Mistakes were made

     In my previous post, I was calculating the time and experience earned by a Chivalry & Sorcery Magick User in learning their first spell.  During the calculations I noticed that they had achieved over 2500 XP while studying the spell, which places them at 2nd level.
   That is true, but my mistake was in assuming that it also made them Magick Level (MKL) 2 also, and increasing the success bonus as well as the experience points earned, during the rest of the time learning the spell.

   MKL is linked to the Concentration Level rather than directly to Experience Points.  The formula is (Intelligence + Unfactored Second Requisite)/10 + (Experience Points)/10.  For Mordacis, that is
(21+ 11 [Bardic Voice for a Power Word Magician])/10 + XP/10, starting with a very respectable Concentration Level of 4.2, he will need 8000 XP to reach a CL of 5 and become MKL 2.

     Rerunning the Spell Learning calculations, it takes him 282 days and he earns 5429 XP while learning "Dispel Fatigue", that raises him to 3rd Level (but still only MKL 1).

     At 3rd Level as a Non-Fighter, he adds +2 to his body, his Fatigue goes from 1d6+1, to 2d6 (but he only rolled a total of 5) and he adds 2 to his Personal Combat Factor.  He also adds two points to his Basic Influence Factor as he increased in level., and his CL improves to 4.7.

    He has also learned 20 Language Points based on his 21 IQ (Saurians, pg 112). 

That will be the subject of another post.

Mordacis

Human Male	Age 13			Level 3		XP	5429
5’ 1”	100 Dr			MKL 1

Characteristics

DEX	21	ST	9	CON	3	PA	12	BV	11
IQ	21	WIS	20	CHA	17	ALGN	13

Combat

Body	14	Fatigue	5	Carry Cap	70Dr
Military Ability	19	Command Level	10	PCF	7.0
	Blows	Damage	%HIt	%Parry
Light Weapons	-	3*WDF	+10%	-10%
Heavy Weapons	_	3*WDF	+8%	-5%
% Shield Parry	N/A	Dodge	-10%

Social

Born William, son of Edmund, a journeyman dyer in the Clothiers Guild.  

He is a well aspected Pisces.  He lost his family at age 13 when his father’s 

experiments with a new mordant released a poisonous gas and left William with 

a weak chest (CON 3).  William took the 130 silver his father had saved and 

apprenticed himself to a local magick user.  He has since adopted the nom de 

magick of Mordacis, as an homage to his father’s profession.

Social Status

4

Basic Influence Factor

15.5

  Magick

While many of the Magical Modes would have benefited from his high 

Dexterity (Alchemist, Artificer), Intelligence (Cabala/Symbolist) or Wisdom

(Diviner, Necromancer), the Fates have declared that he practice as a

Power Word Magician despite having only an average Bardic Voice.

Concentration Level

4.7

Personal Magick Factor

21.3

Magick Level

1

Spell Level

1

Direct Injurious Effect	Volume Multiplier (Missiles)	Volume Multiplier (Material)	Time Factor	Spell Range
3*EDF	3*	8*	4*MKL	15’ *MKL

Mordacis - a Chivalry & Sorcery 1e Magic User

I decided to roll up a C&S 1e character and work 
out how long it took to learn a spell.

Human Male  Age: 13

5’1””  100 Dr

Characteristics

DEX	21	ST	9	CON	3	PA	12	BV	11
IQ	21	WIS	20	CHA	17	ALIGN	13

Combat

Body	12	Fatigue	4	Carry Cap	70Dr
Military Ability	19	Command Level	10	PCF	5.0
	Blows	Damage	%Hit	%Parry
Light Weapons	-	3*WDF	+5%	-5%
Heavy Weapons	_	3*WDF	_	_
% Shield Parry	N/A	Dodge	-5%

Social

Born William, son of Edmund, a journeyman dyer in the Clothiers Guild.  He is a well 
aspected Pisces. He lost his family at age 13 when his father’s experiments with a new
 mordant released a poisonous gas and left William with a weak chest (CON 3). 
 William took the 130 silver his father had saved and apprenticed himself to a local 
magick user. He has since adopted the nom de magick of Mordacis, as an homage 
to his father’s profession.

Social Status

4

Basic Influence Factor

13.5

  Magick

While many of the Magical Modes would have benefited from his high Dexterity 
(Alchemist, Artificer), Intelligence (Cabala/Symbolist) or Wisdom (Diviner, 
Necromancer), the Fates have declared that he practice as a Power Word Magician 
despite having only an average Bardic Voice.

Concentration Level

4.2

Personal Magick Factorr

21.3

Magick Level

1

Spell Level

1

Direct Injurious Effect	Volume Multiplier (Missiles)	Volume Multiplier (Material)	Time Factor	Spell Range
3*EDF	3*	8*	4*MKL	15’ *MKL

With this background, he begins to learn his first spell - his master assigns him to learn 
the Illusion spell “Dispel Fatigue” at Spell Level 2, Basic Magick Resistance 2, he appears 
to be testing his new apprentice.

Learning a new spell is hard, they must be learned until they are at BMR 0 with a 100% 
chance of casting.  In this case, he’s starting out with BMR 2 at 20% chance of casting 
it successfully. Fortunately, he has the ability to Enhance his chance of casting, by 

meditating for up to 21 days and by fasting for up to 21 days (although this only kicks 
in after the third day of fasting.)  Now fasting is usually considered not eating, and 
starving yourself for three weeks at a time isn’t healthy. However, a quick study of 
medieval fasting, shows that it was really an ascetic eating schedule, a small meal in 
the morning and a large supper, often abstaining from specific foods or food groups. 
 Still, it’s not reasonable that one continuously fasts and meditates, so I home ruled 
that it’s a monthly cycle three weeks of meditation and fasting followed by attempting
 to cast the spell. Then a week of ‘normal’ eating and other activities.

Of course failure to cast the spell increases the BMR, and can result in the spell 
becoming unlearnable.  In this example, he failed on his first attempt, but persevered
 and in the end learned it - earning 3408 experience over 289 days.  Which meant that 
he actually achieved 2nd Level while studying the spell.

Caster Level	1		Spell BMR	2
Base Chance	20		Success Bonus	5
Wisdom Bonus	10		Astrological Bonus	5	Religious Rites	5
Start Day	0		Previous XP	0
Current BMR	Current Base Chance to Cast	Bonus needed to Ensure Success	Meditation Bonus	Fasting Bonus	% Chance to Cast	Elapsed Days	XP Total	Casting Roll	Casting Result
2	20	60	21	18	79	28	172	92	Failure
3	20	60	21	18	79	56	372	8	Success
2	25	55	21	18	84	84	600	79	Success
1	30	50	21	18	89	112	856	17	Success
0	35	45	21	18	94	140	1140	74	Success
0	40	40	21	18	99	168	1452	9	Success
0	45	35	19	16	100	194	1786	19	Success
0	50	30	17	14	101	217	2139	90	Success
0	55	25	14	11	100	236	2505	5	Success
0	65	15	9	6	100	267	2644	63	Success
0	75	5	4	1	100	274	2795	64	Success
0	85	0	0	0	105	281	2943	40	Success
0	95	0	0	0	115	288	3093	42	Success
0	105	0	0	0	120	289	3250	81	Success