Should higher-magnitude spells require longer intervals to cast? As it stands, higher-magnitude spells are rarer to find nodes for, and more dangerous to cast. But perhaps there should also be a set frequency at which they can be cast. In the rules as written, you can cast a 7th-magnitude spell just as often as a 1st-magnitude one. Maybe that’s too frequent. If so, it would make sense if the maximum casting duration were something like:
- 1st magnitude: Once a day
- 2nd magnitude: Once a week
- 3rd magnitude: Once a year
- 4th magnitude: Once a decade
- 5th magnitude: Once a century
- 6th magnitude: Once a millennium
- 7th or higher magnitude: Once, ever.
Want to cast the same spell more often? Find more nodes and align them to the same spell. Want to live long enough to cast your 8th magnitude spell more than once? Well, clearly, annoying qualms such as mortality are issues that high-level mages will need to find ways to deal with…
I’ve never had many high-magnitude spells in my games, so this isn’t really an issue that’s ever come up in play. If you try this in your games, let me know how it goes.
“In the rules as written, you can cast a 7th-magnitude spell just as often as a 1st-magnitude one.”
Did you forget about “Exhausting nodes”? It’s page 116 of the 2012 version PDF I have. It says ‘Usually, regeneration takes one full day per level of magnitude.’, and then continues on to a section on making nodes regenerate more quickly. I’ve been using that in our regular game.
Admittedly, the difference between once per day and once every seven days isn’t all *that* significant.
Read what I wrote as “just about as often…”.
In your original post, you said “just as often”. I can see that you were maybe thinking “just about”.