Sorcery Practicals hack.

Burning Wheel Modifications, Hacks and Expansions
1

First reading takes place as written in BWG.

Practicals as written:
Casting the spell is at the Ob of spell + Perception aptitude - Number of previous times cast as part of practicals.
When you have cast the spell a number of times equal to the aptitude you stop practicals and move onto Second reading. You may not cast the spell again until the second reading is done.

Practicals hack:
You cast the spell at the Ob of the spell + half the Perception Aptitude rounded up (or a minimum of +1 Ob).
When you have cast the spell a number of times equal to the aptitude you stop counting may choose to move onto Second reading. You may cast the spell at the above obstacle until second reading is done.

Second reading takes place as written in BWG.

This change allows a spellcaster to cast a spell with an obstacle penalty after practicals are usually done. The rules as written stop the spellcaster from trying to cast the spell without explaining the removal of this option in the fiction of the game.

I believe this is closer to how it worked in BWR where prior to second reading there was a double obstacle penalty.

2

If I were to hack Learning Spells, I’d double the casting time in actions for a spell during Practicals.

Let’s say you’re trying to learn Breath of Wind (Ob 4^, 4 actions). Your Perception is B6. So you need to successfully cast the spell 4 times in Practicals. The first time you cast the spell, it’s Ob 8^, 8 actions. The second time you cast, it’s Ob 7^, 8 actions. Etc.

By the time you finish your Practicals, you’ve got the spell down to Ob 4^, 8 actions. You can continue casting the spell like that, but Second Reading allows you to compress the spell.

3

That’s good too.

But maybe as well as doubling the casting time we also subject it to a minimum action increase.

If a spell can be cast in 1 action and we double it to 2 then there’s too much risk of failing the test by a margin of 1 or higher. That’d stop the incentive tro do a second reading.

How about double actions or additional actions equal to the spell obstacle, whichever is higher?

That way you cannot become worse at the spell through additional study.