When you critical fail with a Spellcasting roll, you can choose to defile to reroll. One ally within 10” takes a wound (this can't be soaked) and the land within 2” of you becomes defiled. For the next hour, arcane magic cannot be cast on that land.
If you choose not to reroll or fail the reroll, backlash happens instead of a level of Fatigue. Roll on the following table to determine what kind of backlash.
| 2d6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 2 | Catastrophe: Something goes terribly wrong. The GM must decide what, but some ideas are a new and permanent Minor Hindrance, the inability to use powers for several days, or an explosion of some sort. The backlash should be thematic if possible. If the hero tampers with dark forces for his abilities, for example, he might become corrupted or summon something sinister into the world. If he’s a weird scientist the device might explode for 3d6 damage in a Medium Blast Template, or he might develop a Quirk, Phobia, or other “madness.” |
| 3 | Backfire: The power succeeds as with a raise but affects a different target with the worst possible results. A bolt hits a random friend, boost Trait increases an enemy’s skill or attribute, etc. If there’s no likely target, he’s Stunned instead. If the power has a Duration other than Instant, it lasts its full term and can only be negated by dispel (the caster can’t voluntarily end it herself). |
| 4-5 | Short Circuit: The power fails but the Power Points allocated to it are spent, along with an additional 1d6 Power Points. |
| 6-8 | Stunned: The caster is Stunned (see page 106). She subtracts 2 from arcane skill rolls for the rest of the encounter (the penalty remains –2 even if she gets this result again). |
| 9-10 | Overload: The character’s synapses crackle and overload with power. He takes 2d6 damage plus the cost of the power in Power Points, including any Power Modifiers the player declared. |
| 11 | Fatigue: The character suffers Fatigue. |
| 12 | Overcharge: The power draws ambient energy from the air, automatically succeeding against the target with a raise and costing the caster no Power Points! |