict you to willing targets only. Declaring yourself as a willing target is something that can be done at any time (even if you’re flat-footed or it isn’t your turn). Unconscious creatures are automatically considered willing, but a character who is conscious but immobile or helpless (such as one who is bound, cowering, grappling, paralyzed, pinned, or stunned) is not automatically willing.

Some spells allow you to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after you cast the spell. Redirecting a spell is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Create
Some spells create or summon things rather than affecting things that are already present.

You must designate the location where these things are to appear, either by seeing it or defining it. Range determines how far away an effect can appear, but if the effect is mobile, after it appears it can move regardless of the spell’s range.

Area Spells
Some spells affect an area rather than a specific creature below are some of the different types. Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects.

Radius
Some spells affect a radius. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area is a sphere-shaped spell that expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area. The point of origin of a radius spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection.

You can count diagonally across a square, but remember that every second diagonal counts as 2 squares of distance. If the far edge of a square is within the spell’s area, anything within that square is within the spell’s area. If the spell’s area only touches the near edge of a square, however, anything within that square is unaffected by the spell.

Cylinder
When casting a cylinder-shaped spell, you select the spell’s point of origin. This point is the center of a horizontal circle, and the spell shoots down from the circle, filling a cylinder.

Line
A line-shaped spell shoots away from you in a line in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and extends to the limit of its range or until it strikes a barrier that blocks the line of effect. A line-shaped spell affects all creatures in squares through which the line passes.

Cone
A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes.

Burst
Similar to area spells, a burst spell usually affects an area counted out from the point of origin in squares. The difference is burst spells usually use the casting creature as the point of origin rather than a square intersection. This is counted out from the creature’s edge and outwards from there, as a result a 5 foot burst spell may affect a different area for a medium creature than it would for a large creature casting the same spell.

Creatures and Objects
Some spells specify if it affects creatures or objects directly, affecting all creatures in an area of some kind (such as a radius or burst) rather than individual creatures you select. The area might be a spherical burst, a cone-shaped burst, or some other shape.

Many spells affect “living creatures,” which means all creatures other than constructs and undead. Creatures in the spell’s area that are not of the appropriate type do not count against the creatures affected.

Other
A spell can have a unique area, as defined in its description.

Line of Effect
A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what a spell can affect. A line of effect is canceled by a solid barrier. It’s like line of sight for ranged weapons, except that it’s not blocked by fog, darkness, and other factors that limit normal sight.

You must have a clear line of effect to any target that you cast a spell on or to any space in which you wish to create an effect. You must have a clear line of effect to the point of origin of any spell you cast.

Most area spells affect only an area, creature, or object to which it has a line of effect from its origin (a spherical burst’s center point, a cone-shaped burst’s starting point, a cylinder’s circle, or an emanation’s point of origin).

An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot through it does not block a spell’s line of effect. Such an opening means that the 5-foot length of wall containing the hole is no longer considered a barrier for purposes of a spell’s line of effect.

Duration
A spell’s duration entry tells you how long the magical energy of the spell lasts.

Timed Durations
Many durations are measured in rounds, minutes, hours, or other increments. When the time is up, the magic goes away and the spell ends. If a spell’s duration is variable, the duration is rolled secretly so the caster doesn’t know how long the spell will last. Usually spell durations are measured based on the user’s BCB such as minutes per BCB.

Instantaneous
Generally if a duration is not specified the spell is to be assumed to have a duration of instantaneous. This means that the effect is no longer considered magical after it is made; it cannot be dispelled after it has taken effect. This can mean a object in flight (such as throwing a ball of fire) could be affected still by areas of anti-magic that it passes through, but once it has dealt its damage is unable to be affected (unless a duration is specified, things catching fire for example would not be something dispellable unless the spell had a duration longer than instantaneous usually indicating the lingering fire effect is fueled by a spell).

Permanent
The spell remains as long as the effect does. This means the spell is vulnerable to dispelling magic and anti-magic.

Concentration
The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you’re maintaining one, causing the spell to end, except for damage; it is treated as ongoing damage for the purposes of the concentration DC (as it is generally easier to maintain a spell once it has been cast than casting a spell).

If a spell with a duration of concentration allows you to spend a spell point to allow it to continue without concentration, you may decide to do so as a free action on your turn rather than spending the action required to concentrate.

Subjects, Effects, and Areas
If the spell affects creatures directly, the result travels with the subjects for the spell’s duration. If the spell creates an effect, the effect lasts for the duration. The effect might move or remain still. Such an effect can be destroyed prior to when its duration ends. If the spell affects an area, then the spell stays with that area for its duration.

Creatures become subject to the spell when they enter the area and are no longer subject to it when they leave.

Touch Spells and Holding the Charge
In most cases, if you don’t discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round until the spell is discharged. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.

Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can’t hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

A missed ranged touch spell is always discharged due to the projectile or effect of the spell still being fired and missed, but a melee touch spell does not trigger if the touch was not successful as the condition requires you to physically touch the target.

Discharge
Occasionally a spell lasts for a set duration or until triggered or discharged with a set condition for triggering such as an event or a willing action from the caster or recipient.

Dismissible
Some spells can be dismissed at will. You must be within range of the spell’s effect and must be able to speak words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell’s verbal component. If the spell has no verbal component, you can dismiss the effect with a gesture. Dismissing a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A spell that depends on concentration is dismissible by its very nature, and dismissing it does not take an action, since all you have to do to end the spell is to stop concentrating on your turn.

Unless otherwise specified most spells may not be inherently dismissable by the caster, and require either dispelling or their duration to run their course.

The Elements
Many creatures have some level of affinity with an element or elements, be it manifested through its attacks or a weakness to specific elements. The following table below goes over each element. It is generally assumed every element is resistant against itself. Weakness and Strengths chart. [RED] squares indicate a weakness, while [GREEN] indicate a strength. [GRAY] means they take less damage like a strong element would but do not deal bonus damage against that element. [Black] means immune.



Elemental interactions are defined as the following:


 * Weak: A creature who is weak against another element usually takes 50% additional damage from an element they are weak to.
 * Strong: A creature who is strong against another element usually has some Resist value gainst that element.
 * Immune: Some creatures are outright immune to elemental effects. This is most commonly seen on creatures with high earth affinity due to earth having automatic immunity to the electric element; alternatively many creatures have affinity to more than one element, causing their strengths or resistances to compound into higher resistances than normal. Primarily pure elementals of an element (such as a fire elemental) are immune to their associated element as well.

Elemental Resistance
A creature with resistance to elemental damage has the ability (usually extraordinary) to ignore some damage of a certain type per attack, but it does not have total immunity.

Each resistance ability is defined by what elemental type it resists and a number to indicate power of resistance. The numerical value of the resistance (such as Resist 1 Fire) indicates the bonus to AC and Saves the creature has against spells with the associated elemental affinity. For each point of resistance the creature reduces incoming damage of the elemental type by 5 points (as such Resist 3 Fire would reduce incoming fire damage by 15 points); it does not matter whether the damage has a mundane or magical source.

When resistance completely negates the damage from an attack, the attack does not disrupt a spell. This resistance does not stack with the resistance that a spell might provide and the greater of resistance values is used unless specified otherwise.

=Combining Magic Effects= Spells and effects usually work as described, no matter how many other spells or magical effects happen to be operating in the same area or on the same recipient. Whenever a spell or keyword has a specific effect on other spells, the spell description explains that effect. Several other general rules apply when spells or magical effects operate in the same place:

Stacking Effects
Spells that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes usually do not stack with themselves. More generally, two bonuses of the same type don’t stack even if they come from different spells.

Different Bonus Types
The bonuses or penalties from two different spells stack if the modifiers are of different types. A bonus that doesn’t have a type stacks with any bonus.

Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths
In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the one with the highest strength applies.

Same Effect with Differing Results
The same spell can sometimes produce varying effects if applied to the same recipient more than once. Usually the last spell in the series trumps the others. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.

One Effect Makes Another Irrelevant
Sometimes, one spell can render a later spell irrelevant. Both spells are still active, but one has rendered the other useless in some fashion.

Multiple Mental Control Effects
Sometimes magical effects that establish mental control render each other irrelevant, such as spells that remove the subject’s ability to act. Mental controls that don’t remove the recipient’s ability to act usually do not interfere with each other. If a creature is under the mental control of two or more creatures, it tends to obey each to the best of its ability, and to the extent of the control each effect allows. If the controlled creature receives conflicting orders simultaneously, the competing controllers must make opposed Charisma checks to determine which one the creature obeys.

Spells with Opposite Effects
Spells with opposite effects apply normally, with all bonuses, penalties, or changes accruing in the order that they apply. Some spells negate or counter each other. This is a special effect that is noted in a spell’s description.

Instantaneous Effects
Two or more spells with instantaneous durations work cumulatively when they affect the same target.

=Affinity Talent and BCB= Affinity talents are a unique type of talent in that they serve multiple purposes. They work as a baseline for many spell qualifications, unlocking various spells when they’re picked up, usually at least one is granted by a class at first level. They assist spells with the elemental keyword to define the damage type of the spell. A number also functions as a spell granting some minor ability.

If a class ability would allow your BCB to be treated as higher for the purposes of both casting and qualifying for spells and talents you may have spells such as transformation which have no direct affinity association, but let you grab an associated talent (such as a form talent) that matches your affinity. In these situations as long as you possess a qualifying talent of the affinity you cast at a higher level at you may purchase any talents for which you meet the BCB requirement with the boosted caster level; though you may still only cast the spell with the talent applied if the BCB the spell was cast at would qualify.

If a spell would have 2 affinity talents applied (such as lava wall which requires earth and fire affinity) you always use the lower of your 2 BCBs with those affinity spells; such as being full caster level in fire affinity, but ¾ caster level in earth, the spell would be cast at the ¾ BAB caster level.

=Casting Type= One of the ways casting type is differentiated between casters is prepared and spontaneous magic. When first gaining the casting class feature the character may decide to be a spontaneous or prepared caster, once chosen all his casting classes are of this type of casting.

Spontaneous
A spontaneous caster learns talents and spells from their class or feats as they level and when casting in combat may cast any spell and apply talents as appropriate for that spell at the point of casting it.

First Level
Spontaneous casters begin play with 2 spells and 1 talent in addition to any other skills or talents granted by their class the first time they gain the spell pool class feature.

Additional Benefits
Spontaneous casters are locked into the talents they gain and cannot easily gain access to new and different spells, but gain an additional spell point every 2 SPB they possess.

Mystic Pool Classes
If your class lacks a spell point pool but has a mystic pool you do not add these bonus spell points to the mystic pool. You instead gain a minor spell pool.

A minor spell point pool contains a maximum number of spell points equal to the bonus spell points gained from the spontaneous casting type. This minor spell point pool refreshes the same as a normal spell point pool. If you gain the spell pool class feature you lose the minor spell point pool and add these spell points to the spell pool as normal.

Prepared
Prepared casters are more complicated and require more planning than spontaneous casters, but gain more flexibility in their access to various spells when compared to spontaneous casters.

A prepared caster usually draws their spells from an object (called their spell source), such as a spell tome containing their magics or a holy object that is used in religious ceremonies. A prepared caster’s spell source can be virtually anything. Each day after resting to regain spell points, a prepared caster must commune with this spell source to prepare their spells for the day. This process usually requires a full hour of studying, prayer, meditation, or ritual and requires the caster to have access to their spell source.

When a caster first gains levels as a prepared caster they gain their spell source for free. Once a spell source is lost or destroyed it must be replaced by spending at least 100 gp on a suitable replacement item. A character may write any talents currently prepared but not yet expanded into a new spell source. A character may have more than one spell source, such as for having a backup, but may only prepare spells from a single spell source at a time.

While prepared casters still gain spells and talents from their class levels or feats, these do not automatically grant the caster access to a new spell or talent in their spell source (unless it is granting a specific spell or talent); instead these work as slots.

Preparing Spells
Preparing your spells is a two step process of selecting your spells and talents, and assembling your spells.

Selecting Spells and Talents
Unlike a spontaneous caster, a prepared caster’s talents and spells are treated as slots; these slots are empty until they are filled each day from your spell source. When preparing spells each day you empty out these slots and choose new spells and talents from your spell source.

Spells or talents selected must be able to fill the type of slot (a feature that grants specifically a spell can only receive a spell; a feature that grants a talent or spell can receive both). If a feature grants you a specific bonus spell or talent, that spell or talent is always considered to be prepared in its granted slot as long as you have access to your spell source and that slot cannot be used for another spell or talent.

Any prerequisites such as a required talent must be met at the point of preparation (an affinity talent is a prerequisite to most spells and must be prepared, you do not count as meeting the prerequisites from simply having that affinity talent within your spell source).

Once these slots have been filled, you may begin assembling your spells.

Assembling Your Spells
Once your talent and spell slots are filled, a prepared caster must still assemble each spell before it can be cast. An assembled spell is usually the spell plus any additional talents or other variable options of the spell defined into a finalized form, and each assembled spell is called a “spell charge.” When creating a spell charge, you pay any required spell point costs when the spell is assembled rather than when it is cast (including any additional cost for talents that are applied to the spell, and the additional cost to allow the spell to continue without concentration if applicable). A prepared caster may only have a number of spell charges prepared equal to his casting ability modifier plus his levels in prepared casting classes.

Once cast, the spell charge is spent and cannot be cast again, except for spells without a required spell point cost (such as Elemental Blast with no talents applied). If a spell without a required spell point cost is assembled into a spell charge where the only spell points used are discretionary (such as Alter Light with a spell point spent to allow it to continue without concentration) the no-cost version of that spell may be used as long as the spell charge has not yet been expended (example: Alter Light could be cast with a duration of concentration multiple times, but once the spell charge is spent to allow it to continue without concentration it cannot be cast again as a concentration duration unless a separate spell charge was prepared for this).

A caster may scrap a prepared spell charge (effectively discarding it) as a free action on their turn. If the scrapped charge was assembled using any number of spell points, the caster regains 1 spell point (charges assembled using multiple spell points do not yield additional spell points when scrapped).

If the caster has spell points remaining and is not already at the maximum number of allowed spell charges prepared (either through having not prepared them or from having spent charges), the caster may spend 10 minutes of preparation per spell charge to assemble a new charge. This does not allow a caster to go above their maximum number of spell charges.

Example: Consider a 1st level caster with a +3 casting ability modifier and whose spell source contains Alter Light, Darkness, Elemental Blast, and Elemental Cone. The caster in this example gained Dark Affinity as a bonus talent at first level as well as two talents from his class levels (one of which was spent on Alter Light, which granted him the Darkness talent). Due to this, he is always considered to have Dark Affinity prepared in his bonus slot (as this is not a variable slot).

As he has two slots from his class levels, an additional slot gained at 1st SPB as a prepared caster (see Additional Benefits below), and is always considered to have the Dark Affinity talent prepared, he may prepare the Darkness talent (the Alter Light spell is free to prepare, but cannot be used without the Darkness talent also prepared), the Elemental Blast spell, and the Elemental Cone talent in those 3 slots.

As he has a casting ability modifier of 3 and 2 levels in a prepared casting class, the caster can have up to 5 spell charges. As such, he could choose to prepare spell charges for Elemental Blast unmodified by any talents, 2 instances of Elemental Blast modified by the Elemental Cone talent (with a required cost of 1 spell point each), 2 instances of Alter Light modified by the Darkness talent with the spell point cost paid to allow it to continue without concentration (1 each), and reserve 1 spell point for later.

With this set, he could cast unmodified Elemental Blast as many times per day as he wished, could cast Elemental Blast modified by the Elemental Cone talent twice, and could cast Alter Light without concentrating once without losing the ability to cast it through concentration without expending a charge (casting it a 2nd time without concentration would spend the last charge, and the caster would need to prepare a new charge for Alter Light to cast it again with or without concentration).

Obtaining New Spells
To obtain new spells or talents, a prepared caster must inscribe it (or perform a ritual that is appropriate for their spell source) into their spell source from a scroll or from another spell source. The caster may inscribe spells or talents he does not meet the prerequisites for (such as a minimum BCB), but still cannot prepare them unless he meets all the prerequisites for that spell or talent.

This process takes 1 hour to do and the caster must pay an amount of gold to cover expensive materials involved, which is calculated by the higher of their BCB or the required BCB of the spell multiplied by 30 gp (example: a 3 BCB caster would need to pay 90 gp to inscribe a new spell into his spell source).

First Level
Unlike a spontaneous caster, prepared casters gain 2 spells and a talent as spells pre-inscribed into their spell source, rather than as bonus talents.

Additional Benefits
Prepared casters gain an additional slot to fill with a talent or spell when preparing spells at 1st SPB, and every 4 SPB they possess thereafter.

In addition, a prepared caster may choose to spend a spell charge to fuel a non-spell ability, such as a class feature, that requires spell points. Doing so scraps the spell charge (effectively discarding it), but grants the caster a number of temporary spell points equal to the spell points assembled into the spell charge. This requires no action, as it is a part of activating the ability that the spell points are fueling, and any remaining spell points leftover are lost at the start of the caster’s next turn.

=Verbal Components= All spells have a verbal component unless otherwise specified requiring a caster to be able to speak to cast a spell. Certain abilities such as silent spell may allow a caster to cast without speaking the incantation for the spell. A caster may attempt to cast a spell without a verbal component by making a DC 20+the spell’s BCB concentration check.

=Implements= Implements are the channeling force casters use to cast their spells. Most casters have some sort of item such as a wand, staff, lute, holy symbol, or some other object (determined by your classes) to cast spells through. Unless otherwise specified a caster cannot cast without their implement without making a DC 20 + 2x their BCB concentration check; a caster must be holding their implement in some way when casting a spell or suffer the same penalty as if they lacked it. An implement may be drawn and held as part of casting a spell as long as the spell requires a standard action or longer to cast and the caster has a limb capable of holding or wielding the implement. If a player has level in multiple casting classes he may choose a single implement from the list of allowed implements from any classes they possess.

A masterwork implement provides a +1 bonus to attack rolls and save attacks for spells the implement wielder casts. An implement with an enhancement bonus grants its enhancement bonus to attack, damage, and save attacks for spells the implement wielder casts.

A caster is treated as having a free hand for the purposes of casting spells when holding their implement. If the caster is not holding their implement and their hands are not free, the concentration DC is increased by an additional 5.

=Keywords= Like weapons and armor spells have their own keyword system. These keywords help define and group like spells together. For example multiple spells may contain the “Dark” keyword, meaning any feat or ability that would modify a Dark keyword spell would modify all those spells not just a specific spell. Some classes may use this to indicate changes in BCB due to affinity with a type of magic. Some talents or abilities may add keywords to spells as part of their application to a spell’s casting.

Spells gain the keywords of any talents applied to them, though some talents or abilities may specify the replacement of keywords (such as a talent changing a spell from Dark to Nature keywords.)