I'm also fooling about with new rules for a spellcasting system:
Spellcasting Rules
The spells listed here are somewhere between regular d20 spells and skills. Once a character has learned a spell, he begins with 1 rank in it, and can buy more ranks just like Skills (maximum ranks per level are the same as Skill Points, Skill Points are used to purchase ranks in spells). He does not need to make a Skill Check to cast a spell (unless noted otherwise), the ranks merely determine how powerful the spells effects are as opposed to his Character Level like normal d20 spells.
Learning A Spell
There are several ways to learn a spell:
Deities: If one is willing to bargain with a Deity, the God can simply impart knowledge of the spell as a Swift Action, and the PC takes the Deific Bargain Flaw while gaining 2 ranks in the spell the Deity chooses to teach him (which will be detailed below).
Spellcasters: If the PC is not willing to bargain with a Deity he can choose to apprentice himself to a more experienced caster, human or not. This is scarcely less dangerous than bargaining with a God, and you get whatever spells a madman or a supernatural entity wish to give you. Learning time is half normal since you have someone to show you the way, but you must take the Apprentice Flaw. For both learning a spell via Apprenticeship or Book learning you must attempt to cast it to learn the spell (which can have possible problems if you fail, see Adverse Effects below)
Book Learning: You can hunt down and find scrolls, books, or other means of communication that describe casting a spell and attempt it yourself. Can be dangerous in the case of some rituals, but you're a free man without ties (unless you screw up).
Spellcrafting: If all else fails, and you have the Spellcrafting ability gained from 10 Levels of Occultist you can attempt to make your own version of a spell from scratch. Assuming you survive the research.
A typical spell will look like this:
Spell Name
Costs: Sanity or other damage that needs to be taken to cast the spell.
Requirements: If the spell can only be cast in certain places, or times, or when certain events have taken place it will be listed here.
Components: Necessary components, if any.
Learning Time: How long it takes to learn the spell by experimenting with instructions read from a book. The time listed is the time you take trying to learn the spell, and the DC listed after is the Knowledge (Arcane) Check you must make to successfully learn it or start over from scratch.
Casting Time: How long it takes to cast.
Range: The range of the spell.
Target, Effect, or Area: What the spell effects, or the area it encompasses.
Duration: How long the spell lasts.
Saving Throw: Saving Throw necessary to shrug off or reduce the effects of the spell.
Adverse Effects: Side effects for long ritual spells that are cast incorrectly or interrupted (or for failing to learn the spell).
work in progress
