Magics of Ereth

Creating Characters with Magic Use

To create a character who can use magic, you must choose Magic as a primary or secondary Aptitude. If this is not chosen at the time of character creation, you cannot advance beyond the novice level in magic use.

Magic is used to perform impossible feats. The most important thing to remember when casting your spell, is to tell people what is happening. Nobody knows what you did if you don't describe it. When you hurl that fireball [spell proxy], you need to shout out, "Fireball, 3 points of damage!", or nobody knows what they're supposed to pretend happened to them. To cast spells, you may be performing many different types of actions, depending on your channeling methods and casting skills. Whether you are protecting someone with a magic circle, healing them with the touch of your magic staff, or putting them into a trance with your magic flute, you must inform them of what is going on. Fortunately, this is often incorporated into the act of casting the spell. When you speak your 'magic words', try to make sure everyone involved can hear them.

I mentioned 'spell proxy' up there. We use spell proxies as a gaming device. This is a small cloth pouch filled with cornstarch. Any soft fabric with a somewhat porous weave works well. They can be tied with fabric or closed with a rubber band. In game, they do not exist; they merely represent the magic energy. Since they are thrown, frequently at someone, they must not have any sharp pokey parts or hard surface embellishments. Any spell that can be cast 'at' someone, mainly offensive spells, can make use of a spell proxy. You could also cast a healing spell at someone, I suppose. I'm sure you'll figure out what you want to do with them. They leave an obvious white blotch of cornstarch on anyone they hit. Everyone can tell if the spell 'got them' or not. Great device, lots of funtry not to hit anyone in the eye. O.K.?

We recommended that magic users who want to cast spells requiring proxies get busy making lots of them. They are easily lost or misplaced. They eventually run out of cornstarch and have to be refilled. We try to have some available in the game stocks for players to borrow at events, but that will be on a first come, first served basis, and they must be returned. If you are out of proxies, you can't cast spells requiring them. Keep your stockpiles full.

Some spells are meant to be used in game; others are used in the period of time between games. The lists of spell effects will tell you which is which.

Four aspects of character creation, other than having the Aptitude, pertain to magic use. These are: Magic Endurance, Casting skill(s), Channeling skill(s), and Magical Focus/Foci.

Your Magic Endurance is based on whether magic is your primary or a secondary Aptitude. If magic is your primary aptitude your rating is three. If it is your secondary aptitude your rating is two. All characters (whether or not they use magic) have a magic endurance rating. If you're not a magic user your rating is one.

To use magic you also need to take a Channeling skill and a Casting skill. You must select the specific form of channeling you will use to obtain magical energy. You must also choose the casting style or styles you wish to use.

Each channeling form and casting style is considered a skill and must be learned separately. Channeling and casting skills are rated just like other skills; novice, apprentice, journeyman, or master. We recommended that characters start with only one channeling form and one casting style, but this is not required.

The magical Focus/Foci you choose determines what types of effects you can produce. Magical foci are what separate healers from necromancers and fire mages from illusionists. Each focus has a list of allowable effects from which you can cast. You are not allowed more than one focus for each casting skill.

Each spell requires a certain minimum rating in your casting skill (Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman or Master) which is normally referred to as the level of the spell.

Elements: spells relating to Air, Earth, Fire, Water.

Healing: spells that heal injuries and cure sickness.

Necromancy: spells relating to Death.

Summoning: spells that create or bring things to you.

Protection: spells that prevent damage or repel dangers.

Illusion: spells that trick people's senses.

Enchantment: spells that create a lasting magical effect.

Channeling is the drawing of magical energy from some source to power spells. There are many different forms of channeling; they all provide access to the magical energies of Ereth. The ability to channel magic energy is what truly separates the magical from the mundane. Each channeling style has special requirements that must be met before casting can begin. When you cast spells, you are weakened by the act of channeling. Depending on how difficult the spell, and what your channeling rating is, you either feel weak and tired or actually take physical damage. If the level of the spell you are casting is higher than your channeling rating, casting the spell weakens you as though you had been hit in combat. If you cast a Master level spell, but have only a Journeyman rating in Channeling, it does damage. If you cast an Apprentice level spell, but have a Master rating in Channeling, you just feel tired but do not take damage. But remember that you can choose to have the damage come off your magic endurance rather than doing physical damage.

The form of channeling you choose determines what you must have available in order to use magic.

Divine (from a god or demon):

This is both the most and the least reliable form of channeling. This allows you to draw power from a being in another world, such as a god or demon. If the being you channel from is pleased with you, any amount of power you are capable of channeling is available at any time, regardless of the circumstances. However, if this being is not pleased, or unavailable for some reason, then you may have little or no power available. Some deities require you to perform certain feats or rituals to gain their favor. The storytellers will inform you of any change in your standing with the gods (or demons, as the case may be) and how it affects you. The only requirement to channel magical power in this way is to give a brief prayer before beginning casting.

Public (from a group):

This method allows you access to a great deal of energy with relative ease, but the requirements can be difficult to meet in some situations. It merely requires that you have an audience. This may take a good deal of talent.

You must have the attention of at least three people to cast your spells. If you lose the attention of your audience, you lose your power, and the spell is broken.

Vampiric (from an individual):

This method requires a willing donor who allows you to suck their magical energy for your spells. The "donor" suffers the same effects from spell casting that you do; if you take damage from channeling or casting, so do they; if you become exhausted from the drain, so do they.

Personal (from yourself):

This method allows you to cast spells at any time without an external source of magical energy. However, when using this method, you take one extra level of damage from casting the spell. If the spell would normally just be tiring, you take one level of damage. If the spell is difficult enough to do one level of damage normally, you take two levels.

Natural (from nature):

With this method you draw from the world as a whole. The only limitation of this channeling method is that you must be outside and in contact with the earth to cast spells.

Physical (from objects):

This method allows you to get magical energy from an object (such as a crystal or staff). You must spend at least one full day becoming "attuned" to an object before you can use it for this purpose. After it is attuned, you can draw power from it at any time. You must be touching this object to channel its' energy for your spells. After a while objects become 'drained' and are no longer useful. When this happens, the object will seem to age rapidly and break. The Storytellers will let you know when an object has become drained.

You may come up with your own methods of channeling. These are examples to give you a starting point. Check with the Pooh-Bahs to see if your idea fits into this game world.

Due to the difficulty of Channeling, you can only maintain one spell at a time. If you have one spell active, you must end it before casting another. If you want to cast more, you may enchant an object to provide the function you want maintained. Some enchantments have spell effects that continue after you stop maintaining them; these are noted in the spell descriptions.

Channeling takes a toll on one's body. Any channeling is tiring, and you should role-play the fact that you get worn down by creating magical effects even if you don't take damage. However, if you continue to produce large effects quickly, or try to maintain a large effect for very long, your magic endurance will rapidly run out and you will take physical damage.

Your Casting skill determines what you must do to cast your spells. Your level in Casting and Magical Focus/Foci determine which spell effects you have available. Each Casting method has requirements for what you must do to cast a spell of a given level. You can cast Novice and Apprentice level spells with any focus unless otherwise specified.

Some spells require the caster to use touch, some require an enchanted object to channel the energy, and some require lengthy incantations or specific gestures. These are not the only methods of casting. If you want to use a method not described here, or a variation of one of these, just ask the Storytellers and work out the rules for your method.

Graphomancy:

In this method of casting, the magic user must write or draw something. You can learn the traditional magic runes or circles of Ereth, or come up with your own style.

Symbol mages create the symbols and then activate them by channeling magic into the symbol. If the symbols are physically altered or disrupted while the spell is being used the magic is immediately canceled. The spell level dictates the number of distinct elements or words in the design. These elements can be as simple or elaborate as you like.

Novice: 3 elements

Apprentice: 6 elements

Journeymen: 12 elements

Master: 24 elements

This method involves performance of some kind to cast your spells. It goes well with the Public method of channeling. There are many variations on this. One of the most common is singing. The minimum length of the song (according to spell level);

Novice: 2 lines

Apprentice: 4 lines

Journeymen: 6 lines

Master: 16 lines

Many mages use sorcery for casting spells. This method involves speaking a series of 'magic words' to cast spells. Those who use the "Divine" method of channeling often cast their spells this way, using prayers as their magic words.

Waving his arms in an intricate pattern, the mage calls out, "I call upon the power of stone to paralyze thee." Then you hear him tell the target of the spell the effect, "you can't move." the duration, "This will last for 30 seconds." and offer him an opportunity to challenge. The rules do not dictate what words you must use, but there a re a minimum nu mber of words based on the level of the spell:

Novice: 5 words

Apprentice: 10 words

Journeyman: 20 words

Master: 40 words (or just go on for a long time)

Bibbly-dee bobbly-dee boo. I think we're through.

Well, that about sums up the magic user skills. On to other things!

Spells:

Invisibility

Level: Journeyman Foci: Illusion

Effect: Makes caster invisible. You must cross your arms across your chest to show that you are invisible. If you speak, attack or cast other spells you become visible again.