Magic is a supernatural ability to manifest the impossible and manipulate reality through words and signs. It is a staple in most Fantasy worlds and settings. If a person is capable of wielding magic they are considered to be a kind of Spellcaster, and the use of magic for specific purposes are Spells.
Types of Spellcasters
Magic can be tapped into from a number of sources, the most common examples being: Wizardry The knowledge to use specific words, gestures and materials, or through the use of items, to cast spells. Often complex, Wizards rely on Intellect learn and recite these spells. Sorcery An innate magical connection or bloodline allows the user to cast specific spells without prior knowledge or teachings. Sorcerers tend to invoke their spells with their Charisma. Divinity An external source of magic through deific or supernatural origin (such as a personification of an intangible concept). The ability to cast is based on their connection to their source and so Perception becomes key to sense them.
Cantrips and Spells
Magic Spells are seperated in power levels known as Spell Levels. From 1 being the weakest and 5 being the strongest. And among them, Cantrips are separate from Levelled Spells in that they are initially weak but grow more powerful with their caster's level and have the lowest cost and effort to cast.
Cantrip
A Cantrip spell is easy enough to cast that it does not cause the caster to Exert as other special abilities would. Offensive, defensive and support Cantrips can be used by a caster to assist magically without draining them of stamina and energy. A Cantrip Spell will describe its effects at each character Level, these spells grow more powerful as the caster levels up, and though they never truly surpass the power of Levelled Spells, Cantrips can stay relevant throughout a spellcaster's adventure.
Levelled Spell
A Levelled Spell, from 1 to 5, denotes the Spell's overall power and capability. 1 being the most conservative and practical and 5 being reality-manipulating and bending feats of Magic. Cantrips are also considered to be Level 0 for calculating Spell level amounts. To cast such spells, a Spellcaster can cast them by Exerting an amount equal to double the spell's level, unless they have Tapped Mana prior. Also unless otherwise specified, a spell takes a number of Action Frames equal to the spell's level. Converting from other Systems For TTRPG systems that also use spell levels, specifically 0th to 9th scales, Metaforce condenses every two levels into 1. So 0th and 1st are Level 1, 2nd and 3rd are Level 2, 4th and 5th are Level 3, 6th and 7th are Level 4, and 8th and 9th are Level 5.
Mana and Tapping Mana
Mana is a term used to describe the supernatural energy that fuels magical effects and spells. It is present in the air and the environment and can usually be siphoned and used by spellcasters when they cast spells. When Spellcasters 'Tap' mana, they are drawing magic from their environment to help aid in spellcasting. The activity Tap Mana takes an Action-Frame to complete, and the mana stored can be used to help with the next spell they cast. If the mana is unused, it remains usable by the caster until the end of their next turn. Benefit of Tapping Mana before casting Mana generally helps keep the Exert cost of spellcasting down, converting '2x Spell level' down to '1x Spell Level'. Using Tapped Mana can also reduce the time needed to cast a spell by one Action-Frame (to a minimum of one frame). Convoke Casting If multiple Spellcasters of the same principle are casting a spell at the same time, they can Convoke tapped mana to cast a single spell together. One spellcaster is designated as the Caster whereas the others are Convokers. The Caster casts the spell and their Tapped Mana plus the tapped mana of other users are added together when casting. The Cast time is reduced by a further 1 Frame, and the Exert cost is reduced by 2 per convoker. To properly Convoke cast in an Encounter, the Convokers must be available with Tapped Mana and a Reaction to give their mana to the Caster on their turn.
Spell Design
Name, Type, and Properties Spells have names and a type of spell that they belong to, such as a school of magic. They also have properties which serve a tags of the kind of spell effects used. Some Metaphors and abilities care about specific types and properties of spells. Spell Level If the Spell is not a Cantrip, it will be a Levelled Spell between 1 and 5. Spell level roughly estimates Spell Power and measures Exert cost and Casting time. Cast with tapped Mana to reduce Exert cost from Double to Normal, and reduce casting time by one Action-Frame (minimum 1). Effect Describes the functions, duration and effects of the spell, including how the player character and targets may roll to successfully trigger effects. The caster may need to succeed a ToHit check to land a spell on a target, or the target may have to roll to Save against it. If the spell has a duration, it will be described. If it has damage, the amount and type will be listed.