Jim's DragonQuest Campaign:
Minor Magic

These rules elaborate on minor magic described only briefly in Rule 4.2. Quoted material is taken directly from Rule 4.2.

"A character's ability to perform minor magic is governed by his Magic Aptitude value."

"Minor magic can be employed by any caster, regardless of his collegiate affiliation. No one can be directly harmed by the use of minor magic, although an adroit caster might conceive a trap making use of minor magic."

"There are three types of minor magic" (the glamour, the cantrip, and the trance).

Casting Minor Magic

"The casting of a minor magic spell costs the Adept one Fatigue Point, whether the spell is successful or not. The procedure described in 4.1 [multiplying a relevant characteristic by a difficulty factor to get a success percentage] is used to resolve the spell. Magic Aptitude is the relevant characteristic."

"If the roll is greater than the sum of the success percentage plus the value of the character's Magical Aptitude, then the spell result should manifest in a manner decidedly different from the Adept's intention." Each factor that has a negative modifier turns out wrong, and perhaps factors without negative modifiers suddenly act as if they had them.

A simple failure (greater than the success percentage, but no greater than the success percentage plus the Magical Aptitude) means nothing happens.

Determining the Difficulty Factor

"The difficulty factor value should decrease as the spell becomes more ambitious."

To compute the difficulty factor, start with a value of 5, then decrease it according to the circumstances described below. If the resulting difficulty factor is 0 or below, the spell has no chance of success. That is, it's not "minor" enough for minor magic.

Glamour

"The glamour, a spell of minor illusion, can be used to create simple images that glow with faint luminescence." The difficulty is affected by the motion of the illusion (Table 1) and the visual detail of the illusion (Table 2).

"A caster could, for example, appear to be juggling colored balls of light." This has a difficulty factor of 3 (5, -2 for the complicated motion of juggling, -0 for the simple appearance of a ball of light).

A fumbled result means the motion is all wrong or the details are all wrong. For the juggled balls of light, for example, the balls might stick to the caster's hands, or they might look like disgusting blobs of muck.

Table 1: Motion of the Illusion
Modifier Description

-3 The illusion must interact or blend with the motions of objects or creatures not under the caster's control.

-2 The illusion moves swiftly or complicatedly on its own.

-1 The illusion moves slowly or simply on its own.

0 The illusion doesn't have any moving parts.

Table 1: Motion of the Illusion
Modifier	Description
-3	The illusion must interact or blend with the motions of objects or creatures not under the caster's control.
-2	The illusion moves swiftly or complicatedly on its own.
-1	The illusion moves slowly or simply on its own.
0	The illusion doesn't have any moving parts.

Table 2: Visual Detail of the Illusion
Modifier Description

-3 Intricate detail

-1 Some detail

0 Little or no detail

Table 2: Visual Detail of the Illusion
Modifier	Description
-3	Intricate detail
-1	Some detail
0	Little or no detail

Cantrip

"The cantrip, a spell of small transformation or apportation, can be used to re-create some of the spells ascribed to imps." The spell changes or relocates an object. The difficulty factor is affected by the degree of transformation (Table 3), the size of the object (Table 4), the difficulty of manipulating the object (Table 5), and the distance the object is being transported (Table 6).

"A caster could sour beer, cause candle flames to gutter, or make small objects disappear down his sleeve to any other place on his person." Souring beer has a difficulty of 1 (5, -2 for the change in flavor, -2 because a mug of beer is easily held in one hand, -0 because no manipulation is required, and -0 because no travel is required). Causing a candle flame to gutter has a difficulty of 5 (5, -0 for the trivial transformation, -0 because of the tiny size of a candle flame, -0 because no manipulation is required, and -0 because the candle flame won't travel). Making a coin disappear from one's hand to a pocket has a difficulty of 4 (5, -0 because there's no transformation, -0 because the coin is tiny, -0 because a coin is easily manipulated, -1 to travel up the arm and down to the pocket).

Fumbling the beer example might mean the beer gets knocked over instead of soured. Fumbling the candle flame might make it flare up instead of gutter. Fumbling the coin trick might make it drop to the ground, land in someone else's pocket, or zip into the caster's mouth.

Table 3: Degree of Transformation
Modifier Description

-4 Transformation to a different state

-2 Transformation to a similar state

0 Little or no transformation

Table 3: Degree of Transformation
Modifier	Description
-4	Transformation to a different state
-2	Transformation to a similar state
0	Little or no transformation

Table 4: Size of the Object
Modifier Description

-4 Easily held in two hands

-2 Easily held in one hand

0 Easily held in a closed fist

Table 4: Size of the Object
Modifier	Description
-4	Easily held in two hands
-2	Easily held in one hand
0	Easily held in a closed fist

Table 5: Difficulty of Manipulating Object
Modifier Description

-4 Awkward

-2 Slightly awkward

0 Easily manipulated

Table 5: Difficulty of Manipulating Object
Modifier	Description
-4	Awkward
-2	Slightly awkward
0	Easily manipulated

Table 6: Distance to be Traveled
Modifier Description

-1 for every two feet beyond the first two feet

Table 6: Distance to be Traveled
Modifier	Description
-1	for every two feet beyond the first two feet

Trance

"The trance, a hypnotic spell, can be used to remove minor inhibitions temporarily or to cause a person to perform a harmless task. The caster of such a spell must engage his subject through traditional means; i.e., he must lull his subject into trance by engaging the subject's concentration upon the rhythmic movement of a small object." The difficulty factor is based on the subject's reluctance (Table 7) and the subject's suspicions (Table 8).

The caster can get a child to sleep with a difficulty of 5 (5, -0 because sleep is normal behavior, -0 assuming the child trusts the caster). The caster can pick up dates in a bar with a difficulty as high as 4 (5, -0 if the subject is interested in such things, -1 because the subject is wondering why the caster is waving that shiny coin back and forth). An ugly caster might have a difficulty of 1 for the same task (5, -3 because the subject finds the caster repulsive, -1 because the subject is still wondering just what the caster is doing).

Fumbling the attempt to get the child to sleep might frighten the child instead. A fumbled attempt to pick up a date can result in a slap in the face and verbal abuse.

Table 7: Subject's Reluctance
Modifier Description

-5 Suggestion is unthinkable

-3 Suggestion is distasteful

-2 Suggestion is inconvenient

0 Suggestion represents normal, acceptable behavior

Table 7: Subject's Reluctance
Modifier	Description
-5	Suggestion is unthinkable
-3	Suggestion is distasteful
-2	Suggestion is inconvenient
0	Suggestion represents normal, acceptable behavior

Table 8: Subject's Suspicions
Modifier Description

-5 Suspicion of hostile intent

-3 Nervousness about results

-1 Uncertainty about what's happening

0 Confidence and trust