#Spell-Rule Philosophy
Contents
#§ Scent — Technique and Spell, Hand and Word
The core game's Sorcery and Exorcism place technique at the center. When an onmyoji uses a "talisman bullet," it is a touch of the hand carried on a stance — free expression subordinated to one's own ability.
This module places a spell in that seat instead. When an onmyoji calls out "flame projection," it is a single prepared word of appeal — the power to summon a formalized work.
A technique is the memory of the hand; a spell is the memory of the word. The two traditions give different game experiences.
#§ Scent — A Spell Is a Single Bundle of Breath
The core game is a system of beat (拍) and breath. A warrior's single attack ends in one breath, and one round flows as several breaths gather. When the beat collapses, the combat collapses.
A spell, too, moves on the same tempo. A short spell is completed within one breath as the hand seal and mantra mesh, while a long spell stacks its procedure across multiple breaths and multiple rounds. Where a spell differs from a technique is in the visibility of the preparation phase — the hand forming a seal, the mantra being recited, the talisman being drawn are all seen on the battlefield. The enemy sees them too.
Therefore a spell's time is expressed not only by "how long it is" but by "how it is divided." A spell with several procedures compressed into one breath (procedure type) and a spell that needs physical time across multiple rounds (time type) are fundamentally different kinds of spells.
#§ Law — The Three Time Units
A spell in this module belongs to one of three time units.
#1. Instant (卽發)
A spell completed in one breath. Single notation of Energy N.
Spells that require reactivity — a defensive Barrier triggered the moment the enemy attacks, an instantaneous evasion sorcery, an emergency dispel — must by nature be instant. Low-dan basic spells also belong here.
#2. Breath Dispersal — Preparation (準備)
A spell that unfolds across multiple breaths within the same round. Notation N+M(preparation).
On the first breath you form a seal or recite the first phrase of the mantra, and finish on the following breath. The beginning and end do not fit within one breath — attempting both preparation and activation in the same breath is an action with a collapsed beat.
A spell with complex procedure — a combination of several seals, a chain of several mantras — has this structure. As long as the caster has enough Energy, they can complete one spell within one round.
#3. Round Dispersal — Dispersed (分散)
A spell that stacks across multiple rounds. Notation N+M(dispersed).
You finish one stage of preparation in one round and activate in the next round. Sorceries that require physical time — rites, ceremonies, tuning the flow of meridians, opening a spiritual passage — fall here.
Forcing this spell to complete within one round causes exhaustion. It is automatic, with no check. As the price of compressing time, the caster's mind breaks — this is the core cost of the (dispersed) notation.
#Mixing and Extension
The two dispersal methods can be mixed.
2+2(preparation)+3(dispersed) — stack the procedure across two breaths in the first round, then activate in the next round. A great spell combining "complex procedure + waiting on the spiritual flow."
1+2+3+4(dispersed) — a time-type great spell whose Energy increases gradually across four rounds. A rite sorcery that "deepens the more you stack."
4+3+2+1(dispersed) — a structure where Energy conversely decreases. A dramatic sorcery that "pours out everything first and gathers it at the end."
The last number in the notation is always the activation Energy. The numbers before it are the distribution of the preparation phase.
#§ Law — Preparation Is a Stance
The casting preparation phase is treated as a [stance]. The core game's stance system applies as-is.
#Consequences of the Stance
- Only one maintained at a time. While preparing a spell, you cannot run another [stance] in parallel. It is impossible to maintain "Immovable Formation" and simultaneously prepare "Soul Banishment." The caster must choose between the defensive stance and the spell stance.
- No relocation. During the preparation stance you cannot leave the zone. If the enemy flees, activation within range becomes difficult.
- Occupies a stance slot. A long dispersed spell occupies the stance slot for a long time, so the caster gives up other stance-based focus during that time.
#The Blank Space of the Stance — What You Can Do
Even while maintaining a stance, the use of [Kata] is permitted. This is not merely a rule allowance but an aesthetic decision — the shamanic/esoteric tradition of "wielding the blade while reciting a spell." It permits parallel action where one hand forms a seal while the other hand commands a shikigami, where one mouth recites a mantra while another technique moves separately.
An esoteric monk striking the enemy down with a vajra while maintaining the preparation stance of an Exorcism spell; an onmyoji issuing an attack order to a shikigami while stacking a Barrier spell — this is the multi-layered battlefield created by the coexistence of stance and [Kata].
#Focus Can Be Shattered
The stance-removal effects present in the core game also automatically interrupt spell casting.
- The Defenseless state breaks the stance → a spell in preparation is lost.
- A zone-entry reaction such as yari "Check" → maintaining the stance becomes difficult.
- The Defenseless trigger of some Surprise Attack/assassination techniques → casting interruption.
No new interruption rule is needed. A stance-removal effect releases what was originally a stance, and since preparation is also a stance, it is released along with it.
#Being Hit and Focus
However, not every wound shatters focus. If a spell were broken by a grazing wound from a mob's stray arrow, battlefield spells could not exist. This module sets the following principle:
Only a Critical Hit or damage of 2 or more Wounds triggers a focus resistance check. A lighter wound below that does not interrupt the spell.
The resistance check is 2d10 + Physique + Hardiness proficiency >= 10 + breach Wounds (breach Wounds = the Wounds reduction this attack inflicted). A caster with high Hardiness proficiency can maintain focus even under a lethal hit — this is the edge of a practitioner grounded in Unarmed Combat.
#§ Law — The Price of Exhaustion
A (dispersed) spell is by nature a sorcery that demands a long time. Forcing it to complete within one round is the act of compressing physical time with mental force, and its price is exhaustion.
Exhaustion makes the next round's action effectively impossible — the caster is empty. They pour the ultimate spell out all at once, and immediately afterward become powerless.
This mechanism is a tool for a campaign climax. The final round of a boss fight, a caster PC staking everything to activate a 9-dan spell in one round — this moment is rare within the game, and therefore intense.
A (preparation) spell has no exhaustion. Even cast in two breaths within one round, as long as the beat is kept the caster is fine on the next round.
#§ Law — Notation Convention Summary
| Notation | Meaning | Time |
|---|---|---|
N | instant | 1 breath |
N+M(preparation) | breath dispersal | 2 breaths within 1 round |
N+M+K(preparation) | breath dispersal (long procedure) | 3 breaths within 1 round |
N+M(dispersed) | round dispersal | 2 rounds |
N+M+K(dispersed) | round dispersal (long time) | 3 rounds |
N+M(preparation)+K(dispersed) | mixed | 2 rounds (first round 2 breaths + activate on next round) |
The last number is the activation Energy. The numbers before it are the distribution of the preparation phase.
The maintenance cost is described not in the notation but in the effect body. "Flame Whip 2+2(preparation)" means only the casting cost; per-round Energy upkeep while maintained or an increased cost on use is specified separately in the spell description.
#§ Law — Base Energy by Dan
| Dan | Base Structure | Total Energy | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-dan | 2 | 2 | instant basic spell |
| 3-dan | 2+2(preparation) | 4 | breath-dispersal basics |
| 5-dan | 3+3(preparation) | 6 | mid-tier procedure type |
| 7-dan | 4+4(preparation) or 4+4(dispersed) | 8 | high rank |
| 9-dan | 5+5(preparation) or 5+5(dispersed) | 10 | ultimate |
Individual spells can be fine-tuned. A reactive defensive spell suits instant even at a higher dan, and a ritual great spell suits the (dispersed) notation and dispersed-increase structure even at a low dan. Dan is the basis for effect and Target Number; it never absolutely forces the casting structure.
#§ Law — Per-PC Choice (Technique vs Spell)
This module is a per-PC choice. Within one campaign two onmyoji can each use a different system.
- PC 1 onmyoji — core technique operation
- PC 2 onmyoji — this module's spell operation
The GM handles both. One PC changing systems mid-campaign is not allowed (balance safety).
One PC using both at once is forbidden. If one person holds both the freedom of technique and the summoning power of spells, balance collapses.
#Recommended PCs
- Mage-tone PC: the tradition of reciting mantras and spells. Formalized power.
- Planning/resource-management-inclined PC: slot tracking, breath-dispersal design, exhaustion management.
- Practitioner-narrative PC: a spell list completed through long training.
#Non-Recommended PCs
- Improvisational-play PC: the burden of pre-selecting spells.
- Martial-narrative PC: the hand-feel of technique suits better.
#§ Law — Relationship with the 19-mystical Schools
A PC holding a 19 mystical school from this expansion:
- When using the technique system: uses school Licensed and secret-art maneuvers (core + 19 schools)
- When using the spell system: school-specific spell-access perks (see 35-02)
#§ Anti-Patterns
- The GM forcing a PC's system. Contrary to the PC tradition. The choice is the player's own.
- Arbitrary switching of the two systems. Switching mid-campaign creates a gap.
- Ignoring core-technique PCs. Spells are not an "upgrade" but "a different path."
- Misreading the parallel limit of stance preparation. [Kata] is allowed. Other [stance]s and relocation are restricted.
"A swordsman, one blade per breath. A caster, one seal per breath. Two breaths stack into one spell, and that spell crosses one round. Breath is time, and the stance is space. When both are kept, the spell is completed."