Copyright © 2002 Christine Morgan

Types of Magic

Introduction

Fantasy and magic. The two often go together, even depend on one another. A fantasy setting, whether in a game or in a novel, is generally perceived to be one in which there is inherent magic. It might take the form of magical creatures, enchanted items, curses, spell-slinging wizards … the possibilities are endless.

The majority of RPGs will include a system of rules for magic, even if the genre of the game - superheroes, horror - might not be 'fantasy' per se. Such rules are necessary for the balance of power. And balance of power is just as important in fiction.

A GM or author must have a good basis for how magic is going to work in his or her world. It's easier for a GM, because the rules may already be neatly laid out and just need a bit of tweaking here and there. 'House rules,' every game tends to collect a few. For the author, including magic can become a little more complicated. The reader doesn't need to know all the ins and outs of how it works, but in order to present a believable scenario, the author does need to know.

Magic in fantasy worlds can range from the subtle to the overt. In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf and Saruman are wise and powerful wizards, yet their powers are hinted at, left vague, never fully explained. The same can be said for Middle Earth's elf magic. Galadriel, one of the strongest sorceresses, is rarely seen to cast spells in the way that most gamers would think of it.

By contrast, the Harry Potter books deal directly with the workings of magic on an almost scientific level. Spells are learned and mastered like any other skill (provided that one has the innate ability to do so in the first place). Any wizard is capable of attempting a spell, and the amount of practice and experience will dictate how successful the attempt will be.

(Interestingly, both of the above require wizards to have something to channel their power; the staff and the wand. When Saruman is cast out of Isengard, Gandalf tells him "your staff is broken," and it cracks apart; when Gandalf enters the hall of Theoden, it is remarked that he's brought the weapon of his magic along. Hogwarts students all need wands to cast their spells, as do most of the teachers, though there are a few instances - the Animagus transformation, or some of the stuff that Dumbledore does - that indicate wants are not always vital).

Robert Aspirin's Myth books go a step further, by incorporating the concept of the variable magical energy of a given world. This energy is found in force lines, and wizards can tap into them to draw power. The weaker the force lines, the less effective magic will be in that world. The Deryni books by Katherine Kurtz present a system in which magic is inborn, nearly psychic, while still occasionally making use of items such as stones and cubes to operate some of the bigger spells.

Me, I cheat. I was fortunate enough to acquire permission from Steve Jackson to base the magic system in my books on the one from GURPS. With a few tweaks, as mentioned. I chose that system simply because it's the one I am most familiar with. I can write with a basic idea already in mind of the mechanics of casting spells: how long one takes to cast, what the duration is, what the effects are, and so on. It provides a structure within which I can confidently work.

Over lo these many years, though, I have done a bit of fiddling around. Customizing. 'Home-brewed,' or 'house rules,' as it were. It's somehow in the nature of gamers to meddle. Many of the ones I've known have harbored hidden, or not-so-hidden, dreams of coming up with their own game system. Because no matter how well any given set of rules suits us, there's always a little something that we'd like to see done differently, to better fit the campaign world or make the game smoother.

I've been known to take a few liberties with the rules myself. The fantasy novels I write are set in the same world in which I run my regular game, so these liberties appear in both my GM-ing and my fiction.

GURPS Magic System

I won't go into all the details here, because the books are readily available from your friendly local game store. This'll be just a basic overview. You can learn more about GURPS from the friendly Illuminati at Steve Jackson Games (link).

In GURPS, magic is dependent on Magery. This is the innate magical talent that allows certain people to more effectively use spells, enchanted items, and alchemy. A character's Magery (which is available in levels rated from 1 to 3) will combine with his or her intelligence and determine how well he or she is able to perform a magical feat. The higher the skill level, the better in terms of how quickly a spell might be cast, how much of the caster's own energies it uses, and how well it'll stand up to being resisted.

There are two books of spells for this system, GURPS Magic and GURPS Grimoire (as well as the GURPS Magic Items volumes, and assorted other campaign-specific spells that can be found in the various sourcebooks. The two books each contain a collection of spells divided into 'colleges' such as Body Control, Movement, Necromancy, Illusion, and the various elements.

Each spell is considered a different skill. Some are prerequisite to others, meaning that the basics must be mastered before the more complicated ones can be learned. The level of skill determines what sort of ritual the character must go through in order to successfully cast a spell. Novices might need to undertake complex rites, masters can accomplish the same thing with a murmur or a gesture, or a simple thought.

In GURPS, the energy needed to perform magic is called 'fatigue,' and is equivalent to the character's physical strength (this is useful for game balance). Each spell has its own fatigue cost, so the harder a spell, the more toll it takes on the character. Using magic in this way is draining, physically exhausting. At higher skill levels, the fatigue cost drops, even to the point where it is effortless.

On a side note - I have a pet theory inspired by those rules, which explains why so often an apprentice will be a scrawny thing while the more powerful mages tend toward portly. Fatigue equates to calories. Apprentices, who must put their own energy into their spells, burn off the calories and develop ravenous eating habits to keep body and soul together. As their skills improve, however, they wind up using less of their own energies while still taking in the same amount of food, and they plump out.

Magic in a GURPS game also relies on 'mana,' or the available magical energy permeating an area. No mana means no magic will work at all. The lower the 'mana level,' the more difficult spellcasting will be. At high 'mana levels,' magic might be very easy, but also extremely unpredictable and dangerous.

Magic in MageLore

When I set out to adapt the GURPS system to fit with my own world, I had to sit down and think about what I wanted to see done. Magic would be common in some societies, rare or even unheard of in others. I started with the elves, who possess and use the most magic.

Every elf is born with at least one level of Magery. In the society called the Emerin, magic has replaced much of the day-to-day toil. Everything from farming to construction, is performed by magic. Basic spells are routinely taught to schoolchildren. It is to the Emerinians what technological know-how is to our modern society. People who barely know any magic are considered backward or illiterate, while the top Archmages are the Emerinian equivalent of the computer geniuses.

The other races that make up the population of the world still have to rely on old-fashioned physical labor. None of the dwarves, orcs, orckin, minotaurs, or goblinkind can ever be mages. Among humans, maybe one person in five hundred will possess the talent, usually minor. Among gnomes, one in a thousand. Elfkin have a much greater chance, varying depending on the circumstances of the race of the mother.

Non-elven wizards may learn the elven style of magic, or may draw upon the lost arts practiced by the followers of Lestra. The open worship of this goddess, the human counterpart to Livana Silvermoon (the elven goddess of the moon and magic), was eradicated long ago by the Galatinite church but some of the spells and teachings have survived in secret lore.

Certain types of magic are unknown in the Emerin. The elves do not have any use for Necromancy, the Creation half of the Illusion and Creation college, or high-tech spells relating to machines. Others might once have been known but have become lost or forgotten, such as Gate spells or anything pertaining to divination or time travel. And many others are deemed 'forbidden,' including many spells of Mind or Body Control. There are no Elementals in their world, so the spells pertaining to the summoning and controlling thereof are not applicable.

The mages of the Emerin are academic snobs who guard their skills zealously and require formal education, licenses, or credentials before they will allow wizards to learn or practice certain specialized spells. The Healing college is generally reserved only for trained physicians. Enchantment spells are particularly monitored, as is the production of magic items.

Essence Words

The Emerinian elves have a deliberate and orderly magical system. They view magic as stemming from the 'aether' (their word for 'mana') and believe that aether can be manipulated by controlling the 'essence.' Each college of spells has its own 'essence word,' which is a sound/concept taken from the old elven root language. Additional modification words are then added, to make the verbal component of the spell.

Here is a list of the essence and modifier words for the various spell colleges as outlined in GURPS, with some examples:

Modifiers:

• Shape - Shan
• Create - Schal
• Destroy - Hal
• Seek - Ara
• Animal Spells - Rada
•      Beast-Soother - Radanis
• Body Control - Diran
•      Strike Blind - Talindiran
• Communication and Empathy - Lar
•      Compel Truth - Lartei
• Earth - Nak
•      Seek Earth - Ara Nak
• Air - Hassa
•      Lightning - Krias'hassa
• Water - Nia
•      Create Water - Niaschal
• Fire - Flamme
•      Flame Jet -- Flammehar
• Enchantment - Gilea
•      Powerstone - Ilgilean
• Food - Kalin
•      Preserve Food
• Healing - Sala
•      Minor Healing - Salahin Roas
• Illusion and Creation - Leita
• Knowledge - Rala
•     Aura - Ralavi
• Light and Darkness - Talin
•      Light - Tentalin
• Making and Breaking - Demek
•      Knots - Pierdemek
• Meta - Alalna
•      Dispel Magic - Jenalalna
• Mind Control - Dhal
•      Sleep - Dhalas
• Movement - Lis
•      Slow Fall - Shalis
• Plant - Nin
•      Shape Plant -- Ninshan
• Protection and Warning - Fira
•     Missile Shield -- Firalel
• Sound - Dur
•      Thunderclap - Durak

Affinities and Aspected Magery

Some elves are born with a tendency to be better at certain forms of magic than others. The GURPS system allows for 'aspected' magery, which means magical talent that depends on some other circumstance (Solar-Aspected mages are more powerful when the sun is in the sky) or action (Song-Aspected mages must incorporate music into their spellcasting).

In my world, I added a rule for 'affinities.' An Affinity consists of several spells that span different colleges, but that go together. Such a mage will have a bonus (+2, no prerequisites) to spells within the Affinity, and a penalty (takes twice as long to learn) to those outside it. The mage will also be able to learn spells within the Affinity without having to bother with the normal prerequisites. It is considered an instinctive understanding for the way that particular type of magic works.

The following is a breakdown of the five known Affinities, their point costs as Advantages, and the spells that are included within each Affinity:

Seeker-mage: Seek Earth, Seek Food, Seek Plant, Seek Water, Seek Air, Seek Fire, Seek Magic, Seeker, Trace, Find Weakness, Beast Seeker, Pathfinder, Find Direction.

Senser-mage: (This Affinity may be bought along with either Seeker-mage or Shielder-mage. It is the only way in which it is permissible for a mage to have more than one Affinity.) Sense Observation, Sense Danger, Sense Emotion, Sense Foes, Sense Life, Sense Spirit, Detect Magic, Tell Time, Know Illusion, Predict Weather, Truthsayer, Detect Lies, Aura.

Shaper-mage: Shape Air, Shape Darkness, Shape Earth, Shape Fire, Shape Plant, Shape Stone, Shape Water, Shape Light, Shape Metal, Shape Bone (**) Alter Visage, Alter Body, Reshape.

Shielder-mage: Shield, Armor, Missile Shield, Force Dome, Utter Dome, Pentagram, Conceal Magic, Scryguard, Scrywall, Counterspell, Ward, Great Ward, Hide Thoughts.

Selfshaper-mage: (costs +25; spells can be used on self only) Shapeshifting, Body of Air, Body of Stone, Body of Water, Body of Flames, Body of Ice, Body of Shadow, Body of Wood, Partial Shapeshifting, Steelwraith, Shrink, Enlarge.

** This is a new, non-official spell.

Shape Bone (M/H) Regular; Resisted by HT

The caster may shape bone or ivory (artistic skill roll may also be required). Shaped bone remains in that shape at the end of the spell.

If the bone is contained in a living subject, caster must touch subject and cost is doubled. A non-living subject that is animate, such as an undead skeleton, does not need to be touched.

Duration: 1 minute

Cost: 2 to cast, 1 to maintain (double if living subject).

Prerequisites: 3 Body Control spells including Pain, or any 3 other Shape spells.

Domestic Magic

The most mundane and ordinary spellwork in the Emerin is done by members of the lowest class, called Domestics. These are the mages responsible for keeping society going. Their function is a vital and necessary one, but often looked down upon (5-point Social Stigma Disadvantage). Most will also have a Domestic's Code of Behavior (never presume to act above your station, never discuss your employer's business, etc.).

Domestics can fall into several categories. "Apporters" specialize in the spell of Apportation, used to lift heavy objects; they are the general porters and carriers. Scribe-types will specialize in the various administrative and secretarial skills and spells. General servants learn everything from food production to cosmetic magic.

All Domestics can learn the spells in the 'Domestic College' without normal prerequisites. Their individual Magery bonus applies, as does an automatic +1 to each such spell.

The Domestic College of Magic includes the following spells:

Ignite Fire, Create Fire, Extinguish Fire, Warmth, Purify Water, Create Water, Destroy Water, Umbrella, Coolness, Purify Air, Test Food, Preserve Food, Purify Food, Cook, Create Food, Season, Prepare Game, Know Recipe, Tell Time, Alarm, Measurement, Test Area, Light, Continual Light, Shade, Mirror, Inscribe, Fasten, Restore, Dye, Clean, Soilproof, Rejoin, Repair, Shatterproof, Copy, Sharpen, Knots, Apportation, Lighten Burden, Manipulate, Undo, Air Golem, Watchdog, Nightingale, Magelock, Perfume, Haircut, Hair Growth.

Other Types of Magic

The Emerinians like to think they are the be-all and end-all of thaumatological prowess. The Lenaisians and Morvalan have essentially the same magical system, but there are other groups of elves out there who've developed some twists. I have introduced these in my game and plan to include them in upcoming novels.

Long ago, when the great city of Govannisan fell and its survivors were scattered, some elves ended up in the jungles of Rumelia. These elves primarily followed Shannia (goddess of the arts) and set about teaching the primitive humans language, music, and other skills.

Their teachings are demonstrated by the following two magical variants:

A. Song Magic of the Mirah - the Mirah call themselves "the singing ones," and for good reason. They are able to weave songs that can affect the body and the mind, primarily for the beneficial purposes of healing. The songs are performed in groups without the usual rules for ceremonial magic.

The Songleader is the one who directs the magic. A Songleader must have the Singing Skill (P/E, based on Health) at 12 or better, and the skill Song Lore (M/VH). A failed Singing roll by the Songleader results in a -1 to Song Lore for each point the roll is failed by. A successful Conducting skill roll by the Songleader will give a +1 to the Song Lore roll, +2 if Conducting roll is a critical success.

All singers in the group must have the Singing Skill at 12 or better. The more people in the group, the better the chances. The Songleader will receive these modifiers to his or her Song Lore roll:

• -1 for each singer less than 5 in the group
• +1 if the group is made up of 6-10 singers
• +2 if the group is made up of 11-20 singers
• +3 if the group is made up of 21-50 singers
• +4 if the group is made up of 51-100 singers
• +5 if the group is made up of 100+ singers

In small groups, each singer rolls individually against his or her skill. Each critical success adds 1 to the Songleader's Song Lore roll, each critical failure subtracts 1. At higher numbers, a single roll against the average skill of the group's Singing ability should be made.

The 'fatigue' cost of the Song Lore spell is divided among the group. The Song Leader always pays at least 1, but with larger groups the rest of the cost can be so dispersed that it is essentially negligible. There is no cost reduction in this case for higher skill.

Song Lore includes 21 spells, each of a different level of difficulty. The sequence of die rolls will begin with the Songleader's Conducting roll, followed by the Singing rolls for the group and the Songleader. When all of those modifiers are factored in, the Songleader will roll vs. Song Lore with the following minuses for spell difficulty:

• No Minus - Minor Healing, Peaceful Sleep, Relieve Sickness.
• Minus 1 - Relieve Addiction, Relieve Madness, Relieve Pain.
• Minus 3 - Major Healing, Magic Resistance, Healing Sleep, Restoration, Cleansing.
• Minus 5 - Cure Disease, Neutralize Poison, Permanent Forgetfulness, Permanent Madness.
• Minus 7 - Regeneration, Restore Memory, Cure Insanity, Cure Addiction, Remove Curse.
• Minus 10 - Resurrection.

Example #1

Ghartho, a man of the Mirah, has been cursed by an enemy sorcerer. His tribesmen, under the leadership of Sarha, assemble for the ceremony. Sarha makes his Conducting roll (+1). The group consists of 25 singers (+3), and their average Singing roll is made without being a critical success or critical failure. Sarha's Singing roll is also successful. Sarha has a basic Song Lore skill of 16, which goes up to 20 with the modifiers. The Remove Curse spell is in the -7 category. So Sarha's final adjusted skill is 13. He rolls a 9, which means that the spell succeeds and the curse is lifted.

Example #2

Ghartho has been injured while hunting, taking 3 points of damage from a boar's tusk. His companions attempt to heal him. Nammi will act as Songleader, but does not have Conducting (no bonus). There are only four singers (-1). One of them critically succeeds on his Singing rolls (+1). Nammi fails his Singing roll by 1 (-1). Nammi's Song Lore skill is a 12, adjusted to 11 with the modifiers. They attempt a Minor Healing (no minuses category). Nammi rolls a 15, which fails to heal Ghartho's wound.

B. Glyphs of the Bitae - the Bitae are the 'painted people,' their culture centering around the mixing of paints and dyes, and the application thereof. A hidden subterranean chamber in their plateau home holds the inscriptions of the elf-wizard Mier, who created symbols of magic, or glyphs.

Each glyph is learned separately as a M/VH skill, with no prerequisites aside from Magery. There is no added Magery bonus to the skill. Casters get a +1 if they have an Artist skill of 15 or more, +2 if Artist is 20 or more. The caster must also have the exact colors needed for each glyph; attempting to substitute other colors will result in a failed spell.

Time to cast a glyph is 30x book rate (so a spell that normally would take 1 second to cast takes 30 seconds to draw the proper glyph). There is no time reduction for higher skill. Duration is 10x book rate (so a spell that normally lasts 1 minute would last 10 minutes). Glyphs cannot be maintained. The fatigue cost is ½ of book rate, and is further divided between the caster and the subject (if the subject is a living thing; otherwise all fatigue cost is paid by the caster). The standard fatigue cost reduction applies.

Glyphs must be painted on the subject (usually another person or the caster him/herself). A few of them may be cast on inanimate objects. When the subject is a living being, the glyph must be on bare skin, and preferably in a location that fits the effect of the spell (Keen Eyes or See Invisible, for instance, would trace the glpyh near or around the eye).

The spells that can be used as glyphs include:

• Body Control - Dexterity, Might, Vigor, Resist Pain, Climbing, Balance, Reflexes, Ambidexterity, Cadence.
• Communication and Empathy - Compel Truth, Hide Thoughts, Control Person, Presence.
• Healing - Minor Healing, Neutralize Poison, Cure Disease, Healing Slumber, Relieve Sickness, Relieve Addiction.
• Light and Darkness - Invisibility, Dark Vision, See Invisible.
• Meta - Scryguard, Remove Curse, False Aura, Remove Aura.
• Mind Control - Strengthen Will, Wisdom, Keen Eyes, Keen Ears, Keen Nose, Alertness, Rear Vision, Glib Tongue, Entrhall.
• Movement - Light Tread, Jump, Lighten Burden, Wallwalker, Swim.
• Necromancy - Summon Spirit, Animation.
• Protection and Warning - Shield, Armor, Nightingale, Missile Shield, Bladeturning.
• Sound - Great Voice, Mage-Stealth, Far-Hearing, Resist Sound, Converse, Silver Tongue.

Conclusion