Spell Mastery

Spell Mastery represents a way to focus on the perfection of a particular formulaic or ritual spell.

Spell Mastery Ability

In ArM5, Spell Mastery is a special family of Abilities. There is one Ability for each formulaic or ritual Spell. Magi can learn Spell Mastery in the same ways they learn any other Abilities: for example, from books.

Benefits

The Spell Mastery Ability adds to a magus's Casting Total when he casts that spell, and decreases the number of botch dice he must roll, possibly decreasing the botch dice to zero.

In addition, for each level in the Spell Mastery Ability for a particular spell, the magus gains one special ability he may use in casting that spell, making its casting easier, more powerful or more convenient in some significant way.

Mastered Spell Special Abilities

The following special abilities are available to any caster:

• Fast Casting, ArM5 87
• Imperturbable Casting, Houses of Hermes: Societates 33
• Magic Resistance, ArM5 87
• Multiple Casting, ArM5 87
• Obfuscated Casting, HoHS 34
• Penetration, ArM5 87
• Precise Casting, HoHS 33
• Quick Casting, HoHS 34
• Quiet Casting, ArM5 87
• Still Casting, ArM5 87
• Apotropaic Mastery, Realms of Power: The Infernal 122
• Unraveling, HoHS 129, used within the Line of Pralix
• Rebuttal, HoHS 129, used within the Line of Pralix

Cult of Mercury Abilities

The Cult of Mercury teaches certain exclusive spell mastery abilities to its members:

• Adaptive Casting, Houses of Hermes: True Lineages 99, reprinted Houses of Hermes: Societates 34
• Ceremonial Casting, HoHTL 99, reprinted in The Mysteries Revised Edition 38 and HoHS 34; note that this ability has escaped the Cult's clutches, and is "spreading quickly through House Jerbiton" (HoHS 60).
• Disguised Casting, HoHTL 99, reprinted HoHS 34
• Lab Mastery, HoHTL 100, reprinted HoHS 34
• Learn From Mistakes, HoHTL 100, reprinted HoHS 34
• Stalwart Casting, HoHTL 100, reprinted HoHS 34

Mutantes Abilities

The Mutantes can learn additional spell mastery special abilities that simulate the Virtues of their lineage:

• Boosted Casting, HoHTL 99
• Harnessed Casting, HoHTL 99
• Tethered Casting, HoHTL 100

Quaesitorial

Quaesitorial training allows access to a new spell mastery special ability,

• Acute Sense, HoHTL 71

Goetic

Magi who have studied the Goetic Arts may use the following spell mastery special ability,

• Goetic Mastery, Realms of Power: The Infernal 124

Spell Mastery in Previous Editions

Mastered spell special abilities were introduced in ArM5. In previous editions, spell mastery existed, but the rules didn't confer any special variations on the effects of the spell

References

• ArM5, p. 42 (Flawless Magic Virtue), 46 (Mastered Spells Virtue), 86.

Legacy Pages

This page is derived from two earlier pages:

• The history of the page "Spell Mastery" before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:spell_mastery
• The history of "Mastered Spell Special Ability" before August 6, 2010 is archived at Legacy:mastered_spell_special_ability