Portal:Magic

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**Magic**, known by many different names, is a powerful but mysterious quantity, variously described as an energy, a force, or a substance, present in most regions of the universe. This force can be accessed by spellcasters and deployed to instantiate powerful and remarkable effects, many of which lie outside the possibilities allowed by the ordinary laws of physics.

The study and use of magic are topics that capture both public and academic interest. Artificers and wizards seek to understand magic through the scientific method. Clerics and druids use the power of faith and soul to power their magic. Bards think of magic as an art, to be wielded through music or craft, while sorcerers tap into the arcane embedded into their being.

Whatever the *modus operandi*, the use of magic is a great privilege. Individuals with such power at their disposal rarely squander its potential, and it is thus that magic users are disproportionately represented amongst the powerful, wealthy, and influential people of the world.

## Fundamental Canons of Arcana

The Fundamental Canons of Arcana describe the most fundamental aspects of magic. They are:

* **First Canon of Arcana:** The production of magic and magical effects requires the consumption of resources material or intangible equivalent with the power of the spell and commensurate with the prowess on the spellcaster (such activity is discretized in "spell slots," and explains why it is exhausting to cast additional magic).

* **Second Canon of Arcana:** Magical activity increases the "state of chaos" (entropy) of the universe (as discretized in "spell slots"). Because of this canon, some refer to magic as "Chaos."

* **Third Canon of Arcana:** The weave of magic in the universe ever attempts to return to a continuously-diluted and uniform distribution, and concentrated pools of arcane energy are inherently unstable.

## Types of Magic

The power of Magic takes on many forms. Part of magic is the Weave, the magical energy dissolved throughout all of the universe. Another example is Ki, which is the element of the same residing in living bodies.

### Alchemy

Alchemy is the science of combining magical and nonmagical reagents to produce extraordinary concoctions and solutions.

### Arcane Magic

Arcane Magic is conventional magic, wielded by all classes and nearly all spellcasters. Arcane magic is typically cast as a function of a spellcaster's spellcasting prowess, independent of the strength or power of the spellcaster's source, allies, or patrons, if any.

### High Magic

High Magic is the name given to extraordinarily powerful feats of magic. These include the creation of Mythals, the opening of large gates between Planes, and the forging of legendary magical artifacts. Casting such powerful magic typically requires the concentrated efforts of several powerful spellcasters over a lengthy duration of time.

### Soul Magic

The power of the will, channeled through the Soul, is another medium to access magical power. Such powers are evident in the Faith and Channel Divinity of Clerics, the Oaths and Channel Divinities of Paladins, and the Rage of Barbarians. Soul magic is the most mysterious of the types of magic, and even in the present it is not well understood.

### Transposition

The art of Transposition, on occassion referred to as enchantment, is the process of imbuing an ordinary item with magical properties, thus transforming it into a magical item. This process is performed mostly by transpositors, and more rarely by artificers and wizards.

## Magic and Culture

In parts of the civilized world, magic and its use are strictly regulated by the local authorities. In Dwarven society, for example, the use of Enchantment magic on unwilling or unwitting targets, and the use of Necromancy for any reason, is punishable by death. However, these regulations are nearly impossible to enforce outside of cities and townsn and many magical academies and organizations can outright ignore them by offering hefty bribes in gold, magic items, spells, and other resources and services.

## Spellcasters and Spellcasting

Spellcasters are individuals who can channel the power of magic through spells.

Spellcasting most often refers to the method through which spells are produced. That said, it can also refer to the fount of energy for the spells in question.

## Schools of Magic

Arcane magic is the most prevalent of all types of magic. In scholarly study, arcane spells are categorized into one of the eight schools of magic:

AbjurationConjurationDivinationEnchantmentEvocationIllusionNecromancyTransmutation