MRPG Magic
The available types of magic are:
- Earth
- Fire
- Wind
- Water
- Light
- Dark
- Mind
- Life
- Death
- Change
- Holy
These magics are subdivided in two ways: path and charge.
Contents
Spell Lists
There are essentially three different types of spells: learned, gained, and granted.
- Learned: Learned spells are spells that have to be obtained through the use of scrolls and tomes, using the Transcription and Lore proficiencies.
- Gained: Gained spells are those that the character automatically gains access to as they level. New gained spells become available every 3 levels for Additive and 5 levels for Subtractive, so at levels 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 23.
- Granted: Granted spells are those that the character can only use through a tree-system which can include new spells as well as abilities.
The spell list will only include Learned and Gained spells, while all Granted spells will be found on individual tree-pages.
See: MRPG Spell list, MRPG Spell Trees
Obtaining Spells
However, just because a spell is able to be cast, does not mean the player knows it. For Learned spells, the character will have to track down and obtain special Tomes in order to gain new magics. The character is able to memorize a certain number of spells based on their level(to a maximum of 9 memorized spells). If they have a spellbook, they can then write down additional spells and cast from the book, allowing the player to learn all spells covered under their proficiencies.
Spell Tomes
A tome is a book containing a spell that the player can learn. if the player wishes to memorize the spell from a tome and they have a high-enough lore, they can essentially zap it straight into memory(note that players may only memorize a limited number of spells).
The memorization-check from a tome is: Lore Proficiency + Buffed Intelligence. Players with the Comprehension Skill can also add their Comprehension Modifier to their Intelligence Modifier for calculating their Lore Skill as well as adding their total comprehension X Buffed Intelligence Modifier to the final tally.
Every tome will have a minimum memorization-check listed on it. If the player fails the check, the tome remains in their inventory and can continue to be used to cast spells.
Spell Scrolls
Scrolls, which are primarily a use-item cannot be memorized from the scroll, but can be coppied into a spellbook using the Transcription proficiency. This act consumes the scroll and destroys it. Once a spell is placed in the spellbook, however, it can then be memorized.
The transcription-check for scrolls is Transcription + Lore + Buffed Intelligence - the difference between Transcription and Lore proficiencies. Hence, a player wishing to copy spells from scrolls should have as similar as possible scores in each proficiency. Some facets may allow you to reduce or ignore this penalty.
Casting Spells
There are three types of spells: Fast Cast, Slow Cast, and Weave(See: Mage Wars(Card Game)). Unlike in the card game, however, casting-type determines how long a spell takes to cast. Fast Cast spells the player has memorized are always cast instantly, while Slow Cast takes an amount of time dependent on whether the spell is memorized or read from a spellbook. Weave spells(enchantments) are cast instantly if from memory or around a specific time if from spellbook.
Spells can also be cast from Tomes or Scrolls, in this instance they are treated the same as if being cast from a spellbook.
Spellbooks and Memorization
Each mage(or any class that has traded for a magic-proficiency) will require one or more spellbooks to carry around all of their spells in. Spells can be hot-keyed, but only cast from the currently-equipped spellbook.
Different types of spellbooks can hold different numbers of spells. The Grandmaster Spellbook, for example, can hold up to 40 different spells. However, spellbooks do not like to have to many different types of spells in them, Positive and Negative spells, for example, cannot be stored in the same book. Others spellbooks might accept only spells from a specific magic proficiency.
Spells are placed in the spellbook using the Transcription Proficiency, and can be copied to the book from Tomes or from memory. Once a spell is memorized, it can be erased from the spellbook
Path
Every type of magic is considered part of either the Lesser Path or the Greater Path. The exact nature of the division has never been fully understood, though it is widely regarded that 'Greater Path' magics are more grandious, more complicated, etc, while the Lesser Path is not highly regarded.
Unlike charge, the concept of Paths is artificial, the significance given to each type of magic exists according to its consideration during the early days of the Mage Wars, most likely the First Chaotic Period. Not the 3 and 8 division found very commonly throughout magical hierarchies.
Lesser Path
The Lesser Path magics are:
- Fire
- Wind
- Water
Greater Path
The rest, or so-called Greater Path:
- Earth
- Light
- Dark
- Mind
- Life
- Death
- Change
- Holy
Charge
Charge has more to do with the actual mechanics of magic, hence why it does not follow traditional divisional lines. The four cardinal elemental magics(earth, fire, wind, and water) have no charge and are considered neutral. The other 7 are considered either positive or negative. The use of the term 'charge' to describe this was invented sometime during the Dynastic Period, earlier books of lore refer to positive as 'Additive', and negative as 'Subtractive'.
Positive
- Life
- Mind
- Light
- Holy
Negative
- Dark
- Death
- Change
- Mind
Spell Resistance
Spell resistance(not to be confused with combat resistance) factors in damage reduction from any magical source(not just enemy casters). And, with the proper gear and facets, a player could become entirely immune to magical damage.
Resistance is a form of damage-reduction and works by percentage, having a combined 100% would reduce the damage to zero.
Stacking Spell resistance stacks. For example: if a player had 15% Ruby Counter-Magic and 10% Lesser Path resistance, they would receive a 25% damage reduction from all fire-based spells.
Cardinal Resistance
As established by the card game, there exist specific counter-magics for three of the four elemental types: Ruby, Diamond, and Sapphire counter-magic work against Fire, Wind, and Water spells respectively. Genesis Counter-Magic will also stop any combination of the three.
There is no counter-magic for earth, making it the only non-resistible spell.
Charge Resistance
You may also take resistances by positive or negative charges, covering the whole range of endo-magics. Unlike path or cardinal, there are no excluded forms, so a player can become entirely immune to engo-magic.
Path Resistance
You can also gain spell-resistance by path, taking either Lesser or Greater(or both) resistances. Greater-path resistance still excludes earth-based spells.
Since path-based resistance covers all magic-types in just two categories, this is the preferred approach. However, items with path-based resistance will be extremely rare.
