How magic works - Sorcery

Sorcery: Sorcery is the direct manipulation of the underlying laws that control the fabric of creation. The spells are a mixture of complex mathematical, psychological, existential, and supernatural principles. It lets the sorcerer to grab a portion of reality and bend it to his will.

Invocation (INT x2): This skill represents the sorcerer's ability wield the magic. It covers magical principles from understanding the philosophy of how that magic works, from how to achieve the necessary mental state to manipulate reality.

Shaping: (INT+POW): Shaping is the method used to change the parameters of a spell to meet the needs of the sorcerer. It won't be discussed in detail in the novel, but the rules behind are: Each 10 points in the skill gives one point of shaping, rounded up. (At this point in the story, chapter 12, Yuki has four points of shaping to use.)

Shaping allows the sorcerer to modify the following common parameters of a spell:

Duration: Spells have a normal duration of POW in minutes. When shaping this parameter, it changes to 1 + (Points of Shaping) * POW Minutes.

Range: All base spells have a range of touch. Investing Points of shaping in this parameter allows the spell to be cast at range. This is not a linear progression. 1 POS is 1m * POW. 10 POS is 15km * POW.

Number of targets: A base spell can target only one target. Each point of shaping invested adds one more possible target.

Magnitude: Base spells have magnitude of 1. Modifying this parameter with shaping, makes it harder for the other person to resist the spell.

Combine: For each point of shaping invested, another spell can be combined in the same casting.

Shaping can also be used on esoteric parameters such as:

Ablation: Grinds down magic resistance from other magical sources.

Focus: Ensure mental and physical interruptions don't cancel the spell being cast.

Fortune: Luck favors the bold and the insane.

Precision: Minute and precise control over the spell effects, and where it is applied.

Swiftness: Can cast the spell faster, at the cost of expending more power.

Spell costs: The cost to use magic depends on how much the spell was modified. The base cost is 1 Magic Point plus an additional point per component modified.

The Combine parameter works different here, each new spell added to the casting cost one additional MP, but it also benefits from all the others modifications from the original spell.

An example: In chapter 7 Yuki invoked the spell [Wrack]. She modified the parameters Range and Magnitude. The spell could affect one creature at time. Its duration was 20 minutes, and the range was 20m. The spell magnitude was 4.

Magnitude 4 means the spell difficulty would overwhelm any resistance less than 40 (resistance skills are: endurance, evade, willpower), resistance above 40, there is a dice roll for it.