What's a Spell Level?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've been trying to approach Magic World as if I've never played BRP before...

Anyway, the book has several reference that Adventurers with the right professions and a POW of 16 or higher start with a certain number of spell levels. However, spell levels are not defined that I could find.

Thanks,

Matt

Sorry for all the questions, but I've been trying to approach Magic World as if I've never played BRP before...

Anyway, the book has several reference that Adventurers with the right professions and a POW of 16 or higher start with a certain number of spell levels. However, spell levels are not defined that I could find.

Thanks,

Matt

I presume it is similar to Magnitude in RQ, that is, the 'Spell Level' is equal to the Magic Point cost. For example, the spell 'Affliction' has a Spell Level of 4 and costs 4 Magic Points to use.

If a Priest starting with 7 spell levels (on a roll of beginning 1d6+3), then that Priest could begin with knowledge in, for example, Affliction (4), Agony (2) and Babble (1). That's how I read anyway.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Mankcam

Yeah, that's the logical assumption. It's just not spelled out in the book.

Thanks!

Matt

I presume it is similar to Magnitude in RQ, that is, the 'Spell Level' is equal to the Magic Point cost. For example, the spell 'Affliction' has a Spell Level of 4 and costs 4 Magic Points to use.

If a Priest starting with 7 spell levels (on a roll of beginning 1d6+3), then that Priest could begin with knowledge in, for example, Affliction (4), Agony (2) and Babble (1). That's how I read anyway.

That is what I am reading in MW as well.

Spell Levels are mentioned on pages 95 and 96 in the book, and the phrase "spell levels" is important to bear in mind because every time during character generation when it states something about how much magic a character can have, you must note that e.g. half your INT 18 (18/2 = 9) in spell levels is not 9 spells, it is 9 levels of spells: you could take one 4-point spell, one 3-point spell, and one 2-point spell for example. Of course, it could also be nine 1-point spells, which is also 9 spell levels after all.

Luckily, the possible levels of each spell are always printed after the spell's name on pages 107-130.

Also, you can find an explanation on page 107, bottom left:

Name & MP Cost: This is a generic title

for the sorcery spell. Chroniclers and

players alike are encouraged to devise

more evocative names to better suit

their specific Chronicle. The number in

parentheses after the name is the number

of levels the spell has. If the number

is a range, the spell’s level is variable,

and players can choose how many levels

of the spell their characters have in

memory and are able to cast.

Whoa - somehow I managed to miss that reference! That's the answer.

Thanks!

I'd say it wasn't made as clear as it could be. Probably since it was being boiled down from another ruleset where it was clear by someone who knew what it meant!

'Spell level' wasn't a traditional core BRP term.

I worked it out cos I know how BRP magic usually works.. but I remember actually pausing and thinking 'that term is being used but not explained'..