Magic #

Magic is the ability to manipulate reality through the application of will. It is a natural phenomenon, albeit an uncommon one. Most practitioners of magic have a natural talent for it, but it can be taught to many people to some degree if they are sufficiently motivated. Magic users are known as Adepts.

There are three general tiers of magic:

• Low Magic is simple, everyday magic. This is the domain of the hedge wizard, and most people who discover that they have an aptitude for magic never grow in skill beyond the ability to use Low Magic. It is the equivalent of cantrips in traditional systems.

• Sorcery is the gift of the accomplished Adept. Sorcery allows an Adept to aid their allies, hinder their foes, and change the world around them in ways that are not possible for other beings.

• High Magic is the permanent, substantial distortion of reality. This is the exclusive province of the truly powerful, and more often than not High Magic’s cost is dear, and can not be paid with coin.

Eligibility #

To become an Adept, the player must take the Adept trait. This trait costs two slots, and confers level 0 abilities on the player. Additional levels can not be purchased with traits.

Spell Points #

An Adept’s capacity to channel magic is expressed in Spell Points (SP). By default, an Adept begins with a number of SP equal to half their HP, rounded up. With training, they can increase their reservoir of SP up to a maximum of twice their HP. A few inherently gifted spellcasters start with a number of SP equal to their HP (the Natural Spellcaster trait).

Castings #

Magic can be deployed in three ways: spontaneous casting, ritual casting, and scrolls.

• Spontaneous casting requires no preparation and no material components. An Adept’s personal expression of Magic is a dynamic language involving physical and vocal articulation, and as such a minimum degree of movement or vocalization is required. Adepts can use light armor without penalty when performing Spontaneous casting, but casting of any kind in medium or heavy armor is not possible. Likewise, the DM may declare casting impossible if the Adept’s movement and vocalization are sufficiently restricted (e.g. bound and/or gagged).

• Ritual casting is an involved affair, requiring some combination of specific instruments, consumables, sanctified location, additional participants, or a trance-like state. No armor of any kind is permitted for any of the active participants in a ritual. Ritual casting often has a cost measured in HP. These HP costs are permanent reductions, not temporary (damage-like) reductions. They do not have to come from the Adept, but under most conditions, they must be offered freely (Necromancy being the most notable exception).

• Scrolls capture the intention and some portion of the energetic cost of a specific casting in a potential state, and reify it in an arcane document that is consumed upon activation. Only an Adept can activate a scroll (see the Invocation spell), and activation may require SP (in addition to the 1 SP cost of Invocation).