Range: Per the emulated Ability's description and the caster's modified step when emulating that Ability.
Effect: The Spells trait is primarily used to emulate the effects of other Ability traits, as described below. However, when not being used to emulate another Ability trait, Spells also provides justification for reasonable narrative embellishments of the 'cantrip' variety, illustrating a character's magical prowess.
In an Action Scene, at the start of one of their character's panels, a player may announce which other Ability trait they intend to use a Spells trait to emulate. Then the character spends that entire panel preparing; this might take the narrative form of concentrating, consulting a spell book or scroll, making mystic passes or drawing a symbol, or whatever suits the character's concept.
If the character does not take Stress or Trauma and is not otherwise interfered with by the start of their next panel, their Spells traits is stepped down and is now emulating the other Ability trait announced in the previous panel.
* If the other Ability trait is a Manipulation Ability, Spells is stepped down once.
* If the other Ability trait is not a Manipulation Ability, Spells is stepped down twice.
While emulating another Ability trait, a Spells trait can be used to justify actions, can be included in action and reaction dice pools, can be suppressed or complicated, and so on as if it is that other Ability trait. It is also still the Spells trait, thus it can be suppressed or complicated (and so on) as if it were both traits.
Once set to emulate a specific other Ability trait in this way, a Spells trait will remain locked in until the end of the Session, however at the start of a panel a character can choose to end the emulation and restore a Spells trait back up to its normal step.
In a Transition Scene, the process of swapping Spells emulation around can generally be handwaved, but if there is a timing consideration where it is relevant to the narrative whether a character does or does not prepare a Spells trait quickly enough, its a good cue that it is really the beginning of a new Action Scene.
Normally in a given panel a character may move a zone (or potentially more with the use of Travel Abilities), and still take an action. However, using Spells to emulate other Ability traits is somewhat ponderous, and impairs a character's mobility.
* When taking an action, a character cannot use an emulated Ability trait to justify that action or include it in the dice pool of that action if they have moved a zone or more since the start of their panel. When using Spells to emulate a Travel Ability trait this restriction applies in the panel in which the character first uses the Ability trait, but is waived thereafter until they next switch which Ability trait they are using their Spells trait to emulate.
* If a character starts their panel having used an emulated Ability trait in one or more reactions since their last panel, they can move one fewer zones than they otherwise would be able to in this panel.
If an Asset or Complication is put into play by Spells while emulating another Ability trait, the Asset or Complication is independent from the character once it is put into play and is interacted with like any other Asset or Complication thereafter. They don't disappear or leave play automatically if the Spells trait no longer emulates the Ability trait used to create them.
While 'casting a spell' with the Spells Ability trait is handled mechanically by simply using a stepped down Spells trait die and some handwavium, narratively such a character using this Ability to 'cast a spell' is doing something mystical. The specifics of what form this takes are left to interpretation based upon what style of magic is being represented for that character by this trait. Whether there are incantations, gestures, intense concentration, brandishment of some fetish, scroll, or sigil, or so on is open to player and GM discretion. If a chacter has a relevant Complication on them that interferes with their ability 'cast a spell', they cannot do so until they are no longer affected by that Complication.
Common SFX: Spells is flexible, but that flexibility is counterbalanced by various restrictions. However, SFX can be used to offset most of those restrictions. The Spells trait is also very abstract and generalized, but SFX can be used to flavor Spells towards a given concept. Some common SFX applied to Spells are as follows.
The No Prep SFX can be applied to allow a character to ignore the Preparation restriction of the spells trait; at the start of a panel a player can just step down their Spells trait the indicated number of steps to emulate another Ability trait, and can use it in that same panel.
The Fast Cast SFX can be applied to allow a character to ignore the Ponderous Casting restriction of the Spells trait.
The Hermetic Ritual SFX can be applied to allow a character with sufficient time and materials to prepare and execute an elaborate hermetic ritual to step up an emulated Ability trait two steps for one action. Usually used during Transition Scenes, but at the GM's discretion can be used in an Action Scene if a character is able to spend at least a couple of uninterrupted panels to set it up.
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 emulated Ability traits, at their discretion.
Common Limits: The Spells Ability trait has several built in restrictions, none of which can be independently taken as Limits. Aside from that, Limits offer a useful means by which to model different styles of magic, adding some flavor to the abstract Spells trait.
The Restrainable restriction is integrated into the Spells trait and is not worth a Limit, but the Spell Components Limit can be applied to add further restriction to it. A character with this Limit also needs access to elaborate material components and / or trappings such as wands and amulets, to 'cast a spell' and cannot do so if they don't have the necessary stuff due to narrative reasons, or are being actively prevented from using such components.
Similarly, the Lexical Limit can be applied to indicate a form of Spells that requires the caster to have access to a specific spellbook, scroll, or other enscribed source of spell lore in order to use their magic.
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 Known Spells Limit may be taken to indcate a form of Spells that requires the caster to maintain a list of other Ability traits they have learned how to emulate; starting out such a character can add one Ability trait to thier list plus one additional Ability trait for each step of Smarts they have (d4 = 2, d6 = 3, d8 = 4, etc). Adding more Ability traits to the list is left to emergent gameplay but should be no more frequent than once per Session or so; making it the reward for a Relatively Difficult Milestone Goal is a good option.
Normally, Assets and Complications created with a emulated Ability trait are independent from the character and have their own existence. The Maintained Limit may be applied to change it so that all such Assets and Complications are removed from play if the character is stressed out, unconscious, leaves the Scene, or reset's the Spells trait used to create them. On the plus side, the character can decide to remove any and all Assets or Complications they have created using Spells at will during one of their panels.