Editing Slayers (section)

====Learning Magic====
Simple, it's a Spellcraft check against the Spell's DC - 10. All it requires is a written formula for the spell (the incantation and the spell's name properly listed), or a trained tutor willing to instruct how to cast the spell, which offers a bonus to the Spellcraft check equal to one-half the INSTRUCTOR'S total Spellcraft bonus. If a spell fails, but by 10 or less, they can attempt to cast the spell regardless of failing. Partially learned spells are cast as normal spells, except have a -5 penalty on Fortitude saves and have double the normal drain (more on spell draining later). For every two points, rounded up, by which the Spellcraft check was failed, the player needs to only cast the spell successfully that many times to fully learn the spell, and cast it henceforth without penalty.

Players can also create their own spells, the only limiting factor being skill, time, and access to a magical laboratory or workshop (and, naturally, GM fiat). A player can describe the spell they wish to construct, to which the GM assigns a reasonable DC check for the spell. The player must then spend one week for each full five points in the potential spell's DC researching the spell in the laboratory. After the weeks have past, the player must make a Spellcraft check, with a DC equal to the researched spell's DC. If it's successful, the spell is now created and can be learned by other players or NPCs. If it's a failure, the player must spend another week researching the error. After that week, they can then attempt the spell again, with a +2 circumstance bonus. Each future error requires another week, but also grants a cumulative +2 circumstance bonus each time. However, there is a limit that this research can take. They can only continue researching the spell for a number of weeks equal to their caster level. (A level 10 witch can get 10 weeks to research errors and a potential +20 circumstance bonus, for example.) If after that allotted time the spellcaster can't successfully cast the spell, they must give up because they aren't skilled enough to be making a spell that powerful yet.

The maximum number of spells, any spell, a player can know at one time is equal to their Intelligence bonus. Spellcasting classes, however, gain additional spells as they increase in level. This means even non-spellcasting classes with adequate Intelligence can also learn spells. Furthermore, spell slots aren't Vancian; an extraordinarily powerful spell instead takes up one the knowledge of a lesser spell to have memorized. A Dragon Slave requires the same knowledge as three normal spells. So, if a player can know 10 spells, knowing Dragon Slave reduces the number of spells a player can memorize down to 7. Also, if a player is specialized in White, Black, or Shamanism, spells from outside their field of expertise, not including common spells, require an additional slot. So, a Cleric who can memorize 10 spells, but wants to know Dragon Slave, has their list limited down to 6 spells. However, spells can be cast almost infinitely, with the only limit being spell drain.