Casting Spells
To cast a spell, choose a seed that describes the desired effect. The base difficulty to cast a spell is 10 + the seed Spellcraft DC. To cast a spell, an available spell slot must be expended. The spell slot modifies the spells Spellcraft DC. See table Spell Slots Contributed. The spell slot expended also determines the saving throw and spell level (for purposes of dispelling, identifying, etc.) Non-spontaneous casters may choose to prepare spells ahead of time to be cast later. While preparing a spell, a caster is allowed to take 10 on the Spellcraft check. When cast later, no additional check is required.
Adding Seed DCs
When two or more seeds are combined in a spell, their base Spellcraft DCs are added together. Both contribute toward the spell’s final Spellcraft DC.
Determining School
When combining two or more seeds to develop a spell, the caster from among the seeds that make up the spell decides the school of the finished spell.
Combining Descriptors
When two or more seeds are combined in a spell, all the descriptors from each seed apply to the finished spell.
Combining Range, Targets, Area, and Effect
One seed might have a range of long, another seed might have a range of medium, and a third seed might not have a range at all. Likewise, some seeds have targets, while others have an effect or an area. To determine which seed takes precedence in the finished spell, the character must decide which seed is the base seed. The seed most important to the spell’s overall purpose is the base seed, and it determines the casting time, range, target, and so on. The other seeds apply only their specific effects to the finished spell. It is occasionally difficult to determine a base seed by examining the spell’s effects. If no one seed is most important, simply pick one seed for the purposes of making this determination.
Combining Durations
When combining two or more seeds to develop a spell, the seed with the shortest duration determines the duration of the finished spell. If any seed of a spell is dismissible by the caster, the spell is dismissible.
Saving Throws
Even if more than one seed has an associated saving throw, the final spell will have only a single saving throw. If two or more seeds have the same kind of saving throw (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will), then obviously that will be used for the spell’s saving throw. If the seeds have different kinds of saving throws, simply choose the saving throw that seems most appropriate for the final spell.
Spell Resistance
When combining two or more seeds to develop a spell, if even one seed is subject to spell resistance, the finished spell is subject to it as well.
Additional Participants
Spells can be developed that specifically require additional participants. These spells are called rituals. A spell developed as a ritual requires a specific number of additional participants, who each must use up one spell slot of a specified level for the day. During a spell’s development, the spell’s creator determines the number of additional participants and the level of the spell slots to be contributed. If the exact number of spellcasters does not partake in the casting, or if the casters do not each contribute the proper spell slot, the spell automatically fails. To participate, each participant readies an action to contribute his or her raw spell energy when the primary caster begins the spell. Additional participants in a ritual spell each reduce the Spellcraft DC according to the spell slot contributed. Each additional participant may only contribute one spell slot. It doesn’t matter whether the additional participants are arcane or divine spellcasters; only the level of the spell slot contributed matters. A contributed spell slot is treated as if normally cast. A wizard may contribute either a prepared, uncast spell slot, or an open, unprepared slot. The Spellcraft DC adjustments for each additional participant stack.
Special
A ritual spell that takes longer than 1 standard action to cast requires all extra participants to stand as if casting for the same amount of time. If an extra participant is attacked while contributing a spell slot, the participant must make a Concentration check as if casting a spell of the same level as the slot contributed. If the attack disrupts the participant in the ritual, the spell is not necessarily ruined. However, the Spellcraft DC reduction that would have been provided by that additional participant cannot be applied to the final Spellcraft DC of the spell. Thus the ritual spell will be harder for the primary spellcaster to cast.
