Cast a Spell
Wizards and priests may choose to cast spells during combat. All spells are
assigned an action phase just as weapons are. The character is considered to
begin casting in the very fast phase and to finish in the spell’s action phase. If
the spellcaster is injured by an attack during the casting, the spell is lost.
Spells and spell-like abilities are assigned action phases based on their
casting times:
Casting Time
Phase
1–3
Fast
4–6
Average
7–9
Slow
1 round or more
Very Slow
When a character casts a spell, she loses any Dexterity benefit to her Armor
Class, since she must hold still and concentrate to make the spell work. After
the spell has been cast, the mage or priest may apply her Dexterity bonus to her
Armor Class again. If the spellcaster doesn’t cast a very slow spell, she can
take a half-move at the end of the round.
Psionic powers take effect during a randomly determined phase, regardless of
the psionic creature’s regular Base Phase.