Magic System

Author: Jarucas
Date Added: 7/11/09
Last Modified: 7/11/09

Introduction/Background

Magic is Greed

Magic is Universal

The Five Spheres

• Elemental Sphere

  Elemental Magic controls the elements of nature (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Wood - Alchemy is also considered Elemental Magic).  An Elemental mage must learn to open his mind and draw forth the mana of the Elemental Sphere, then channel it into spell-forms.  As the Elemental Mage channels the mana required, he weaves (bends, folds, shapes, etc.) that mana into the form needed to create the desired spell effect.  The weaving is usually accomplished through creative and imaginative thought combined with deliberate and intricate hand and arm motions (though the exact methods may vary).  The element of nature that the spell effects must already be present, it cannot be created by the Elemental Mage (See Ritual Conjuration).  Certain types of weaves can be ‘tied off’, allowing the spell effect to continue untended, but the wise mage should remember that the act of ‘tying off’ a weave is more draining than weaving the spell in the first place.  Elemental Mages normally find one specific element much easier to control than the others and, conversely, one that is very difficult indeed.  Which elements those are will differ from mage to mage.  *Note*  Elemental Mana must be channeled.  Other than that, the specifics involved in crafting spell-forms are left to player interpretation.  Players may be as creative with the system as they like within the basic boundaries detailed here.

• The Price

  Channeling Elemental Mana is a tiring activity.  Weaving that mana into spell-forms is more tiring still.  An Elemental Mage must work long and hard to build up his stamina to increase the number of spell-forms he can weave before exhaustion takes its toll.  He must know his own limitations in order to avoid succumbing to complete exhaustion.  In addition to the fatiguing effects of crafting spell-forms, channeling Elemental Mana carries dangers of its own.  Manipulating the elements of nature eats away at the Elemental Mage’s constitution, slowly robbing him of his physical stamina, resistance, and his body’s ability to heal itself.  Periods of rest and recuperation can usually alleviate this damage, but if an Elemental mage does more than he can handle, he runs the risk of permanent damage.  The careless mage is in danger of damaging his health beyond repair, becoming weak, sickly, and prone to illness.



• Spiritual Sphere

  Spiritual Magic encompasses a broad range of effects.  Most notably, Spiritual Magic is the only sphere that includes healing spells.  Spiritual Magic is powered by Spirit Mana.  Unlike the Elemental Mage, the Spirit Mage (also known as an Enchanter) does not channel the mana directly, but forces it into spell-forms through force of will and the use of complicated verbal incantations designed to focus the mage’s concentration and strengthen the force of his will.  A Spirit Mage is able to cast a variety of spells, including Healing, Blessing, Protection, Light, Dreams, Enchantment, Mental Clarity, Charm, etc.  Spirit Mages are known to employ Totems for a variety of spells.  Selling enchanted Totems can be a lucrative endeavor.  (e.g. ”Hang this figure above your bed and bad dreams will trouble you no more.”)  *Note*  Spirit Mana must be controlled via incantations.  Other than that, the specifics involved in crafting spell-forms are left to player interpretation.  Players may be as creative with the system as they like within the basic boundaries detailed here.  Furthermore, the word ‘Totems’ is used here as an example.  Players may use any terms they wish to indicate enchanted items.

• The Price

  Forcing Spirit Mana into spell forms by will alone is a tiring activity.  The more complicated the spell-form, the more intricate and precise the incantation, the more tiring it becomes.  A Spirit Mage must work long and hard to build up his stamina to increase the number of spell-forms he can work before exhaustion takes its toll.  He must know his own limitations in order to avoid succumbing to complete exhaustion.  Beyond the physical and mental fatigue associated with manipulating Spirit Mana, there is an even higher price to be paid.  One pays with one’s own spirit, one’s own life essence.  Spent in moderation, the effects do not last long.  The spirit will rejuvenate itself, given time.  If spent too freely, too quickly, too recklessly, the spirit will be sacrificed permanently, taking the form of premature aging.  An early death is the destiny of the careless Enchanter.



• Ritual Sphere

  Ritual Magic, as the name implies, requires complex rituals to craft spell effects.  These rituals manipulate Raw Mana.  The most resistant and uncooperative of the five, Raw Mana is magic in its most basic form, wild and untamed, a feral power that can be shaped, through complex rituals, into the widest range of spell-forms offered by any of the five spheres.  Ritual Mages (known as Warlocks, Witches, Crones, Dark Mages, Necromancers, Conjurers, and many other names) perform rituals that can include drawing, chanting, dancing, material components, bloodletting, and even sacrifice.  These rituals, along with pure force of will, can bend the unwilling Raw Mana into a wide variety of spell-forms.  Possible Ritual spells can include things like Necromancy, Curses, Darkness, Shadows, Transmutation, Conjuration, Evocation, etc.  Ritual Magic is the most feared and most reviled of all the spheres and is generally (and mistakenly) considered to be inherently evil.  This is most likely due to the fact that bloodletting is the most effective and most powerful form of ritual.

• The Price

  The time and effort that go into an effective ritual are tiring enough, but add the struggle of will required to force the uncooperative Raw Mana into spell-form and it can become downright debilitating.  A Ritual Mage must work long and hard to build up his stamina to increase the length and effectiveness of his rituals.  By far, Ritual Magic is the most exhausting of the five spheres and mages have been known to succumb to exhaustion in the very midst of a ritual.  Beyond the risk of mental and physical exhaustion, the Ritual Mage’s corporeal body, his physical appearance, is also at risk.  Raw Mana does not bend easily to the will of the caster.  It can actually be said that the mana fights back, lashing out at the one so arrogant as to attempt to tame it.  The fight against Raw Mana slowly erodes the body’s integrity, manifesting as skin faults, fissures, scarring, and even slight mutations.  The amount of damage done depends upon the scale of the magic being attempted.  A Ritual Mage that overdoes it can find himself turned into a hideous thing to behold.



• Psyonic Sphere

  Psyonics are amongst the most subtle of magics, feared for their ability to alter a man’s mind and even read his very thoughts.  Psyonic Mages must learn to open their minds and channel Mind Mana, bending it through force of will into spell-forms.  There are no incantations or physical movements needed beyond subtle hand motions or direct eye contact.  Psyonic Magic encompasses a broad range of spell effects, which include Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Telekinesis, Scrying, Remote Puppetry, Precognition, Astral Projection, etc.  A Mind Mage will normally find one style of Psyonics (e.g. Telepathy) to be far easier than the others and therefore specialize in that particular talent.

• The Price

  Bending Mind Mana into spell-forms through pure force of will is an exceedingly tiring activity.  A Mind Mage must work long and hard to build up his stamina to increase the duration and frequency of his spell-forms.  He must know his own limitations in order to avoid succumbing to complete exhaustion.  The Mind Mage also risks his very sanity.  Channeling Mind Mana is a delicate process.  A wrong move at the wrong time, or attempting to craft more numerous or more powerful spell-forms than a mage can handle, has the potential to permanently damage the mind of the mage.  Loss of intelligence, memory, or even sanity, are very real possibilities for a careless or overly confident Mind Mage.  A mage that is not mindful might very well find himself reduced to a drooling idiot.



• Illusion Sphere

  Illusion Magic is powered by Deception Mana.  The Illusionist uses verbal incantations and force of will to manipulate the Deception Mana into spell-forms.  Among the most notable of Illusion spells is that of Invisibility.  Successful illusions can deceive the most perceptive of people.  The more skilled the illusionist, the more difficult it may become to see past the deception (that is not to say it is impossible).  Illusion spells trick the senses into believing that they perceive something that is not actually there (or vice versa).  These illusions can be sights, sounds, smells, or even physical feelings, but each time another sense is added to the deception, the spell effect becomes more difficult to achieve.  Furthermore, an Illusionist will normally find that a certain sense is, for him, easier to deceive than the others, and will therefore specialize in that particular brand of illusion.

• The Price

  Bending Deception Mana into spell-forms through force of will is a tiring activity.  An Illusionist must work long and hard to build up his stamina to increase the strength and duration of the illusions he is able to create before exhaustion takes its toll.  He must know his own limitations in order to avoid succumbing to complete exhaustion.  The Illusionist also risks his own grasp on what is real and what is not.  Over time, it becomes more and more likely that the Illusionist will succumb to short bouts of delusion and temporary fugue states.  If the Illusionist attempts to craft more spell-forms than he can handle, or an illusion beyond his skill level, he runs the serious risk of the delusions and fugue state becoming permanent.