Magic

**Magic** in this system is treated differently than in previous editions.

## The Laws of Magic

Magic is a wholly immaterial, incomprehensible, and at times unpredictable practice that borders the realms of art and science. Its nature is volatile, and how it works is an essential mystery explored in both religion and arcane study. There is very little in common between the types of magic besides the fact that it is ill-understood.

However, scholars from Wagstaff-and-Buford in *Illyria* have studied the great works of many magi, wizards, and notable academics and compiled what they have described as the Three Laws of Magic. These rules are general and abstract, but describe the nature of magic succinctly and with little controversy.

### First Law of Magic

The first law of magic is that **magic is fundamentally a Otherworld phenomenon; thus, for it to occur in the material world, it must be invited or summoned**.

This law describes how magic is performed in the material plane; whether or not the mechanics of magic are known, or what is being done exactly, magic is something that comes from the Otherworld. Therefore, when any type of magic is being performed, it is in fact a method of contacting or commanding an entity from the Otherworld to accomplish something within the material world.

### Second Law of Magic

The second law of magic is that **magic will always be beyond the comprehension of mortals; it is by nature something that can only be understood on a surface level, and even then, only poorly**.

Magic is sometimes called the language of the universe, and the arcane arts its vulgar translation. Mortal beings are unfortunately unable to grasp what magic is and why it works or doesn't work. An extension of this law may be that to perform magic, one must master something they will never understand. It is by this paradox that magic can be learned.

### Third Law of Magic

The third and final law of magic is that **magic always, always has a cost**.

This can mean many things, but it's underlying logic is sound - if magic had no cost, anything that can speak and has two thumbs would be a magician. Because magic is being invited, it can be seen as a "deal" between the magician and the patron to cast a spell or perform a miracle.

The nature of this deal disadvantages the magician and the material world at large. Given the second law of magic, a magician does not understand their negotiating position fully, nor can grasp the motives of their patron. As a result, there is a alleged "fourth" law of magic sometimes included with the third: **magic will always incur a greater cost than the benefit received**.

Whether this "law" is true or not remains unclear, as there is no metric to determine if it is indeed equal. It can be asserted, though, that historic examples seem to support this claim.

## Types of Magic

### Metaphysical

The way magic is distinguished on a metaphysical level is important for multiple reasons, particularly in relation to the way that spells are cast, the likelihood of a spell incurring unintended effects, and limitations of what the spells can affect.

#### Arcane

When a magician is capable of magic without the aid of another entity, and simply relies on their own abilities to manipulate the world around them, it is referred to as arcane magic. It is usually associated with scholarly study and practice, as it is independent of most forms of religious practice.

Arcane magic is susceptible to failure, with mistakes resulting in a wide variety of incidental side effects or outright not working. While an experienced magician will generally not suffer such difficulty, mortal imbalances such as exhaustion or desecrated areas are potential powder kegs for chaos no matter what the skill level is of the arcanist.

#### Divine

Divine magic is bestowed upon the magician by another party. It is almost always a consequence of reverence and religious devotion, with the divine spells being awarded to the magician for their diligent service.

The entity being communed for magic will rarely experience the hangups of an arcanist, meaning that the chances of side effects or unintended consequences are quite low. In contrast, divine magic requires fealty and service to the entity providing the power, with betrayal being paid for with the destruction of one's soul, or worse.

### Political

The way magic is viewed between persons, on a societal level, is nearly universal between cultures with few exceptions. This influences the way people will react to spellcasting and magical effects, and the likelihood of intervention on part of an authoritative organization.

It would be imprudent to claim that the concepts of white magic and black magic are between good and evil. Rather, the dichotomy is best described as whether or not it is dangerous or destabilizing to allow certain types of magic to be used in a society. White magic is related as beneficial in any form to a population as a whole. In contrast, black magic is described as an easily abused or chaotic force best left outside of civilized dominions.

#### Black Magic

In general, magic that causes physical harm, grants someone inordinate fortunes or power, or involves contact with demons and malevolent entities is seen as black magic. The meaning is somewhat flexible, with Merovians holding prejudice for destructive *evocation* spells as black magic, and most all of Prace similarly considering any kind of *necromancy* as unnatural and alien. This generally has strong ties to what types of magic they are historically familiar with.

#### White Magic

White magic is best seen as any sort of magic that is not black magic. It includes prayers of healing, blessings, and spells that conjure necessities like food or water. By far the most common understanding is the divine curing of wounds and disease is almost universally held as white magic. Other types of spells are subject to debate, with some scholars arguing that divine magic is inherently white magic, and the arcane is exclusively black magic.

### Geographical

Unique spells have been crafted from all over the world, with different regions being known for particular invocations better than others. Based on the geographic region, spells have emerged out of necessity and out of heritage and legacy. For instance, the concept of a *hellish rebuke* in Perth and among the cambinoids was so prevalent at its height, that nearly all of the ancient peoples were believed to have the ability to immolate opponents. To this end, the spell gained significant prominence as a way for two tieflings to settle disagreements in a standardized duel.

Magic spells have been shared between magicians for centuries on contiguous landmasses, and thus are difficult to trace in all certainty to a specific region or source. What can be gathered is that certain schools of magic formed independent of one another, and it was only through consistent exchange that these schools were shared. While learning every school was difficult in the past, in recent years, this has changed, as scholars and magicians have convened in major cities thanks to mercantile interests. In this setting, the rates of exchange have never been greater.

* **Humans** are known for *evocation, abjuration, illusion*, and *divination*.
* **Orcs and tieflings** developed *conjuration, necromancy, enchantment,* and *transmutation*.
* **Elves** are credited for *transmutation, conjuration, enchantment,* and *illusion*.

## Costs of magic

A law of magic, and method of classification (especially in the realms of "white" and "black" magic) is the concept of magic's cost. All magic has an associated cost. The costs of magic are most often associated with the esoteric societies that protect it or the methods that take a toll on the physical body.

#### Blood magic

The most basic concept of exchange is in blood magic: to gain the power over the world around you, you must trade with life in kind. This usually requires the taking the life of a loved one in grisly, ritualistic fashion. Though blood magic empowers its recipient for potentially decades at a time, the cost is paid for in blood, always.

#### Hermeticism (*chi*)

The uninitiated may call hermeticism "life magic," though in practice it focuses more on mindfulness than anything truly metaphysical. The process of "oneness" and inner balance relies on careful, deliberate monastic living. To pursue hermeticism, one forsakes desire and matters of taste; the life of *chi* is a life not lived, at least for oneself. This means fasting, extreme physical exertion, pensiveness, and a level of care and deliberate living that makes one more akin to a machine than a being of free will.

#### Mysticism

The intensive study and practice of performing magic through esoteric means embodies mysticism. This form is among the oldest and most widely practiced forms of magic, as it relies on sheer intellect and commitment to practice. Whether it is learning the language of the birds, secret chords or spells, or even the carving of special runes, precision is the heart of mysticism. In return for being tutored or uncovering this secret information, magicians may sacrifice any number of things. Some dedicate the rest of their lives to a strict order of magicians that cut out their tongues; others may have to perform unspeakable acts to acquire the necessary information or rites. In addition, performing the magic has the potential to drive one into madness, as the mystic is one whose mind treads a line between the real and unreal.

#### Shamanism (druidism)

The shaman, or druidism in the Old Faith, is an individual who lives and breathes the supernatural and transmundane. They are an amalgamation of hermetic and mystic, representing divine elements in the material and enacting their will. In this way, a shaman is never truly free, and is thus only a marionette whose puppeteer makes decisions on their behalf. They often take on forms or develop ailments not fit for living among mortal men, as they are not made for the world, but for their god.

#### Eldritch arts

Magic associated with the Heart of Prace is referred to as the *eldritch arts*. It is also called "elf magic" because this is the group most often associated with it, and in general the eldritch arts are seen as archaic and taboo because of the nature of the Heart of Prace. The Heart of Prace is an extremely powerful artifact but is also unpredictable, and decides what it takes for itself. Those who study how to use the Heart of Prace do not know the costs, and the consequences could be for an entire race of people or even the whole world. This is why it is often considered black magic.

#### Witchcraft

Witches and warlocks are not the same as ambassadors for gods, but are merely empowered as a part of a bargain or reward for services rendered. As with all magic, the cost is not only in the actions taken to acquire it, but to practice it. A witch embodies their magic as it is all but entirely innate, and a gift for deeds that are almost certainly reviled lest such a gift would not be given. The practice of magic further warps their physical bodies and their minds, and in trading their humanity for magic, they trade the fundamental aspects that make mortal life pleasant. This includes youth, beauty, appreciation for art, creativity, and of course, love. The more that is traded, the stronger the witch becomes, making this the ultimate black magic.

## Rules for Magic

### The Spell Points System

As opposed to the classic "spell slot" system, this is a slightly modified version that simply adds up all of your "spell slots" into points. This represents general fatigue, the use of resources involved with casting spells, and the whims of any entity whom is called upon for casting.

The points associated with a spell slot start at 1 point for a first-level spell. Thereafter, it increases by 1. So a spellcaster with 4 level one spell slots, 2 level two spell slots, and 1 level three spell slots has a total of 4(1) + 2(2) + 3(3) spell points, or 4 + 4 + 9 or 17 spell points.

Note that you cannot cast a spell beyond your spell level. So in the previous example, you could cast a 1st-level spell 17 times, a 2nd-level spell eight times, or a 3rd-level spell five times. You could also cast a 1st-level spell at 3rd level five times or at 2nd-level eight times. However, **you could not cast it at 4th-level**, despite having enough spell points for it.

#### Why This System Works

This system allows for greater granularity in spell slots, allowing even moderately experienced spellcasters to have a very extensive budget of lesser spells. In 5e, this will effectively turn greater level spells into cantrips as time goes on. The more experienced and powerful spellcasters can cast third- and fourth-level spells nearly at whim, at the cost of quickly draining their ability to cast their more powerful spells.

### Spell Creation

In 5e, you can create magic items, magic weapons, holy sites - but can't make your own spells. As a patron of the arcane, you should be able to modify existing spells easily to fit your needs better. While the spells in all of the supplementary books are extensive, they are not comprehensive. What separates an okay spell from a great spell is application, not design.

This is the procedure to modify or create a spell.

1. **Choose an existing spell you want to modify.** This is a requirement. Though you are creating a unique spell, you must have a baseline that is being modified, otherwise we would need to extensively playtest your creation (which is admittedly time-consuming).
2. **Adjust the type of damage, additional effects, the area of effect, or special conditions.** This isn't strictly to damaging spells, but it is necessary to know how different your spell is going to be. As a general rule, changing the type of damage, area of effect, or additional effects will run the risk of increasing the spell level depending on what the final product looks like. Any tweaked weaknesses or limitations will almost certainly drive up the spell level quickly.
3. **Submit the spell concept, the baseline spell, your modifications, and a description of how it works**. I will be able to look over your creation and will briefly playtest it to figure out how balanced it is in practice. I will then give you my initial thoughts and ruling for its spell level. Please give me at least two days to review the spell.
4. **Accept or appeal my decision**. I am not a game creator, and I may have misinterpreted your intention or overestimated its usefulness. You can appeal this decision at any time after my initial ruling. If we cannot agree on an appropriate spell level, it will remain out of the game until we find a compromise.
5. **Add the tentative spell to your prepared spells**. Once we agree on a spell level, I'll make a note of it and you can add it to your prepared spells whenever comes a time you can choose spells (e.g. preparing spells, adding new spells on level-up, etc.) From that point, I'll keep a note on how appropriate the spell's level is. If it turns out to be unbalanced, we may have to raise its spell level to keep it from becoming the dominant brute-force method of solving problems. If you find it to unwieldy or not worthy of the spell point trade-off and it goes unused for long bouts of time, I will likely lower its level to encourage its use.

Note that because this is an experimental process, it is not set in stone, and everything here is subject to change with only slight notice to maintain balance. Inform me of any issues you are having and we can work together to resolve it.