4.1.7 Duration

The duration of an enchantment determines how long the enchantment lasts.

The minimum value that can be given to the Duration of an enchantment is zero.

The magician casting an enchantment should define the enchantment's effects as being either:

Lasting over the duration - in which case the enchantment remains at full power over the full duration of the enchantment; or
Reducing over the duration - in which case the power of the enchantment reduces by 1 point as each level of duration is exhausted. For example, a character casts a Power 5 enchantment with reducing duration of a day. For the first combat turn, the enchantment has Power 5, after this for the first minute it is Power 4, for the first hour Power 3 and then for the rest of the day Power 2.

The amount added to the difficulty of the enchantment depends on the Duration level chosen and whether the enchantment's effects are lasting or reducing over the duration:

Duration level	Lasting over duration	Reducing over duration
Instantaneous (i.e. no lasting effect)	0	0
1 Combat Turn (i.e. 5 seconds)	1	1
1 Minute	2	1 1/2
1 Hour	3	2
1 Day	4	2 1/2
1 Week	5	3
1 Month	6	3 1/2
1 Year	7	4
10 Years	8	4 1/2
100 Years	9	5
Permanent	10	6

Normally, an enchantment with a duration will cease if the caster of the enchantment is distracted from it (e.g. by being stunned or falling unconscious). The difficulty associated with the duration of the enchantment is increased by +1 if the enchantment is autonomous and will keep going even if the caster is unconscious or dead. The difficulty associated with the duration of the enchantment is reduced by -1 if the enchantment is so intense that all the caster can do while the enchantment lasts is to concentrate on maintaining the enchantment, i.e. the enchantment ceases if he/she tries anything else.