Racial Spell Cost Modifier
Every race has a racial spell cost modifer associated with it. There are three kinds of spells, arcane (mage/wzd/sor type), divine (cleric type) and psionic.
A negative modifier means the spell cost is lower.
Effective Mana
Note that the following shows the spell cost modifier. We can define the effective mana as the mana a human would need to cast the same amount as a particular race. If x is the racial spellcost modifier (in percentage), then the effective mana is 100 / (100 + x).
For example, a -25% spell cost modifier for sprite translates into 33% more effective mana.
Effective mana is the more directly useful notion, since finally, that's what determines how much you can cast.
Worship
The effect of worship on spellcost is multiplicative:
racial-modifier * (1 + worship-modifier) = cost-modifier
Bhyss (-10%) Sprite (75% normal cost):
0.75 * (1 + -0.1) = 0.675, which is 67.5% of regular cost - a 32.5% reduction.
Werredan (+10%) Minotaur (125%):
1.25 * (1 + 0.1) = 1.375, a 37.5% increase in cost, driving for example Foci from 400 to 550.
The values
The entries have been computed usually by checking spell cost for Foci for arcane (400 mana for hum atheist), Fortitudes for psionic (400) and Awen for divine (500) and then accounting for worship reduction using the Worship table.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Divine | |
| Legendary | |
| Great | |
| Good | |
| Average | |
| Below Average | |
| Bad | |
| Race | Arcane Modifier | Divine Modifier | Psionic Modifier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centaur | -10% | -15% | -10% | |
| Deep Gnome | -7.5% | -5% | -5% | |
| Draconian | none | none | -5% | |
| Drow | -12.5% | -10% | -10% | |
| Duergar | ? | ? | -5%? | |
| Dwarf | none | -5% | -5% | |
| Elf | -12.5% | -10% | -10% | |
| Ent | none | -20% | none | |
| Firedrake | none | none | none | |
| Gargoyle | -15% | -10% | -10% | |
| Giant | ? | ? | ? | |
| Gnome | -7.5% | -5% | -5% | |
| Goblin | +10% | +10% | +10% | |
| Halfling | ? | ? | ? | |
| Half-Elf | ? | ? | ? | |
| Half-Orc | ? | ? | ? | |
| Harpy | ? | ? | ? | |
| Human | none | none | none | |
| Imp | Good | Bad | Good | |
| Kobold | ? | ? | ? | |
| Kzinti | none | ? | none | |
| Lizardmen | none | none | -5% | |
| Ogres | ? | ? | ? | |
| Orc | +10% | none | +10% | |
| Troglodyte | +25% | +25% | +22.5% |
| Race | Arcane Modifier | Divine Modifier | Psionic Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demonseed | -12.5% | -10% | -10% |
| Dragon | -10% | -10% | -15% |
| Golem | none | +10% | +10% |
| Griffon | none | none | none |
| High Elf | -15% | -15% | -20% |
| Hobgoblin | ? | ? | ? |
| Minotaur | +25% | +15% | +25% |
| Miraar | none | none | -10% |
| Sprite | -25% | -25% | -25% |
| Troll | +5% | +10% | +10% |
| Tuataur | -10% | -10% | -20% |
