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MAGICAL SKILLS

Magical skills are the ability to cast Spells. Here Spells work as any other skill, thus they don't have slots that limit them, but can be cast at will. Magical skills can be expressed in different way, and for this they can be associated with different abilities to be associated with spellcasting:

Intelligence: the study of the arcane arts or the training of the mind;
Wisdom: faith, spiritual connection or willpower;
Charisma: innate ability or some magic lineage;

When your choose a magic skill for your character, you choose your spellcasting ability in a way that makes sense for how they learned it. If they did not study magic, and they don't have a spiritual connection to some god, entity or nature, they are probably channeling some innate ability.

Furthermore, Magical Skills require components to be cast:

(V) Verbal: you need to be able to speak arcane words;
(S) Somatic: you need your hands free to perform magical gestures;
(M) Material: you need some object or other material that is consumed during the casting of the spell;
(F) Focus: you need a tool through which you cast the spell but that is not consumed during the casting;

CASTING SPELLS
Whether the result of training, faith, willpower or some innate ability, casting a spell works the same way.

The Two-Roll Process: Every time you cast a spell, you must make two rolls: a Casting Roll to see if you successfully channel the magical energy and a Magic Attack roll to see if you hit.

SKILL (S)
A spell's effectiveness is determined by your Skill in that specific spell. This functions like an attack bonus and represents your training and precision.

TIER (T)
Each spell has a Tier ranging from 0 to 9. This represents the spell's relative power and the XR cost required to learn or improve it.
To learn a spell of a given Tier, your spellcasting ability must be at least 10 + Tier.

MAGIC ATTACK
When you cast a spell that targets a creature's defenses, you also make a separate Magic Attack roll:
1d20 + Skill + Spellcasting Ability Modifier
This is compared against the target's Defense Score (Reflexes, Fortitude, or Will).

CASTING FAILURE RULES
Casting a spell is an act of will, but channeling magical energy is dangerous for the unskilled. When you cast a spell, you must roll a d20 (the Casting Roll) and compare it to your Skill in that specific spell.

Success: If the roll is less than or equal to your Skill, the spell takes effect normally.
Failure: If the roll is greater than your Skill, the spell fails. calculating the Failure Margin (Roll - Skill) determines the severity of the failure.

Failure Severity
Margin Severity Effect
1-5 Fizzle The spell simply fails to manifest. No other effect.
6-10 Distortion The spell manifests but is twisted or weakened (see Effect Types below).
11-15 Misfire The spell strikes the wrong target or appears in the wrong place (see Effect Types below).
16-20 Backfire The spell violently rebounds upon the caster (see Effect Types below).

Effect Types & Consequences
Spells are categorized by their primary function. If a failure occurs, consult the appropriate column:
Severity Targeted (Creature/Object) Area (Region/Summon) Movement (Transport)
Fizzle No effect. No effect. No effect.
Distortion Effect applies at half strength (rounds/damage/healing halved). Area size or intensity is halved. Distance halved or arrive off-target. Caster Dazed for 1 round.
Misfire Spell affects the nearest valid target (friend or foe) within range. Area manifests centered on the nearest valid point to the original target. You arrive at the nearest valid location to your intended destination (safe or unsafe).
Backfire Spell affects the Caster. (Never causes instant death; take strongest non-lethal consequence). Area centers on the Caster. Partial movement causes injury or strain. Caster Stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Target Validity: Misfire and Backfire effects always target legal entities/locations. If no legal target/location exists for a Misfire/Backfire, the result defaults to a Fizzle.

CRITICAL FAILURE
If you roll a Natural 20 on your casting roll, it is a Critical Failure Threat. The spell resolves normally (it does not fail yet), but you must immediately roll another 1d20.
• If the second roll is > Spell Skill: You are Stunned for 1d4 rounds after the spell resolves.
• If the second roll is also a Natural 20: You Black Out (fall Unconscious). The spell ends immediately/does not resolve.

CONCENTRATION
Spells with a duration of "Concentration" require you to maintain focus. If you take damage or are otherwise distracted while maintaining a spell, you must make a specialized check (usually Will or Constitution, DC 10 + damage taken or distraction magnitude) or lose the spell. Because casting is now instant "at will" for the purpose of the roll, you generally do check for interruption during the casting action itself unless the casting time is 1 round or longer.

Environmental Modifiers:
Severe weather or motion can apply penalties to your Spell Skill before you roll, increasing the chance of failure.
• Vigorous motion: -5 Skill
• Violent motion: -10 Skill
• Grappled/Entangled: -15 Skill

You may combine these effects: take all relevant penalties and subtract them from your base Skill to determine your effective Skill for the casting roll.

COUNTERSPELLS
It is possible to cast any spell as a counterspell. By doing so, you are using the spell's energy to disrupt the casting of the same spell by another character.
How Counterspells Work: To use a counterspell, you must select an opponent as the target of the counterspell. You do this by choosing the ready action. In doing so, you elect to wait to complete your action until your opponent tries to cast a spell.
If the target of your counterspell tries to cast a spell, make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the spell's level). This check is a free action. If the check succeeds, you correctly identify the opponent's spell and can attempt to counter it. If the check fails, you can't do either of these things.
To complete the action, you must then cast the correct spell. As a general rule, a spell can only counter itself. If you are able to cast the same spell, you cast it, altering it slightly to create a counterspell effect. If the target is within range, both spells automatically negate each other with no other results.
Specific Exceptions: Some spells specifically counter each other, especially when they have diametrically opposed effects.
Dispel Magic as a Counterspell: You can use dispel magic to counterspell another spellcaster, and you don't need to identify the spell he or she is casting. However, dispel magic doesn't always work as a counterspell (see the spell description).

COMBINING MAGICAL EFFECTS
Spells or magical effects usually work as described, no matter how many other spells or magical effects happen to be operating in the same area or on the same recipient. Except in special cases, a spell does not affect the way another spell operates. Whenever a spell has a specific effect on other spells, the spell description explains that effect. Several other general rules apply when spells or magical effects operate in the same place:
Stacking Effects: Spells that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes usually do not stack with themselves. More generally, two bonuses of the same type don't stack even if they come from different spells (or from effects other than spells; see Bonus Types, above).
Different Bonus Names: The bonuses or penalties from two different spells stack if the modifiers are of different types. A bonus that isn't named stacks with any bonus.
Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths: In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the best one applies.
Same Effect with Differing Results: The same spell can sometimes produce varying effects if applied to the same recipient more than once. Usually the last spell in the series trumps the others. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.
One Effect Makes Another Irrelevant: Sometimes, one spell can render a later spell irrelevant. Both spells are still active, but one has rendered the other useless in some fashion.
Multiple Mental Control Effects: Sometimes magical effects that establish mental control render each other irrelevant, such as a spell that removes the subjects ability to act. Mental controls that don't remove the recipient's ability to act usually do not interfere with each other. If a creature is under the mental control of two or more creatures, it tends to obey each to the best of its ability, and to the extent of the control each effect allows. If the controlled creature receives conflicting orders simultaneously, the competing controllers must make opposed Charisma checks to determine which one the creature obeys.
Spells with Opposite Effects: Spells with opposite effects apply normally, with all bonuses, penalties, or changes accruing in the order that they apply. Some spells negate or counter each other. This is a special effect that is noted in a spell's description.
Instantaneous Effects: Two or more spells with instantaneous durations work cumulatively when they affect the same target.
SPELL SCHOOL (SUBSCHOOL)
Beneath the spell name is a line giving the school of magic (and the subschool, if appropriate) that the spell belongs to.
Almost every spell belongs to one of eight schools of magic. A school of magic is a group of related spells that work in similar ways. A small number of spells (arcane mark, limited wish, permanency, prestidigitation, and wish) are universal, belonging to no school.

Abjuration
Abjurations are protective spells. They create physical or magical barriers, negate magical or physical abilities, harm trespassers, or even banish the subject of the spell to another plane of existence.
If one abjuration spell is active within 10 feet of another for 24 hours or more, the magical fields interfere with each other and create barely visible energy fluctuations. The DC to find such spells with the Search skill drops by 4.
If an abjuration creates a barrier that keeps certain types of creatures at bay, that barrier cannot be used to push away those creatures. If you force the barrier against such a creature, you feel a discernible pressure against the barrier. If you continue to apply pressure, you end the spell.

Conjuration
Each conjuration spell belongs to one of five subschools. Conjurations bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or some form of energy to you (the summoning subschool), actually transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane (calling), heal (healing), transport creatures or objects over great distances (teleportation), or create objects or effects on the spot (creation). Creatures you conjure usually, but not always, obey your commands.
A creature or object brought into being or transported to your location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object, nor can it appear floating in an empty space. It must arrive in an open location on a surface capable of supporting it.
The creature or object must appear within the spell's range, but it does not have to remain within the range.
Calling: A calling spell transports a creature from another plane to the plane you are on. The spell grants the creature the one-time ability to return to its plane of origin, although the spell may limit the circumstances under which this is possible. Creatures who are called actually die when they are killed; they do not disappear and reform, as do those brought by a summoning spell (see below). The duration of a calling spell is instantaneous, which means that the called creature can't be dispelled.
Creation: A creation spell manipulates matter to create an object or creature in the place the spellcaster designates (subject to the limits noted above). If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, magic holds the creation together, and when the spell ends, the conjured creature or object vanishes without a trace. If the spell has an instantaneous duration, the created object or creature is merely assembled through magic. It lasts indefinitely and does not depend on magic for its existence.
Healing: Certain divine conjurations heal creatures or even bring them back to life.
Summoning: A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can't be summoned again.
When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the spells it has cast expire. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have, and it refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells.
Teleportation: A teleportation spell transports one or more creatures or objects a great distance. The most powerful of these spells can cross planar boundaries. Unlike summoning spells, the transportation is (unless otherwise noted) one-way and not dispellable.
Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane. Anything that blocks astral travel also blocks teleportation.

Divination
Divination spells enable you to learn secrets long forgotten, to predict the future, to find hidden things, and to foil deceptive spells.
Many divination spells have cone-shaped areas. These move with you and extend in the direction you look. The cone defines the area that you can sweep each round. If you study the same area for multiple rounds, you can often gain additional information, as noted in the descriptive text for the spell.
Scrying: A scrying spell creates an invisible magical sensor that sends you information. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of sensory acuity that you possess. This level of acuity includes any spells or effects that target you, but not spells or effects that emanate from you. However, the sensor is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ of yours, and thus it functions normally even if you have been blinded, deafened, or otherwise suffered sensory impairment.
Any creature with an Intelligence score of 12 or higher can notice the sensor by making a DC 20 Intelligence check. The sensor can be dispelled as if it were an active spell.
Lead sheeting or magical protection blocks a scrying spell, and you sense that the spell is so blocked.

Enchantment
Enchantment spells affect the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behavior.
All enchantments are mind-affecting spells. Two types of enchantment spells grant you influence over a subject creature.
Charm: A charm spell changes how the subject views you, typically making it see you as a good friend.
Compulsion: A compulsion spell forces the subject to act in some manner or changes the way her mind works. Some compulsion spells determine the subject's actions or the effects on the subject, some compulsion spells allow you to determine the subject's actions when you cast the spell, and others give you ongoing control over the subject.

Evocation
Evocation spells manipulate energy or tap an unseen source of power to produce a desired end. In effect, they create something out of nothing. Many of these spells produce spectacular effects, and evocation spells can deal large amounts of damage.

Illusion
Illusion spells deceive the senses or minds of others. They cause people to see things that are not there, not see things that are there, hear phantom noises, or remember things that never happened.
Figment: A figment spell creates a false sensation. Those who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Figments cannot make something seem to be something else. A figment that includes audible effects cannot duplicate intelligible speech unless the spell description specifically says it can. If intelligible speech is possible, it must be in a language you can speak. If you try to duplicate a language you cannot speak, the image produces gibberish. Likewise, you cannot make a visual copy of something unless you know what it looks like.
Because figments and glamers (see below) are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can. They cannot cause damage to objects or creatures, support weight, provide nutrition, or provide protection from the elements. Consequently, these spells are useful for confounding or delaying foes, but useless for attacking them directly.
A figment's AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier.
Glamer: A glamer spell changes a subject's sensory qualities, making it look, feel, taste, smell, or sound like something else, or even seem to disappear.
Pattern: Like a figment, a pattern spell creates an image that others can see, but a pattern also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. All patterns are mind-affecting spells.
Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that usually only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This impression is totally in the minds of the subjects. It is a personalized mental impression. (It's all in their heads and not a fake picture or something that they actually see.) Third parties viewing or studying the scene don't notice the phantasm. All phantasms are mind-affecting spells.
Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real.
Saving Throws and Illusions (Disbelief ): Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.
A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.
A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn't real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus.

Necromancy
Necromancy spells manipulate the power of death, unlife, and the life force. Spells involving undead creatures make up a large part of this school.

Transmutation
Transmutation spells change the properties of some creature, thing, or condition.

[DESCRIPTOR]
Appearing on the same line as the school and subschool, when applicable, is a descriptor that further categorizes the spell in some way. Some spells have more than one descriptor.
The descriptors are acid, air, chaotic, cold, darkness, death, earth, electricity, evil, fear, fire, force, good, language-dependent, lawful, light, mind-affecting, sonic, and water.
Most of these descriptors have no game effect by themselves, but they govern how the spell interacts with other spells, with special abilities, with unusual creatures, with alignment, and so on.
A language-dependent spell uses intelligible language as a medium for communication. If the target cannot understand or cannot hear what the caster of a language-dependant spell says the spell fails.
A mind-affecting spell works only against creatures with an Intelligence score of 1 or higher.

CASTING TIME
Most spells have a casting time of 1 action. Others take 1 round or more, while a few require only a reaction or even a free action.
A spell that takes 1 round to cast comes into effect just before the beginning of your turn in the round after you began casting the spell. You then act normally after the spell is completed.
A spell that takes 1 minute to cast comes into effect just before your turn 1 minute later (and for each of those 10 rounds, you are casting a spell as a full-round action, just as noted above for 1- round casting times). These actions must be consecutive and uninterrupted, or the spell automatically fails.
When you begin a spell that takes 1 round or longer to cast, you must continue the concentration from the current round to just before your turn in the next round (at least). If you lose concentration before the casting is complete, you lose the spell.
A spell with a casting time of 1 free action doesn't count against your normal limit of one spell per round. However, you may cast such a spell only once per round. You make all pertinent decisions about a spell (range, target, area, effect, version, and so forth) when the spell comes into effect.

RANGE
A spell's range indicates how far from you it can reach, as defined in the Range entry of the spell description. A spell's range is the maximum distance from you that the spell's effect can occur, as well as the maximum distance at which you can designate the spell's point of origin. If any portion of the spell's area would extend beyond this range, that area is wasted. Standard ranges include the following.
Personal: The spell affects only you.
Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets. You can touch as many willing targets as you can reach as part of the casting, but all targets of the spell must be touched in the same round that you finish casting the spell.
Very Close: Less than 20 feet.
Close: Less than 40 feet.
Far: Less than 60 feet.
Very Far: More than 60 feet.
Unlimited: The spell reaches anywhere on the same plane of existence.

AIMING A SPELL
You must make some choice about whom the spell is to affect or where the effect is to originate, depending on the type of spell. The next entry in a spell description defines the spell's target (or targets), its effect, or its area, as appropriate.
Target or Targets: Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.
If the target of a spell is yourself (the spell description has a line that reads Target: You), you do not receive a saving throw, and spell resistance does not apply. The Saving Throw and Spell Resistance lines are omitted from such spells.
Some spells restrict you to willing targets only. Declaring yourself as a willing target is something that can be done at any time (even if you're flat-footed or it isn't your turn). Unconscious creatures are automatically considered willing, but a character who is conscious but immobile or helpless (such as one who is bound, cowering, grappling, paralyzed, pinned, or stunned) is not automatically willing.
Some spells allow you to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after you cast the spell. Redirecting a spell is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Effect: Some spells create or summon things rather than affecting things that are already present.
You must designate the location where these things are to appear, either by seeing it or defining it. Range determines how far away an effect can appear, but if the effect is mobile it can move regardless of the spell's range.
Ray: Some effects are rays. You aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon, though typically you make a ranged touch attack rather than a normal ranged attack. As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don't have to see the creature you're trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block your line of sight or provide cover for the creature you're aiming at.
If a ray spell has a duration, it's the duration of the effect that the ray causes, not the length of time the ray itself persists.
If a ray spell deals damage, you can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A ray spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit.
Spread: Some effects, notably clouds and fogs, spread out from a point of origin, which must be a grid intersection. The effect can extend around corners and into areas that you can't see. Figure distance by actual distance traveled, taking into account turns the spell effect takes. When determining distance for spread effects, count around walls, not through them. As with movement, do not trace diagonals across corners. You must designate the point of origin for such an effect, but you need not have line of effect (see below) to all portions of the effect.
Area: Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.
Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don't control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection.
You can count diagonally across a square, but remember that every second diagonal counts as 2 squares of distance. If the far edge of a square is within the spell's area, anything within that square is within the spell's area. If the spell's area only touches the near edge of a square, however, anything within that square is unaffected by the spell.
Burst, Emanation, or Spread: Most spells that affect an area function as a burst, an emanation, or a spread. In each case, you select the spell's point of origin and measure its effect from that point.
A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, even including creatures that you can't see. It can't affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don't extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. A burst's area defines how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.
An emanation spell functions like a burst spell, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the spell. Most emanations are cones or spheres.
A spread spell spreads out like a burst but can turn corners. You select the point of origin, and the spell spreads out a given distance in all directions. Figure the area the spell effect fills by taking into account any turns the spell effect takes.
Cone, Cylinder, Line, or Sphere:
Most spells that affect an area have a particular shape, such as a cone, cylinder, line, or sphere.
A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes. Most cones are either bursts or emanations (see above), and thus won't go around corners.
When casting a cylinder-shaped spell, you select the spell's point of origin. This point is the center of a horizontal circle, and the spell shoots down from the circle, filling a cylinder. A cylinder-shaped spell ignores any obstructions within its area.
A line-shaped spell shoots away from you in a line in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and extends to the limit of its range or until it strikes a barrier that blocks line of effect. A line-shaped spell affects all creatures in squares that the line passes through.
A sphere-shaped spell expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area. Spheres may be bursts, emanations, or spreads.
Creatures:
A spell with this kind of area affects creatures directly (like a targeted spell), but it affects all creatures in an area of some kind rather than individual creatures you select. The area might be a spherical burst , a cone-shaped burst, or some other shape.
Many spells affect “living creatures,” which means all creatures other than constructs and undead. Creatures in the spell's area that are not of the appropriate type do not count against the creatures affected.
Objects: A spell with this kind of area affects objects within an area you select (as Creatures, but affecting objects instead).
Other: A spell can have a unique area, as defined in its description.
(S) Shapeable: If an Area or Effect entry ends with “(S),” you can shape the spell. A shaped effect or area can have no dimension smaller than 10 feet. Many effects or areas are given as cubes to make it easy to model irregular shapes. Three-dimensional volumes are most often needed to define aerial or underwater effects and areas.
Line of Effect: A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what a spell can affect. A line of effect is canceled by a solid barrier. It's like line of sight for ranged weapons, except that it's not blocked by fog, darkness, and other factors that limit normal sight.
You must have a clear line of effect to any target that you cast a spell on or to any space in which you wish to create an effect. You must have a clear line of effect to the point of origin of any spell you cast.
A burst, cone, cylinder, or emanation spell affects only an area, creatures, or objects to which it has line of effect from its origin (a spherical burst's center point, a cone-shaped burst's starting point, a cylinder's circle, or an emanation's point of origin).
An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot through it does not block a spell's line of effect. Such an opening means that the 5-foot length of wall containing the hole is no longer considered a barrier for purposes of a spell's line of effect.

DURATION
A spell's Duration entry tells you how long the magical energy of the spell lasts.
Timed Durations: Many durations are measured in rounds, minutes, hours, or some other increment. When the time is up, the magic goes away and the spell ends. If a spell's duration is variable the duration is rolled secretly (the caster doesn't know how long the spell will last).
Instantaneous: The spell energy comes and goes the instant the spell is cast, though the consequences might be long-lasting.
Permanent: The energy remains as long as the effect does. This means the spell is vulnerable to dispel magic.
Concentration: The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you're maintaining one, causing the spell to end.
You can't cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Sometimes a spell lasts for a short time after you cease concentrating.
Subjects, Effects, and Areas: If the spell affects creatures directly the result travels with the subjects for the spell's duration. If the spell creates an effect, the effect lasts for the duration. The effect might move or remain still. Such an effect can be destroyed prior to when its duration ends. If the spell affects an area then the spell stays with that area for its duration.
Creatures become subject to the spell when they enter the area and are no longer subject to it when they leave.
Touch Spells and Holding the Charge: In most cases, if you don't discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.
Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can't hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.
Discharge: Occasionally a spells lasts for a set duration or until triggered or discharged.
(D) Dismissible: If the Duration line ends with “(D),” you can dismiss the spell at will. You must be within range of the spell's effect and must speak words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell's verbal component. If the spell has no verbal component, you can dismiss the effect with a gesture. Dismissing a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
A spell that depends on concentration is dismissible by its very nature, and dismissing it does not take an action, since all you have to do to end the spell is to stop concentrating on your turn.

SAVING THROW
Usually a harmful spell allows a target to make a saving throw to avoid some or all of the effect. The Saving Throw entry in a spell description defines which type of saving throw the spell allows and describes how saving throws against the spell work.
Negates: The spell has no effect on a subject that makes a successful saving throw.
Partial: The spell causes an effect on its subject. A successful saving throw means that some lesser effect occurs.
Half: The spell deals damage, and a successful saving throw halves the damage taken (round down).
None: No saving throw is allowed.
Disbelief: A successful save lets the subject ignore the effect.
(object): The spell can be cast on objects, which receive saving throws only if they are magical or if they are attended (held, worn, grasped, or the like) by a creature resisting the spell, in which case the object uses the creature's saving throw bonus unless its own bonus is greater. (This notation does not mean that a spell can be cast only on objects. Some spells of this sort can be cast on creatures or objects.) A magic item's saving throw bonuses are each equal to 2 + one-half the item's level.
(harmless): The spell is usually beneficial, not harmful, but a targeted creature can attempt a saving throw if it desires.
Saving Throw Difficulty Class: A saving throw against your spell has a DC of 10 + the tier of the spell + your bonus for the relevant ability (Intelligence for a wizard, Charisma for a sorcerer or bard, or Wisdom for a cleric, druid, paladin, or ranger). A spell's level can vary depending on your class. Always use the spell level applicable to your class.
Succeeding on a Saving Throw: A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature's saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed on saves against effect and area spells.
Automatic Failures and Successes: A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure, and the spell may cause damage to exposed items (see Items Surviving after a Saving Throw, below). A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a success.
Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw: A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell's result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.
Items Surviving after a Saving Throw: Unless the descriptive text for the spell specifies otherwise, all items carried or worn by a creature are assumed to survive a magical attack. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw against the effect, however, an exposed item is harmed (if the attack can harm objects). Refer to Table: Items Affected by Magical Attacks. Determine which four objects carried or worn by the creature are most likely to be affected and roll randomly among them. The randomly determined item must make a saving throw against the attack form and take whatever damage the attack deal.
If an item is not carried or worn and is not magical, it does not get a saving throw. It simply is dealt the appropriate damage.

Table: Items Affected by Magical Attacks
        
Order 1 Item
1st Shield
2nd Armor
3rd Magic helmet, hat, or headband
4th Item in hand (including weapon, wand, or the like)
5th Magic cloak
6th Stowed or sheathed weapon
7th Magic bracers
8th Magic clothing
9th Magic jewelry (including rings)
10th Anything else
1 In order of most likely to least likely to be affected.        

SPELL RESISTANCE
Magical Resistance is a trait that protects a creature from being affected by magic. When a spell is cast, if the caster's spellcasting roll is lower than the creature's Magical Resistance threshold, the spell has no effect on that creature.
This applies regardless of whether the spell targets a Defence, affects an area, or is otherwise non-discriminating. Harmless spells can still be accepted voluntarily by the resistant creature.
By default, all spells are subject to Magical Resistance. A creature with Magical Resistance is unaffected by a spell if the caster's spellcasting roll is below the resistance threshold.
Some spells may ignore Magical Resistance entirely. These exceptions are noted explicitly in the spell description.


CASTING AT HIGEHR LEVEL
You can cast a spell you know at a higher Spell Tier, but your Skill is reduced by -4 for each Spell Tier above the original spell tier. This means that you can cast a spell at a higher Spell Tier, but you are less likely to succeed, increasing the risk of Failure Severity. When you increase the Level of a Spell, it counts as the new level for all purposes.
Instead of increasing the Spell Tier, you could create the following metamagic effect depending on the increased level:
(+2) Empowered: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by one-half;
(+1) Enlarged: The range of the spell is doubled if defined as close, medium or long;
(+1) Extended: The duration of the spell is doubled;
(+3) Maximized: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are maximised;
(+4) Quickened: A quickened spell is cast as a bonus; You can only quicken one spell per round, and only spells with duration shorter than 1 round;
(+1) Silent: You don't need to provide verbal component;
(+1) Still: You don't need to provide somatic component;
(+3) Widened: Any numeric measurement of the spell's area is doubled;

To be able to cast a Spell at a higher level, you need to have a Skill high enough such that the modified Skill is not below 0. For example, you cannot cast a quickened spell if your Skill in that Spell is not at least 16.

SYNERGY
Magic skills interact and synergize with each other in the following way:
• For every two Skills above 5 in a given school, you gain a +1 bonus to all other Skills in that school.
• For every three Skills above 5 that share a keyword (like fire, cold, or evil), you gain a +1 bonus to all other Skills with that keyword.
The bonus becomes +2 if the Skills are above 10, and +3 if they are above 15.

LEARNING MAGIC
Learning new Magical Skills requires a Mentor or deep understanding of how Magic works (i.e. Spellcraft skill), while improving Magical Skills you already know just needs practice.

IMPROVING MAGICAL SKILLS
To improve a Magical Skill you already know, you just need to spend the appropriate number of Experience Rolls like any other skills. The number of rolls is equal to the Tier of the spell, with Tier 0 spells still costing 1 XR.
Since you can cast a spell at a higher Spell Tier, if casting it at a higher Spell Tier changes the spell in any way, you can decide to progress that specific skill (the higher level spell) without having to start from scratch. This does not have any impact on the lower level spell, unless the skill in the higher level spell becomes higher than the skill in the lower level spell. In that case, for the lower level spell you can use the skill of the higher level spell.

Whenever you succesfully improve your magical skill, you roll 1d4 to establish by what margin your skill improves. If you want to apply a target spell only to yourself or the Tier of the spell is 0, the roll is 1d6.


LEARNING NEW MAGIC
Learning new Magic requires time and dedication, but especially some source of truth. It is possible to learn magic my one self, but much harder. Here are a few possibilities.
From a book or a scroll: Spellcraft check with DC 15 + Spell tier; it requires 8 hours and you cannot retry for that spell until your Spellcraft skill improves.
From a mentor: It requires 1 hour per Spell Tier. The mentor might require money or some sort of service in exchange for this knowledge.
From having seen it: Spellcraft check with DC 20 + Spell tier; it requires 1 hour per Spell Tier and you cannot retry for that spell until your Spellcraft skill improves and you see it again.
Independent Research: You can try to learn a spell you have never seen or heard of. Spellcraft check with DC 25 + Spell tier; it requires 1 week per Spell Tier and you cannot retry for that spell until your Spellcraft skill improves.
In all circumstances, you need the appropriate ability score to be able to learn a spell, i.e. your ability score - 10 must be at least the same of the Spell Tier you are trying to. Also, if you have synergies with the spell you are trying to learn, you can add those synergies to your Spellcraft check.