Casting Powders

Cost: 5
Ability Type: Crafting Technique
Related Skill: Alchemy
Prerequisites: Alchemy 4 and Spell Tonics

Your study of spell tonics has led you into a related area, the creation of casting powders. These powders are very similar to tonics, but contain different forms of spell and are activated when thrown at a target rather than on consumption. Only Projectile spells can be held in a basic casting powders, with 75% of the Power invested in their creation (round normally) reflected in the spell effect. Alchemy checks to create casting powder suffer a -1 penalty, and are limited by Spellcasting skill as with tonics.

Powders take the same time to mix as tonics do to brew, and likewise require the Power invested to be maintained throughout that period. Power invested also fades at the same rate and rules for Maintainable spells are the same. Casting powders do not inherently gain the Resisted attribute however.

Spells bound into casting powder behave somewhat strangely; they ignore the normal range attributes associated with their spell and instead simply strike wherever the powder lands - although accuracy is of course based on Athletics: Throwing (or whatever skill was used to deploy the powder) rather than Spellcasting. If the bound spell has an area of effect, this operates as normal around that point, if it has a Rate of Fire listed then the number of shots that strikes the target is based on the accuracy with which the powder is deployed – with Autofire rules applying as normal.

Casting powders are effectively orphaned spells, and count as having no caster at all. This means that any aspects of the spell (other than the initial targeting provided by throwing the powder) that would normally require choices by the caster while the spell is in effect are simply ignored, although any choices the caster would normally make while casting the spell are made during creation of the powder and function as normal – so long as these do not relate to targeting or other situational matters.

In order for the powder to be activated its constituent particles must be allowed to spread, and it will remain inert so long as it is packed closely together. Once triggered, the spell contained in the powder is centred on the mean average position of the powder. As a result such powders are normally tied into packets or casings designed to split on impact, spreading the powder nearby but maintaining a limited spread in order to provide predictable positioning of the contained magic. After activation the powder is rendered inert and non-magical.