Range: When emulating a Manipulation Ability, based upon the character's Spells die rating stepped down once. When emulating another kind of Ability, per that Ability's description at the character's Spells die rating stepped down twice.
Effect: Spells has the interesting characteristic of using magic to emulate the effects of other Abilities. By 'casting a spell' using Spells, a character may step down their Spells Ability and use it as if it were any other Ability for a given action or reaction roll.
Step down Spells once when emulating a Manipulation Ability.
Step down Spells twice when emulating any other Ability.
Additionally, Spells allows reasonable narrative embellishments of the 'cantrip' variety illustrating a character's magical prowess.
An Asset or Complication created by Spells is independent from the character once it is put into play and is interacted with like any other Asset or Complication thereafter.
However, using Spells is slow; a character cannot take the normal one zone of movement in the same panel they use Spells to 'cast a spell'.
Common SFX: The Fast Cast SFX can be applied to allow a character to move a zone in the same panel they 'cast a spell' in.
The Hermetic SFX can be applied to allow a character with time and materials to prepare and execute an elaborate hermetic ritual to step up their Spells trait for one action.
The My Own Magic SFX can be applied to allow a character to be selectively immune to or unaffected by Assets or Complications they created using Spells, at their discretion.
Common Limits: Spells requires a character to 'cast a spell' which typically assumes a modest verbal and / or gestural element and / or intense concentration. Anything that interferes with the character's ability to do this prevents Spells from being used; this is not worth a Limit.
However the Spell Components Limit can be applied to further require a character to also have access to material components, trappings, or to require extra-elaborate incantations and / or body movements. This makes it even easier to disrupt or prevent a character from casting their spells.
The Time Consuming Limit may be taken to indicate a form of Spells that takes a long time to use and is thus normally only usable during a Transition Scene.
The Lexical Limit may taken to indicate a form of Spells that requires the caster to have access to a spellbook, scroll, or other enscribed source of spell lore in order to use their magic.
The Known Spells Limit may be take to indcate a form of Spells that requires the caster to maintain a list of spells they have learned how to cast, and requires a Transition Scene be spent for each new spell learned.
The Maintained Limit may be taken to indicate that Assets and Complications created by the caster require active maintenance and are removed from play if the caster is stressed out, asleep, unconscious, or leaves the Scene. On the plus side the caster can decide to remove any and all Assets or Complications they have created using Spells at will.