Core:Elder Sorcery: Difference between revisions

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Your GM has not decided on a full set of spell creation rules yet. Don't ask him about it. Don't suggest anything to him. He doesn't want to hear it. Asking or suggesting at this time will count as a death for your highest level character. However, the words exist.

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 ## How doable is this intention in and of itself? Is it simple, clear, straightforward, and manageable? Or is it sprawling, far-reaching, vague, or metaphysically impossible?
 # Creation Cost
-## How appropriate is the creation cost for this spell? It must be at least 1 {{MP}} per OP of ''each'' word in the spell plus triple whatever the casting cost of the spell is (see {{L|Ability|Elder Sorcery Creation}}). If these criteria are met, the creation cost has a score of 8. Putting in more resources can push the creation cost up to 9 or 10. If this basic criteria is not met, the creation cost score is automatically 0. There is no downside to putting additional resources into the spell's creation cost.
+## How appropriate is the creation cost for this spell? It must be at least 1 {{MP}} per OP of ''each'' word in the spell plus triple whatever the casting cost of the spell is (see {{L|Ability|Elder Sorcery Creation}}). If these criteria are met, the creation cost has a score of 8. Putting in more resources can push the creation cost up to 9 or 10. If this basic criteria is not met, the creation cost score is automatically 0. There is no downside to putting additional resources into the spell's creation cost when it comes to the spell creation roll itself. If it seems appropriate, the {{GM}} may allow other players beyond just the spell's creator to put resources into the creation cost.
 # Casting Cost
 ## How appropriate is the casting cost given the intention of the spell? If it seems perfect, then a score of 10 is possible. If spell is under-costed ''or over-costed'', then the score goes down.
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-Depending on the circumstance, the {{GM}} can decide which, if any, of these or other modifiers are in place, whether they stack, or if these modifiers have a greater or lesser impact than the baseline numbers outlined above. If the character passes all their spell creation checks, then the spell is created and the character is free to rotate into it. If they fail at least one, then the spell fumbles. No matter the spell creation {{DC}}, the {{LVL}} of the caster, and whatever modifiers are in place, there is ''always'' a chance of a fumble. Rolling a 1 always causes a fumble of some sort.
+Depending on the circumstance, the {{GM}} can decide which, if any, of these or other modifiers are in place, whether they stack, or if these modifiers have a greater or lesser impact than the baseline numbers outlined above. If the character passes all their spell creation checks, then the spell is created and the character is free to rotate into it. If they fail at least one, then the spell fumbles. No matter the spell creation {{DC}}, the {{LVL}} of the caster, and whatever modifiers are in place, there is ''always'' a chance of a fumble. Rolling a 1 or 2 always causes a fumble of some sort. A 2 could be a "minor fumble" but a 1 is always a "major fumble".
-==== Bending the Rules ====
+==== Strain Penalty ====
+If the {{GM}} allows it, a character can attempt to create Elder Sorcery even if they don't meet all the rules and criteria outlined. This adds an optional "strain penalty" to the Elder Sorcery creation roll. A character could use more words than would typically be allowed, in which case -3 times the OP of ''each'' of the additional words should be added added to the strain penalty. The character could try and "snapcast" the spell and make it over a {{L|Core|Short Rest}} instead of a {{L|Core|Long Rest}}, in which case a -25 strain penalty is automatically added. Or they could try and improvise a spell during combat and have a -75 strain penalty applied. All strain penalties are optional rules that the {{GM}} can decide whether they want to allow or not.
-A character can choose to
 === Fumbling ===
-If a spell fumbles, then it is not successfully created as intended. If all the spell creation rolls where within 25 of the spell creation DC, then the creation merely {{L|Core|Fizzles}}, whatever resources were put into creation are consumed, and no other costs apply.
+If a spell fumbles, then it is not successfully created as intended. If all the spell creation rolls where within 25 of the spell creation DC, then the creation merely {{L|Core|Fizzles}}, whatever resources were put into creation are consumed, and no other costs apply. This is called a '''minor fumble'''.
+If at least one of the spell creation rolls then more than 25 below the creation DC, then this causes a '''major fumble'''. In such circumstances, the {{GM}} decides on something novel that occurs based on which roll or rolls fumbled, the severity of the fumble, and the design of the spell. Since Elder Sorcery is a "language of truth", the {{GM}} may think about the fumble through the framing of what was cast ''instead'' of the intended spell. Perhaps the spell casts early partway through the creation process and turns the caster into some mutated creature instead of the simple animal they intended. Maybe it summons some odd being the caster has to fight. Maybe the spell took more resources than intended and the caster was {{L|Drain|Wither|withered}} to some degree. If there was immense {{MP}} or other resources spent on the spell, some strange metaphysical phenomena could occur. Fumbles could leave lasting scars on casters or the world. Nevertheless, the {{GM}} should consider what feels appropriate given the risk the player took in creating the spell and what would make for a fun game when deciding what happens. An unlucky roll on a well designed spell shouldn't permanently cripple a character and a poorly designed spell trying to destroy the universe shouldn't leave its caster unscathed. Oftentimes a fumble marks the beginning of a new adventure or challenge for the players to overcome.
+If the {{GM}} allows, a major fumble could result in a significantly modified spell that the character still gains and can rotate into. It might not do what they originally intended, but it could still be "interesting".
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