Theories of magic IYC

[Galethorn]

IMC, there are two worlds: the world 'we' live in, and the world of magic. Almost all humans exist entirely in the physical world, but some "slip" into the world of magic a little bit. Most of the time, this happens when someone comes very close to death, but it can be caused by the imbibing of particular alchemical substances, using 'words of making and unmaking' and close contact (i.e. being hit by) spells.

When a being exists partially in the world of magic, they can maniplate it in the same way they might manipulate the physical world, but this manipulation manifests itself with various magical effects.

So, there are three types of spellcasters: Priests/scholars who have 'imbibed alchemical substances' and use their knowledge and reasoning to manipulate magic (Int-based), Natural Spellcasters (usually elves or other non-humans) who use their existing perception of the world of magic to know how to make things happen (Wis-based), and people who have slipped because of traumatic events, and have an unfamiliar connection to the world of magic, and so learn their powers by accident (Cha-based).

Int-based casters are generally the "secluded scholars" that do a lot of divination, healing, and transmutation, though the "evil sorcerers" who sequester maidens and whisper into kings' ears fall in this category as well.

Wis-based casters are the Gandalfs, Galadriels, Balrogs, and Saurons of my world; immortals who live in a much broader world than most of us do; powerful beings who can blow things up/know the future/raise undead hordes/etc.

Cha-based casters are the 'naive wielders of incredible power that slowly learn to control their abilities.' Nuff said.

 

[Psion]

IMC, magic exists in its most fundamental state as an intangible energy that flows over the landscape called "the flow". In most cases, this energy is undirected and does nothing.

Arcane spellcasters can siphon this energy into their bodies, but the energy must be shaped to have any real effect. Wizards shape this energy according to formulae as they absorb it, which is why they must prepare spells. Sorcerers, on the other hand, can shape this energy reflexively, but these reflexes are harder to train than learning some formulae. This is why sorcerers can selectively cast, but have a limited list of spells.

Divine spellcasting is different. Divine spells are fundamentally similar to arcane spells, but they are shaped not by the caster, but by a spirit or deity that breathes and shapes magic in a way no mortal spellcaster could; they are essentially part of the flow. The divine spellcasters do not draw their spell energy from the flow, but rather, by being in tune with a spiritual entity that can transfer the pre-shaped spells to them. (Spirits are closer to the physical world, and can be relied on to transfer spells to a shaman on shorter notice. But each spirit is much more limited in their flexibility in shaping spells, but a shaman may forge links with several such entities.)

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

"Magic" in its basest form is a semi-sentient elementary particle found in all matter in the Million Spheres. They serve as a blueprint for the potentiality of any matter they are found in, dictating what it can be, how much energy it can be converted to, etc. A spellcaster or psion learns to communicate with these particles and give them "marching orders" for the changes in reality the caster requires: igniting the matter around them for a fireball, or commanding the matter around them to knit itself back together for a cure spell.

Of course, this being a pre-modern world without any notion of molecules, casters/manifesters learn how to do what they do through a paradigm, such as "read from a grimoire", "meditate" or "pray to a god". These paradigms make it easier for people to contact and manipulate these forces, but also limit the effects these manipulations can take by grounding them in a reality the primitive caster can understand. Psions are actually the closest to true manipulation of the particles, as they have thrown away the trappings of tomes, components and deities. In the future, as man's comprehension of these forces becomes truer, all "spellcasters" will probably be psions.

 

[Gez]

What are the theories of magic in your campaign?

Magic is based on ley flows. I could use Yoda's speech about the Force in ESB and it would be rather accurate: the ley is generated by existence, and in return, it sustains it. It flows between everything, is faster than anything, and its capacities are endless, for those who know how to use it.

Using it is only half the problem, here. The lesser half. The biggest work is in getting one's own personal reserve of ley. Letting ley flow through you is not enough, as if you use that ley, you die. You need to attract/gather/create or elsehow accumulate extra ley. The more, the better.

Here, we have four main methods.

1. The Arcane Art of Esoteria, used by all arcane spellcasting classes. Ley is normally attracted by certain particular lore. Mystic schemas, signification-laden symbolic associations, enumeration of ancient names, even peculiar mathematical rules... By learning all that stuff, someone may turn his mind into a "leytrap." It's believed that there's a primeval language from which everything, foremost among which was ley, sprang, and that these knowledge are pieces of the puzzle. The more you know, you closer you get from becoming one with the primeval verbs of power. The Dark Speech, the Words of Creation, Druidic, and the Raw Draconic (the language of magic used in arcane spells, not to be confused with Draconic as a language for speaking, used by dragons and reptilian races) would all be fragments of that primeval language.
   Some people are innately gifted for magic. Their being is naturally overflown with ley, enough ley that the process reverses itself -- they learn things through the ley that suffuses their body, mind, and soul. Knowledges of odds and ends, knowledge of magic itself. Bards and sorcerers are good example of that.
2. The Divine Work of Theurgia, used by deity-worshipping divine spellcasters. There, you learn the mysteries not of magic itself directly, but of a divine being's teachings. In exchange for your faith, devotion, and walk toward enlightenment, said deity rewards you with ley. This is often considered easier (and healthier) than arcane magic, for you have plenty of ley, and by using an external source rather than an internal one, you do not risk pushing yourself beyong your limit, like wizards and sorcerers often do (hence their pitiful HD).
3. The Natural Harmony of Telluria, practiced by druids and rangers. This is the most simple, down-to-earth (heh) look at magic. There are ley lines out there. It flows through everything. Rather than using ley you would have in your own being, learn to use the one around you. The one in plants, rocks, and beasts. The one in the ambiant air all around you.
4. The Psychic Unity of Spiritism, practiced by psionic classes, is a workaround. As a result of the presence of ley everywhere, there are collective consciousness tied to places. They're the sum of every people, every thing living in said place. Sometimes, they go bad, by the way. They react to what happens, that's why you'll feel ill at ease in places where terrible things have happened. Well, as you can imagine, these collective consciousness are terribly potent. It is possible for someone able to master his own mind, to put said mind totally in phase with the consciousness, the spirit of the land. But attuning his mind to the local spirit in this way, he gets a very strong connection to it, which allows him to influence the spirit's actions. That's why they do not cast spells -- they make the whole landscape around them manifest its effect for them.

 

[Storyteller01]

IMC, the gods on site were not the original creators of the universe. They 'remade' this universe to fit their own needs. The re-creation was not entirely successful, creating a 'base code', where those who did not fit the world view now live.

I run it mechanically as if it were an extra plane, similar to the Plane of Shadows. It's actually a 'foundation' plane; the current universe cannot exist without it.

Although they don't know it, those using arcane magic are manipulating flaws created by this scism. All of the many schools of magic work because of this principle. Only the truely ancient or knowledgable know the truth.

I prefer the old school 'ask an unforgiving god' senario for divine spellcasters (The gods are actually aging and losing power). They have to roll a will save when casting spells that are not granted abilities. They can cast spontaneously, turn/rebuke, and use Domain spells without penalty. The gods expect clerics to stand on their own, and would give extra aid as it suits them.

 

[Storyteller01]

In one game I ran, clerical magic was having access to the network of computers and Clarks' law level technology that was originally put in place to terraform the world - like GAEA, the Global Agricultural Engineering Authority. As clerics advanced in level they would be granted more user priveleges.

In contrast, wizards were hackers. Their spells exploited buffer overruns and similar bugs in the system.

Of course, nobody knew this, that knowledge having been lost in the aftermath of an interstellar war...

J

Do you know anyone who works at J&J Billing Services? An employ there has an identical storyline (Even the computers name!).

 

[Acid_crash]

IMC there is one religion that follows the One God, a real deity that made his presence three centuries ago and started the God's War, which lasted a good half century or more. His devout followers and personal military, called Inquisitors, are blessed with the divine magic of mental powers, or psionics. So, in my world, the only clergy that have 'blessed' powers gain psionic powers instead of your standard 'divine' magic.

IMC, typical divine magic does not exist, but Magic does in it's arcane form, which I'm getting from Black Company.

 

[Sun Wukong]

In my campaign world, there are two primary magical theories:

The Sources
Clerics and other divine spellcasters draw their powers from different divine Sources, channeling that power through themselves into the world. The Sources are as follows:

• The Deities: Clerics and avatars (favored soul) draw their powers from the nine deities.
• The World: Druids and rangers draw their magic from nature itself.
• The Well of Life: Healers draw their power from this mystical site.
• The Spirits: Shamans draw their power from the great animal spirits that inhabit the world.
• Altua's Seal: Paladins channel the potency of the Seal that holds the Dark Lord and his minions in the Abyss.

The Tapestry
The world is a tapestry. Existence is a tapestry. Through ritual and words of power, those with the powers of arcane magic can rearrange the threads of the Tapestry as they see fit, literally changing the world around them.