Once a character has the proper talent and perks the next thing they need to do is learn the skills and spells to make their abilities complete. As mentioned previously a character must have the right Spell Skill to cast spells. The skills are:
Sorcery: for 3 points the character gets a base roll of 9+(EGO/5). For each additional 2 points the base roll is increased by one. This skill is required to cast any spell from the Sorcery College.
Shamanism: for 3 points the character gets a base roll of 9+(INT/5). For each additional 2 points the base roll is increased by one. This skill is required to cast any spell from the Shamanist College (any element).
White Magic: for 3 points the character gets a base roll of 9+(EGO/5). For each additional 2 points the base roll is increased by one. This skill is required to cast any spell from the White Magic or Divine Magic Colleges.
All spell write-ups in this system have the Limitation Spell (-1/2). In part this is because in order to use a spell a character must know that spell. Characters will be required to keep a written list of the spells that their characters know. To lean a spell there are three possible methods.
Master and Apprentice Method: This is probably the most common method of learning spells. Someone else teaches you the spell. In some cases this is a single master with a single pupil and in others it is a class of pupils being taught by a master of a magic-user academy of sorts (for example a Sorcerer’s Guild). To learn a spell by this method the character simply devotes the required time and then makes a roll against the proper Magic Skill (Sorcery, Shamanism or White Magic). Success indicates that the character has learned the spell and can now add it to his list. The success roll is modified by the spell’s Spell Mod (see the spell write-up). The character's teacher can compliment this roll with his PS: Instructor Skill (as long as he has that skill). The base time to learn a spell is 6 hours and modifiers for taking more or less time are applicable (see the Time Chart and Skill Modifiers on page 45 of 5ER). Other skill modifiers may be applied by the GM as she sees fit. Note that in a relaxed learning environment it is not uncommon for an instructor to split-up the 6 hours of learning time over two or three days. Thus learning 20 spells in a guild academy may take a character months and that doesn't include taking off weekends, having to take extra time on failed rolls and doing whatever else they choose to require in return for schooling you.
Book Learning: This involves studying a text (scroll, spell book, Claire Bible, etc.) in which the spell is written and described. The base time is 1 day and standard modifiers may apply. The quality of the text also should be included as a modifier. A half decayed and poorly written scroll would probably impose a penalty of -1 to -3 whereas a high quality text could grant a bonus of +1 to +3 (the Claire Bible would probably be a +5). Of course the Spell Mod of the spell will impose a penalty on this roll.
Learn by Watching: In order to do this the character will need the Analyze Magic Skill. They will need to see the spell cast by someone. The character makes their Analyze Magic Skill roll and if they succeed this will become a complimentary roll to the Magic Skill when they roll to learn the spell. Failing the Analyze Magic roll means the character didn't get absorb enough insight to attempt to learn the spell, this time. Even using this method the character will need time to reflect on what they have seen in order to decipher the complexity of the spell. The base time is 6 hours. If the character witnesses the spell in use again, and passes another Analyze Magic Skill roll they gain a +1 bonus in addition to whichever Analyze roll gave them the best results. Once again the Spell Mod of the spell will impose a penalty on this roll.
If a character fails his roll to learn the spell they fail and may try again once conditions improve (generally more time passes, they get a different instructor, analyze another casting, etc.). However if a character fails his roll to learn a new spell by 4 point or more then it is much worse. This means that there is something fundamentally preventing the character from learning that spell. (For instance Lina has never been able learn Ra Tilt since she can’t seem to visualize the correct image frame in her mind). In this case the character can not try to learn that spell again unless something truly fundamental changes, something that gives them a new insight of the spell in question. The circumstances which will allow are up to the GM to determine. Simply switching learning methods isn't enough.
In some cases a character is just not able to grasp concepts of a particular variety of spells within a college. This is the case with Sylphiel and attack spells. She can’t ever seem to get a Flare Arrow spell to work properly, though she apparently is able to cast some non-attack Sorcery spells. A condition like this is probably best represented by having the character take a psychological or physical limitation as a disadvantage. Specifics on that are left up to you and the GM of your campaign.