Magic in Novus is divided into Schools. Each school has its own unique spells and its own unique way of looking at and casting magic.

In order to cast spells in Novus,  a character needs 2 things. A Spellcasting skill for the appropriate School of Magic and knowledge of a specific spell. Both of these are purchased using Character Points. Spellcasting is a skill and the individual spells have a single,  one-time cost that must be paid for them to be learned.

In addition to the various Schools of Magic,  there are also Universal Spells which any character,  and even non-casters may learn.

Having the Spellcasting skill does not automatically teach the character any spells,  those must be purchased separately. A character may only purchase Universal Spells and spells from the School of Magic that he knows.

Spells in Novus do not have a level. They have a Casting Target Number,  and Spell Point Cost. Spell Points are a measure how much magic may be cast before the character is required to rest. Spell Points regenerate fairly quickly,  but it is possible to run out of them during an encounter.

Like with Combat,  exceeding the Casting TN will earn the caster Boon Points that can be used to enhance the spell being cast in a limited fashion. The Casting Boon Points can be used to extend the range,  number of targets,  radius,  make it more difficult to resist, etc.

Casting Options
Novus 1st Edition introduced something new to the magic of Novus, and that is Casting Options. Most spells, but not all, will have their basic attributes, and then they will also have a list of options that may be employeed by the cast at the time that the spell is cast. These options will increase the Casting TN of the spell as well as how many Spell Points are required to cast it.

Libram Novus #1

Libram Novus #1 (Link to Store) contains an expansion to the magic system of Novus. In it,  you can find the rules for Spell Bases. Spell Bases are the core components from which the spells found in the Novus core rules are built. They may also be used to cast spells on the fly.

The spells found in the core rules are pre-made,  formulaic spells and are referred to as Codified Spells. Codified Spells are easier to cast (lower Casting Target Numbers),  and require fewer Spell Points. Many Codified Spells also come with Casting Options that a spell user may select at the time of casting.

As spell users gain in experience,  they will be able to learn Spell Bases. As they learn the Spell Bases,  they will learn how to alter their known spells at the time of casting. Modifying spells using the Spell Bases is less expensive than the Casting Options that most spells have.

Additionally, casters will also learn how to use the Spell Bases to create and cast new spells on the fly. This is known Improv Casting.

A spell cast on the fly will have a higher Casting Target Number and requires more Spell Points than a Codified Spell. However,  casting spells on the fly allows the character to tailor the spell to the situation better and allows the caster to show off his creativity.

The Spell Base rules also allows for the caster to take any Improv Spell and turn it into a Codified Spell by simply paying the Character Points needed to learn is as a Codified spell.