Spells may be cast by mages, clerics, and necromancers, though generally the types of spells available are very different between the different classes:

• Mage Spells are generally based on either the elemental forces, or on raw magical power. The elemental spells are exceptionally powerful.
  
  
• Cleric Spells are more generally those of healing and of the spirit, as well as deity-granted powers that mages typically shun as being unreliable.
  
  
• Necromancer Spells primarily draw from the spirit and demon realms, though it is believed that animation spells may use the elemental plane of earth as their power source.
  
  

The basic command used to cast nearly all spells is 'cast'. The cast command requires that you give the spell name (or an abbreviation of the spell name), and spells may require a target of the spell, especially if you intend to cast on someone else.

Some examples:

cast cure light wounds

This command will cast the spell 'cure light wounds' on yourself.

cast cure light wounds imp

This command will cast the spell 'cure light wounds' on an imp, if one happens to be near you.

cast magic missile imp

This command will cast the spell 'magic missile' on an imp, if one happens to be near you.

In the heat of battle, you might not have time to type out all of this stuff, and a typo might cost you your life. Because of this, the game allows you to abbreviate:

cast magic imp
cast mag imp
cast m imp
c m imp
c m

The first four of these commands are all abbreviations of the same thing, and all four of them will try to cast the spell 'magic missile' on a nearby imp. The last command, 'c m
', is special - because there is no target, the game will guess that you want to cast the spell on whatever you're fighting. If you aren't fighting anything, the game will tell you that. This is the ultimate abbreviation, and the one most people will use in combat.

Likewise for clerics, the 'cure light wounds' spell can be abbreviated:

cast cure light
cast cure l
cast cure
cast cu
c cu

All of these are valid abbreviations for the 'cure light wounds' spell. Notice that if no target is given, the game will guess that you want to cast the spell on yourself, and will try to heal you when you cast it.

All other castable spells take the same form, and you can find abbreviations by experimenting or asking other players. To see what spells you can cast, please see our list of available spells and skills.