True to Caravan Master Mook’s word, it was a matter of minutes—fewer than ten, if not by many—before the caravan was ready. The horses were thoroughly checked over and made ready to leave, the oxen were hitched up to the wagons, and every piece of equipment was double-checked. Backpack straps were adjusted, boots were emptied of grit and carefully re-tied, canteens of water were filled, and the balance of loads was meticulously measured. A few minor problems were slowly Mended—

Mending

Transmutation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (two lodestones)

Duration: Instantaneous

This spell repairs a single break or tear in a touched object, such as a broken chain link, two halves of a broken key, a torn cloak, or a leaking wineskin. As long as the break or tear is no larger than 1 foot in any dimension, it is mended, leaving no trace of the former damage. This spell can physically repair a magic item or construct, but the spell can't restore magic to such an object.

The Schools of Magic

Academies of magic group spells into eight categories called schools of magic. Scholars, particularly wizards, apply these categories to all spells, believing that all magic functions in essentially the same way, whether it derives from rigorous study or is bestowed by a deity. The schools of magic help describe spells; they have no inherent rules of their own, although some rules refer to the schools.

Transmutation: These spells change the properties of a creature, object, or environment. They might turn an enemy into a harmless creature, bolster the strength of an ally, make an object move at the caster's command, or enhance a creature's innate healing abilities to rapidly recover from injury.

—by a Cleric in the regalia of the Two Wolves company, looking constipated in his long minutes of continued concentration.

Longer Casting Times

Certain spells (including spells cast as rituals) require more time to cast: minutes or even hours. When a spell has a casting time longer than a single action or reaction, concentration must be maintained continuously while it is being cast. If that concentration is broken, the spell fails, but a spell slot is not expended. To try casting the spell again, one must start over.

Muttering an almost-indistinct chant to the tune of an old drinking song with the lyrics replaced with mend, and wringing his hands while somehow also holding two lodestones—

Components

A spell's components are the physical requirements that must be met in order to cast it. Each spell's description indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or material (M) components. If the spellcaster can't provide one or more of a spell's components, they are unable to cast the spell.

Verbal (V)

Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence, such as one created by the silence spell, can't cast a spell with a verbal component.

Somatic (S)

Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

Material (M)

Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment”) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell. If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell. A spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell's material components--or to hold a spellcasting focus--but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.

—he cast the spell, then touched—

Range

The target of a spell must be within the spell's range. For a spell like magic missile, the target is a creature. For a spell like fireball, the target is the point in space where the ball of fire erupts. Most spells have ranges expressed in feet. Some spells can target only a creature (including the spellcaster) that is being touched. Other spells, such as the shield spell, affect only the spellcaster. These spells have a range of self. Spells that create cones or lines of effect that originate from the spellcaster also have a range of self, indicating that the origin point of the spell's effect must be the spellcaster. Once a spell is cast, its effects aren't limited by its range, unless the spell's description says otherwise.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

—the offending, formerly broken item—

Duration

A spell's duration is the length of time the spell persists. A duration can be expressed in rounds, minutes, hours, or even years. Some spells specify that their effects last until the spells are dispelled or destroyed.

Instantaneous

Many spells are instantaneous. The spell harms, heals, creates, or alters a creature or an object in a way that can't be dispelled, because its magic exists only for an instant.

—which then remained mended.

Finally, everything that multiple experts’ thorough examinations could find was settled and resolved. Mook and his as-yet-not-introduced second-in-command conferred together, looked one last time over the area, and nodded sharply.

“Let’s go, kiddos!”

“Time is money, friends!” The second-in-command belted the words in a vast bellow. “Hup hup hup! Two Wolves, van and flanks! Everyone else, we’re eating dust and liking it!”

With a vicious squeal, the giant gate on the outside of the caravan gathering area grated open, catching several times on the uneven road as four people—a dragonborn, a half-orc, and two humans—hauled on a couple of ropes that’d been looped around a couple of girders to serve as pulleys.

“They should use a windlass,” Harriet remarked offhandedly. “Those girders have a lot of friction, and it’s going to wear and fray the ropes. Plus, it’s making it a lot harder to open the gate, mostly because of the friction and ‘cause they keep losing ground.”

“Da fuck’s a breeze-girl?”

Harriet turned to look at the person who’d asked the question. She was another dragonborn, armored in a chain shirt and toting what appeared to be the standard sword and shield of the now-familiar Two Wolves Company equipment.

RACIAL INFORMATION: DRAGONBORN

Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other dragonborn.

Ability Score Increase: Strength score increases by 2, and Charisma score increases by 1.

Age: Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.

Alignment: Dragonborn tend to extremes, making a conscious choice for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil. Most dragonborn are good, but those who side with evil can be terrible villains.

Size: Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Their size is Medium.

Speed: A dragonborn’s base walking speed is 30 feet.

Draconic Ancestry: Dragonborn have draconic ancestry. Their breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by the type of that ancestry.

Breath Weapon: Dragonborn can use an action to exhale destructive energy. Draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation. When a dragonborn uses their breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by that draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + the dragonborn’s Constitution modifier + their proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After a dragonbreath uses their breath weapon, they can’t use it again until they complete a short or long rest.

Damage Resistance: Dragonborn have resistance to the damage type associated with their draconic ancestry.

Languages: Dragonborn can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

“A windlass?” Harriet enunciated the word slowly, rolling her eyes and, since she could this time around, propping her hands on her hips. “It’s a fuck you, pay me.”

“What? Come on. That’s my girlfriend over there sweating it up, do me a solid, don’t be a little shit.”

Damage Resistance and Vulnerability

Some creatures and objects are exceedingly difficult or unusually easy to hurt with certain types of damage. If a creature or an object has resistance to a damage type, damage of that type is halved against it. If a creature or an object has vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that type is doubled against it.

Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other modifiers to damage. For example: a creature has resistance to bludgeoning damage and is hit by an attack that deals 25 bludgeoning damage. The creature is also within a magical aura that reduces all damage by 5. The 25 damage is first reduced by 5 and then halved, so the creature takes 10 damage.

Multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that affect the same damage type count as only one instance. For example, if a creature has resistance to fire damage as well as resistance to all nonmagical damage, the damage of a nonmagical fire is reduced by half against the creature, not reduced by three-quarters.

“Congratulations,” the little shit in question said dryly. “She seems real nice.”

“Don’t get put off by the low Charisma,” the woman muttered in what seemed like embarrassment. “She’s nice. Lawful Good, but not like the other drabie girls, you know? And nice, and I like how she smells.”

“Didn’t need to hear that!” Harriet scowled, but apart from a dark glance at her parents to make sure they didn’t get the wrong idea about their own sappy remarks, she didn’t look displeased. “Fine. How much does an engineer make around here?”