Magic

These rules only matter to wizards, and only in worlds where magic exists. If you are not creating a wizard for a magical setting, you can safely skip this chapter.

Magic is a powerful force manipulated using skills called spells. By casting spells, a wizard can direct magical energy – known as mana – to produce almost any effect. This is a fickle art in some settings, a precise science in others.

The best wizards have an inborn ability to learn and use magic, called Magery. Anyone with any degree of Magery is called a mage. In many game worlds, only mages can use magic. In all worlds, they are better with magic than non-mages.

• Learning Magic
• Mana
• Casting Spells
• Different Kinds of Magic
• Alternative Magic Systems
• Spell List
  • Air Spells
  • Body Control Spells
  • Communication and Empathy Spells
  • Earth Spells
  • Enchantment Spells
  • Fire Spells
  • Gate Spells
  • Healing Spells
  • Knowledge Spells
  • Light and Darkness Spells
  • Meta-Spells
  • Mind Control Spells
  • Movement Spells
  • Necromantic Spells
  • Protection and Warning Spells
  • Water Spells

Glossary of Magical Terms

abort: To stop the casting of a spell before its completion.

backfire: A critical failure when casting a spell.

base skill: Your unmodified skill with a spell; compare with effective skill.

basic spell: A spell with no other spells as prerequisites.

cancel: To end your own spell before it would normally be over.

caster: The person casting a spell.

class: A group of spells that use the same special rules. Three examples appear in this glossary: Melee spells, Missile spells, and Resisted spells.

college: A group of spells that deal with the same subject – fire, healing, etc.

effective skill: Your base skill, plus any modifiers (usually penalties) for range, circumstances, etc. A caster rolls against effective skill.

Enchantment spell: A spell for creating permanent magic items. See Magic Items.

energy: The "cost" to cast a spell. You may pay this in either FP or HP. Some game worlds offer alternative energy sources.

grimoire: The list of spells you know (and more generally, any book of spells).

mage: Anyone with the Magery advantage.

Magery: The advantage of being "in tune" with magic.

maintain: To continue a spell after it would normally end. This costs more energy, unless you have high skill.

mana: The ambient magical energy manipulated by spells. Different areas (or worlds) have different levels of mana; see Mana.

Melee spell: A spell that "charges" your hand or a magic staff with harmful energies that affect the first target you strike.

Missile spell: A spell that summons a magical projectile that you must "throw" at the subject.

Prerequisites: A requirement for learning a spell. Means exactly what it means for skills; see Prerequisites.

Resisted spell: Any spell that must overcome the "power" of its subject before it works.

spell: A skill that produces a specific magical effect when used successfully.

subject: The person, place, or thing on which a spell is cast.

wizard: Any user of magic, whether he is a mage or not.