Character Spells

CHARACTER SPELLS

Cleric spells Druid spells Magic-user spells Illusionist spells Players Handbook

Clerical spells, including the druidic,
are bestowed by the gods, so that the cleric need but pray for a few hours and the desired verbal and somatic spell components will be placed properly in his or her mind.
First, second, third, and even fourth level spells are granted to the cleric through meditation and devout prayer.
This spell giving is accomplished by the lesser servants of the cleric's deity.
Fifth, sixth, and seventh level spells can be given to the cleric ONLY by the cleric's deity directly, not through some intermediary source.
Note that the cleric might well be judged by his or her deity at such time,
as the cleric must supplicate the deity for the granting of these spells.
While the deity may grant such spells full willingly, a deed, or sacrifice, atonement || abasement may be required.

The deity might also ignore a specific spell request and give the cleric some other spell (or none at all).
Your DM will handle this
considering a cleric's alignment and faithfulness to it and his or her deity.
Note that some cleric spells (and all druid spells) also require material
ingredients in order for the desired effect to take place. Such components
must be supplied by the cleric (or druid), as material is not bestowed.

Magical spells, those of the magic-user and illusionist, are not bestowed by any supernatural force.
Rather, the magic-user (or illusionist) must
memorize each spell, verbal and somatic components, and supply himself
or herself with any required materials as well. Such memorization requires
the character to consult his or her spell books in order to impress the
potent, mystical spell formulae upon the mind. Additional items for the
material component must then be acquired, if necessary.

Spells of any sort must therefore be selected prior to setting out on an adventure, for memorization requires considerable time.
(Your DM will inform you fully as to what state of refreshment the mind of a
spell caster must be in, as well as the time required to memorize a given
spell.) As a rule of thumb, allow 15 minutes of game time for
memorization of one spell level, i.e. a 1st level spell or half of a 2nd level
spell. Such activity requires a mind rested by a good sleep and nourished
by the body.

Once CAST, a spell is totally forgotten.
Gone. The mystical symbols
impressed upon the brain carry power, and speaking the spell discharges
this power, draining all memory of the spell used. This does not preclude
multiple memorization of the same spell, but it does preclude multiple use
of a single spell memorized but once. When a spell caster shoots his or her
spell-bolt, so to speak, it is gone.

As previously shown in the CHARACTER CLASSES section, the number of <more direct link/links> spells usable by a character depend upon class and level.
Details of spell casting are given later in the section an combat (q.v.).

The nature and components of the various spells are given in the section immed. after the spell tables.
These spell descriptions also contain such info as is pertinent, i.e. range, duration, effect, etc.
Your DM may add to or delete from a spell(s) and may even add or delete entire spells.
He will inform you of these changes prior to selecting spells or when new spells become available to your character.
<an example of this: Ken Do Nim's Magic-User Spell Errata>

Material components for spells are assumed to be kept in little pockets, stored in the folds and small pockets of the spell caster's garb.
Of course, some materials are too bulky, and in these cases the materials must be accounted for carefully.
Also, some materials are rare, and these must be found and acquired by the spell user.

Special cases which pertain to each class of spell-using character type will be noted before each set of spell explanations.

<theory: material components have a base weight of 1 gp. if a character pays their PLAYER CHARACTER EXPENSES at the beginning of the month,
and they are of a character type that requires material components, assume that they restock, so that they have 10 castings (10 x 1 gp weight) of most material components.>
<otherwise, it is simple to say that all material components cost 1 gp and weigh 1 gp each>

Question: Must all characters that can use magic record their spells on books || scrolls in order to remember them?

Answer: If the characters are spell casters, yes; some of them must
record their spells on books. Only Clerics and Druids get theirs each day
through prayer and meditation. Magic-Users and Illusionists must keep
one or more spell books. Some people like the idea of all spells being
contained in one book, while others, including myself, like the idea of
one book for each level of spells. How many spell books you will have
and what size they will be is up to the DM of the game you play in.
(Update: Spell books are detailed in UA).

Question: When an Augury spell is cast, do the gem-inlaid sticks disappear, or can they be used over again?

Answer: Any material component used to cast a spell disappears as soon as the spell is cast,
regardless of whether the spell is a Cleric’s spell or a Magic-User’s spell.
(Correction: There are some exceptions to this, noted in particular spell descriptions).
(Correction: Mistletoe && holy symbols are material components, and they do not disappear when used to cast a spell).

Q: Can gajin characters use Oriental
spells? Can Oriental characters use
non-Oriental spells?
Page 130 of Oriental Adventures says
that 5% of scrolls will contain gajin spells
and that these may be used by Oriental
characters; if you wish, you can reverse
this for non-Oriental games.
(151.9)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfdart
...

Which leads me to... did you ever have to change a rule to adapt to what your players were doing? For example, a loophole in the rules or a rule they were abusing?

Rules, no, not to the best of my recollection.

Spells, yes indeed!

Of course when I was DMing the rules were highly flexible and nor necesarily what was written in the books...

Cheers,
Gary