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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 6225880" data-attributes="member: 52734">I'm not sure it quite covers what you are wanting, but this is what I have for my homebrew of Amberos (which was assembled back during 1E/2E)Beyond the various ways magical effects are grouped, there are a wide variety of ways in which magic is invoked upon Amberos. In most cases the differences are strongly tied to the belief of how magic works; while two casters can produce identical effects, how they arrive at those effects can be vastly different. The more popular forms of  “casting” magic are listed below.Channelling: Considered the be the oldest form of magic casting, channelling allows a mortal creature to tap the power of a immortal creature and “channel” magical power, like a conduit. Most channelers are priests to one of the many gods, though there are warlocks who bind themselves to elemental, fey, alien, or infernal beings to access magic. In these latter cases, the binding to an immortal power may not be a direct link, but instead access through a pact or bond put into place by the immortal being long ago. Such pacts are accessible by those who learn the secrets of the contract and abide by its rules and clauses. One of the most well-known of the these is the Pact of Darkness, created by Gwieze during the dark age. Shadowcasters who are knowledgable of the contract can use its terms to pass from shadow to shadow, to slip into the Shadow World or even call on the energy of shadows to blast their foes or summon creatures of shadow to assist them at tasks - such as combat. Other well-known pacts include the Hellscript, which grants one access to infernal powers and the various pacts of the Wa-/Wri-Atari of Randu. The downside to these pacts is often that the wielder of such power offers their service (or servitude) to whatever power granted them their magical ability in life.Runecasting: For the mortal races, this was the form that magic first took in the Time Before Time. By inscribing the power of magic into durable objects such as stones, tablets, trees or metal plaques - objects strong enough not to shatter under the stress of holding the letters of magic. Thus inscribed, magic radiated from the item, providing a constant magic effect according to what had been written or carved into the material. The problem with runecasting was that any spell took time to activate as it had to be carved into a resilient source. Second, the long, complex formulas were forced to be carved into objects that were rarely mobile. Finally, once activated, there was no “off” switch to the spell, unless the object in which it was inscribed was shattered, destroyed or somehow wiped clean of the runes. In modern Amberos, the skill of runecasting has been supplanted by Wizardry - though ancient Runestones can still be found in remote areas of Amberos, and some clans of dwarves still practice the art of runecasting in their durable stone holds.Sorcery: Sorcery is the innate power of a being to accomplish magic. A sorcerous being does not need to memorize a cryptic formula nor write down arcane words into objects to manifest spells. Like the gods themselves, sorcerers can draw upon the might of magic with a thought. While the mortal frame cannot long support the channeling of such power through its system, in short bursts and with proper training, a sorcerer can produce powerful and wonderous effect to match any wizard. Overall, sorcery among the mortal races is fairly new and rare; for ages the way of Wizardry and Runecasting ruled arcane casting. The primary downside to sorcery is both its often explosive nature that can quickly get out of control and the fact that one is born with the talent of sorcery, or never possesses it. Even those who possess the talent of sorcery sometimes never learn to properly trigger their ability, and thus never come to recognize the innate talent they may have had all along.Wizardry: This is among the most popular method through which magic is brought into being. By studying and memorizing arcane and complex formulas, wizards trap the magic of a spell within their mind to be unleashed by completing the formula through word, gesture or with a material component. Wizardry is the second oldest form of using magic, just behind Runecasting. The advantage over runecasting was that the spell did not need to be inscribed, and the incomplete formulas could be inscribed into less durable materials such as books or scrolls, or even tattoos inscribed into the flesh of the caster. Wizardry is the most popular form of magic use on Amberos, only slightly more popular than Channelling.</blockquote>

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