                               PHILOSOPHY OF MAGIC
                                    PART ONE

                                       by

                                  Electric Monk
                          <goehrigd@gort.canisius.edu>


"The Electronic Monk was sitting there on his horse once again believing in all the tedious things that the world needs some one to believe in, when he suddenly got fed up with believing that the Magic in the ADnD game just worked for no appearantly good reason.  Then, in a blast of divine inspiration, (which the horse thought it might have been do to extreme boredom from total lack of movement) the Electric Monk realized stealing a belief system form FFQC which copied Chill (by Mayfair) and giving it to the ADnD system like Robinhood (or more like Denis Moore and his lupins thought the horse who was a fan of both Monty Python and wealth redistribution) would be a great advantage to all the philosophically despondent gamers."


Given the total lack sense put into the magic system of the ADnD game, it is no wonder that the rules are constantly under debate.  Additionally, this system is governed by as many house rules as there are gamers. In hopes of creating a UNIFIED MAGICAL FIELD THEORY, this DM, GM, ST, BL, CM, and Keeper, has decided to construct a master plan.  All those kind enough to resond to this post (and future ones) will recieve a finalized version when ever that happens.  I am sending this to ADnD-l cause there are lots of irate and hateful people there who love to rip apart house rules and also Planescape where there are people who deal with the most magically diverse setting in the ADnD Game system.  (All the special rulings for each plane has added greatly to the development of these theories.)


PHILOSOPHIES OF MAGIC

According to the best Realmsian and Ravenloftian lore, each world is surrounded with a field of magical energy.  In the outer Planes this field is altered based on the beliefs and wishes of those who live there (esp. the powers).  Wizards are those that have learned to manipulate this energy field to produce arcane results.  These spell casters have divided the techniques and ways of magical thought into schools: Abjuration, Alteration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Summoning.  Recently there has been a new movement in some world to channel magic in it raw form and try to channel it into a useful form on the fly so to speak.  This warping magic is better known as Wild Magic and is based upon the Complexity theories of modern science  (where a small effect under the right conditions at the right time can produce large scale results latter).  The mages capible of warping are rare and must be highly intelligent to grasp the complex theories and magical waave forms they encounter while casting.


The following is a description of each school and the basic powers (devotions) that govern all of the schools effects:


ABJURATION

This school produces protective magic by creating magical barriers. In general Abjuration is very useful when dealing with other magics.

- Banish
This devotion allows the caster to send life forms back to where they came from.  Banish returns summoned object which are real in nature.

- Release
This devotion releases the magical energy stored in magical constructs such as spells and magical matter and energy.  This remove the effects of any spell that creates purely magical effects. (This has no effect on summoning because the objects are real.)

- Ward
This devotion creates magical barriers (either energy or physical) which can defend the caster or and object from specific things. This can be used to keep things out as well as keep things in.


ALTERATION

This school of magic provides the greatest range of practical applications of any school.  Alteration magics changes matter and energy into different forms.

- Distillation
This devotion increases the strength of the effects of an item through infusion of magical energy. (Note that this replaces what was previously known as enchantments.)

- Distortion
This devotion alters space/time.  Distances, Rate of Flow, and shae can be altered.  (A possible use of this for example is to distort or warp space around an object to render it immune to gravity.)

- Shape
This devotion allows the caster to change the shape of matter and mold it into any form givent there is enough mass.

- Transform
This is a mixture of Shape and Transmute that deserves its own devotion.  This changes one from of life into another. (Note that consciousness is retained since it would require necromancy to change the spirit.)

- Transmute
This devotion changes one type of matter or energy into another. (Yes, lead to gold is covered here.)


DIVINATION

This school gives the mage insight into things that he would not other wise have.  Divination deals with sense magic as well as magic that identifies.

- Divine
This devotion allows the mage to gain knowledge that he would not otherwise know.  This generally provides answers to questions.

- Reveal
This devotion provides sensory information that is beyond the scope physically possible for the mage.


ENCHANTMENT

This school has been slightly altered from the standard definition since the empowerment abilities have been moved to alteration. Enchantments are magic that control the thought patterns of other people.

- Bind
This devotion forces the target to obey an agreement reached between the mage and itself.  Of course the only stipulation on the target's side is that it can preform the duty asigned.

- Charm
This devotion create Joy joy happy feelings in the target focused towards his new "best friend."

- Compel
This devotion forces the target to prefrm a certain action.


EVOCATION

This school of magic deals with creation / destruction magics. It is one of the most powerful schools.  All the effects it produces are made out of magic or are the magical negation of existence.  Therefore these effects can be released or resisted by anti-magic.

- Create
This devotion creates energy or magic from the magica field that fills the plane.  The created object can take any shape or form.  It can not create living beigns however.

- Destroy
This devotion removes matter or energy from existence.  (It is rumored that all material removed in this matter appears on the second layer of Archeon.)  The item ceases to exist in that location for all intensive purposes.  People can also be affected by this. (Note once on Archeon it turns to iron and fuses with the plane...)


ILLUSION
This school parallels evocation and produces mental images of the objects.  These constructs are precieved by all who are in the area. They can have "real" (psychosematic) effects on those that believe in them.

- Conceal
This devotion is the counterpart of destroy and hides the existence of an object or person from observers.

- Delude
This devotion is the counterpart of create for it generate false images of things that are really not there. (Demi-shadow magic is a combination of delusion and creation.)


NECROMANCY

This school involves the manipulation of life energy.  Through it life can be created and destroyed.

- Animate
This devotion infuses life into an inanimate object (like a corpse) The Animated object acts as directed by the caster.

- Curse
This devotion creates flaws in the life energy patters of an individual creating imballances in their lives.  This often produces penalties and bad luck for individuals, as well as bad habits.

- Heal
This devotion adds life energy back to a living creature.  In conjuncture with animate it can create intelligent undead, or with summon it can raise the dead.

- Smite
This devotion sucks life energy from an individual.  This results in the destruction of a persons's soul.  it primarily is used to damage.


SUMMONING

This school transports objects across planar boundaries, or distances to aid the caster.  It does not provide control of the object or organism in question.

- Conjure
This devotion brings matter or energy or life forms from another plane (or the same one) to the caster's location.  All objects are real and can not be released since they are not magical but may be banished.

- Transport
This devotion can send an object or person across planar boundaries or across huge distances without time elapsing.



                           APPLICATION AND PRACTICES

The first thing I would like to point out is that using this system will fundamentally change how you look at spells.  The first example of this is Anti-magic:

With anti-magic, which functions by creating a weakening of the magical field around the creature or area in question, only effects from those schools that produce magical material or energy will be negated.  However, if the AM affects an area no summoning will be possible since the portal can not be open without magic.  If one were to summon a jet of flame or a vrok out side of the area but then penetrated it, the antimagic would have no effect.

Further rules on how spell casting works and the nature of wild / warping magic will be out soon... (Yes, it involves paradox as well as blood magic for spell durations...)


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                               PHILOSOPHY OF MAGIC
                                    PART TWO

                                       by

                                  Electric Monk
                          <goehrigd@gort.canisius.edu>


"The Electric Monk whipes off his spectacles.  The sweat from his brow drenching his shirt. 'I've gotta start researching those papers earlier', he thinks to himself.  Whipping out his pocket Grimore, and reciting a few lines from the evocation section.. he produces a small glass of orange juice.  Magic, not just for breakfast."

Casting spells can be hard work.  The following is a set of guidlines for determining what a mage can or can not do with magic. (These can also be applied to priests because priest spells are also based on the schools of magic.  However they have to conform more to a style of spell casting than to the actually method.)


                         SETTING UP THE CHARACTER SHEET

One thing that can speed up play is a well detailed character sheet.  When using the following free-form magic rules, it becomes even more important.  This is because various stats are actually taxed when you cast spells.  Magic has a price but atleast you'll get your monies worth.

- Hit Points
There should be two lists for hitpoints.  One list records the number of points that can be taken in damage.  The second correspond to those points devoted to spell tinence (more on this later).

- Proficiencies
Instead of learning individual spells a caster learns entire schools of magic.  Proficiencies are manadory under these rules and magic profs sshould be kept in a separate area.

- Paradox
This rating determines that total magical polution that centers around the caster. It increases the chance for wild surges.


BOOK LEARNING

Okay so now you have a few more things added to your character sheet and you need to fill out the garbage that will no doubt bug you during the game.  Hold on.  I mage (and any character for that matter) is more than a bunch of numbers.  A character is a personality that has its own beliefs and goals and needs.  Mages have a few needs that other characters often find hard to understand.  The main one example of this is Style:

Each mage has his own particular style of spell casting. It is a ritualistic way of seeing the world and the magical energies he or she manipulates.  Casting a spell is a lot like playing a synth system.  All the notes and sounds are there but it takes and artist to manipulate the fields to creat music.  So it is with spell casting.  Some mages find that they must chant loudly in arcane tounges while others simply gesture.  There are others who exclusively use objects to cast spells.  (Note those who want to can use spell components... They provide a +1 to casting if not a requirement of the mage's style.)

Each mage must choose a style of spell casting.  This will determin under what conditions it is possible to cast.  A mage may only use one type.  This style can never be changed.  The following are some examples:

- Shadow Dancer
The mage must gesticulate in such a manner as to shape his shodow into the form neccessary for the spell.  This macbre dance appears to onlookers as a bizarre convulsion.  The caster must be able to move freely and have a light source.

- Chanter
The mage must chant in a different language from the venacular to cast the spell.  The mage must be able to speak to cast spells as well as be heard by the target if the spell requires a line of sight.  If the spell is aimed at a artifact then the artfact must be within hearing range.

- Alchemist
The mage uses chemicals and herbs to create spell potions.  The mage must have a source of heat and the neccessary vessels and materials to cast the spell.  The caster must spend one round per level of the spell to cast it.  It takes affect when the potion is pourd on the target.

You are free to create your own styles. There is one guideline, the style must include one thing that the character must be able to do.  The second is that the character must have some object(s) that are linked to the style.

In addition to the caster's style there are a few proficiencies that are very useful to a mage.  Most of these replace spells that are considered "general mage utility spells."

- Detect Magic
The mage is capible of sensing magical energy and may attempt to locate the source of any magic.  This skill costs a single slot and is rated at Wis -2.  On a natural roll of 1 or 2 the caster also identifies what type of magic it is.

- Read Magic
The mage is capible of reading magical runes and text.  This can be used as the spell of the same name. 1 slot, Int -1.

Each time that the caster would gain a new spell level in the standard game he gains a new slot to spend on schools of magic. Each school has its own proficiency.  They each cost one slot and have a starting rating equal to the caster's intelligence.


AND FINALLY: EM'S GUIDE TO SPELLCASTING

Yes, now after a lot of introduction I will get to the final point of all these words.  This is the how to section on casting spells:

1) Decide what you want to do
This is were the magic gets fun.  The mage must describe what he is trying to achomplish with a spell.  If the mage wants to create a large block of spam to fall on his opponents, this is what he would say.


2) Decide which school(s) to use
Next the DM decides which schools are applicable.  The player may offer a suggestion.  The DM has final say however. (This is so that spells do not get overly powerful.  If a question arises go with a compromise.. use the players school choice but lower the effect.  In the previous example, the block of spam could be an illusion, created out of magical energy through evocation, or conjured from the elemental plane of spam.

3) Decide how much work done
Third the Player declares how many hp he is willing to assign to the spell.  This number coresponds to the spell's level. The DM also determines how difficult the spell will be to cast.  The two should then take an average if within 3 levels. If not then the DM wins out. (if the player thinks it should be as hard as Melf's arrow (2nd) and the DM thinks its more like conjure elemental (5th)  They would average it to 4th. About as hard as making a Wall of Flame.

4) Roll a proficiency check
The player rolls his skill that corresponds to the school of magic used [or if more than one skill then he uses the lowest] If the spell requires more schools than the caster has then the spell automatically fails.  A penalty equal to the spells level is inflicted on the spell.  Also local modifiers may apply (like in the planes)

It works:
Move the hp's wagered to the magic hp section.  Add one point of paradox to the caster's current paradox level. Determine the spell's effects.

It fails:
ignore the hp wager.  Add a point of paradox.  If the caster's new level of paradox is greater than his level roll a WILD SURGE...


CLOSING NOTE

When used in game play the hp remain dedicated to the magic as long as the spell is maintained (ie as long as it is in effect) a spell may be made permanent by expending one hp permanently. If a spell is cast and the caster does not have enough hp the spell goes off and he passes out.  If the caster takes damage that would lower his current hp to below 0 hp are drained from the ones dedicated to spells.  As a result the highest powered sustained spell is dropped and so on until the current dedicated hp => the maintained levels.  If a spell is dropped willingly the points return to the current hp section.  This allows for not only variable duration but also a realistic means of breaking enchantments.

In part three there will include suggestions for ruling on spells as well as the rules for warping magic.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                               PHILOSOPHY OF MAGIC
                                   PART THREE

                                       by

                                  Electric Monk
                          <goehrigd@gort.canisius.edu>


"The Elecric Monk, now without his disgruntled horse and a band of angry orcs on his trail, franticlly tries to think of a new and provokative way of ridding his country of orc pests.  The answer:  Use Raw MAGICAL ENERGY and pray."


In this section one little thing will be detailed: Wild Magic.  If you have been following the development of this free form spell system, you have probably noticed that wild magic has not be very prominent.  The reason is that Wild Magic is upgraded and improved.

"...the Electric Monk focused on the magical energy flowing over his body, trying to form it's seething chaos into the form of a shrowd of flame..."

Wild Magic is the result of a mage tapping raw magical energy and then trying to do something productive with it.  Most mages have a preconcived notion of what will work and what won't.  This is enforced in the training they have in the schools of magic.  Wild magic is a desertion from these standard methods of magical manipulation.  When a mage casts a spell he first designs a formula that describes how the spell should act.  These are a simple matter for those schooled in their creation.  Second, the mage opens a small energy tap into the magical field surrounding the plane pouring the energy into the formula.  Then when enough energy has collected (explaining the casting time) the mage releases the effect which is controlled by the formula.  When using wild magic the mage does not use a formula but rather shapes the energy using the tenents of Chaos theory. Using the butterfly effect, with small and appearantly insignificant changes in the energy field a mage can create dramatic if not somewhat unpredictable effects.

"...as he twisted and tweaked with the magical energy a storm began to brew in the magical field.  Large waves rebounded through the area making life difficult for the stressed out mage..."

Paradox is a repres=entation of the magical entropy of the system.  When a mage casts a spell he generated a distortion in the magical field.  The nexus he creates to draw energy into the spell construct pulls in more energy than is needed.  This creates a local magical surge.  This energy will disapate from the mages area over time.  The magical surge, also known as a wild surge, can mutate a formula enough to produce an unexpected result.  In effect, a random magical effect occurs.  When a mage fails to cast a spell it is because his formula isn't quite right.  Young mages often suffer from the magical back lash of paradox because they can not channel the energy in such a way that it does not over power their systems.


RULES

Wild Magic:
With wild magic a mage may produce any effect possible with any school of magic.  The dangers that go with its use are many.  First all spell castings are made at int-4 -1 per level of the spell.  Also 5 paradox points are gained in the attempt due to the larger amounts of energy used and the lack of a construct.

Paradox:
Paradox is like the wake of motorboats in a small body of water.  The mage's nexus displaces a lot of magical energy.  As a result the field rebounds with waves of magical energy focused on the caster. In game terms the casster gains a point of paradox each time he casts a spell.  When the current level of paradox equals his level then a wild surge results from a failed spell casting.  (as a mage grow more experienced he can deal with the magical polution)  Paradox will decrease at a rate of 1 point per hour of rest. (1 hour without spell casting)
