Just as there are many diverse forms of Science in the world (physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, etc.) there are many unique forms of Magic. The follow information is designed to help Players and GMs alike in dealing with those varieties.
GM Disclamer ' Props go to Ars Magica and to our good old-fashioned Dungeons & Dragons and its related Products for aiding me with this portion of the game.
MAGIC IN MYTHIC EUROPA
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Eanwulf
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MAGIC IN MYTHIC EUROPA
Last edited by Eanwulf on Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
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- User Class: Berserker
ARCANE CONNECTIONS
Some spells, in accordance with the Law of Arcane Connections, require an arcane connection to cast. An arcane connection is some item that is intimate to the target of the spell. It might be an actual piece of the target, such as a stone from a cobbled street, clippings from a horse's mane, or the hair of a person. Or, it might be some important supernatural piece of equipment, such as a magus' talisman.
Exactly what is and what is not an arcane connection is up to GM interpretation in some cases. For example, a magus may be able to establish an arcane connection to a little girl through her doll, if she is exceptionally emotionally tied to it.
An arcane connection (that is, a physical item) is always required to cast spells of this range. Sometimes spells of other ranges will also require an arcane connection. Even then, those spells retain their original range.
Exactly what is and what is not an arcane connection is up to GM interpretation in some cases. For example, a magus may be able to establish an arcane connection to a little girl through her doll, if she is exceptionally emotionally tied to it.
An arcane connection (that is, a physical item) is always required to cast spells of this range. Sometimes spells of other ranges will also require an arcane connection. Even then, those spells retain their original range.
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Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
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- User Class: Berserker
RAW VIS
Raw magic power, known as vis (pronounced '˜WEES'), is sometimes found stored in and partially constituting some physical substance. This can occur either because a magus has trapped it there or because it was deposited there by natural magical processes. Vis trapped in some substance is called raw vis, and magi have many uses for it.
Raw vis is always associated with a particular Technique or Form. Thus, there is Ignem vis, Creo vis, Imaginem vis' even Vim vis. Raw vis invariably exists in some kind of matter appropriate to the Technique or Form to which it corresponds. Animal vis might be found in blood, skins, or horns; Herbam vis in plant fiber or sap; Terram vis in crystals; and so on. When raw vis is used its power is permanently lost. When this happens its substance usually changes' dissolving, withering, crumbling, shriveling, or otherwise degrading' in whatever way is appropriate to it.
Raw vis can be used in many applications. Examples include strengthening a spell, performing a ritual, creating a magical enchantment, making a spell permanent, or aiding in the study of the magical Art to which it corresponds.
Because of its utility, vis is greatly prized by Magi. They often use it as a form of currency, measuring it is units called pawns. Ten pawns are said to make a rook, while ten rooks make a queen. A queen of vis is a legendary quantity, and it would be highly unlikely for a given magus to possess even a sizable fraction of such an amount.
Magi often wear sources of vis in necklaces or rings so that other wizards or magical beings can readily perceive that they have vis to use in response to a threat.
Raw vis is always associated with a particular Technique or Form. Thus, there is Ignem vis, Creo vis, Imaginem vis' even Vim vis. Raw vis invariably exists in some kind of matter appropriate to the Technique or Form to which it corresponds. Animal vis might be found in blood, skins, or horns; Herbam vis in plant fiber or sap; Terram vis in crystals; and so on. When raw vis is used its power is permanently lost. When this happens its substance usually changes' dissolving, withering, crumbling, shriveling, or otherwise degrading' in whatever way is appropriate to it.
Raw vis can be used in many applications. Examples include strengthening a spell, performing a ritual, creating a magical enchantment, making a spell permanent, or aiding in the study of the magical Art to which it corresponds.
Because of its utility, vis is greatly prized by Magi. They often use it as a form of currency, measuring it is units called pawns. Ten pawns are said to make a rook, while ten rooks make a queen. A queen of vis is a legendary quantity, and it would be highly unlikely for a given magus to possess even a sizable fraction of such an amount.
Magi often wear sources of vis in necklaces or rings so that other wizards or magical beings can readily perceive that they have vis to use in response to a threat.
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Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
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- User Class: Berserker
HERMETIC MAGIC
In the 8th century the wizard Bonisagus developed a universal theory of magic and the Order of Hermes was born. The most immediate advantage of Hermetic magic was that it allowed wizards of diverse magical backgrounds to share their knowledge. Before Bonisagus' theory, the practice of magic had been highly individualized and therefore limited in scope. With the ability to share and accumulate knowledge, Hermetic magi gained an immense advantage over other wizards. This universal theory is not without its disadvantages, however. Detractors of the system believe that the strict regimentation of Hermetic magic robs truly brilliant magi of the chance to discover the modes of magic power that best suit them, and that it is truly helpful only to mediocre magi who need an exact system to guide them.
The Order of Hermes is only a part of the greater magical world. There exist non-Hermetic magi from European traditions, whose magic can be quite powerful in specific areas but is less flexible than that practiced by the members of the Order. There are rumors that groups of wizards from Arabia and far-off Cathay use magic that is quite different even from the non-Hermetic magi of Europe. Be this as it may, the rules presented here cover Hermetic magic only. GMs should feel free to create non-Hermetic magic that governs monsters, wizards, and magic items that do not fit the paradigm set out in these rules, and thus keep magic a mystery even to those who think they know it all.
Hermetic magic is a highly useful but not entirely perfect theory. These rules reflect the things that magi expect to happen when they work with magic. While the expected usually occurs, the exact effects of magic can be influenced by countless factors, including such vagaries as the phase of the moon, the spiritual nature of the target, and the mental state of the caster. This allows GMs to occasionally bend the rules and interpret magical effects imaginatively.
The Hermetic Arts
The term 'œArts' refers collectively to Techniques and Forms'€"two classes of magical disciplines that work together in spellcasting. Techniques govern the essential manipulations that magic can perform; Forms, the essential natural phenomena that magic can manipulate. Techniques and Forms have Latin names. A Technique is referred to by a verb conjugated in first person, and a Form by a noun. You combine one Technique and one Form to cast a spell, and together their names indicate the spell's general function. For example, a 'œCreo Ignem' spell employs the Technique of 'œCreo' ('œI create') and the Form of 'œIgnem' ('œfire') and produces light, heat, or fire. A 'œMuto Ignem' spell ('œMuto'='œI transform') transforms light, heat, or fire in some way, such as by increasing its intensity, its size, or its shape.
In the following two sections, each of the Arts is listed with its translation from Latin, a general description, and its Hermetic pronunciation. Feel free to use these descriptions when role-playing the casting of your character's spells. For example:
'¦Herr Osric begins to chant softly and his body is soon surrounded by a writhing mass of inky blackness. The sinister necromancer then points one of his skeletal fingers towards his target, Lord Alfric von Valkenburg, and shouts aloud 'œPerdo Corpus!' Suddenly, the writhing mass that surrounds Herr Osric lunges violently towards the stalwart young Baron...
Techniques
Creo - 'œI create'
This Art allows you to produce objects from nothing. It turns dreams into reality. When using a Creo spell, you enter a momentary state of transcendent meditation and contact the realm of Forms, in which all the objects that ever were and ever could be exist as perfect ideas. Your magic finds the proper Form and impresses it on the real world, creating an expression of it. Objects created this way are closer to the world of Forms than are normal objects, so they are always perfect and flawless. You can also use the Art of Creo to perfect things that have deteriorated from their ideal nature, such as to heal a broken arm or to mend a broken vase. Pronounced '˜CRAY-oh.'
Intellego - 'œI perceive'
Intellego is the Art of perception. All things in the world are connected to each other, and Intellego allows magi the ability to see, read, and learn from these connections. Pronounced '˜in-TEL-lego.'
Muto - 'œI transform'
This is the Art of transformation and transmutation. Through this Art, magi can direct and control the essential mechanisms of change itself. A transformation is easiest when there is a strong connection between the original object and that resulting from the transformation: for example, it is relatively easy to turn a leaf into an apple. However, turning a leaf (living, flexible, and vegetable) into a sword (inert, unyielding, and mineral) is quite difficult. Pronounced '˜MOO-toe.'
Perdo - 'œI destroy'
The one trait held in common by all objects and creatures in the temporal world is that some day, inevitably, they will cease to exist. The magus who understands the Art of Perdo knows this, and uses magic to control the universal process whereby things are destroyed. Aging, disease, decay, and dissolution are all properties inherent to objects and living things and can be drawn out through this Art. Pronounced '˜PARE-doe.'
Rego - 'œI control'
The Art of Rego allows a magus to regulate matter or compel the actions of living things. One kind of Rego spell might lift someone into the air, and another might make a person act a certain way. Pronounced '˜RAY-go.'
Forms
Animal - 'œanimal'
Animal concerns animals of all kinds, from the fish of the sea to the birds of the air. Animal spells cannot affect people, for they have souls whereas animals do not. Pronounced '˜ah-nee-MAHL.'
Aquam - 'œwater'
Aquam concerns all manner of liquids. Through this Art, one gains access to the might of a roaring flood and the gentleness of a clear pool. Pronounced '˜AH-kwahm.'
Auram - 'œair'
Auram is the Art of air, wind, and weather. True flight
is only possible through this Art. Pronounced '˜OW-rahm.'
Corpus - 'œbody'
Corpus is the Art of humans and humanlike bodies. It governs the intricate interactions that occur in those bodies with souls, as well as those that once had souls. Pronounced '˜COR-poos.'
Herbam - 'œplant'
This Form concerns plants and trees. This includes plant matter of all types, including that which is no longer alive'€"like dead wood and linens. Pronounced '˜HARE-bahm.'
Ignem - 'œfire'
This Form concerns fire, heat, and light. Fire is the most lifelike of the four elements: it moves, it devours, and it grows. Also, just as a living thing, it can be killed by the other three elements'€"smothered by earth, quenched by water, or blown apart by wind. Fire's position midway between inert matter and living being gives it the advantages of both. Pronounced '˜IG-nem.'
Imaginem - 'œimage'
This Form concerns illusions and phantasms. It affects only the senses and can never affect matter. Masters of this Art have learned to separate the impressions a thing leaves on the senses from the thing itself, and many of them likewise become separated from what those around them see as reality. Pronounced '˜ih-MAH-gihnem.'
Mentem - 'œmind'
This Form concerns minds, thoughts, and spirits. It comes as close as magic can to affecting souls. Through this Art, magi manipulate what they call the body of the soul: memories, thoughts, and emotions. They can also affect the 'œbodies' of
noncorporeal beings, such as ghosts, as these are maintained in the physical world directly by a spirit's will. Pronounced '˜MEN-tem.'
Terram - 'œearth'
This Form concerns solids, especially earth and stone. Indeed, Terram affects the very foundation of the world. Although Terram magic is mighty, the earth proves resistant to manipulation. Just as stone is heavy and hard to lift, it is inert and hard to change, even through magic. Pronounced '˜TARE-rahm.'
Vim - 'œpower'
This Form concerns raw magical power. All the Arts rely on the raw energy and potential of magic, but this Art refines the use of magic itself, allowing magi to assume even greater control of their spells. Vim also affects demons, which are innately magical creatures. Dealing with demons, however, is dangerous because of the risk of corruption and because it is against the code of the Order of Hermes. Pronounced '˜WEEM.'
Limits of Hermetic Magic
Magic, though a very powerful force, is not omnipotent. There are certain laws it must conform to and certain limits that it can never exceed. These limits to Hermetic magic are drawn from the medieval paradigm of post-Aristotelian, pre-
Copernican physics and cosmology, and are described below.
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Hermetic magic cannot affect the lunar sphere, nor anything above it. Hermetic magic is likewise governed by the stages of the moon and magi may receive special bonuses or even sometimes penalties to their casting abilities due to the moon's alignment. Such cases are governed by the GM.
The Limit of Divinity: Hermetic magic cannot overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of infernal powers. Thus it cannot affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of a demon, nor determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions.
The Limit of the Soul: Hermetic magic cannot affect an immortal soul, and so may not create true human life nor restore the dead to life. It can however animate non-living objects, imbuing them with the semblance of life for a short duration.
The Limit of Essential Nature: Hermetic magic cannot alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it cannot halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, nor create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura.
The Limit of Creation: Hermetic magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis. See below for rules on raw vis.
The Limit of Time: Hermetic magic is incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present.
The Limit of Energy: Hermetic magic cannot restore one's physical energy so that one can cast more than one spell at a time, nor can it add to nor restore Lucky Hits or Questing Dice. It can, on occasion, temporarily draw upon the magic surrounding a particular person, item, or landmark (i.e. ley lines) and in turn temporarily '˜boost' a target's existing capabilities '€" bestowing upon them either an additional action per round or a single bonus Lucky Hit die for their current action. Please note that the act of bestowing such a boost is quite draining on the mage/item and should adhere to either the pumping or double pumping rules appropriately (i.e. a Double-pumped Hermetic Mage [4] could bestow up to 4 additional actions to a target at the cost of 2 of his own cliches, an item such as a Potion of Haste (+1 die piece of Bonus Gear) could allow a player to perform 1 additional action at the cost of consuming the potion itself, or a Magical Sword (+1 die) dedicated to slaying goblins could temporarily bestow a single bonus Lucky Die to an attack towards fighting a goblin veteran (and thus losing most of its inherent power for the day), etc.). Also note that magical landmarks such as Ley Lines are, by definition, places of either permanent or temporary concentrations of magical vis and can be drawn upon by magi through complex rituals that harness their powers. Such an example would be Stonehenge '€" Magical Ley Line (20). A Hermetic Mage [4] could, through ritualistic casting, drawn upon the Ley Line's power in order to bestow temporary bonus of up to 12 Lucky Dice or bonus actions to a single target before draining first all of the mage's power as well as 12 dice worth of the Ley Line's ability for the day/week/month or however long it takes for the Ley Line to replenish. Magi can opt to split their bonuses among other targets at the price of either an inflated Target Number required to succeed or at the basic cost of 1 cliche die per additional target past the first (whatever the GM deems most appropriate). Thus, a Hermetic Mage [4] that chooses to double pump a single die, granting him a total of 6 cliche dice for the turn '€" could then spend 3 cliche dice in order to grant two of his companions a +1 Lucky Shot die on their next attacks - at the end of which said mage nearly collapses to the ground from spending a whopping total of 5 dice from his cliche totals (2 for double-pumping his cliche plus 3 for the bonuses granted as well as splitting them among multiple targets).
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Hermetic magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
The Order of Hermes is only a part of the greater magical world. There exist non-Hermetic magi from European traditions, whose magic can be quite powerful in specific areas but is less flexible than that practiced by the members of the Order. There are rumors that groups of wizards from Arabia and far-off Cathay use magic that is quite different even from the non-Hermetic magi of Europe. Be this as it may, the rules presented here cover Hermetic magic only. GMs should feel free to create non-Hermetic magic that governs monsters, wizards, and magic items that do not fit the paradigm set out in these rules, and thus keep magic a mystery even to those who think they know it all.
Hermetic magic is a highly useful but not entirely perfect theory. These rules reflect the things that magi expect to happen when they work with magic. While the expected usually occurs, the exact effects of magic can be influenced by countless factors, including such vagaries as the phase of the moon, the spiritual nature of the target, and the mental state of the caster. This allows GMs to occasionally bend the rules and interpret magical effects imaginatively.
The Hermetic Arts
The term 'œArts' refers collectively to Techniques and Forms'€"two classes of magical disciplines that work together in spellcasting. Techniques govern the essential manipulations that magic can perform; Forms, the essential natural phenomena that magic can manipulate. Techniques and Forms have Latin names. A Technique is referred to by a verb conjugated in first person, and a Form by a noun. You combine one Technique and one Form to cast a spell, and together their names indicate the spell's general function. For example, a 'œCreo Ignem' spell employs the Technique of 'œCreo' ('œI create') and the Form of 'œIgnem' ('œfire') and produces light, heat, or fire. A 'œMuto Ignem' spell ('œMuto'='œI transform') transforms light, heat, or fire in some way, such as by increasing its intensity, its size, or its shape.
In the following two sections, each of the Arts is listed with its translation from Latin, a general description, and its Hermetic pronunciation. Feel free to use these descriptions when role-playing the casting of your character's spells. For example:
'¦Herr Osric begins to chant softly and his body is soon surrounded by a writhing mass of inky blackness. The sinister necromancer then points one of his skeletal fingers towards his target, Lord Alfric von Valkenburg, and shouts aloud 'œPerdo Corpus!' Suddenly, the writhing mass that surrounds Herr Osric lunges violently towards the stalwart young Baron...
Techniques
Creo - 'œI create'
This Art allows you to produce objects from nothing. It turns dreams into reality. When using a Creo spell, you enter a momentary state of transcendent meditation and contact the realm of Forms, in which all the objects that ever were and ever could be exist as perfect ideas. Your magic finds the proper Form and impresses it on the real world, creating an expression of it. Objects created this way are closer to the world of Forms than are normal objects, so they are always perfect and flawless. You can also use the Art of Creo to perfect things that have deteriorated from their ideal nature, such as to heal a broken arm or to mend a broken vase. Pronounced '˜CRAY-oh.'
Intellego - 'œI perceive'
Intellego is the Art of perception. All things in the world are connected to each other, and Intellego allows magi the ability to see, read, and learn from these connections. Pronounced '˜in-TEL-lego.'
Muto - 'œI transform'
This is the Art of transformation and transmutation. Through this Art, magi can direct and control the essential mechanisms of change itself. A transformation is easiest when there is a strong connection between the original object and that resulting from the transformation: for example, it is relatively easy to turn a leaf into an apple. However, turning a leaf (living, flexible, and vegetable) into a sword (inert, unyielding, and mineral) is quite difficult. Pronounced '˜MOO-toe.'
Perdo - 'œI destroy'
The one trait held in common by all objects and creatures in the temporal world is that some day, inevitably, they will cease to exist. The magus who understands the Art of Perdo knows this, and uses magic to control the universal process whereby things are destroyed. Aging, disease, decay, and dissolution are all properties inherent to objects and living things and can be drawn out through this Art. Pronounced '˜PARE-doe.'
Rego - 'œI control'
The Art of Rego allows a magus to regulate matter or compel the actions of living things. One kind of Rego spell might lift someone into the air, and another might make a person act a certain way. Pronounced '˜RAY-go.'
Forms
Animal - 'œanimal'
Animal concerns animals of all kinds, from the fish of the sea to the birds of the air. Animal spells cannot affect people, for they have souls whereas animals do not. Pronounced '˜ah-nee-MAHL.'
Aquam - 'œwater'
Aquam concerns all manner of liquids. Through this Art, one gains access to the might of a roaring flood and the gentleness of a clear pool. Pronounced '˜AH-kwahm.'
Auram - 'œair'
Auram is the Art of air, wind, and weather. True flight
is only possible through this Art. Pronounced '˜OW-rahm.'
Corpus - 'œbody'
Corpus is the Art of humans and humanlike bodies. It governs the intricate interactions that occur in those bodies with souls, as well as those that once had souls. Pronounced '˜COR-poos.'
Herbam - 'œplant'
This Form concerns plants and trees. This includes plant matter of all types, including that which is no longer alive'€"like dead wood and linens. Pronounced '˜HARE-bahm.'
Ignem - 'œfire'
This Form concerns fire, heat, and light. Fire is the most lifelike of the four elements: it moves, it devours, and it grows. Also, just as a living thing, it can be killed by the other three elements'€"smothered by earth, quenched by water, or blown apart by wind. Fire's position midway between inert matter and living being gives it the advantages of both. Pronounced '˜IG-nem.'
Imaginem - 'œimage'
This Form concerns illusions and phantasms. It affects only the senses and can never affect matter. Masters of this Art have learned to separate the impressions a thing leaves on the senses from the thing itself, and many of them likewise become separated from what those around them see as reality. Pronounced '˜ih-MAH-gihnem.'
Mentem - 'œmind'
This Form concerns minds, thoughts, and spirits. It comes as close as magic can to affecting souls. Through this Art, magi manipulate what they call the body of the soul: memories, thoughts, and emotions. They can also affect the 'œbodies' of
noncorporeal beings, such as ghosts, as these are maintained in the physical world directly by a spirit's will. Pronounced '˜MEN-tem.'
Terram - 'œearth'
This Form concerns solids, especially earth and stone. Indeed, Terram affects the very foundation of the world. Although Terram magic is mighty, the earth proves resistant to manipulation. Just as stone is heavy and hard to lift, it is inert and hard to change, even through magic. Pronounced '˜TARE-rahm.'
Vim - 'œpower'
This Form concerns raw magical power. All the Arts rely on the raw energy and potential of magic, but this Art refines the use of magic itself, allowing magi to assume even greater control of their spells. Vim also affects demons, which are innately magical creatures. Dealing with demons, however, is dangerous because of the risk of corruption and because it is against the code of the Order of Hermes. Pronounced '˜WEEM.'
Limits of Hermetic Magic
Magic, though a very powerful force, is not omnipotent. There are certain laws it must conform to and certain limits that it can never exceed. These limits to Hermetic magic are drawn from the medieval paradigm of post-Aristotelian, pre-
Copernican physics and cosmology, and are described below.
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Hermetic magic cannot affect the lunar sphere, nor anything above it. Hermetic magic is likewise governed by the stages of the moon and magi may receive special bonuses or even sometimes penalties to their casting abilities due to the moon's alignment. Such cases are governed by the GM.
The Limit of Divinity: Hermetic magic cannot overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of infernal powers. Thus it cannot affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of a demon, nor determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions.
The Limit of the Soul: Hermetic magic cannot affect an immortal soul, and so may not create true human life nor restore the dead to life. It can however animate non-living objects, imbuing them with the semblance of life for a short duration.
The Limit of Essential Nature: Hermetic magic cannot alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it cannot halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, nor create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura.
The Limit of Creation: Hermetic magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis. See below for rules on raw vis.
The Limit of Time: Hermetic magic is incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present.
The Limit of Energy: Hermetic magic cannot restore one's physical energy so that one can cast more than one spell at a time, nor can it add to nor restore Lucky Hits or Questing Dice. It can, on occasion, temporarily draw upon the magic surrounding a particular person, item, or landmark (i.e. ley lines) and in turn temporarily '˜boost' a target's existing capabilities '€" bestowing upon them either an additional action per round or a single bonus Lucky Hit die for their current action. Please note that the act of bestowing such a boost is quite draining on the mage/item and should adhere to either the pumping or double pumping rules appropriately (i.e. a Double-pumped Hermetic Mage [4] could bestow up to 4 additional actions to a target at the cost of 2 of his own cliches, an item such as a Potion of Haste (+1 die piece of Bonus Gear) could allow a player to perform 1 additional action at the cost of consuming the potion itself, or a Magical Sword (+1 die) dedicated to slaying goblins could temporarily bestow a single bonus Lucky Die to an attack towards fighting a goblin veteran (and thus losing most of its inherent power for the day), etc.). Also note that magical landmarks such as Ley Lines are, by definition, places of either permanent or temporary concentrations of magical vis and can be drawn upon by magi through complex rituals that harness their powers. Such an example would be Stonehenge '€" Magical Ley Line (20). A Hermetic Mage [4] could, through ritualistic casting, drawn upon the Ley Line's power in order to bestow temporary bonus of up to 12 Lucky Dice or bonus actions to a single target before draining first all of the mage's power as well as 12 dice worth of the Ley Line's ability for the day/week/month or however long it takes for the Ley Line to replenish. Magi can opt to split their bonuses among other targets at the price of either an inflated Target Number required to succeed or at the basic cost of 1 cliche die per additional target past the first (whatever the GM deems most appropriate). Thus, a Hermetic Mage [4] that chooses to double pump a single die, granting him a total of 6 cliche dice for the turn '€" could then spend 3 cliche dice in order to grant two of his companions a +1 Lucky Shot die on their next attacks - at the end of which said mage nearly collapses to the ground from spending a whopping total of 5 dice from his cliche totals (2 for double-pumping his cliche plus 3 for the bonuses granted as well as splitting them among multiple targets).
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Hermetic magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
-
Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
-
- User Class: Berserker
INFERNAL MAGIC
Infernal Magic is often called the Dark Road, the Forbidden Path or the Black Art. It immediately conjures up images of blood-soaked rituals, of the sacrifice of virgins, of the bargaining of one's very soul. A practitioner will often find he must engage in his studies with the utmost secrecy, lest some mob of irate commoners storm his dwelling and hang him from the nearest tree. Though Infernal magic, in and of itself, is not evil - when all is said and done, those who practice Infernal magic will often find themselves exposed to the most implacable evils on an almost constant basis. From reading ancient texts written by the diabolically mad to personally facing the darkest lords of the infernal planes, any Infernalist who wishes to remain pure of heart must possess the most unshakeable resolve '€" most do not as the immoral creatures they seek to summon and control are cruel beyond measure and delight in perverting all that is good and innocent. It is often said the practice of Infernal Magic will eventually corrupt anyone, no matter how strong they were before they started on the Dark Road.
The Infernal Arts
In the following two sections, each of the Arts is listed with its translation from the Infernal Tongue, and its proper pronunciation. Feel free to use these following '˜variant' descriptions when role-playing the casting of your character's Infernal spells. For example:
'¦Herr Osric begins to chant softly and his body is soon surrounded by a writhing mass of inky blackness. The sinister necromancer then points one of his skeletal fingers at his target, Lord Alfric von Valkenburg, and shouts aloud 'œEgur Trup!' Suddenly, the writhing mass that surrounds Herr Osric lunges violently towards the stalwart young Baron'¦
In addition to using the traditional Latin names, Infernal Techniques and Forms can also use the following names:
Techniques
Bâj - 'œI create'
Pronounced '˜BAH-j.'
Shof - 'œI perceive'
Pronounced '˜SHOFF.'
Klodh - 'œI transform'
Pronounced '˜CLAW-d.'
Egur - 'œI destroy'
Pronounced '˜EHG-ur.'
Goth - 'œI control'
Pronounced '˜GAW-th.' [/spoiler]
Forms
Dyr - 'œanimal'
Pronounced '˜deer.'
Jut 'œwater'
Pronounced '˜joot.'
Kîa - 'œair'
Pronounced '˜KYE-ah.'
Trup - 'œbody'
Pronounced '˜troop.'
Baum - 'œplant'
Pronounced '˜bomb.'
Ghash - 'œfire'
Pronounced '˜gash.'
Pamaj - 'œimage'
Pronounced '˜pah-MAJ.'
Hugi - 'œmind'
Pronounced '˜hew-GEE.'
Tok - 'œearth'
Pronounced '˜tock.'
Orka - 'œpower'
Pronounced '˜or-KAH.'
Limits of Infernal Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Much like Hermetic magic, Infernal Magic cannot affect the lunar sphere, nor anything above it. In addition to bonuses granted by the moon's alignment, blood sacrifices may also be offered in order to gain further bonuses or to alleviate those penalties caused due to poor alignment, etc.
The Limit of Divinity: Infernal magic cannot overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it cannot affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, nor determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions. Infernal Magic can however, corrupt those individuals with the stains of Sin upon their souls. Sin is defined as some form of immoral act that the GM deems appropriate (theft, murder, lechery, etc.). A contested Cliche check is made and if the user of Infernal Magic proves victorious, the loser temporarily acquires one Corruption Point. Corruption Points can be removed over time through whatever rituals of '˜atonement' that the GM deems appropriate. Players attempting to resist another Corruption check have their Cliche reduced by the total number of Corruption points that they might have at the time (i.e. Hans has 2 Corruption points, thus his cliche check is reduced by 2 dice) and if a player ever receives a third Corruption point, then they are considered to be Corrupted and gain the appropriate Prefix to their cliche - i.e. Hans, a former devout Templar Knight (4) receives his third and final Corruption point and now becomes Hans, Corrupted Templar Knight (4). Corrupted individuals are more acceptable to particular forms of Infernal Magic and are considered to be lacking the proper tools when attempting to resist such spell effects.
The Limit of the Soul: Like Divine magic, Infernal magic can affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life (usually in the form of either the undead or possessed).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Unlike Hermetic magic, Infernal Magic can alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura. The cost of altering such a nature is usually high and generally requires some form of contract with some form of an infernal denizen - blood or soul sacrifices being the most common form of payment tendered.
The Limit of Creation: Infernal magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis.
The Limit of Time: Infernal magic is incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present.
The Limit of Energy: Infernal magic cannot restore one's physical energy so that one can cast more than one spell at a time, nor can it add to nor restore Lucky Hits or Questing Dice. It can, however follow the rules for gaining temporary bonuses much like Hermetic Magic and the loss of cliche dice in order to do so are usually in the form of sacrificing a little piece of one's very own soul (be it aging, bloodletting, etc.). Some forms of Infernal Magic are designed to drain its target of their life-force, temporarily bestowing it upon the practitioner of the dark arts. Such abilities are treated much like a combat challenge and when the caster has successfully managed to best their opponent, they may then add half of their vanquished opponent's cliche dice to their own appropriate cliche (i.e. a Sinister Necromancer [5] manages to drain the life-force of a Heroic Soldier (4) he then gains 2 temporary cliche dice to his Sinister Necromancer cliche. Temporary bonuses gained through such actions generally last for however long the GM desires but for the most part bestow their bonuses for roughly one day's (or extended scene's) time.
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Infernal magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
The Infernal Arts
In the following two sections, each of the Arts is listed with its translation from the Infernal Tongue, and its proper pronunciation. Feel free to use these following '˜variant' descriptions when role-playing the casting of your character's Infernal spells. For example:
'¦Herr Osric begins to chant softly and his body is soon surrounded by a writhing mass of inky blackness. The sinister necromancer then points one of his skeletal fingers at his target, Lord Alfric von Valkenburg, and shouts aloud 'œEgur Trup!' Suddenly, the writhing mass that surrounds Herr Osric lunges violently towards the stalwart young Baron'¦
In addition to using the traditional Latin names, Infernal Techniques and Forms can also use the following names:
Techniques
Bâj - 'œI create'
Pronounced '˜BAH-j.'
Shof - 'œI perceive'
Pronounced '˜SHOFF.'
Klodh - 'œI transform'
Pronounced '˜CLAW-d.'
Egur - 'œI destroy'
Pronounced '˜EHG-ur.'
Goth - 'œI control'
Pronounced '˜GAW-th.' [/spoiler]
Forms
Dyr - 'œanimal'
Pronounced '˜deer.'
Jut 'œwater'
Pronounced '˜joot.'
Kîa - 'œair'
Pronounced '˜KYE-ah.'
Trup - 'œbody'
Pronounced '˜troop.'
Baum - 'œplant'
Pronounced '˜bomb.'
Ghash - 'œfire'
Pronounced '˜gash.'
Pamaj - 'œimage'
Pronounced '˜pah-MAJ.'
Hugi - 'œmind'
Pronounced '˜hew-GEE.'
Tok - 'œearth'
Pronounced '˜tock.'
Orka - 'œpower'
Pronounced '˜or-KAH.'
Limits of Infernal Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Much like Hermetic magic, Infernal Magic cannot affect the lunar sphere, nor anything above it. In addition to bonuses granted by the moon's alignment, blood sacrifices may also be offered in order to gain further bonuses or to alleviate those penalties caused due to poor alignment, etc.
The Limit of Divinity: Infernal magic cannot overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it cannot affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, nor determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions. Infernal Magic can however, corrupt those individuals with the stains of Sin upon their souls. Sin is defined as some form of immoral act that the GM deems appropriate (theft, murder, lechery, etc.). A contested Cliche check is made and if the user of Infernal Magic proves victorious, the loser temporarily acquires one Corruption Point. Corruption Points can be removed over time through whatever rituals of '˜atonement' that the GM deems appropriate. Players attempting to resist another Corruption check have their Cliche reduced by the total number of Corruption points that they might have at the time (i.e. Hans has 2 Corruption points, thus his cliche check is reduced by 2 dice) and if a player ever receives a third Corruption point, then they are considered to be Corrupted and gain the appropriate Prefix to their cliche - i.e. Hans, a former devout Templar Knight (4) receives his third and final Corruption point and now becomes Hans, Corrupted Templar Knight (4). Corrupted individuals are more acceptable to particular forms of Infernal Magic and are considered to be lacking the proper tools when attempting to resist such spell effects.
The Limit of the Soul: Like Divine magic, Infernal magic can affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life (usually in the form of either the undead or possessed).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Unlike Hermetic magic, Infernal Magic can alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura. The cost of altering such a nature is usually high and generally requires some form of contract with some form of an infernal denizen - blood or soul sacrifices being the most common form of payment tendered.
The Limit of Creation: Infernal magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis.
The Limit of Time: Infernal magic is incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present.
The Limit of Energy: Infernal magic cannot restore one's physical energy so that one can cast more than one spell at a time, nor can it add to nor restore Lucky Hits or Questing Dice. It can, however follow the rules for gaining temporary bonuses much like Hermetic Magic and the loss of cliche dice in order to do so are usually in the form of sacrificing a little piece of one's very own soul (be it aging, bloodletting, etc.). Some forms of Infernal Magic are designed to drain its target of their life-force, temporarily bestowing it upon the practitioner of the dark arts. Such abilities are treated much like a combat challenge and when the caster has successfully managed to best their opponent, they may then add half of their vanquished opponent's cliche dice to their own appropriate cliche (i.e. a Sinister Necromancer [5] manages to drain the life-force of a Heroic Soldier (4) he then gains 2 temporary cliche dice to his Sinister Necromancer cliche. Temporary bonuses gained through such actions generally last for however long the GM desires but for the most part bestow their bonuses for roughly one day's (or extended scene's) time.
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Infernal magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
-
Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
-
- User Class: Berserker
DIVINE MAGIC
Practitioners of Divine Magic are generally known as priests or clerics and do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they meditate or pray for their spells, receiving them through their own strength of faith or as divine inspiration. Wielders of Divine Magic must pray to obtain spells, as they are requesting their abilities from some '˜greater power', be it their deity or some intermediary agent of this power. Clearly then, it behooves the priest to maintain himself in good standing with this power, through word and deed. Priests who slip in their duties, harbor indiscreet thoughts, or neglect their beliefs, find that their deity has an immediate method of redress. If the priest has failed in his duties, the deity can deny him access to Divine magic, as a clear message of dissatisfaction. For minor infractions, the deity can deny minor spells. Major failings result in the denial of major spells, or, even worse, all spells. These can be regained if the character immediately begins to make amends for his errors. Perhaps the character only needs to be a little more vigilant, in the case of a minor fault. A serious transgression could require special service, such as a quest or some great sacrifice of goods. These are things the GM will decide, should your character veer from the straight and narrow path of his religion.
Limits of Divine Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Divine Magic cannot affect the lunar sphere, nor anything above it. Unlike traditional Magic, Divine magic may be aided or hindered by either the cycle of the Sun and/or the Moon '€" all dependent on the particular deity or pantheon that they worship.
The Limit of Divinity: Upon occasion, Divine magic is among those magics rare enough to overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it can possibly affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, or determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions. Divine Magic can also redeem those individuals with the stains of Sin and Corruption upon their souls. When dealing with Corrupted individuals (see Infernal Magic for more info), a contested Cliche check is made and if the user of Divine Magic proves victorious, the loser temporarily loses one Corruption Point (replacing it with a Redemption Point). Corruption Points can be regained over time through whatever rituals of '˜atonement' that the GM deems appropriate. Players attempting to resist another Redemption check have their Cliche reduced by the total number of Redemption points that they might have at the time (i.e. Hans the Corrupted Templar Knight (4) has 2 Redemption points, thus his cliche check is reduced by 2 dice) and if a player ever receives a third Redemption point, then they are considered to be Redeemed and gain the appropriate Prefix to their cliche - i.e. Hans, a former Corrupted Templar Knight (4) receives his third and final Redemption point and now becomes Hans, Redeemed Templar Knight (4). Redeemed and/or Pious individuals are more acceptable to particular forms of Divine Magic and are considered to be lacking the proper tools when attempting to resist such spell effects.
The Limit of the Soul: Divine magic can affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life (usually resurrected by a particular deity or pantheon).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Much like Hermetic magic, Divine Magic can not alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can not halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura.
The Limit of Creation: Divine magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis.
The Limit of Time: Divine magic is inherently incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present. This is not to say that some form of higher powers are not capable of doing so, just that they generally do not deem it worthy to do so (i.e. some gods have been known to mettle in the affairs '€" thus granting their chosen the chance to follow another path in life).
The Limit of Energy: Though Divine magic is designed to restore one's physical energy, it can not allow its wielder to cast more than one spell at a time. It can however, temporarily '˜boost' targets much like other magic, adding to their Lucky Hits and Questing Dice (usually in the form of some form of blessing or geas).
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Divine magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
Limits of Divine Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Divine Magic cannot affect the lunar sphere, nor anything above it. Unlike traditional Magic, Divine magic may be aided or hindered by either the cycle of the Sun and/or the Moon '€" all dependent on the particular deity or pantheon that they worship.
The Limit of Divinity: Upon occasion, Divine magic is among those magics rare enough to overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it can possibly affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, or determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions. Divine Magic can also redeem those individuals with the stains of Sin and Corruption upon their souls. When dealing with Corrupted individuals (see Infernal Magic for more info), a contested Cliche check is made and if the user of Divine Magic proves victorious, the loser temporarily loses one Corruption Point (replacing it with a Redemption Point). Corruption Points can be regained over time through whatever rituals of '˜atonement' that the GM deems appropriate. Players attempting to resist another Redemption check have their Cliche reduced by the total number of Redemption points that they might have at the time (i.e. Hans the Corrupted Templar Knight (4) has 2 Redemption points, thus his cliche check is reduced by 2 dice) and if a player ever receives a third Redemption point, then they are considered to be Redeemed and gain the appropriate Prefix to their cliche - i.e. Hans, a former Corrupted Templar Knight (4) receives his third and final Redemption point and now becomes Hans, Redeemed Templar Knight (4). Redeemed and/or Pious individuals are more acceptable to particular forms of Divine Magic and are considered to be lacking the proper tools when attempting to resist such spell effects.
The Limit of the Soul: Divine magic can affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life (usually resurrected by a particular deity or pantheon).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Much like Hermetic magic, Divine Magic can not alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can not halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura.
The Limit of Creation: Divine magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis.
The Limit of Time: Divine magic is inherently incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present. This is not to say that some form of higher powers are not capable of doing so, just that they generally do not deem it worthy to do so (i.e. some gods have been known to mettle in the affairs '€" thus granting their chosen the chance to follow another path in life).
The Limit of Energy: Though Divine magic is designed to restore one's physical energy, it can not allow its wielder to cast more than one spell at a time. It can however, temporarily '˜boost' targets much like other magic, adding to their Lucky Hits and Questing Dice (usually in the form of some form of blessing or geas).
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Divine magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
-
Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
-
- User Class: Berserker
FAERIE MAGIC
When you speak a word in the true original language of the universe, you tap the power of creation itself '€" for the ability to describe something is the ability to define it. A wielder of Faerie magic understands a language older and more fundamental than all others '€" a 'œmother tongue' whose words and phrases are the building blocks of the universe.
Except perhaps the gods themselves, no one can speak this original tongue. It's possible that no one ever did speak it '€" truenames might be more a set of instructions encoded into a language, rather than a means of communication. But through careful study, the masters of Faerie magic can understand a smattering of this fundamental language. When such masters name a thing aloud in the tongue of truenames, they can exert unparalleled control over the creature or object they name. They can command it, alter it, renew it, or destroy it simply by speaking their desire aloud. The cosmos seems to hear a Faerie's instruction and reorders the universe in accordance with the spoken words.
Truenames and thus Faerie magic are an entirely oral language. Merely writing down a truename has no particular power. Only speaking a truename aloud can reorder the universe '€" assuming the speaker says the name properly. The Sylvan language is composed of hundreds of consonant sounds and thousands of delicately inflected vowels. The rhythm of the speech is likewise essential. A book might require several pages just to describe a single truename, because the speaker needs so much guidance in pronunciation.
It is rumored that the Fey learned their magical arts from the dragons '€" the only '˜true' creations of magic.
The Faerie Arts
In the following two sections, each of the Arts is listed with its translation from the Sylvan Tongue, and its proper pronunciation. Feel free to use these following descriptions when role-playing the casting of your character's Faerie spells. For example:
'¦Pandryk Thistlebottom begins to chant softly, 'œAna Elsae'¦Abrar Vanes... ANA ELSAE'¦ABRAR VANES!' As the young druid's words rise slowly into the night air, his fellow fey stare about in awe as the gnome's skin suddenly begins to sprout long, sharp thorns and briars all over his body'¦
Faerie Magic uses the following Techniques and Forms instead of the more traditional Latin names:
Techniques
Ana - 'œI create'
Pronounced '˜AH-nah.'
Octi - 'œI perceive'
Pronounced '˜ahk-TEE.'
Abrar - 'œI transform'
Pronounced '˜ah-BRAHR.'
Ahel - 'œI destroy'
Pronounced '˜ah-HELL.'
Lia - 'œI control'
Pronounced '˜LEE-ah.' [/spoiler]
Forms
Baeshra - 'œanimal'
Pronounced '˜bay-SHRAH.'
Hesum - 'œwater'
Pronounced '˜HESS-uhm.'
Keth - 'œair'
Pronounced '˜keth.'
Vanes - 'œbody'
Pronounced '˜VAH-ness.'
Elsae - 'œplant'
Pronounced '˜ehl-SAY.'
Iat - 'œfire'
Pronounced '˜EYE-aht.'
Thoti - 'œimage'
Pronounced '˜though-TEE.'
Irthir - 'œmind'
Pronounced '˜EARTH-ear.'
Edar - 'œearth'
Pronounced '˜ED-ahr.'
Versel - 'œpower'
Pronounced '˜ver-SELL.'
Limits of Faerie Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Faerie magic seems unaffected by the waxing and waning of the Sun and Moon and no bonuses are gained for any particular alignments, etc.
The Limit of Divinity: Faerie magic cannot overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it cannot affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, nor determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions. Whilst Faerie Magic can not penetrate the veil of Divine Magic, it can easily see through Infernal Magic's guises. Seelie Faerie Magic has the ability to Redeem individuals much like Divine Magic, whereas Unseelie Faerie Magic has the ability to Corrupt them.
The Limit of the Soul: Faerie magic can affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life and create new faerie life (see Faeries for more info).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Unlike Hermetic magic, Faerie Magic can alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura. The cost of altering such a nature is usually high (draining the caster as per the standard Pumping rules) and generally requires knowing the True Name of its target.
The Limit of Creation: Faerie magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis. Faerie magic generally refers to vis as Mana.
The Limit of Time: Faerie magic is incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present. Faerie magic can, on occasion, be used in order to '˜visit' the past in order to gain a better knowledge of the events that have transpired and possibly gain some form of advantage for future events.
The Limit of Energy: Faerie magic cannot restore one's physical energy so that one can cast more than one spell at a time, nor can it add to nor restore Lucky Hits or Questing Dice. It can, however, be harnessed and focused upon individuals to lend them temporary bonuses much like Hermetic magic. Unseele Faerie magic can be used to drain its opponent's life-force much like Infernal magic.
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Faerie magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
Except perhaps the gods themselves, no one can speak this original tongue. It's possible that no one ever did speak it '€" truenames might be more a set of instructions encoded into a language, rather than a means of communication. But through careful study, the masters of Faerie magic can understand a smattering of this fundamental language. When such masters name a thing aloud in the tongue of truenames, they can exert unparalleled control over the creature or object they name. They can command it, alter it, renew it, or destroy it simply by speaking their desire aloud. The cosmos seems to hear a Faerie's instruction and reorders the universe in accordance with the spoken words.
Truenames and thus Faerie magic are an entirely oral language. Merely writing down a truename has no particular power. Only speaking a truename aloud can reorder the universe '€" assuming the speaker says the name properly. The Sylvan language is composed of hundreds of consonant sounds and thousands of delicately inflected vowels. The rhythm of the speech is likewise essential. A book might require several pages just to describe a single truename, because the speaker needs so much guidance in pronunciation.
It is rumored that the Fey learned their magical arts from the dragons '€" the only '˜true' creations of magic.
The Faerie Arts
In the following two sections, each of the Arts is listed with its translation from the Sylvan Tongue, and its proper pronunciation. Feel free to use these following descriptions when role-playing the casting of your character's Faerie spells. For example:
'¦Pandryk Thistlebottom begins to chant softly, 'œAna Elsae'¦Abrar Vanes... ANA ELSAE'¦ABRAR VANES!' As the young druid's words rise slowly into the night air, his fellow fey stare about in awe as the gnome's skin suddenly begins to sprout long, sharp thorns and briars all over his body'¦
Faerie Magic uses the following Techniques and Forms instead of the more traditional Latin names:
Techniques
Ana - 'œI create'
Pronounced '˜AH-nah.'
Octi - 'œI perceive'
Pronounced '˜ahk-TEE.'
Abrar - 'œI transform'
Pronounced '˜ah-BRAHR.'
Ahel - 'œI destroy'
Pronounced '˜ah-HELL.'
Lia - 'œI control'
Pronounced '˜LEE-ah.' [/spoiler]
Forms
Baeshra - 'œanimal'
Pronounced '˜bay-SHRAH.'
Hesum - 'œwater'
Pronounced '˜HESS-uhm.'
Keth - 'œair'
Pronounced '˜keth.'
Vanes - 'œbody'
Pronounced '˜VAH-ness.'
Elsae - 'œplant'
Pronounced '˜ehl-SAY.'
Iat - 'œfire'
Pronounced '˜EYE-aht.'
Thoti - 'œimage'
Pronounced '˜though-TEE.'
Irthir - 'œmind'
Pronounced '˜EARTH-ear.'
Edar - 'œearth'
Pronounced '˜ED-ahr.'
Versel - 'œpower'
Pronounced '˜ver-SELL.'
Limits of Faerie Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Faerie magic seems unaffected by the waxing and waning of the Sun and Moon and no bonuses are gained for any particular alignments, etc.
The Limit of Divinity: Faerie magic cannot overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it cannot affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, nor determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions. Whilst Faerie Magic can not penetrate the veil of Divine Magic, it can easily see through Infernal Magic's guises. Seelie Faerie Magic has the ability to Redeem individuals much like Divine Magic, whereas Unseelie Faerie Magic has the ability to Corrupt them.
The Limit of the Soul: Faerie magic can affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life and create new faerie life (see Faeries for more info).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Unlike Hermetic magic, Faerie Magic can alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can halt or reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura. The cost of altering such a nature is usually high (draining the caster as per the standard Pumping rules) and generally requires knowing the True Name of its target.
The Limit of Creation: Faerie magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis. Faerie magic generally refers to vis as Mana.
The Limit of Time: Faerie magic is incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present. Faerie magic can, on occasion, be used in order to '˜visit' the past in order to gain a better knowledge of the events that have transpired and possibly gain some form of advantage for future events.
The Limit of Energy: Faerie magic cannot restore one's physical energy so that one can cast more than one spell at a time, nor can it add to nor restore Lucky Hits or Questing Dice. It can, however, be harnessed and focused upon individuals to lend them temporary bonuses much like Hermetic magic. Unseele Faerie magic can be used to drain its opponent's life-force much like Infernal magic.
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Faerie magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
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Eanwulf
- Level 18 Elite
- Posts: 7226
- Location: FL
- Title: The Grey
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- User Class: Berserker
NATURE MAGIC
Practitioners of Nature magic are generally referred to as Druids and their organization is known as the Druidic Order '€" often simply called the Order. The Order can be thought of as a federation of regional priesthoods that form a loosely organized worldwide faith, all of whose members worship Nature and follow a similar ethical philosophy. Druids divide the world into regions, here called domains. A domain is a well-defined geographic area bounded by mountain ranges, rivers, seas, or deserts '€" druids normally divide a good-sized continent into three or four domains. Druidic regions do not rely on national borders, or on racial or ethnic groups; a domain can encompass several countries, races, and people.
In Mythic Europa, one European domain includes England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Channel Islands; a second consists of Western Europe (west of the Rhine and north of the Alps and Pyrenees, bounded by the North Sea and the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the west); a third contains Southern Europe (south of the Alps and bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and Danube River); another includes the Iberian peninsula.
North America is divided into an Atlantic domain (east of the Mississippi River and south of the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes), a Pacific domain (west of the Rocky Mountains), a Central domain (between the two domains above, roughly south of the Missouri River), a Caribbean domain, a Southern domain (south of the Rio Grande and east of the Rockies), and a Northern domain (all of North America roughly north of the Missouri and Ohio rivers and east of the Rocky Mountains).
All druids dwelling within the bounds of a domain are organized into a circle. Circles typically are named for the geographic area their domain occupies, but sometimes they bear other names, harking back to their founders or the gods the druids worship (if they worship deities rather than Nature itself). For instance, druids might have formed 'œThe Dragon Isles Circle' or 'œThe Circle of Danu.' The members of a circle hold themselves responsible for the well-being of the wilderness and the continuation of the orderly cycles of Nature within their domain. This doesn't mean a circle remains unconcerned about what occurs in other domains '€" forming circles is just the druidic order's way of recognizing that those druids who live in a particular region can best serve to protect it, and should therefore hold formal responsibility for the domain.
Druids comprise different branches of the Order: forest druids, desert druids, and so on. A given circle normally covers a domain vast enough to include members from several, but usually not all, branches. A domain with a temperate climate might contain a circle comprised of forest, swamp, and mountain druids. In contrast, a circle in a tropical domain with flat terrain would consist of jungle, plains, desert, and swamp druids.
Limits of Nature Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Nature Magic is similar to Divine Magic in the way that certain spells may be influenced by the Sun and Moon. Some forms of Nature magic can only be cast in '˜outdoor' environments.
The Limit of Divinity: Nature magic is unable to overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it can not affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, or determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions.
The Limit of the Soul: Nature magic can partially affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life (usually by infusing the body with the soul of another and thereby '˜reincarnating' the individual).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Nature Magic can alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can halt but not reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura.
The Limit of Creation: Nature magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis. Nature magic can however, harness and focus life-force into objects, thus creating raw vis itself. The process usually requires draining the life-force from another object and then storing it into said object. An example of such procedure is building a large bonfire and then draining its power to infuse it into a magical amulet of fireballs, etc.
The Limit of Time: Nature magic is inherently incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present. On special occasions, Nature magic has been known to root objects into the present, essentially '˜freezing' them in time for a specific duration.
The Limit of Energy: Though Nature magic is designed to restore one's physical energy, it can not allow its wielder to cast more than one spell at a time. It can however, temporarily '˜boost' targets much like other magic, adding to their Lucky Hits and Questing Dice (usually in the form of some form of a nature's blessing or life-force infusion).
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Nature magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.
In Mythic Europa, one European domain includes England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Channel Islands; a second consists of Western Europe (west of the Rhine and north of the Alps and Pyrenees, bounded by the North Sea and the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the west); a third contains Southern Europe (south of the Alps and bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and Danube River); another includes the Iberian peninsula.
North America is divided into an Atlantic domain (east of the Mississippi River and south of the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes), a Pacific domain (west of the Rocky Mountains), a Central domain (between the two domains above, roughly south of the Missouri River), a Caribbean domain, a Southern domain (south of the Rio Grande and east of the Rockies), and a Northern domain (all of North America roughly north of the Missouri and Ohio rivers and east of the Rocky Mountains).
All druids dwelling within the bounds of a domain are organized into a circle. Circles typically are named for the geographic area their domain occupies, but sometimes they bear other names, harking back to their founders or the gods the druids worship (if they worship deities rather than Nature itself). For instance, druids might have formed 'œThe Dragon Isles Circle' or 'œThe Circle of Danu.' The members of a circle hold themselves responsible for the well-being of the wilderness and the continuation of the orderly cycles of Nature within their domain. This doesn't mean a circle remains unconcerned about what occurs in other domains '€" forming circles is just the druidic order's way of recognizing that those druids who live in a particular region can best serve to protect it, and should therefore hold formal responsibility for the domain.
Druids comprise different branches of the Order: forest druids, desert druids, and so on. A given circle normally covers a domain vast enough to include members from several, but usually not all, branches. A domain with a temperate climate might contain a circle comprised of forest, swamp, and mountain druids. In contrast, a circle in a tropical domain with flat terrain would consist of jungle, plains, desert, and swamp druids.
Limits of Nature Magic
The Limit of the Lunar Sphere: Nature Magic is similar to Divine Magic in the way that certain spells may be influenced by the Sun and Moon. Some forms of Nature magic can only be cast in '˜outdoor' environments.
The Limit of Divinity: Nature magic is unable to overcome the power of the Highest Divinity or the deceptions of celestial powers. Thus it can not affect the outcome of a miracle, manipulate the mind or body of someone buried in piety by the Church, alter True Faith, detect the presence of the deceptions or illusions of an angel, or determine the purposes behind those deceptions or illusions.
The Limit of the Soul: Nature magic can partially affect an immortal soul, and though it may not create true human life, it can restore the dead to life (usually by infusing the body with the soul of another and thereby '˜reincarnating' the individual).
The Limit of Essential Nature: Nature Magic can alter or determine something's essential nature. Thus it can halt but not reverse natural aging, prevent or remove decrepitude, or create, destroy, or alter any supernatural aura.
The Limit of Creation: Nature magic is incapable of creating anything permanently without raw vis, which includes curing permanently without raw vis. Nature magic can however, harness and focus life-force into objects, thus creating raw vis itself. The process usually requires draining the life-force from another object and then storing it into said object. An example of such procedure is building a large bonfire and then draining its power to infuse it into a magical amulet of fireballs, etc.
The Limit of Time: Nature magic is inherently incapable of altering the passage of time. It cannot affect anything in the past, and can only affect the future by making changes in the present. On special occasions, Nature magic has been known to root objects into the present, essentially '˜freezing' them in time for a specific duration.
The Limit of Energy: Though Nature magic is designed to restore one's physical energy, it can not allow its wielder to cast more than one spell at a time. It can however, temporarily '˜boost' targets much like other magic, adding to their Lucky Hits and Questing Dice (usually in the form of some form of a nature's blessing or life-force infusion).
The Limit of Arcane Connections: Nature magic cannot affect an unseen target without some form of an Arcane Connection. Always keep in mind that the 'œlaws' of post-Aristotelian, pre-Copernican physics are not rules, they are facts. Magic cannot contradict them. You can lift an object in the air, defying gravity, but you cannot eliminate gravity itself; you can see into the past, but you cannot change it. The boundaries of Hermetic magic are well known to the Order, but that doesn't stop magi from challenging them. Indeed, many magi spend countless years searching in vain for a way to transcend these limits. Certainly, any magus who actually succeeds in doing so will become famous, perhaps as famous as the Order's very founders.