Gaining New Spells

Within this system, the ways players acquire new spells is altered in order to hold them to the standards of the setting and create the desired effect of immersion and consistency.

When a player gains a level they also often gain a number of spells, or can switch out their known spells for others. The rarities in this system require players to consider a spell's rarity during this process. Common rarity spells can be chosen as usual, as most people know of them and can learn them rather easily, but spells of higher rarities should have a reason for being available to them.

For uncommon spells, players should think about and provide reasons why they would have gained or known of these spells. For example, any wizard who has spent time in a court of nobility probably knows or has heard of the Comprehend Languages spell used in dealings between nations to translate, but a lowborn sorcerer might not have ever known such a spell existed. Context like this helps establish a background for the character and grants the spell itself a role in the storytelling.

Rare and legendary spells cannot normally be chosen from a list when gaining a level. Instead, rare spells must be learned from someone or something that has knowledge of the spell, or otherwise be received or unlocked through some sort of ordeal that has occurred through gameplay. Take for example Snilloc's Snowball Swarm, Depending on their fame, Snilloc may be the only mage who knows how to cast this spell, and as such a player learning it at random while adventuring makes little sense. If the players were to meet Snilloc and learn the spell first-hand, however, it would leave an interesting and lasting impression on players who chose to use that spell in the future. When a player learns to cast a spell, from any source, it becomes available to them. If necessary, they can choose to replace one of their current spells with it when it is learned.