I wanted to add some flavour in how magic was developed in my world and so I came up with this.
Note that the last part (Raw magic) is still mostly to be done; I wrote something, but it is too incomplete even to post it.
-----------------------
History of Magic in the world of Astarya
1) Traditional Magic
Traditional magic is the first magic that was discovered. It?s spells tend to be straightforward: for example fireball, summon monster, wall of stone, dominate person.
There are many spells that are not available in traditional magic, because they were still to be developed. Also some spells (for example dispell magic) were weaker in this period because nobody had alredy a good knowledge of magic necessary to resarch such spells.
This spells include: any sort of metamagic spells (spells that affect spells, like antimagic field), all force effects (excluding Spiritual Weapon as it is not created by the caster), some divination spells related to magic, a few tricky plane-based spells or multi-purpose spells that were designed later.
* Forbidden Spells:
Analyze Dweomer
Antimagic Field
Astral Projection
Bigby's Clenched Fist
Bigby's Crushing Hand
Bigby's Forceful Hand
Bigby's Grasping Hand
Bigby's Interposing Hand
Clone
Contingency
Detect Scrying
Dimensional Anchor
Disintegrate
Drawmij's Instant Summons
Forcecage
Globe of Invulnerability
Identify
Imbue with Spell Ability
Leomund?s Trap
Leomund's Secret Chest
Leomund's Secure Shelter
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Maze
Minor Globe of Invulnerability
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
Mordenkainen's Lucubration
Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
Mordenkainen's Sword
Nystul?s Magical Aura
Nystul?s Udetectable Aura
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
Otiluke's Telekinetic Sphere
Prismatic Sphere
Prismatic Spray
Prismatic Wall
Protection from Spells
Rary?s Mnemonic Enhancer
Rope Trick
Shadow Walk
Shield
Simulacrum
Spell Immunity
Spell Turning
Temporal Stasis
Tenser's Floating Disk
Wall of Force
* Changed Spells:
- Detect Magic: The first detect magic does not tell the school of magic a spell comes from, and requires a spellcraft check (DC 15) to determine the spell?s strenght
- Read magic: it simply gives a +10 to the Spellcraft check required to read a scroll or magical writing
- Dispel Magic: only targeted dispel magic is available; area effect and counterspell are not usable
- Greater Dispelling: as Dispell Magic
- Permamency: permanency is possible but tricky: it is raised to 7th level,and requires a Spellcraft check DC 20 + 2 x spell level. If the check fails XP are not expended.
* Spell resarch and scribing:
Wizards do not get the free two spells/level (this is normal in my world, anyway). Scribing cost is 10gp/spell level and scribing time is 30 minutes/level. The usual market price for copying a spell is (spell level) x (minimum caster level) x 10gp (or 40% of the price of a scroll).
To resarch a spell requires a week/spell level, and a price of 100gp/spell level every week. After the resarch time a spellcraft (DC 15+spell level) is required. Retry is allowed after another week of resarch. If the spell cannot be resarched (DM might decide this), or must be resarched as a higher level spell, the wizard will find out this after a week of study. Casters can resarch existing spells that they can?t find in written form. If a check to learn a spell from a written source is failed that spell cannot be acquired not even by resarch until 1 the character gets another rank
* Metamagic feats and Item creation:
Most metamagic feats are available at this stage, but require a greater training (all require caster level 5 or more). Item creation is as standard rules, but it takes double the time. The minimum crafting time is one hour (and not one day as the core rules); one day of work is 8 hours. (so more than one scroll can be written in a day, but no more than 8)
2) The Development of Metamagics
The age of Metamagics starts with Gilion Elentiron, one of the most famous elven wizard. He decided that all the wizards should work together to understand how magic works and to create new spells. In his speech in the White Tower (one of the greatest schools of magic in Aldirand) he explained his ideas and planned the first Mage?s Council to be three years later in the same place. Also he decided that magic writings must be standardized in order to be read easier.
In the First Mage?s Council he presented the first results of his resarchs, among which there was the first ?modern? detect magic able to determine the school of magic, and identify. Twenty years later at the Second Mage?s Council the first modern dispell magic was created through the resarchs of many important mages among who there was Elentiron itself.
The Third Mage?s Council took place in a school of magic in human areas, in the center of Aldriand. There, a young human wizard called Mordenkainen presented his theory of force and the first two spells: shield and magic missile and was immediatly recognized as a genius.
The Fourth Mage?s Council was very important because it was there when the council decided to establish a new great school of magic, free from most political influences (some tension started to spring up among the nations of Aldriand). The place suitable was found: the Gulf of Sunset in Tethara; after twelve years, aided by the power of Elentiron, Mordenkainen and many other great wizards the school was built and called The Academy.
Taking the place of a small town and with some hamleths around, the Academy was a nearly autosufficent community. In the center of the town there were the most important buildings: the White Library and the Masters? Tower; all around there were schools, smaller towers for the wizards and sages who decided to have a home there. In the exterior parts lived the young students and all the other people there for buisness like merchants and artisans.
The fifth Mage?s Council took place in the Academy; there the wizards traced the status of magical resarches and found out that almost all the work was done. The later councils still took place every twenty years but they were much less important.
3) Classical Magic
Classical Magic is magic as it?s described on the standard rules, except for the following:
* Old magic writings
Reading a magical writing written before the Mage?s Councils, and so in an ancient way, requires a Spellcraft check DC 30+spell level. Even with Read magic a spellcraft is needed, but the DC is halved.
* Spell resarch and scribing:
Wizards do not get the free two spells/level (this is normal in my world, anyway). Scribing cost is 10gp/spell level and scribing time is 10 minutes/level. The usual market price for copying a spell is (spell level) x (minimum caster level) x 10gp (or 40% of the price of a scroll).
To resarch a spell requires a week/spell level, and a price of 50gp/spell level every week. After the resarch time a spellcraft (DC 10+spell level) is required. Retry is allowed after another week of resarch. If the spell cannot be resarched (DM might decide this), or must be resarched as a higher level spell, the wizard will find out this after a week of study.
* Metamagic feats and Item creation:
All as core rules except that the minimum crafting time for a magical item is one hour (and not one day as the core rules); one day of work is 8 hours (so more than one scroll can be written in a day, but no more than 8)
* Spells:
All the spells from the Core Rules and some spells from FRCS are available in this time.
4) Raw Magic and new discoveries
The basis of raw magic were discovered about two millenia after the birth of Metamagics. This discoveries deeply changed the world of magic.
--- I have still to do most of this; anyway my campaign is in the classical age ---
Appendix: Archmages of Astarya
Here is a list of some of the most important mages of Astarya
- Lotewen Ailien (Female Silver Elf, NG): crafter of many splendid magical elven swords and author of glitterdust
- Fánail Mellantani (Male White Elf, NG): the first elven mage who taught wizardry to humans, who still din?t know it. He was the master of Arengan and Shandos.
- Arengan (Male Human, NE): the cause of the first mage?s war. He is the author of time stop. He learned magic from Fánail Mellantani acting as if he was interested in magic not for power but for the beauty of magic itself like white elves. He was killed by Shandos, who was still pretending to be friend of elves, in the first mage?s war.
- Shandos (Male Human, LN / LE): one of the most famous war-wizards of Aldriand, he was the one who caused the second mage?s war. Among many other spells, he is the author of Tenser?s transformation (called Shandos? transformation) and cone of cold. He revealed this evil nature 37 years after the first mage?s war, gathered a great army and marched against the white elves (2nd mage?s war). He was killed by Fánail.
- Amlir Gerwin (Female Half-elf: human(mother)/winged elf (father), NG): he and his husband, a coast elf, discovered the evil plans of Cahlir to usurp the Elven Crown
- Gilion Elentiron (Male White Elf, NG): the one who gave birth to Metamagic and to the first Mage?s Council, and one of the founders of the Academy. Probably the greatest wizard that has ever existed
- Mordenkainen (Male Human, N): among many other important ideas, Mordenkainen is the the inventor of force effects (magic missile and shield, for example, were resarched by himself).
- Elanor Alatáriel (Female White Elf, NG): the author of prysmatic spray, wall and sphere, protection from spells and many others.
- Trisol (Male Human, CN): the creator of some original spells concerning force hands. (this is the one that is called Bigby in the PHB, but the name really doesn?t fit my world)
- Leomund Gnesip (Male Gnome, CG): the author of all the spells that have the name of Leomund and Nystul in the PHB and of Tenser?s floating disc (that is called Leomund?s floating disc in my world)
Note that the last part (Raw magic) is still mostly to be done; I wrote something, but it is too incomplete even to post it.
-----------------------
History of Magic in the world of Astarya
1) Traditional Magic
Traditional magic is the first magic that was discovered. It?s spells tend to be straightforward: for example fireball, summon monster, wall of stone, dominate person.
There are many spells that are not available in traditional magic, because they were still to be developed. Also some spells (for example dispell magic) were weaker in this period because nobody had alredy a good knowledge of magic necessary to resarch such spells.
This spells include: any sort of metamagic spells (spells that affect spells, like antimagic field), all force effects (excluding Spiritual Weapon as it is not created by the caster), some divination spells related to magic, a few tricky plane-based spells or multi-purpose spells that were designed later.
* Forbidden Spells:
Analyze Dweomer
Antimagic Field
Astral Projection
Bigby's Clenched Fist
Bigby's Crushing Hand
Bigby's Forceful Hand
Bigby's Grasping Hand
Bigby's Interposing Hand
Clone
Contingency
Detect Scrying
Dimensional Anchor
Disintegrate
Drawmij's Instant Summons
Forcecage
Globe of Invulnerability
Identify
Imbue with Spell Ability
Leomund?s Trap
Leomund's Secret Chest
Leomund's Secure Shelter
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Maze
Minor Globe of Invulnerability
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
Mordenkainen's Lucubration
Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion
Mordenkainen's Sword
Nystul?s Magical Aura
Nystul?s Udetectable Aura
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
Otiluke's Telekinetic Sphere
Prismatic Sphere
Prismatic Spray
Prismatic Wall
Protection from Spells
Rary?s Mnemonic Enhancer
Rope Trick
Shadow Walk
Shield
Simulacrum
Spell Immunity
Spell Turning
Temporal Stasis
Tenser's Floating Disk
Wall of Force
* Changed Spells:
- Detect Magic: The first detect magic does not tell the school of magic a spell comes from, and requires a spellcraft check (DC 15) to determine the spell?s strenght
- Read magic: it simply gives a +10 to the Spellcraft check required to read a scroll or magical writing
- Dispel Magic: only targeted dispel magic is available; area effect and counterspell are not usable
- Greater Dispelling: as Dispell Magic
- Permamency: permanency is possible but tricky: it is raised to 7th level,and requires a Spellcraft check DC 20 + 2 x spell level. If the check fails XP are not expended.
* Spell resarch and scribing:
Wizards do not get the free two spells/level (this is normal in my world, anyway). Scribing cost is 10gp/spell level and scribing time is 30 minutes/level. The usual market price for copying a spell is (spell level) x (minimum caster level) x 10gp (or 40% of the price of a scroll).
To resarch a spell requires a week/spell level, and a price of 100gp/spell level every week. After the resarch time a spellcraft (DC 15+spell level) is required. Retry is allowed after another week of resarch. If the spell cannot be resarched (DM might decide this), or must be resarched as a higher level spell, the wizard will find out this after a week of study. Casters can resarch existing spells that they can?t find in written form. If a check to learn a spell from a written source is failed that spell cannot be acquired not even by resarch until 1 the character gets another rank
* Metamagic feats and Item creation:
Most metamagic feats are available at this stage, but require a greater training (all require caster level 5 or more). Item creation is as standard rules, but it takes double the time. The minimum crafting time is one hour (and not one day as the core rules); one day of work is 8 hours. (so more than one scroll can be written in a day, but no more than 8)
2) The Development of Metamagics
The age of Metamagics starts with Gilion Elentiron, one of the most famous elven wizard. He decided that all the wizards should work together to understand how magic works and to create new spells. In his speech in the White Tower (one of the greatest schools of magic in Aldirand) he explained his ideas and planned the first Mage?s Council to be three years later in the same place. Also he decided that magic writings must be standardized in order to be read easier.
In the First Mage?s Council he presented the first results of his resarchs, among which there was the first ?modern? detect magic able to determine the school of magic, and identify. Twenty years later at the Second Mage?s Council the first modern dispell magic was created through the resarchs of many important mages among who there was Elentiron itself.
The Third Mage?s Council took place in a school of magic in human areas, in the center of Aldriand. There, a young human wizard called Mordenkainen presented his theory of force and the first two spells: shield and magic missile and was immediatly recognized as a genius.
The Fourth Mage?s Council was very important because it was there when the council decided to establish a new great school of magic, free from most political influences (some tension started to spring up among the nations of Aldriand). The place suitable was found: the Gulf of Sunset in Tethara; after twelve years, aided by the power of Elentiron, Mordenkainen and many other great wizards the school was built and called The Academy.
Taking the place of a small town and with some hamleths around, the Academy was a nearly autosufficent community. In the center of the town there were the most important buildings: the White Library and the Masters? Tower; all around there were schools, smaller towers for the wizards and sages who decided to have a home there. In the exterior parts lived the young students and all the other people there for buisness like merchants and artisans.
The fifth Mage?s Council took place in the Academy; there the wizards traced the status of magical resarches and found out that almost all the work was done. The later councils still took place every twenty years but they were much less important.
3) Classical Magic
Classical Magic is magic as it?s described on the standard rules, except for the following:
* Old magic writings
Reading a magical writing written before the Mage?s Councils, and so in an ancient way, requires a Spellcraft check DC 30+spell level. Even with Read magic a spellcraft is needed, but the DC is halved.
* Spell resarch and scribing:
Wizards do not get the free two spells/level (this is normal in my world, anyway). Scribing cost is 10gp/spell level and scribing time is 10 minutes/level. The usual market price for copying a spell is (spell level) x (minimum caster level) x 10gp (or 40% of the price of a scroll).
To resarch a spell requires a week/spell level, and a price of 50gp/spell level every week. After the resarch time a spellcraft (DC 10+spell level) is required. Retry is allowed after another week of resarch. If the spell cannot be resarched (DM might decide this), or must be resarched as a higher level spell, the wizard will find out this after a week of study.
* Metamagic feats and Item creation:
All as core rules except that the minimum crafting time for a magical item is one hour (and not one day as the core rules); one day of work is 8 hours (so more than one scroll can be written in a day, but no more than 8)
* Spells:
All the spells from the Core Rules and some spells from FRCS are available in this time.
4) Raw Magic and new discoveries
The basis of raw magic were discovered about two millenia after the birth of Metamagics. This discoveries deeply changed the world of magic.
--- I have still to do most of this; anyway my campaign is in the classical age ---
Appendix: Archmages of Astarya
Here is a list of some of the most important mages of Astarya
- Lotewen Ailien (Female Silver Elf, NG): crafter of many splendid magical elven swords and author of glitterdust
- Fánail Mellantani (Male White Elf, NG): the first elven mage who taught wizardry to humans, who still din?t know it. He was the master of Arengan and Shandos.
- Arengan (Male Human, NE): the cause of the first mage?s war. He is the author of time stop. He learned magic from Fánail Mellantani acting as if he was interested in magic not for power but for the beauty of magic itself like white elves. He was killed by Shandos, who was still pretending to be friend of elves, in the first mage?s war.
- Shandos (Male Human, LN / LE): one of the most famous war-wizards of Aldriand, he was the one who caused the second mage?s war. Among many other spells, he is the author of Tenser?s transformation (called Shandos? transformation) and cone of cold. He revealed this evil nature 37 years after the first mage?s war, gathered a great army and marched against the white elves (2nd mage?s war). He was killed by Fánail.
- Amlir Gerwin (Female Half-elf: human(mother)/winged elf (father), NG): he and his husband, a coast elf, discovered the evil plans of Cahlir to usurp the Elven Crown
- Gilion Elentiron (Male White Elf, NG): the one who gave birth to Metamagic and to the first Mage?s Council, and one of the founders of the Academy. Probably the greatest wizard that has ever existed
- Mordenkainen (Male Human, N): among many other important ideas, Mordenkainen is the the inventor of force effects (magic missile and shield, for example, were resarched by himself).
- Elanor Alatáriel (Female White Elf, NG): the author of prysmatic spray, wall and sphere, protection from spells and many others.
- Trisol (Male Human, CN): the creator of some original spells concerning force hands. (this is the one that is called Bigby in the PHB, but the name really doesn?t fit my world)
- Leomund Gnesip (Male Gnome, CG): the author of all the spells that have the name of Leomund and Nystul in the PHB and of Tenser?s floating disc (that is called Leomund?s floating disc in my world)
