World Magic

Magitech

Magitech (commonly referred to as Artifice) is the backbone of society in the Emblem of Ea. The world has been gripped by a second magical-industrial revolution, pushing the standard of living out of the dark ages following the apocalyptic sundering and into an era of airships, living constructs, soaring castle towers and more.

Artifice has its advantages and its disadvantages. It’s clean, fast and almost as potent as pure magic but some degree of dichotomy has appeared between true arcane users and Artificers. The mistakes of the past through the High Artificers of the Empire of Kulthus are not easily forgotten and some also wonder if the use of machines to tap into Mana and not more natural means of spellcasting is truly good for magic in and of itself. This has led to some debates and even outright conflict between magician orders and guilds of craftsmen and invention. As of right now, things remain stable but the populace at large is not sure with whom to side. Technology brings power to the ‘common man’ that magic does not, but at the same time it’s something new and still largely not understood by the masses. It will be many more years before the western society truly embraces these things and there will always be cultures that look upon these areas with distrust.

Prior to the rise of the second generation of Artificers, Dwarves and Gnomes and even some clans of Goblins were experimenting with the use of alchemical products to produce what is now known as Black Powder. In the great underground dwarven cities and mining communities the use of steamcraft to aid in the delving and mining of their great halls was already underway while some gnomish communities embraced the design of Clockwork orientated mechanics, being drawn to their complexity. Such things were long alien to other cultures but the Dwarves were not surprised at all with the slow rise of industry in other lands. The great dwarven engineers introduced Steam-Tech to the world and although less prevalent as Artifice it has its uses. Steam powered pulley guns, propellers and even clockwork chess sets and devices capable of counting money are just some of the toys that emerge from Dwarven, Gnomish and Goblin think tanks.

Artifice Principles

The Mana Crystal (or magicite) is the heart of Artifice. Depending on their make, potency and arrangements, Mana Crystals typically function by emitting large concentrated waves of steady magical energy, sometimes with more powerful bursts. The emitted magical energy is then taken by other sources and used in a variety of ways effectively bypassing the wizards need to use ritual, arcane component and verbiage to achieve spells (although more powerful forms of magics and ritual may require the same of artifice in this day and age but less so in the past. However, they can also be configured and used in augmenting magical energy, storing it, channeling it, cycling it and more. The Mana Crystal is highly prized by arcane and technological societies and also yields smaller benefits to those willing to work with them and include them in the make of their magical items and spell casting attempts and rituals. In the hand of the typical person the Mana Crystal is little more then something of value to be sold to more enlightened ones. In the hands of those with access to arcane talents, the crystal is much more. As of today there has not been a crystal found capable of affecting or augmenting divine energy by natural means. Artificially manufactured Crystals from the age of Artifice were capable of influencing divine energies. Crystals found still functioning in Kulthians ruins are thus highly prized for this reason. It should be noted that larger crystals found in places such as the Eidolon Court were configured to explicitly be able to absorb and store divine energy but the knowledge of how to create such crystals is lost at present. It should b noted that large clusters of particularly powerful mana crystals have proven capable of augmenting magical energy in the immediate area making it possible for more powerful arcane and divine castings but such cases tend to require fully charged and potent crystals.

Generally, when left alone, Artifice is stable and long lasting. Artificers in the field tend to burn devices out quickly because the nature of their work requires constant tinkering and the invention of new things. Artifice used in day to day life can last and last and last if left to its own devices. Incidents do happen as is natural when dealing with complex machinery.

Necromantic Magitech

Older, darker, and more potent forms of artifice were in effect during the days of Kulthus. To the relief of much of the world, Kulthus' prideful downfall at the hands of the gods resulted in the loss of most of this knowledge. However, some enterprising souls have attempted to reverse engineer these loathesome devices, with varying degrees of success.

Some nations, most notably Charn, pursue study of these forms of Artifice, which are declared illegal in other lands. "Black Tech," as it is known, generally involves the merger of Artifice with Necromantic theories, the use of Artifice to drain natural wellsprings of magic and life to a harmful degree or the unsafe merger of Artifice with living beings to produce anathema such as Half-Golems or worse. The Soul-Burner Engines of the War-Golems of Kulthus were also among the most famous versions of this form of Artifice.

Today, the effects of these studies may be seen on Charn's starving landscape. See the Charn entry for details.

The Techno-Arcane Union

Recent years have seen the development of a union of like minded individuals from Rune the Magocracy of Wizards and various members of the artifice and engineering community. Their desire is to see the co-equality of Artificers and Wizards in the known world and to bring down the clandestine curtains that shroud the activities of both groups. By unifying their efforts they believe that they can achieve greater heights then each group will on its own. This group is small at this point but is slowly gaining support.

Common Terms

Below are some terms that will help ease your understanding of artifice and what it brings to the IC world.

Airships: Airships symbolize freedom and are a product of the past seventy five years of research, having come into their own primarily during the era of the Crown Wars. The modern day Airship comes in all manner of shape and size and is used by a number of different individuals from the two to three man gnomish junker-ship to the massive airship galleons of merchant guilds and military exercise. The design of an airship tends to vary from nation to nation. The typical design embodies the combo of magical technology, clockwork technology and steamwork technology utilizing magical energies to help them stay afloat but relying upon appropriate engineering design for maneuverability and propellers for speed. Variations on this theme exist and are often determined from nation to nation and culture to culture. The use of magical technology means that no one single design is prevalent but ensures that all realms have their signature look.

Airships can reach great heights, the highest being the bottom of ‘low’ cloud cover, which causes the terrain beneath it to seem as if a map makers model. Typically only the largest of Airships with large indoor holds and traveling accoutrements, head to those heights. Ships with large open aired terraces or decks rarely go that high for the reasons of cold and comfort of passengers. The Guild of the Skies controls much of the commerce and traffic of Airships in the west. Charters granted by them and authenticated by the allied governments grant Airship Captains the freedom to fly the skies and to chart their courses. The license to fly an Airship is a precious thing and afforded only to the elite. The Guild of the Skies most notable chapter houses exist in Alexandria, Bryn Myridorn and Gateway. Those three cities form the hub for airship travel in the western kingdoms.

Skyroutes determined by the Guild of the Skies determines the paths most airships fly enabling them to circumvent dangerous storms caused by Mana-Rifts (locations where magical energies becomes to erratic to properly use or disappears all together), powerful and territorial monsters that reign in the skies must also be avoided as airships, though sturdy, are not indestructible and smaller passenger ships often lack the means to defend themselves.

Sky Piracy is another menace that has grown in the years of the aftermath of the Crown Wars. The inability of the great nations to police lands that lay under the shroud of the Mana-Rifts, the lands under the control of brigands and mercenary-kings and the growth of the adventuring community have all contributed to the rise of sky-piracy as well as the need for merchant guilds to hire adventurers out to protect their wares.

Arcane Engines: A term for the machine that makes Artifice ‘work’. Typically the heart component of a form of Artifice known as contraptions. The actual ‘devices’ of Artifice. The heart of this is the Mana Crystal.

Black-Tech: Forbidden forms of Artifice that are harmful to the environment or abhorrent in moral practice. Often deals with the use of Artifice to create necromantic effects, and alter the fundamental nature of living beings. Charn's devastated landscape is the result of the residual effects of Black Tech.

Mana Crystal: The artificer's name for magicite. This is magic crystallized into a tangible visible form. They are often mined and refined from various places in the world. Alexandria is one of several places with a booming mining economy that benefits from nearby mines of Mana Crystals.

Mana Lamps: An example of a simple form of Artifice used to light streets in place of older gas or torch based lanterns and lights.

Magicite: Another name for Mana Crystals.

Nethercite: Nethercite is the polar opposite of magicite. It is a material that is known to absorb and block access to the Sea of Mana in any form (not just limited to artifice). It is, however, far more rare. Extroidinarily so. Only found in tiny quantities on Gaea, it is more commonly (and much more dangerously) found by those seeking it on the elemental plane of earth.

Levitator Stone: An Artificer device that creates a Flight field effect around an Airship. The Runeplates on the Airship sustain and amplify this effect enabling an Airship Captain to control and move his or her ship.

Runeplate: A device that enhances and loops arcane magic produced by the arcane engine. It amplifies it ten to a hundred fold and spreads it across surfaces such as armor or vehicles. Typically they are configured to enhance a particular type of spell. For example Airships are plated with Runeplates designed to enhance flight and levitation based magic.

Soul Burn: Necromantic Process by which Artifice taps into the living essence/life force/soul of a living being and uses it to super charge an Arcane Engine to epic proportions.

Magic

Magic in its purest form is a great and mysterious force. Though Artifice has brought more magic to the common people by way of things they can touch and sometimes manipulate, by and large it remains this mysterious power that is the privilege of the few and the great in whatever form it takes: in the hands of wizards, priests, or in the firebreath of dragons.

The Path of the Arcane

The Sea of Mana

All power flows from the True Source. From the True Source emerges the great Sea of Mana, a vast ocean that permeates the world and saturates it with its raw presence and power. When a wizard, sorcerer, dragon, demon or any other being calls upon arcane energies they reach out and invoke from the Sea of Mana a mere droplet of its power and with this power they can change the world, for magic is change. The energy that binds all life and matter together can be reworked, twisted, reshaped, woven and commanded into different shapes and forms and from this we have arcane magic. Divine magic is from a different source than the Sea.

The Covenant of Mana

The Covenant of Mana is an abstract series of laws that represent the devotion of a wizard to arcane magic. In all things a Wizard must view Magic First. It is First before race, creed, allegiance, nation and even friends. To some it is first even before their religious obligations and devotion to the ones they love. To place the magic first is to embrace it and all it contains and to protect and strengthen it. This is the essence of the Covenant of Mana. It represents how much a wizard is willing to sacrifice for ‘The Magic’.

The History of the Arcane

Ancient Arcane Magic

Magic has always existed in the world. The original users of magic are naturally the gods themselves. After them, the original dragons founded many of the arcane principles that exist today and shared their lore with elven kind as the elves explored the material world from their original fey homes during the first eras of the world.

The Elves are probably the most well known users of arcane magic. It is part of their heritage and very life force. Techniques they learned from dragon kind they used their own natural abilities to refine. In time, the elves stumbled across a form of magic known as Paramount Spells. These spells were of such intoxicating power that they could reshape entire landscapes and weave enchantments great enough to cover kingdoms. The power was so potent however that the elves learned it could actually cause harm to Mana if used to irresponsibly so they attempted to seal such knowledge away. In time, Mulria the Gloomweaver used this knowledge and the schism it caused in the different factions of elves to initiate the elven Blood Wars which sundered the elf clans into the different cultures that exist today. The knowledge of Paramount Spells remains lost.

The Early Beginnings

For many years The Founders and their progeny practiced magic and spread its use throughout the known world, bringing with it organized magic, philosophy, and thought. A few individuals did not ascribe to this belief or the growing power of what became known as The Arcane Circle, but by and large it was viewed as a good way to do things.

When the old kingdoms passed away into the empire of Kulthus, many things changed. Obsessed with the discovery of more powerful forms of magic, The Artificers of Kulthus unlocked the secrets of The Paramount Spells of the old world while also uncovering forbidden uses of divine magic. The magic of the Artificers and their science grew so strong that they were able to even command the dragons and some believed that they rivaled the gods. The use of arcane magic was restricted to an elite few and those who were outside of this elite were hunted down and slain. The Arcane Circle was disbanded and the teachings of the Founders disappeared into the mass of power that were The Artificers of Kulthus. For those who could not use magic at all, they were denied the benefits of both magic and science and the world descended into barbarism while the elite enjoyed the fruit of their power and abused those below them.

In time, a great magical cataclysm known as The Sundering occured. Artificers, at the height of vanity and glory, were struck down amidst a great ritual aimed at elevating themselves to godhood and to open the doorway to an unknown paradise beyond. The Sea of Mana could take no more abuse and the leylines that blanketed the world became awash with spiritual fire. Earthquakes, tidal waves, cataclysms and more spread across the whole of the world and the floating cities of The Artificers came crashing to the ground and then swallowed by the seas.

The Time of the Sword

In the aftermath of The Sundering, magic nearly disappeared from the world because nearly all knowledge of it was lost, and the leylines remained scarred to this day. But a few individuals continued to retain some knowledge of the old world and some elves emerged from the woodlands to bring with them the magic they had been practicing in the interim years. The language of Eldritch became adopted as the new language of magic and in the western heartlands of the world new wizards arose and organized themselves in the city of Genrivia. Here at their wizard's tower they helped protect and heal the land, but one of their number began to grow ambitious and some might say manipulated by more sinister forces.

The War of the Dead

Today the reason why intense study of necromancy and the use of necromantic spells that command and create the undead, draw upon evil energies, is forbidden has to do with The War of the Dead. The intoxicating power presented by True Necromancy reared itself when an evil member of the wizards council took upon the mantle of The Lich King and emerged with magical might not seen since the days of Kulthus.

His war shattered Genrivia and though he was defeated by a group of heroes, the wizards scattered and much progress was lost. Fearing the return of The Lich King, the re-assembled order of wizards laid down strictures on the study of Necromancy and took up a willingness to hunt those who would abuse that power. True Necromancers who emerged became the enemy of the wizard's conclave while they themselves sought more and more power whilst risking becoming part of the undead they sought to command.

Today, the effects of necromancy are still seen in felt--most recently in Charn's scarred landscape.

The Arcane Circle, Rune and Modern Day Wizardry

Until recently, the the nation of Rune existed as the center for arcane study and power on the continent of Aeryth. In its place, 'local' guilds have begun to grow--under the power of city states and local government. Most of them hold to the Conclave's teachings, though areas like Charn or Bludgun will prove the exception.

The Path of the Divine

Faith is the cornerstone of divine magic, and the source of the divine lies within the gods themselves and their divinity. As mentioned before, ‘True’ faith is not simply a notion of believing ‘really hard’. Everyone ‘believes’ after all. The evidence of the gods is quite sincere and true. Most people go their entire lives without ‘seeing’ the gods but they know they exist just as sure as that they know a room exists on the other side of a wall they can’t see through. It’s simply an accepted reality of the world and is not in dispute.

However, the faith and supplication of a cleric and another divine caster is on a level that the common layman does not maintain. It is the mark of a unique covenant and a relationship on a personal level with the divine. It is the source of modern religion and the mark of the truly devout agents and fingers of the divine.

Prayer is not arcane incantation and faith is not simply a spell component. Belief is the focus that installs the connection between divine magic and the wielder. Faith is the sword and shield of the priest. The power he summons is not his own. Prayer is the verbalizing of his belief and reverence for the powers of the cosmos. When a cleric begins to see divine magic as his own to use and wield as he sees fit then he begins to walk the dark road of heresy. Methods of worship may vary from religion to religion from the solemn services of Vardama to the sermons and urging of the moral good of Daeus to the energetic rhythmic dancing and drum playing of Angoron. But the commonality of them all is that to establish a connection with a deity relies on long years of devotion, patience, understanding and prayer. Meditation, prayer and insight are the cornerstones of this and provide the true foundation of divine magic, no matter the individual differences between faiths.

For the ins and outs of divine casting as it relates to a specific religion, please see further on the entries on the Holy Order of Ea and particulars of the various religions of the world.

The Various Practitioners of Divine Magic

The clerics of the world have always drawn upon their faith in the mighty gods. Faith is the defining ability for a cleric to be capable of performing small miracles. It is not simply a matter of believing in something "really hard" as much as it is placing oneself completely into the will and purpose of a higher power. Prayer and supplication are lifetime commitments and the result of these commitments is becoming the hand of the gods and the divine arrow by which they bring their will to the world. The gods, though they may take form and visit the world briefly, lack true hands, eyes and feet by which to touch the world through the consequence of their Oath. The rest of the world does not see the gods; they see the work they produce and they see the gods through their followers and priesthoods. Paladins also fall into this category.

Druids and rangers possess a unique blend of divine worship and spiritualism. Druids and rangers draw their power from a natural connection to the world, tapping into the primal forces of nature itself. However this connection could not exist were it not for the sacrifice and efforts of Dana the Earth Mother. Thus to a degree druids are her agents for they promote the natural balance and forces of the living world. Gilead offers energies through the forces of his role as the Hunter, so many rangers follow him. Though more rare, followers of the goddess Eluna may share a connection with the moons and night sky, while one of Vardama may connect with the grayer forces of the natural world, and seek a balance more attuned towards the balance of death and the hunting of unnatural forces that disturb this balance.

All deities, however may be known by many names. Technically speaking, the deities themselves may be viewed as broad and expansive archetypes of their domains and concepts. That is, while Angoron is a god of strength, he embodies many forms of it. The same is true for other deities. It is therefore very possible, and probable, for deities to be known among a number of names and guises (such as the case of Dana and Gilead and The Green Word).

Druids and rangers typically employ a sort of divine spiritualism. Followers of Dana for instance, often refer to her simply as the Earth Mother, though they do not deny the existence of other gods. For them, Dana may simply represent the entire earth and natural world. Gilead may be thought of as the all-embodying Hunter, and visualized as a great and mighty stag. There are many interpretations of these divine beings, and many visions among the natural world. Many druids serve as shamans of the world and act as agents and leaders of their culture. Oruch, sylvanori, and sith'makar druids are among the most notable druids who are like this.

Druids and rangers are often more aware of the dual-nature of some beings as "spirits" as well. This tends to be more true among more primitive cultures, though many rangers and druids may be sensitive to this side of the world.

Bards are something of an enigma as well. In part, their ability is said to be innate much like that of sorcery and this separates them from the regular musical performs that travel from inn to inn. However they have also demonstrated the capacity for healing which has always been seen as the purview of the divine. There are some who believe Bardic magic is hereditary much like true sorcery but in truth the source of Bardic magic, like druidic magic, is somewhat innate but tied into the celestial song known as the Eidolon Hymn. The Hymn, itself, is the product of the creative force of the universe said to contain parts both arcane and divine which perhaps accounts for the unique properties of bardic magic. Some spend their entire lives in pursuit of the secrets of this celestial music while most Bards are only aware of it on a cursory level, understanding that their magic is rooted from something unique and outside the normal realms of arcane and divine magic.

Ley Lines

Magic enters the world from the Sea of Mana by ‘rivers’ of magic known as Ley Lines. There are literally countless Ley Lines that criss cross the world like an invisible spider web. Networking magic and enveloping the entire planet with it. Arcane Casters who understand the properties and principles of leylines can tap into them and temporarily boost their magical power when casting on or near a Leyline.

However they first must be capable of sensing the Leyline. To sense a leyline a Wizard needs to make a DC 20 spellcraft check. Upon success he boosts the power of his spell by +1 caster level.

The Dark Arts

Necromancy is a Dark Art and is often referred to as ‘The’ Dark Art on the world of Gaea. While the Players Handbook certainly presents non evil and benevolent uses of the school of Necromancy, on Gaea it is a reviled art and the mere suspicion of its practice has launched witch hunts and burned wizard schools in the ancient past. Great and might wizards have dabbled in the upper levels of this school and nearly always turned to corruption and only a few have mastered it without succumbing to the lure of diabolical power. The undead plague the world, restless spirits roam the lands and vengeful forces of the unliving are an all to often recurring reality for many denizens of the known world.

True Necromancy has been forbidden since the fall of Genrivia at the hands of The Lich King (liches being a form of potent, necromatic evil). Necromancy and Soul Magic in general, has its roots within the dark god Thul and a twisting of arcane principles. The Convocation of Rune is responsible for much of the initial banning of this dark art and the teaching of principles against it but even before they stepped in many nations had a hand in dealing with those who dabble in it. The principle practitioners of Necromancy hail from the Shadow Council in Charn which itself supports a number of splinter groups and covens scattered about the western kingdoms. Charn’s Shadow Council and affiliated Artificers use such magic daily and want for nothing in Charn. Slaves, sacrifices, terrible tomes and ichor are all easily provided for them so they can further these dark arts.

Independent Necromancers in the west, operating illegally and outside of the restraints laid upon the school by The Convocation of Rune, are the cause for the bulk of trouble. Many of them follow Thul but some follow Taara herself. They make mistakes, fall prey to common errors and their failed experiments are often what plague unsuspecting inhabitants in their given communities. Such rebellious necromancers find it useful to maintain contact with one another and to operate carefully beneath the roving eye of the Convocation of Rune and its agents.

True Necromancy is, of course, different then dabblers and while Rune frowns upon dabblers it is careful to distinguish between the two. Sometimes they quietly enable and allow weaker versions of magic from the forbidden arts if they prove useful and though they are sourced in necromantic energies they still turn the other cheek. Spells such as Death Ward, Disrupt Undead, Gentle Repose, Halt Undead, Mark of Justice, Speak With Dead and Undeath to Death are put to good use by the Convocation and affiliates.

Also the following ‘evil’ spells are still not considered indicative of ‘True Necromancy’ which has been forbidden since the fall of Genrivia. Bestow Curse, Blindness-Deafness, Cause Fear, Curse Water, Fear, Harm, Inflict Wounds Spells, Poison, Scare and Symbol of Fear.

All other spells are considered sure signs that a caster is Necromancer and is in violation of the Convocation of Rune and also many local laws. In addition to this, other spells have been labeled as part of the ‘dark arts’ even if they are not necessarily necromantic in nature. Their intent, requirements, purpose and more will certainly earn a caster the public title of ‘Dark Wizard’ or ‘Priest’. Blatant public casting of spells such as Blasphemy, Crushing Despair, Desecrate, Nightmare, Phantasmal Killer, Power Word Kill, Trap The Soul, Unhallow, and Weird quite literally brands one as a True Necromancer and is bound to bring the wrath of the Convocation or local guild down upon you.

The Convocation of Rune considers itself the global force where arcane spell casting is concerned and even those who would like to not be considered under their jurisdiction, having perhaps learned magic from a third party source, would do well to keep them in mind when in the western kingdoms.

Update: Though the Convocation has fallen (and Rune is in the process of re-forming), necromancy remains a persecuted practice. Charn's destroyed farms, cities, landscape and its Thulite practices are testimony to its devastating effects and its tie-in to the likes of Thul and Taara. What this means is that "witch hunts" may be more common now that Rune's order has been dispersed and nations and the common folk are allowed to take things into their own hands. Where Rune once might have promised a trial, today this is not so.

The Soul Trade

The fall of Maugrim and other gods into corruption saw also the rise of the soul trade. The soul trade, long practiced only in places such as Hell and the Abyss, was reportedly brought to the Material Plane by the Kulthians and it is said, hopefully died with them, although this is not the case.

There are many different ways to capture souls. The most commonly used methods are spells like soul bind and trap the soul, with the former imprisoning the soul of a newly dead creature and the latter trapping the soul of someone still alive. Other creatures, such as the undead called devourers, have their own innate methods of trapping souls, and likewise night hags are capable of using a version of soul bind through their heartstones to capture the souls of those they torment, binding them in dark gems and selling them in planar markets. Still other creatures create magic items called soul jars, which mimic the effects of these spells.

All of these methods, however, pale in the face of Maugrim's industrialized harvesting of souls. Maugrim and His armies use virtually all known methods of collecting and storing souls, many of which are unique to themselves. His soldiers (and the soldiers of some other of the Fallen Gods) use tools to turn souls into jewel-like objects, which maintain a soul's basic essence. These then are used in various means and as a method of trade.

The quality and power of the soul influence such a gem's value, as does the servant's knowledge of soul-warping magic. Some of them prefer to consume the souls entirely, rather than transforming them...and some keep them chained in eternal agony as pets and servants.

Most methods of using souls extinguish them completely, consigning them to oblivion or eternal pain and torture, given how and where, and the method of extinguishment. In these cases, it is said that only the direct intervention of a deity can return them to life. Other methods bleed a fraction of a soul's energies away, and while this method is far less powerful, some devils and similar ilk capture other creatures for the sole purpose of entrapping them and milking their souls over a prolonged period of time, causing horrific agony for spans of months, years, or centuries before finally giving in to their own hunger and consuming what tattered fragments of soul remain.

Unconscionable as most of the universe considers these practices, trapped souls exist as a commodity replete with their own rampant underground economy, both within the evil-aligned planes and elsewhere. Most of these souls ultimately end up in the Iron Hells, though buyers and markets can also be found in the Abyss, other evil planes, and even the worlds of the Material Plane, as evil spellcasters and item crafters (particularly the Kulthian) have tried to make use of souls in their dark rites.

While the value of souls is as relative as any other commodity, and pricing can fluctuate wildly based on an endless parade of factors and prediction is difficult for even those most intimately involved in its nuance. It’s also worth noting that, while trading spirits may prove lucrative, the practice is undeniably evil and an affront to the natural order, and thus carries great consequences.

The Soul Trade is partaken of by most any evil deity and their servants, including demons, devils, and daemons. Neutral and higher deities will have no part of it. Truly evil magic it is said, also taps into these trades...the use of it brings the individual to notice of such beings. It does not mean such magic is forbidden. It only means that over time, such bargains as these may be collected upon.

Magus Points

Magus Points are areas that are powerful nodes of arcane magic created by the intersection of two or more leylines. The more the leylines the stronger the node. Extremely powerful nodes are used for powerful versions of ritual magic, the creation of artifacts or the sites of especially powerful strongholds of magical power. There are many Magus Points in the world but only a few are potent enough for the above. Magus Points are ranked on a scale of one through ten. It is known that the Magus Point beneath Alexandria is rank 10 while the one beneath the Academy of Sages is only a rank 4, but access to it is sealed and controlled by the upper echelons of the Academy staff.

All arcane casters benefit, immediately, from being on a Magus Point. Wizards on a Magus Point receive the benefit of Cooperative Spellcasting, even if they did not have the feat prior to entering the Magus Point. Wizards can attempt to access a Magus Point to boost their caster levels for the duration of their time there. In order to do so they must make a caster level check with a DC of 15 + level of the Magus Point x 2. If successful their caster level is boosted by 1 per 2 ranks of the Magus Point. If they fail the check then there is a percentage chance of a Backlash. The base chance of a Backlash is 5% per every level of a Magus Point.

When a backlash occurs, all participants take 1d6 arcane damage per rating level of the Point. The spell fails and depending on what was being attempted, and the history of the site, other dangerous effects may occur based on DM discretion.

Backlash Modifiers (minimum 0%):

1. For every spellcaster less than the rating of the point, +5%
2. Mixing arcane and divine casters, +10%
3. Some participants cannot cast spell/create item (must still be spellcasters), +10%
4. Ritual Materials Used (rating squared x 100gp worth), -10%
5. Double casting time/item creation time (minimum one full round), -5%
6. DM Discretion (local mystical disturbances, astronomical conjunctions, etc), +/- 10%