Chapter 6: Spellcasting

The basis of all spellcasting is the cantrip—they are core spells that spellcasters can cast as easily as a fighter can wield a sword. When you gain a spellcasting feat, you’ll either be given specific cantrips you can cast or can choose cantrips from the Arcane, Primal, Divine, or Psionic spell lists.

If cantrips are the foundation of spellcasting, charms are the flourish. Charms let you change how a cantrip behaves, typically by changing who you can target with a cantrip or the effects of casting the cantrip. Each charm is associated with a number of cantrips and has one or more tags associated with it—you can only use one charm of a given tag when you cast a spell. There are two main charm tags: targeting and effect.

Targeting
Retains the effect(s) of the base cantrip, but changes how to target the spell.
Effect
Retains the targeting (range, creatures affected, etc…) of the base cantrip, but changes the effect that happens, including if damage is done at all.

For instance, you can use the Blast charm, which is a targeting charm, and the Move charm, an effect charm, together when casting a spell, but not the Blast charm and the Spray charm, because they’re both targeting charms. Charms can be added to a cantrip on the fly—you don’t need to decide how you want to combine them up-front. Whenever you see “spell” across the rules, it refers to either a cantrip cast on its own, or a cantrip cast with charms.

Flexible Casting

Because charms are added on-the-fly, you can create a variety of effects depending on how you combine them! When preparing charms, consider charms that can work with more than one of your cantrips to give you the most flexibility in your spellcasting.

If a charm forces a target to make a saving throw, the saving throw is determined by the base cantrip, and the DC equals 10 +SPELL. Unless otherwise specified, the target will take full damage on a miss (as well as any effect that happens on a strong hit), and only half damage on a weak hit.

If a charm lasts while you concentrate on it, you need to use the concentrate on a spell technique on each subsequent turn to continue concentrating on it. You must concentrate on each spell individually. Concentration can also be broken by being inflicted with a condition or being forced to mark fatigue by another creature—make a focus saving throw, DC 10 + the number of spells you’re concentrating on. On a miss, you lose concentration on all spells, on a weak hit, mark 2-fatigue or choose one spell to lose your concentration on.

Casting a spell requires both somatic and verbal components—precise gestures and magical phrases need to draw forth the magic. You must also have a spellcasting focus equipped. If you cannot freely move or speak, or don’t have your focus equipped, you’re unable to cast a spell.

Some spells take a while to cast, these are called rituals. In order to cast a ritual, you must spend the entire duration specified performing the ritual uninterrupted in order to cast it successfully—any fatigue or material components needed to cast a ritual are only expended if successfully cast.

You can upcast a spell to a higher level, increasing its potency. Each level you upcast a spell to requires you to mark additional fatigue, based on the level and in addition to any that you need to mark for charms, and a minimum amount of AP. The minimum amount of AP includes the 1 AP needed to cast a spell and any AP spent on charming the spell.

Upcast LevelMinimum APFatigue
1st Level2 AP+1 fatigue
2nd Level2 AP+2 fatigue
3rd Level3 AP+3 fatigue
4th Level3 AP+4 fatigue
5th Level4 AP+4 fatigue
6th Level4 AP+1 exhaustion

You gain the upcast benefits for your cantrip and any charms per level you upcast, so if you upcast to level 2 you gain the cantrip’s upcast feature twice, and a charm’s upcast (if it has one) feature twice.

Cantrips

Acid Splash

primal
Saving Throw +power
Damage Type acid

Hurl a bubble of acid at target within within 30 feet of you, dealing 1d6 acid damage and applying sundered on a strong hit.

Upcast: 1 damage die

Call the Grave

divine
Saving Throw +power
Damage Type necrotic

Beckon a target to the grave, dealing 1d6 necrotic damage to a creature within 60 feet. If the creature is damaged, deal an additional 1-fatigue on a strong hit.

Upcast: 1 damage die + 1 fatigue (to damaged creatures), or apply weakened on a strong hit

Fire Bolt

arcane
primal
divine
Saving Throw +cunning
Damage Type fire

Hurl a bolt of fire at a target within 60 feet, dealing 1d6 fire damage and on a strong hit inflict doomed.

Upcast: 1 damage die

Healing Word

divine
primal
psionic

Call out to a creature within 60 feet, healing them for 1d6. If you touch them, increase the healing by one die size.

Upcast: 1 healing die, recover 2 fatigue (only while in combat), or remove a condition that can't be recovered on its own.

Lightning Lasso

arcane
primal
divine
Saving Throw +cunning
Damage Type lightning

Lasso a target within 15 feet of you with a line of pure lightning, dealing 1d6 lightning damage and on a strong hit pulling them within 5 feet of you.

Upcast: 1 damage die

Mind Spike

arcane
psionic
Saving Throw +focus
Damage Type fatigue

Reach into the mind of a target within 60 feet and sap their vitality, dealing 2-fatigue.

Upcast: 2 fatigue

Minor Illusion

arcane
divine
psionic
Saving Throw +focus
Damage Type fatigue

Create an illusory sound or image at a point within 30’, no louder than a scream and no larger than a 5-foot cube, to distract a creature, for 1 minute. The image or sound lasts for the duration, cannot be changed once cast, and dissipates if you cast this cantrip again unless cast with an effect charm. If a creature tries to discern the true nature of the illusion, they make a focus saving throw against your Save DC; dealing 1 fatigue on a weak hit or inflicting impaired on a miss. On a weak hit or a strong hit, the illusion dissipates.

The illusions don’t hold up to physical inspection; physical objects will pass through images, and sounds will have no origin. If a creature sees this happen, they roll their saving throw with advantage.

Upcast: 2 fatigue on a weak hit and 1 fatigue on a miss

Poison Spray

arcane
primal
Saving Throw +power
Damage Type poison

Spray a target within 30 feet of you, dealing 1d4 poison damage and on a strong hit inflicting weakened

Upcast: 1 damage die

Sacred Flame

divine
Saving Throw +cunning
Damage Type radiant

Call down divine radiance upon a target within 60 feet, they make a cunning saving throw against your Save DC; taking 1d8 radiant damage on a miss, half damage on a weak hit.

Upcast: 1 damage die, or apply sundered on a miss

Stone Sling

primal
Saving Throw +power
Damage Type physical

Launch a stone at a target within 30 feet, dealing 1d10 physical damage.

Upcast: 1 damage die

Thunderclap

arcane
primal
psionic
Saving Throw +power
Damage Type force

Direct a gust of wind at a target within 30 feet that explodes in a pop of thunder when it hits them, dealing 1d6 force damage and on a strong hit pushing them 10 feet away from you.

Upcast: 1 damage die

Water Whip

arcane
primal
Saving Throw +power
Damage Type cold

Lash out at a target within 30 feet with an ice-tipped water whip, dealing 1d6 cold damage and on a strong hit inflict slowed.

Upcast: 1 damage die

Charms

Armor

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • mind-spike
  • minor-illusion

+2 Fatigue

  • effect
  • targeting

1 minute

Add +SPELL to the AC of a creature within range (including yourself) for the next 8 hours. They must not already be wearing armor, and if they don armor, this spell ends early. If you cast this multiple times within its duration, all casting but the last one end early.

Barrage

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • acid-splash
  • lightning-lasso
  • sacred-flame
  • call-the-grave
  • minor-illusion
  • healing-word
  • mind-spike
  • poison-spray

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • targeting

Target an additional 2 creatures or objects within the range of your spell, or target the same creature an additional 2 times. Increase the number of targets by 1 for each level this spell has been upcast.

Blast

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • lightning-lasso
  • sacred-flame
  • mind-spike
  • call-the-grave
  • acid-splash
  • poison-spray

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • targeting

You channel your cantrip into a blast emanating from you, affecting all creatures and objects in a 30 foot long, 5 foot wide, 5 foot tall line. Creatures affected make a saving throw. Increase the length, width, or height of the line by 5 feet for each level upcast.

Control Element

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • lightning-lasso
  • effect
  • targeting

Control an element associated with your cantrip. The amount you control must fit within a contiguous 5’x5’x5’ cube, and you cannot directly affect or damage other creatures with the element you are controlling. The effect lasts as long as you are concentrating on the spell, although narratively appropriate changes can outlast your concentration. For every level you upcast, you can increase the dimensions of the cube by 5’ per side. If you upcast to at least 2nd level, you can optionally cause a creature or creatures in the affected area to make a saving throw, on a miss you may apply doomed, restrained, slowed, or prone, depending on the narrative of what you have done.

Counterspell

  • lightning-lasso
  • mind-spike
  • sacred-flame
  • call-the-grave
  • minor-illusion
  • stone-sling
  • effect
  • targeting

A creature casts a spell

As a reaction to another creature casting a spell, you can mark fatigue equal to the amount they marked to cast the spell, plus one, to cancel the effects of the spell before they happen.

Detonate

  • acid-splash
  • call-the-grave
  • fire-bolt
  • healing-word
  • lightning-lasso
  • mind-spike
  • minor-illusion
  • poison-spray
  • sacred-flame
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • water-whip

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • targeting

Target a point within range. Every creature within 15 feet of that point must make a saving throw. Increase the size of the area of effect by 5 feet for each level this spell has been upcast.

Disguise

  • minor-illusion

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • effect

The target creature, including their clothing, armor, weapons, and other items worn or carried, look different until the spell ends. You can see up to a foot taller or shorter, or appear heavier or lighter. You must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs as you have, otherwise, the extent of the change is up to you. The changes, though, don’t hold up to physical inspection; if you give yourself a hat, for example, objects will pass through it and anyone who tries to touch it would have their hand pass through it.

Emanate

  • acid-splash
  • call-the-grave
  • fire-bolt
  • healing-word
  • lightning-lasso
  • minor-illusion
  • mind-spike
  • poison-spray
  • sacred-flame
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • water-whip

+1 AP | +2 Fatigue

  • targeting

Your spell emanates out from you in a 5 foot aura. Creatures of your choice that enter the aura or end its turn within the aura must make a saving throw—creatures can choose to fail this saving throw. A creature can only be affected by this spell once per turn. This lasts as long as you are concentrating on it. Increase the size of the aura by 5 feet for each level this spell has been upcast.

Empower

  • fire-bolt
  • lightning-lasso
  • acid-splash
  • sacred-flame

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • effect

Channel your power to apply empowered to your target. Mark an additional 2-fatigue when casting this spell to extend the duration until you stop concentrating on it.

Hasten

  • fire-bolt
  • sacred-flame
  • lightning-lasso

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • effect

Channel your power to apply hastened to your target while you concentrate on this spell. Upcast to level 2 or higher to also apply quickened.

Invigorate

  • water-whip
  • call-the-grave
  • healing-word

+1 AP | +3 Fatigue

  • effect

Channel your power to apply invigorated to your target as long as you concentrate on it.

Invisibility

  • minor-illusion

+1 AP | +2 Fatigue

  • effect

The target creature becomes invisible until they make an attack, cast a spell, or you stop concentrating on the spell. Upcast to level 3 to allow the target to attack and cast spells while invisible.

Move

  • thunderclap
  • mind-spike
  • minor-illusion

+1 Fatigue

  • effect

After resolving your spell as normal, force the target to move 5 feet in the direction of your choice, plus 5 feet for each level this spell has been upcast.

Pool

  • acid-splash
  • poison-spray
  • stone-sling
  • lightning-lasso
  • water-whip
  • fire-bolt

+1 AP | +2 Fatigue

  • effect
  • targeting

Create an area on the ground that is 10’x10’ centered on a point within range. The area becomes difficult terrain, applying slowed to all creatures in it. The first time a creature moves in the area on its turn, it must succeed on a saving throw. For every level you upcast, increase the dimensions of the area by 5’ per side. The area dissipates when you’re no longer concentrating on it.

Shed

  • acid-splash
  • stone-sling
  • water-whip

+2 Fatigue

  • effect

Cover a creature within range (including yourself) in an ablative coating; gain +SPELL temporary hit points. When a creature in close range of the target damages it and that damage reduces the amount of temporary hit points it has, deal an equal amount of the cantrip’s damage type to the creature. Add +2 temporary hit points for each level upcast.

Shield

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • mind-spike

+2 Fatigue

  • effect

You're hit and will take damage

As a reaction to getting hit before you take damage, become protected until the end of your next turn. For each level upcast, add +1 to your AC for each fatigue spent to upcast (ignore additional AP cost) while you are protected by this spell.

Sleep

  • mind-spike
  • call-the-grave
  • minor-illusion

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • effect

If you force a creature to mark fatigue with this spell, the target must make a saving throw, with a bonus to your save DC equal to the fatigue you dealt. On a weak hit, they become unconscious until the end of their next turn, on a miss they become unconscious until you stop concentrating on the spell. If they take damage while unconscious, the condition immediately ends.

Slow

  • water-whip
  • acid-splash
  • poison-spray
  • call-the-grave

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • effect

Channel your power to apply slowed to your target while you concentrate on this spell. Upcast to level 2 or higher to also apply impaired.

Splash

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • acid-splash
  • poison-spray
  • lightning-lasso
  • sacred-flame
  • call-the-grave

+1 Fatigue

  • targeting

The spell explodes when reaching its target; on a hit, each creature or object within 5 feet of the target is affected at -1 step for attack rolls and +1 step for saving throws.

Spray

  • fire-bolt
  • water-whip
  • stone-sling
  • thunderclap
  • acid-splash
  • lightning-lasso
  • sacred-flame
  • call-the-grave
  • poison-spray
  • mind-spike

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • targeting

You channel your cantrip into a spray emanating from you, affecting all creatures and objects in a 15 foot cone. Creatures affected make saving throw. Increase the size of the cone by 5 feet for each level this spell is upcast.

Rare Charms

Control Creature

  • water-whip
  • mind-spike

+2 AP | +2 Fatigue

  • effect

If the target creature is medium or smaller, it must make a saving throw, on a weak hit, they become stunned, on a miss you take control of their body while you concentrate on this spell. While you have control of its body, you control how it spends its AP on its turn; to do so, you must use your reaction at the start of its turn and must pay the fatigue cost for any actions taken on its turn instead of it marking fatigue. If you do not exercise control over a creature on its turn, it becomes impaired for that turn.

If you would have it do something intentionally harmful to itself, and at the end of each of its turn, it may make the saving throw again, on a weak hit you lose control of its body and it becomes impaired. For each level you upcast this spell, you can target a creature one size category larger.

Leech

  • acid-splash
  • poison-spray
  • mind-spike
  • call-the-grave

+1 AP | +1 Fatigue

  • effect

Leech half the damage you deal with this spell back to you, healing you or recovering fatigue respectively.

Resurrection

  • healing-word

+1 Exhaustion

  • effect
  • targeting

1 hour

You spend an hour tending to a body that’s been deceased no longer than a day. At the end of the hour, the body is resurrected with its full consciousness at 1 HP and 5 exhaustion. It does not restore any missing body parts, so if they are missing body parts critical for living, this spell will fail. The resurrection ritual requires a diamond worth 500 gold for each hour the ritual takes, which is consumed as part of the ritual.

For each level you upcast this spell, the amount of time you must spend doubles, as does the HP they return with, and their exhaustion level decreases by 1. At level 1, the body can be deceased for up to a week, at level 3 the body can be deceased for up to a year and missing limbs not critical for living can be restored, and at level 5 any body, regardless of length of it being deceased and missing limbs, can be fully restored and resurrected.