fix: clarify spellcasting

Author: DoNotResuscitate

docs/magic-spellcasting.md

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ It is time-consuming and expensive. You will need a spell wording, ***2,500p***
 ### Receiving a Spellbook
 Rather than creating a book of the arcane themselves, some individuals acquire their book from an institution - such as a Holy Order, Church, or Mage's Guild - that they are a member of. A PC must be in good standing with their institution in order to receive a spellbook, and will be expected to return it if they leave the institution. A spellbook received in this way will come with at least one spell, and may have more. The spells in the book will be determined by the institution and the PC's relationship with it.
 ### Spell Creation
-All spellcasters are capable of creating new spells. This is a time intensive process fraught with danger, but the payoff can be immense. To learn a new spell, a character must first create the wording of the spell. A spell wording can be anything from a single word, like "Bolt", or a long and eloquent wording, such as "Blackmane's Cleansing Flame of Purity". The wording of the spell, the caster's talents, and the desired effect are used to determine a stamina cost for the spell. This means that the wording can be broad and costly but useful more frequently, like "Flames", or specific and cheaper but useful less frequently, like "Summon Arg, Daemon of the Aether". This process can be summarized as follows:
+All spellcasters are capable of creating new spells. This is a time intensive process fraught with danger, but the payoff can be immense. To learn a new spell, a character must first create the wording of the spell. A spell wording can be anything from a single word, like "Bolt", or a long and eloquent wording, such as "Blackmane's Cleansing Flame of Purity". The wording of the spell, the caster's talents, and the desired effect are used to determine a damage cost for the spell. This means that the wording can be broad and costly but useful more frequently, like "Flames", or specific and cheaper but useful less frequently, like "Summon Arg, Daemon of the Aether". This process can be summarized as follows:
 1. Decide on a specific sphere of influence for the spells, such as: Summoning, Elemental Control, Necromancy, Protection and Banishment, Illusions, Information, Material Alterations, Mind Influence, or any other sphere that the player and arbiter agree on.
 2. Choose whether the wording is broad or specific.
 3. The wording can be the name and title of a summoned creature ("Baal, the Blood Drinker"), a description of its main use ("Identify Item"), or something named after the caster ("Blackmane's Fireball"). You could choose the name of an item or body part, or even after a main ingredient ("Dragon's Blood").
@@ -92,13 +92,16 @@ Example spells. Roll d66 on this table for a random Scroll as loot.
 ## Scrolls
 A scroll is a spell infused in a piece of parchment and is destroyed after a single use. They are a formalized way of casting spells, and are often used by those who cannot cast spells themselves. With a scroll everything is set - the effect, its parameters, and the cost. They are recovered from places like tombs, dungeons, manors, and can be made by a spellcaster.
 
-You can create a scroll of a spell you have in your spellbook by spending ***500p*** and taking a ***day*** to create it. You must define the spell's specific effect, parameters, and cost to cast. Creating a scroll incurs a cost of double the spell’s cost to cast, and you cannot create a scroll if you do not have the stamina equal to the maximum cost of the spell.
+You can create a scroll of a spell you have in your spellbook by spending ***500p*** and taking a ***day*** to create it. You must define the spell's specific effect, parameters, and cost to cast. Creating a scroll incurs damage of double the spell’s cost to cast, and you cannot create a scroll if you do not have max stamina equal to the maximum cost of the spell.
 ## Casting Spells
 ***Any character*** can cast spells through spellbooks or scrolls. To cast a spell, your character must hold a spellbook or scroll in one hand and read it aloud.
 
-Spells are cast through a negotiation between the caster and the arbiter. The wording of the spell, the caster's talents, and the desired effect are used to determine a stamina cost for the spell. The PC says what they want the spell to do, and the arbiter suggests the cost. This cost can be lowered via drawbacks and/or ingredients. The further away the desired effect is from the wording, the higher the cost. A precisely worded spell will have a lower cost when used appropriately. The arbiter has the final say on the cost of the spell.
+Spells are cast through a negotiation between the caster and the arbiter. The wording of the spell, the caster's talents, and the desired effect are used to determine a damage cost for the spell. The PC says what they want the spell to do, and the arbiter suggests the cost. This cost can be lowered via drawbacks and/or ingredients. The further away the desired effect is from the wording, the higher the cost. A precisely worded spell will have a lower cost when used appropriately. The arbiter has the final say on the cost of the spell.
 
-A spellcaster cannot attempt a spell with an ***initial*** maximum cost higher than their total stamina. If the cost of a spell is d6 or higher, the caster must make a WIL save or have the cost doubled (which could damage their STR and be potentially lethal). The below table shows cost guidelines based on magnitude of the effect.
+A spellcaster cannot attempt a spell with an ***initial*** maximum cost higher than their max stamina.
+- E.g. you must have at least 18 max stamina to cast ***Mythic*** level magic, even if you plan to reduce the final cost by taking drawbacks or using ingredients.
+
+If the final cost of a spell is d6 or higher, the caster must make a WIL save or have the cost doubled (which could damage their STR and be potentially lethal). The below table shows cost guidelines based on magnitude of the effect.
 ### Spell Cost
 | Cost | Magnitude                                                                                                                                                                                 |
 | :--: | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
@@ -112,19 +115,17 @@ A spellcaster cannot attempt a spell with an ***initial*** maximum cost higher t
 |  −   | **Cheaper**. Very close to talent and/or wording. Rare/costly ingredients. Bad side effects for the caster. WIL save (fail negates). Extra casting time. Time or place requirements.      |
 
 ### Magic Interference & Healing
-Magic interference is caused when healing is used to replenish what it expends, like casting a Heal spell on yourself. The caster must make a WIL save for nothing to happen. Failure requires gaining d6 corruption, and then a roll on the corruption table.
-
-Habitual casters of spells - those with spellbooks of their own - are more susceptible to magical interference. Anytime they are healed by magic, regardless of who casts the spell or whether it is a potion or another form of magical healing, they must make a WIL save as described above.
+Magic interference is caused when healing is used to replenish what it expends, like casting a Heal spell on yourself to regain lost stamina or STR. The caster must make a WIL save for nothing to happen. Failure requires gaining d6 corruption, and then a roll on the corruption table. Healing others has no such penalty.
 ### NPC Spellcasters
-NPC spellcasters follow the same rules as PCs. The arbiter should give them one or more spell wordings depending on their background and what makes sense. Certain spellcasters, or even non spellcasting NPCs, may have one or more scrolls in their possession. Just as PCs lose stamina, so do NPCs.
+NPC spellcasters follow the same rules as PCs. The arbiter should give them one or more spell wordings depending on their background and what makes sense. Certain spellcasters, or even non spellcasting NPCs, may have one or more scrolls in their possession. Just as PCs take damage, so do NPCs.
 ## Corruption
 Corruption is the influence of chaos made manifest within an individual. This can be represented by physical mutations, madness, despair, or any other number of effects. Characters track their current corruption, which starts at 0, on their character sheet. There are many ways in which a character can gain corruption, but the most common is through the casting of spells. When a character gains corruption they have the ***option*** of making a WIL save. A failure means that the character's corruption has had an effect on them, the gravity of which is determined by a roll on the corruption table. The character's corruption is then reset to 0. A successful save means there is no effect, and the character's corruption is reduced by d6. The character can also choose to not make the save, provided their corruption is not too high. The character can then not make a save until their corruption has increased further.
 
 At a corruption of ***7 or higher***, the character is required to make a WIL save. If a character's corruption is greater than their WIL+3, they are considered to have been lost to corruption. Roll a new character.
 
 A high corruption can possibly be beneficial, as some creatures, objects, or places react to high corruption. ***The max corruption a PC can have before being lost is equal to WIL+3***.
 ### Corrupting Magic
-A spellcaster has the option to pay for spells in corruption instead of stamina. The cost of the spell must be randomized, meaning a d6 or higher. The same rules apply for when a caster must make a WIL save. A spellcaster who is caught using corrupting magic will be treated as an aberration by all but the most corrupted of individuals, or followers of Chaos. The caster should expect to be hunted by witchfinders, inquisitors, and other such individuals. Some creatures and entities of Chaos may seek out corrupted individuals for their own purposes.
+A spellcaster has the option to pay for spells in corruption instead of damage. The cost of the spell must be randomized, meaning a d6 or higher. The same rules apply for when a caster must make a WIL save. A spellcaster who is caught using corrupting magic will be treated as an aberration by all but the most corrupted of individuals, or followers of Chaos. The caster should expect to be hunted by witchfinders, inquisitors, and other such individuals. Some creatures and entities of Chaos may seek out corrupted individuals for their own purposes.
 ### Corruption Table
 Roll a d6 + your current corruption to determine the effect.