On Spells for Angel/BtVS RPG

Not all Dungeons & Dragons spells work in Buffy. Bestow Curse, for instance, is too high-powered and actually breaks into more than one spell in Angel/BtVS RPG. But it doesn't really matter, since you have to find and learn the spell to cast it; that the spell simply exists is not even necessarily true, but even in those cases, that does not mean you know it, can learn it, or even know it exists. In D&D, and many other systems, you simply need a copy of the spell or you are assumed to already have a copy of the spell handy once the system says you learn a new one.

In many ways, things are similar, but Buffy does not have spells slots or character levels; you have to at least test DEX for spells with V,S components; there are no hard limits on the level, type, or number of spells you can cast; you expend PSI to cast spells*; and more.  

Barkskin is an example of a spell which might not exist as-is in Angel, but would definitely exist in one form or another. What kind of spellcaster would know Barkskin? Hedgewitches, Shamen, and maybe a few Supernaturals with a rural background of some kind; other than that, it would be the Fey. Since we are specifically tackling the Fey and the Fey Realm, I went ahead and adapted Barkskin to the system for completeness; but, that doesn't make it any more or less likely that you will encounter it, learn it, or even hear about it.

If you do encounter it, there's a chance to learn it. Your spellcaster has to study, practice, and test her Occultism and Sorcery in order to find, research, learn, and cast spells - they do not just come to her when she wakes up, and she cannot suddenly comprehend them just because she slept. 

This is true in Buffy ([Occultism+INT] vs. 10+ to read, comprehend, and learn spells from a book; [Sorcery+SAN/WPR] to cast them) and Chill ([Occult Lore + PCN] vs. 50+ to research and learn a spell; [Ritual Magic + WPR] to cast a spell). In both games, you need two, separate skills to practice magic, and must make two, separate tests for each spell you wish to learn and cast. You still test Sorcery/Ritual Magic when you cast the spell (vs. target's WPR, base DC 10, et.al.).**

For that reason, you can go through and adapt all of the spells from any game into Buffy. None of them matter if you can't research and learn them. You have to work with a teacher to learn a spell the way you do any skill, taking as much time and care as you would when learning a skill. 

And all of this is to be eyeballed as you go, since so much of it is cribbed from so many other sources. If I slip into other systems, I will do my best to edit these later so they are specific to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game.

All of that aside, a spell like Barkskin definitely exists (whatever direct form it takes) and, since Barkskin is already written-out and in the CC, it's just quicker and easier to convert it to our game than it is to design a spell from scratch to do the same thing. Plus, long-time gamers and grognards already know the spell from D&D, making it easier to find and reference.

Basically, the spells I am swiping from CC_SRD are ones I consider important enough to want included, at least in spirit, but remain powerless if their sources aren't discovered. For the most part, any spell can be included in any tome (we call them Grimoires), but d6 spells per book is a good rule of thumb. The number of pages in a Grimoire and the number of spells it can contain remains the same (DMG2e, p.62). Because spells are harder to come by and learn, grimoires are too. Magical tomes, in particular amongst even magical items, are much sought-after in our gaming world, and form part of the basis of our economy.

Note, too, that (just like in D&D) grimoires can take many forms and spellcasters do not automatically receive one. When they are just getting started, a PC's grimoire is likely to be a college-ruled notebook, or series of loose-leaf pages in a binder or school folder. Also, once they learn a spell and it is known, they do not necessarily have to have a copy of it on-hand, so there is no guarantee that a spellcaster's grimoires will even contain the spells that spellcaster already knows. 

All spells cost their PL in PSI, and at least 1 PSI must be spent to cast a spell. Characters can cast as many spells as they have available PSI, but fall unconscious at 0 PSI. Further, this can prey on their SAN, as FFS also deplete PSI. Outside of the Empyrean system, STA is substituted in Chill, and PCN and WILL are cross-referenced on the Life Points Table to determine your SAN/PSI if you are playing the Angel Roleplaying Game or the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game.

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*PSI and SAN are not part of the original UniSystem as written. They have been added to simulate Fear (FFS), Sanity, and provide limits for spellcasters (PSI). The information in supplements like The Magic Box were not part of the original system as-is, either.

** Learning spells is covered in Ghosts of Albion, p.107. The rules above are very similar, so either should work fine.

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