Spell Formats

Magic formats

The following table summarizes the differences between spell knowledge (SK) items, self mana (SM) items, x/day magic items, and x/day rune tattoos.

Format	Description	Skill Used	Duration	Uses Your Mana?	Avoids Spell Sever?
SK item / SKE	Acts as if you natively know the spell. Cast using your own mana, just like a native caster.	Your own casting skill	Normal native cast duration	Yes	Yes — immune to spell sever, spell burst, and Rift dispel
SM item	A magic item activated via MIU, but instead of consuming charges, it draws from the user's own mana pool each use. Unlimited activations as long as the user has mana.	Magic Item Use (MIU)	MIU-based duration	Yes	No
x/day item	A charged magic item (imbed, wand, etc.) with limited uses per day. Activated via TAP, RUB, WAVE, or RAISE.	Magic Item Use (MIU)	MIU-based duration	No	No
x/day tattoo	Same as an x/day item, but worn on your body. Permanent; cannot be destroyed through use. Resets daily. Activated via INVOKE.	Arcane Symbols (AS)	AS-based duration	No	No

Notes

• Only SK items avoid spell sever. Defensive spells self-cast through spell knowledge are not subject to spell burst, spell sever, or Rift dispel. No other format shares this property.
• X/day items and x/day tattoos both count toward, and are vulnerable to, the spell sever limit in affected hunting areas.
• SM items are similar to SK items in that both use the user's mana, but they are not the same — SM items still use MIU mechanics for activation and duration, and do not grant native spell knowledge.
• Duration for MIU-based items: Base Duration + (MIU ranks × per-spell-rank duration). The activation verb affects this — RAISE gives 133% MIU ranks, TAP gives 50%, RUB/WAVE give 100%.
• Duration for AS-based tattoos/scrolls is reduced: (Base Duration ÷ 2) + (AS ranks × per-spell-rank duration ÷ 2).