Chapter 5 - Magic Rules

This appendix is a resource for use with the design and running of a campaign that utilizes magic, psi-powers, or miracles. This is not the "right" way to do magic- it is merely what the founder of the game designed for his fantasy campaign.

You may default to this if you have no or ambiguous spell information from your GM. It is the BASIC level which is the easiest and quickest level of the rule set. There are three levels: DESIGN, ADVANCED, and BASIC. Most players are running in a cross between DESIGN and ADVANCED, mostly ADVANCED. Only an idiot- or Jim and I- would run the DESIGN level.:-)

This appendix includes:

(a) The Laws of Magic- which are the abstractions which give rise to the magic in the Game founder's world.

(b) The different types of magic

(c) The specific rules for running magic

(d) Sorcery
    * The sorcery table

(e) Wizardy
    * Schools of wizardry
    * Sample skill package for a Wizard
    * Prerequisites: Languages, Runes, and Schools
    * Types of Wizardric Spells
      * Workings
      * Rituals
      * Rites
      * Incantations

(f) How to design spells

The Laws of Magic

There are eight laws of Magic. These laws apply to all magic and all casting of spells of any sort in the known Worlds. The only exception to this is the Wild Magic, which will not be discussed here.

1: THE LAW OF SYMPATHY

The Law of Sympathy states that what appears the same... is the same. It is also stated as the smaller is like greater principle. Sprinkling water on the ground in a rain spell is an example of this.

2: THE LAW OF CONTAGION

The Law of Contagion is best exemplified by once whole, never apart. Anything that was once part of a greater whole is still in magical connection with that whole. All parts of something are in link with each other. Although not often employed by modern wizards this principle is the groundwork for many primitive magical systems.

3: THE LAW OF SYMBOLS

This Law states that the more widely used a symbol is over time the more powerful it is. This is, of course the ground work for all wizardry. Without the third law no wizardry would be possible. This is, possibly, the most powerful of the laws.

There is a corollary to this law, much weaker, which states that the more meaning a symbol has to the user the more power and more control the user can have with it.

4: THE LAW OF POWER

This is one of the most fundamental laws. It has, simply, two corollaries:

One, one must have access to unbound power to use magic;

Two, all things have power.

Thaumaturges make a great deal of use of this law. It is the framework of their entire science. Alchemists also apply this law in many ways.

5: LAW OF PATTERNS

Upon this Law all life rests. This is the Law that gives sentient beings the mastery of the universe. This Law states that the more complex a pattern is the more power and focus the pattern can generate. This is why incantations are so powerful, and why wiz-ards, who are masters of patterns, are so much more powerful than sorcerors.

6: LAW OF CHANNELING

The Law of Channeling states that magic tends to gather together. As a result, when it is cast or bound it must be directed and focused. Some scholars describes these principles as the three corollaries of spellwork: Gathering, Focus, and Direction

7: LAW OF BALANCE

The Law of Balance states that for every application of power there is a counter effect. It is this effect which causes backlashes when a mage loses control. This effect is also responsible for the curses which so often accompany bound magic.

8: LAW OF BINDING

This Law has two major corollaries: Attachment and Inertia.

The corollary of attachment states that power will tend to stay attached to any point where it is projected.

The corollary of inertia states that power will tend to retain its pattern so long as it is fixed to bound power at its foci and/or it is in a stable magical environment.

The Types of Magic

There are eleven types of magic, and twenty-nine schools of wizardry, three schools of disciplines, three types of divine magic, and as many types of craft and natural magics as there are species and crafts. This will only serve to whet your appetite for more- It will introduce you to terms you can ask your GM about! If you are a GM- call me! :-)

Alchemy
Thaumaturgy

Natural Magics
Craft Magics

Sorcery
Wizardry
Discipline Magic

Divine Magic
Gift Magic
Incarnate Magic

Creation Magic

The most common forms of magic amongst PCs are sorcery and wizardry, followed closely by divine and gift magic.

BASIC RULES FOR SPELL CASTING

These are the simplified rules for spell casting in Bardic Tales. They are designed to be rule-of-thumb no-thought applications for quickie spell casting. They can be used by people who don't want to go too crazy with magic or want to do combats in a hurry. If I have given you costs and data already your current information overrides this information.

GENERAL INFO

A general skill adds three percent per [RANK] if the spell is under the umbrella of the general skill. Any Sorcery, Working, Ritual, Rite or Incantation of the same basic type can be used as a secondary (3% per rank, Maximum of 2) Any other SCF skill even vaguely related can be used as a tertiary (1% per RANK, Maximum of 2).

Modifiers to Spell Casting

MAGE_TRANCE: Adds 15% plus 3% per RANK in MAGE TRANCE if successful. Takes 30 counts and 6 MEN to implement.

SET_UP: Adds 5% per COUNT of set-up up to (KIF/2 + 10) counts or the base success chance, whichever is lower.. (If the casting is measured in units other than counts the set up must also be measured in those units.)

MODS: See the Situational Modifiers. They include: fatigue (endurance and exhaustion), wounds (HTK and POW), and environment (cover for targeting, movement) Spell casting is run as missile use.

TOUCH: Touch adds 10% + 1% per count in contact with a maximum of SCF but never lower than 10%. "contact time" can include casting time!

FOCUS: A general focus is worth +10 or 5 points of POW; a specific focus is worth +20 or 10 points of POW; a personal focus is worth +30 or 15 points of POW. A focus takes 8 cts to apply

SPELL POINTS

Spell points are the things that power spells. They are drawn from the environment or some battery or power source. Mages draw in spell points from the environment at SCF/5 per count. They always have SCF/2 around them. Spell points are generated in basically three ways:

1) Use of MENTAL ENDURANCE (MEN). The ratio is that one MEN equals one SPELL POINT unless declared otherwise.

a) in basic rules return is one MEN per 10 counts.

2) Use of POWER (POW). Ratio is one POW equals one SPELL POINT unless declared otherwise.

3) Use of a POWER SOURCE such as a battery, node line, or a feed from a thaumaturge or other source. This still costs. The cost is one MEN or POW for every 10 SPELL POINTS used.