Just to keep everything organized, today I'm going to skip around through the sourcebook and gather the side effects of magic, beneficial and otherwise.
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Beneficial Magical Side Effects
Anyone who works magic for a long time runs a chance of developing a magical side effect. If your character has a dot in three or more magical disciplines, or has five dots in any one discipline, then the Game Master may assign a magical benefit. These are fairly rare in the world of Gieden, and often, they are assumed to be another form of Taint. This can cause trouble for the character if others discover their abilities. If a magical side effect is part of your character concept, then that should be discussed as early as possible with your Game Master; in some cases, a magical side effect can take the place of a Weak Advantage (or even a Strong one, depending on the effect).
Examples of magical side effects are:
Seeing auras, feeling the energies of people or places, occasional uncontrolled telepathy, prophetic dreams or trances, an unnaturally strong connection with another individual, a gift for palmistry or other methods of divination, past-life memories or occasional out-of-body experiences when sleeping.
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Taints
A person’s body can only withstand so much magic coursing through it; if it surpasses that limit, it is destroyed. In game terms, that means when a player’s Magical Resistance score falls below zero, their character loses a body part or is destroyed entirely.
The first time a character uses magic, a bond is formed with a Nuameii. As the character loses more and more of itself, more of the Nuameii comes through, until eventually the character is gone and a new Nuameii is born.
At the beginning of the game, each player assigns a certain number of dots to the stat called Magical Stamina. This number, times two, decides the character’s Magical Resistance score. Each time magic is cast, a number of dots equal to the rank of the magic used are deducted from the character’s Magical Resistance score. Each night as the character sleeps, its Magical Resistance score returns to its maximum.
Magical Resistance is represented on your character sheet by the small circles in the outer ring of the large wheel. (See my last post.)
There are only three other things to keep in mind.
The first is the character’s attitude towards the destruction of its body. Most people resist this, for obvious reasons. They may roll their determination score (vs. 7) to avoid losing body parts upon their Magical Resistance score falling below 0. However, this can only be done once per day, and it costs one permanent Determination point, whether or not it succeeds. If they fail their roll, their body takes damage and they get -5 to all rolls for the remainder of the day. If their body is ever completely destroyed by magic, the resulting Nuameii will be an entirely separate creature with no ties to or memories of the character’s life.
Some people accept that they will eventually be destroyed by the magic they wield. These characters can not roll determination to avoid body parts being destroyed, but if they ever are destroyed entirely, then they can roll a Determination check (vs. 7), to take over the body of the Nuameii that they summon. If they succeed, then they have all the memories of their previous life, but they now have the statistics of the Nuameii body that they inhabit. All is not rosy, however. Being destroyed by magic is not easy on body or soul; just like those who resist destruction, losing a body part causes the character to take a -5 penalty to all rolls for the rest of the day.
The second thing to keep in mind is that the magic the character is summoning when they receive their first Taint determines the color of that Taint--and all other Taints that follow. For instance, if a character receives their first Taint by using Fury magic, the Taint will be red. All further Taints will be of the same color and type, regardless of how they are gained.
Finally, the part of the body that is destroyed depends on how the character was focusing the magic. If it was through an outstretched hand, they may lose the hand, or even the entire arm. Some characters allow the magic to merge with their breath and scream it into the world; they may lose their tongue, or worse, their voice. Some characters simply focus their intent on the target of the magic--this may destroy their eyes, or in a truly bizarre twist, their head. The amount of damage to the body depends on how badly they overstep their magical resistance score.
So, for example:
Andrew is playing a character named Finnius, whose specialty is Destructive magic, but who also knows a little Healing. Andrew decides that Finnius resists the idea of his body being destroyed. He also assigns Finnius 3 dots of Magical Stamina, giving him a Magical Resistance score of 6.
During a major battle, Finnius uses Destructive magic twice; once at rank Three (which deducts 3 points from his Magical Resistance score), and once at rank Two (which deducts 2). This leaves him with only 1 point of Magical Resistance. After the battle, he realizes that he must heal himself or die. He wants to do it quickly, using rank Two Healing, but his body cannot withstand that amount of magic (his Magical Resistance score would end up at -1). He decides to chance it and hope he succeeds at his Determination check. Andrew describes Finnius focusing the magic onto his body through his hands.
Unfortunately, when he rolls his Determination none of the dice show 7 or above, so Finnius loses a piece of himself. The attempt also costs him one permanent Determination point. Since he is channeling through his hands, they take the brunt of the damage, but since his Magical Resistance is only at -1, the Game Master decides that only one of Finnius’s hands is lost. Since it was Healing magic that destroyed Finnius’s hand, and this is his first Taint, the new hand is white. At the beginning of the game, Andrew said that Finnius's personality meant that his Nuameii was a wolf, so now the Game Master describes Finnius’s left hand as a white paw. Now, any future Taints will be white wolf parts, regardless of what kind of magic creates them. And if Finnius dies using magic, a new Nuameii will be born; a white wolf with no ties to Finnius whatsoever. For the remainder of the day in which Finnius loses his hand, the trauma causes him to make all rolls at a -5, although his health level is unaffected.
On the other hand, Marcus is playing a character named Art, who specializes in Elemental magic. Marcus assigns him 4 dots of Magical Stamina, giving his character 8 Magical Resistance points, and he decides that the character is accepting of the fact that his magic will one day destroy him.
Art gets into a particularly bad situation, and although he normally would not be so reckless, he decides that he will win at any cost. He uses Elemental magic three times; once at rank Four and twice at rank Three. This last spell puts his Magical Resistance score below zero (8 - 4 = 4; 4 - 6= -2). He was channeling the magic through his eyes, by focusing on his targets.
Marcus may not roll Determination, because Art is accepting that he may one day become a Nuameii.
The Game Master decides that Art loses both eyes. The trauma of this loss will cause Art’s rolls to be at a -5 penalty for the rest of the day. The color of Elemental magic is green, and Art is linked to a Werewolf, so the Game master describes Art's new eyes as green, glowing, and highly unsettling.
If magic ever destroys Art’s body entirely, he will roll Determination to gain control over the Werewolf Nuameii that will be left in the aftermath, and if he succeeds, all his statistics will be that of a Werewolf but his mind will remain unchanged. If he fails, the Werewolf will have no memories of, or associations with, Art’s life.
To simplify:
*Magical Stamina score x 2 = Magical Resistance score
*Subtract the rank of any magic used from the Magical Resistance score (Fury Magic and Protection Magic are special; read those sub-sections for details)
*If the Magical Resistance score falls below 0, then a Taint may be received
*The Taint’s color is determined by the type of magic used to receive the character’s first Taint
*Those that resist being destroyed may roll Determination vs. 7, and then spend 1 permanent Determination point to avoid a Taint. Those who accept it roll Determination vs. 7 to gain control of the Nuameii they summon if they are destroyed.
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Using the Magic Circle
This is from the Gieden character sheet. If you wanted to give your character one rank in a magical discipline, you would fill in one of the slots in the outer ring of the symbol for that magic. Your Magical Talent and Magical Resistance scores are decided during character creation, but you would mark them here, too. For Talent, you would fill in one or more slots around the Talent circle in the middle; for Resistance, you would fill in the appropriate number of "donuts" in the outermost ring.
Your Magical Talent score tells you how many slots you can fill in around the magical disciplines. It's a one-to-one ratio. If you have four dots of talent, you can fill in four slots around a magic symbol; you can spread these out around multiple disciplines or focus exclusively on one.
The pointy, star-like symbol in the Magic Circle represents Pure Magic. Moving around the wheel clockwise, you will see the symbols for Destruction, Fury, Elemental, Anti-Magic, Artifice, Subterfuge, Protection, and Healing Magics.
You fill in twice as many donuts (outer ring only) as you have dots in Magical Resistance. Then you use the center of the donuts to keep track of how many Magical Resistance points you've used up for the day.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Gieden, Chapter Two, Magic
The final three of the nine magics in Gieden:
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*******************Artifice*****************
The art of Artifice allows the caster to revive and control Artifacts that were created before The Breaking. Its color is gold, and its use is as powerful as it is rare.
* By laying their hands on an Artifact and channeling magic into it, they can gain a very basic (2-3 word) understanding of the object’s purpose or abilities. They can also cause a very simple repair to be made. Old oil or gas can be made new, small cracks can heal, and screws can tighten seemingly of their own accord.
** At rank Two, an Artifice user can cause complex repairs in Artifacts, ranging from metal that suddenly ‘heals’, to small missing pieces (but not bullets) reforming, to gas or oil suddenly appearing. At the Game Master’s discretion, the Artifact may function in any non-magical way that the caster believes that it should, regardless of its previous abilities. This only happens if there is residual “energy” left in the item; it should be something that someone loved dearly or truly hated, or else the item itself should have some mystical property.
*** At rank Three, Artifice allows the caster to imbue the item with magic effects (see Weapons Chart, Part Two for specific damages). As mentioned in rank two, not all items can be given special abilities. The Game Master has final say in what items can or cannot be augmented. Also, the item will have a duration. This may be described as an amount of time or a number of uses, and it is determined by the Game Master. The Artificer may or may not know the item’s duration, but the duration will always be short; no more than one week, ten shots, or twenty uses. The Game Master should give the Artificer slightly more information about an item's past uses.
***** At rank Four, the item may be imbued with more powerful magical or non-magical effects, and the duration is longer.
***** At rank Five, the item has a permanent duration, although ‘bullets’ or ‘charges’ may have to be renewed, at a cost of 4 magical resistance points (more or less, at Game Master’s discretion). Casters with five ranks in Artifice may also manipulate Artifacts at a distance.
With this magic, you may also: get a ‘feel’ for what another character’s Artifact at a distance, slightly modify a piece of metal or wood in order to make it function as a tool, locate necessary parts, or find your way through a ruined city, among other things. The Game Master may choose to allow an Artificer to achieve results equivalent to one rank higher than their normal abilities if the Artificer combines non-magical mechanic work with their magical skills and are willing to spend significant time on the working.
*******************Subterfuge*****************
The art of Subterfuge is the art of deceit. It has no color, leaves no traces, and creeps into every crevice; even into the minds of the caster’s targets.
* At rank One, the character may cast basic Subterfuge; this remains active for two turns per success rolled (vs.6), during which time, anyone attempting to spot the caster will have their Perception and Reflexes scores halved for that roll. The caster may move or do other actions without giving onlookers a second chance at their Perception rolls, but they cannot cast (because they are already casting). Attacking anyone or anything nullifies the effect.
** At rank Two, the caster can expand their rank One ability to cover anyone in an area 5’ diameter around themselves. They may also manipulate people more effectively than normal; they may raise either their intimidation, etiquette, or manipulation statistics by two dots for one roll by expending 2 magical resistance points.
*** At rank Three, the caster is almost unnoticeable. Their rank One ability is constantly activated (without any magical resistance points being spent, and without counting as casting) unless they decide to drop it, attack, or speak to someone. When this magic is dropped, it may be dropped for just one individual or for everyone present. It returns whenever the caster leaves the sight of those for whom it was dropped or when the caster purposefully reactivates it (spending the usual MR points to do so). By expending three magical resistance points, the caster may extend their ability to everyone within 5’ of them for two rounds, or they may simply lower the chances of anyone noticing the caster even further. If they lower the chance of detection for themselves alone, anyone attempting to notice them must roll two D10 and roll 7 or better on both of them.
**** At rank Four, a master of Subterfuge is completely unnoticeable; their Rank Three ability gets considerably stronger, and onlookers no longer get chance to recognize them through Perception or Reflexes checks. Casting takes away from the ongoing magic, however; when casting, observers may roll vs. half of their Perception score in order to see the Subterfuge user. Rank Four Subterfuge users can read the surface thoughts of any one target within 10’ of them.
***** At rank Five, the caster can raise their intimidation, etiquette, or manipulation statistics by 4 dots for 2 rolls, or they can make everyone within a 5’ radius of themselves completely unnoticeable, as described in their rank Four power. If anyone within the group attempts to cast anything other than Subterfuge magic, they are instantly noticeable.
This magic can also: manipulate the emotions of others (causing joy or anger, fear or recklessness), detect lies in others, or make the caster’s lies undetectable by magical means. At rank four, some casters may get telepathy or telekinesis. All other abilities should be worked out between the Game Master and player.
*******************Anti-Magic*****************
Anti-Magic is capable of overpowering any other magic. Its color is purple, and it is prized by rulers as well as outlaws.
* At rank One, the caster can reduce the number of the opposing caster’s success at a 1 to 1 ratio. For every success rolled vs. 6, the opposing caster loses 1 success.
** At rank Two, the caster retains the same amount of power but may roll more dice.
*** At rank Three, the caster may reduce an opposing caster’s number of successes by 1 and ½ for every 1 success rolled (vs.6). Alternatively, they may form an Anti-Magic shell around themselves. This shell is up to a 5’ radius, and no magic whatsoever may enter into it. They may also deal damage to any Nuameii that has not been “pulled-through”. They do 1 box of damage per success rolled, vs. 6.
**** At rank Four, the Anti-Magic shell repels any magic or magical creature, and it may be up to a 10’ radius around the caster.
***** At rank Five, the caster may dispel all magic inherent in an area of up to 50’ diameter, making casting impossible (roll vs. a 7, four successes needed, though it can be an extended action if necessary). A rank Five Pure Magic user must make at least 4 successes at a difficulty of 7 to call magic back into the area, although they may use a continued action to achieve this.
Anti-magic has other uses as well, such as: temporarily sealing the magic of another caster, hiding the fact that someone is Gieden, making a Taint disappear for a short time (though this doesn’t replace the body part), or temporarily barring all Gieden from an area. Other uses are up to Game Master discretion.
_______________________
*******************Artifice*****************
The art of Artifice allows the caster to revive and control Artifacts that were created before The Breaking. Its color is gold, and its use is as powerful as it is rare.
* By laying their hands on an Artifact and channeling magic into it, they can gain a very basic (2-3 word) understanding of the object’s purpose or abilities. They can also cause a very simple repair to be made. Old oil or gas can be made new, small cracks can heal, and screws can tighten seemingly of their own accord.
** At rank Two, an Artifice user can cause complex repairs in Artifacts, ranging from metal that suddenly ‘heals’, to small missing pieces (but not bullets) reforming, to gas or oil suddenly appearing. At the Game Master’s discretion, the Artifact may function in any non-magical way that the caster believes that it should, regardless of its previous abilities. This only happens if there is residual “energy” left in the item; it should be something that someone loved dearly or truly hated, or else the item itself should have some mystical property.
*** At rank Three, Artifice allows the caster to imbue the item with magic effects (see Weapons Chart, Part Two for specific damages). As mentioned in rank two, not all items can be given special abilities. The Game Master has final say in what items can or cannot be augmented. Also, the item will have a duration. This may be described as an amount of time or a number of uses, and it is determined by the Game Master. The Artificer may or may not know the item’s duration, but the duration will always be short; no more than one week, ten shots, or twenty uses. The Game Master should give the Artificer slightly more information about an item's past uses.
***** At rank Four, the item may be imbued with more powerful magical or non-magical effects, and the duration is longer.
***** At rank Five, the item has a permanent duration, although ‘bullets’ or ‘charges’ may have to be renewed, at a cost of 4 magical resistance points (more or less, at Game Master’s discretion). Casters with five ranks in Artifice may also manipulate Artifacts at a distance.
With this magic, you may also: get a ‘feel’ for what another character’s Artifact at a distance, slightly modify a piece of metal or wood in order to make it function as a tool, locate necessary parts, or find your way through a ruined city, among other things. The Game Master may choose to allow an Artificer to achieve results equivalent to one rank higher than their normal abilities if the Artificer combines non-magical mechanic work with their magical skills and are willing to spend significant time on the working.
*******************Subterfuge*****************
The art of Subterfuge is the art of deceit. It has no color, leaves no traces, and creeps into every crevice; even into the minds of the caster’s targets.
* At rank One, the character may cast basic Subterfuge; this remains active for two turns per success rolled (vs.6), during which time, anyone attempting to spot the caster will have their Perception and Reflexes scores halved for that roll. The caster may move or do other actions without giving onlookers a second chance at their Perception rolls, but they cannot cast (because they are already casting). Attacking anyone or anything nullifies the effect.
** At rank Two, the caster can expand their rank One ability to cover anyone in an area 5’ diameter around themselves. They may also manipulate people more effectively than normal; they may raise either their intimidation, etiquette, or manipulation statistics by two dots for one roll by expending 2 magical resistance points.
*** At rank Three, the caster is almost unnoticeable. Their rank One ability is constantly activated (without any magical resistance points being spent, and without counting as casting) unless they decide to drop it, attack, or speak to someone. When this magic is dropped, it may be dropped for just one individual or for everyone present. It returns whenever the caster leaves the sight of those for whom it was dropped or when the caster purposefully reactivates it (spending the usual MR points to do so). By expending three magical resistance points, the caster may extend their ability to everyone within 5’ of them for two rounds, or they may simply lower the chances of anyone noticing the caster even further. If they lower the chance of detection for themselves alone, anyone attempting to notice them must roll two D10 and roll 7 or better on both of them.
**** At rank Four, a master of Subterfuge is completely unnoticeable; their Rank Three ability gets considerably stronger, and onlookers no longer get chance to recognize them through Perception or Reflexes checks. Casting takes away from the ongoing magic, however; when casting, observers may roll vs. half of their Perception score in order to see the Subterfuge user. Rank Four Subterfuge users can read the surface thoughts of any one target within 10’ of them.
***** At rank Five, the caster can raise their intimidation, etiquette, or manipulation statistics by 4 dots for 2 rolls, or they can make everyone within a 5’ radius of themselves completely unnoticeable, as described in their rank Four power. If anyone within the group attempts to cast anything other than Subterfuge magic, they are instantly noticeable.
This magic can also: manipulate the emotions of others (causing joy or anger, fear or recklessness), detect lies in others, or make the caster’s lies undetectable by magical means. At rank four, some casters may get telepathy or telekinesis. All other abilities should be worked out between the Game Master and player.
*******************Anti-Magic*****************
Anti-Magic is capable of overpowering any other magic. Its color is purple, and it is prized by rulers as well as outlaws.
* At rank One, the caster can reduce the number of the opposing caster’s success at a 1 to 1 ratio. For every success rolled vs. 6, the opposing caster loses 1 success.
** At rank Two, the caster retains the same amount of power but may roll more dice.
*** At rank Three, the caster may reduce an opposing caster’s number of successes by 1 and ½ for every 1 success rolled (vs.6). Alternatively, they may form an Anti-Magic shell around themselves. This shell is up to a 5’ radius, and no magic whatsoever may enter into it. They may also deal damage to any Nuameii that has not been “pulled-through”. They do 1 box of damage per success rolled, vs. 6.
**** At rank Four, the Anti-Magic shell repels any magic or magical creature, and it may be up to a 10’ radius around the caster.
***** At rank Five, the caster may dispel all magic inherent in an area of up to 50’ diameter, making casting impossible (roll vs. a 7, four successes needed, though it can be an extended action if necessary). A rank Five Pure Magic user must make at least 4 successes at a difficulty of 7 to call magic back into the area, although they may use a continued action to achieve this.
Anti-magic has other uses as well, such as: temporarily sealing the magic of another caster, hiding the fact that someone is Gieden, making a Taint disappear for a short time (though this doesn’t replace the body part), or temporarily barring all Gieden from an area. Other uses are up to Game Master discretion.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Gieden, Chapter Two, Magic
Hello again!
Today's entry will be a portion of chapter two. Next time, I'll post another short story; a continuation of the one posted yesterday. :)
I'm going to summarize the first part...
In Gieden, a character's magic is a direct outpouring of their personality. It determines both the type of magic they use and the Nuameii they will link to when they use that magic. It will also play a part in whether they choose to use magic at all, and how strongly they resist being transformed by it.
A shy, unobtrusive girl who wants safety but has a self-destructive streak might find that Subterfuge magic comes easily. She might use it to keep herself safe from lurkers in the night, but at the same time let herself get carried away by the power, despite its inherent danger.
This character would be Gieden, a Subterfuge user, possibly linked to a Spirit Cat Nuameii, and might accept the fact that the magic may very well destroy her some day.
Because of this close connection between personality and magic, it's important to think about it early, even if you plan on playing Roian. The first three of the nine magics are:
*******************Protection*****************
The magic of defense. Its color is blue, and it typically manifests as a circle or bubble that forms around the caster and those nearest to them.
* At rank One, Protection magic will reduce or eliminate damage to one or two targets (one of which must be the caster, and the other may be no further than 5’ from the caster). It does this through ‘shadow’ health boxes. The caster rolls as many dice as they have ranks in Protection magic. For each success (vs. 6), one extra health rank is added to each target. These health ranks disappear when the caster stops focusing.
** At rank Two, Protection magic will allow the caster to grant ‘shadow’ health boxes to everyone within a 5’ radius, or to grant one target complete immunity to all magics. If the second option is chosen, it manifests as a blue bubble and will completely protect against Nuameii who have not yet been ‘pulled through’.
*** At rank Three, the caster may grant 2 ‘shadow’ health boxes per success rolled to everyone within a 5’ radius. Alternatively, the caster may grant complete protection from magical and physical attack to themselves and one other target within two feet. If this alternative is chosen, no one inside the ‘bubble’ can interact with anyone outside of it by any means other than speech.
**** At rank Four, the caster may grant 2 ‘shadow’ health boxes per success rolled to everyone within a 5’ radius, but the magical resistance cost is only 2 per round. The caster could also grant complete magical and physical protection as described in rank Three, but at a magical resistance cost of 2.
***** At rank Five, the caster can call forth a shimmering blue bubble of protection that will protect everyone within a 5’ radius from any physical or magical attack. It only costs 2 magical resistance points per round to maintain, and any magical attack that contacts it will dissipate immediately. It will prevent entry by but not cause damage to people, natural animals or ‘pulled-through’ Nuameii. Nuameii that have not been ‘pulled through’ will actually sustain damage upon contact with the barrier (1 box per round).
This magic can also be used for other protective actions, such as: slowing a fall, blessing someone who is going into battle (raising the hit difficulty for those who attack them), granting protection from certain kinds of magic (reducing the damage those magics do), giving someone a temporary protective boon (such as “no one with red hair may touch you”), or any other action deemed appropriate by the Game Master.
********************Healing*******************
The magic of salvation. Its color is white, and it has the power to restore health, or even life, to those whom the caster believes deserve redemption.
* At rank One, Healing magic grants the target ½ box of health per success rolled (vs. 6). Note that this means that character who has only one dot in healing will have to work multiple rounds to heal a full box of damage. If they stop channeling before a full box is healed, then no healing is received.
** At rank Two, Healing magic becomes stronger and heals a full box of health per success. However, this magic will not re-attach severed limbs, heal magical Taints, heal disease, or cure poison.
*** At rank Three, the magic still only heals one box per success, but now it will re-attach or re-grow limbs, heal diseases, and reduce the effect of poison. It also leaves the target feeling rested and at peace.
**** Rank Four Healing magic grants the same healing effect as the rank Three magic, and it will also revive someone who died less than 10 minutes (two turns) before.
***** Rank Five Healing magic will either heal 2 boxes of damage per success rolled (vs. 6), or it can revive someone who died less than twenty minutes beforehand. If used to heal damage, it will restore or re-grow lost body parts, heal disease, cure poison, and leave the target feeling rested and at peace. Those who use Fury magic can not cast without extreme provocation for a minimum of one hour. Most impressively, rank Five Healing magic will allow the caster a ‘Final Act’. If the caster’s body is destroyed, they may attempt to resurrect themselves at a magical resistance cost of ten. No caster ever revives themselves from death without receiving a Taint, regardless of whether or not they have magical resistance to spare.
This magic may also be used in other curative ways, such as: lessening the pain of childbirth, curing diseases, restoring vitality, healing birth defects, restoring sight to the blind, removing someone from a potentially fatal position by way of levitation, or any other action the Game Master deems appropriate.
*****************Pure Magic*****************
The art of channeling and shaping magic itself. Its color is silver, and it can be used in more ways than any other magical discipline. It can even gain control over Nuameii.
* At rank One, the caster has two options. They can either disrupt the magical flows of another caster, or channel the magic directly into a target, causing damage. If disrupting magic, the caster reduces the opposing caster’s successes by ½ of a success for every success rolled. This means it will take two rounds to reduce the opponent’s magic by one success. If doing damage, the target takes 1/2 box of damage for each success vs. a 7. This damage is almost impossible for the target to avoid. The caster is also automatically aware of anyone casting in the near vicinity, whether or not they are actively trying. This last ability costs 0 Magical Resistance.
** At rank Two, Pure Magic can mimic rank One Protection magic, the only difference being that it grants only ½ a ‘shadow’ box of health per success. It can also be used to deal direct damage as described in rank One, but now it does 1 box of damage to Nuameii that have not yet been ‘pulled through’. A caster who knows rank Two Pure Magic often has insightful dreams, which may provide valuable information or clues.
*** At rank Three, the capabilities of Pure Magic become more varied as well as stronger. The caster can now sense the presence of Nuameii without effort. By expending 1 magical resistance point, the caster can speak to a Nuameii or cause it to be repulsed by the caster’s presence. This is not an absolute deterrent, but it does make the caster an unattractive target. Resisting magic becomes easier, reducing the opposing caster’s successes at a 1 to 1 ratio. Damage now does 1 box per success to normal targets, and 1 box to a Nuameii that is not yet ‘pulled through’(roll vs. 7) . They can also hear the voice of someone who lost theirs through excessive use of magic, although others cannot.
**** Rank Four Pure Magic allows the caster to bind any willing creature, including Nuameii (‘pulled through’ or not), to a single oath. Failing to at least attempt to honor this oath kills the oath breaker. The caster may also channel Pure Magic into any artifice, causing it direct damage.
***** At rank Five, the Pure Magic caster controls the flows of magic itself. They can banish it from an area, creating a ‘dead magic zone’, or call it into a previously dead zone. This does not supersede magical barriers, it just re-creates the naturally occurring fluctuations of magic. The caster may also use this power to ‘pull through’ a Nuameii, although it is recommended to bind them to an oath first.
This magic may also allow the caster to: find the direction of their true love, call out for a lost soul, revive someone who is unconscious, recognize who a Nuameii used to be, or form a temporary link between their mind and another’s. Any additional abilities the Game Master allows should be intangible; this magic deals with the strings of fate and fabric of dreams.
___________________________________________________
Note: "Pulling Through" a Nuameii means making the spirit form physical. Nuameii of all types seem vicious, or at the very least, indifferent to human life, but giving them a physical body mitigates these tendencies (usually).
And that's it for the first three magics. The Game Master and player determine most of what a character can do; the listed ranks are meant as guidelines and base abilities for all users of that type. But magic is a highly personal thing, based on the character and their beliefs/background, and should be different for every individual. Just because two players use Healing doesn't mean they'll have the exact same abilities. It's up to the Game Master to make sure that the abilities are appropriate and balanced.
See you in two days. :)
Today's entry will be a portion of chapter two. Next time, I'll post another short story; a continuation of the one posted yesterday. :)
I'm going to summarize the first part...
In Gieden, a character's magic is a direct outpouring of their personality. It determines both the type of magic they use and the Nuameii they will link to when they use that magic. It will also play a part in whether they choose to use magic at all, and how strongly they resist being transformed by it.
A shy, unobtrusive girl who wants safety but has a self-destructive streak might find that Subterfuge magic comes easily. She might use it to keep herself safe from lurkers in the night, but at the same time let herself get carried away by the power, despite its inherent danger.
This character would be Gieden, a Subterfuge user, possibly linked to a Spirit Cat Nuameii, and might accept the fact that the magic may very well destroy her some day.
Because of this close connection between personality and magic, it's important to think about it early, even if you plan on playing Roian. The first three of the nine magics are:
*******************Protection*****************
The magic of defense. Its color is blue, and it typically manifests as a circle or bubble that forms around the caster and those nearest to them.
* At rank One, Protection magic will reduce or eliminate damage to one or two targets (one of which must be the caster, and the other may be no further than 5’ from the caster). It does this through ‘shadow’ health boxes. The caster rolls as many dice as they have ranks in Protection magic. For each success (vs. 6), one extra health rank is added to each target. These health ranks disappear when the caster stops focusing.
** At rank Two, Protection magic will allow the caster to grant ‘shadow’ health boxes to everyone within a 5’ radius, or to grant one target complete immunity to all magics. If the second option is chosen, it manifests as a blue bubble and will completely protect against Nuameii who have not yet been ‘pulled through’.
*** At rank Three, the caster may grant 2 ‘shadow’ health boxes per success rolled to everyone within a 5’ radius. Alternatively, the caster may grant complete protection from magical and physical attack to themselves and one other target within two feet. If this alternative is chosen, no one inside the ‘bubble’ can interact with anyone outside of it by any means other than speech.
**** At rank Four, the caster may grant 2 ‘shadow’ health boxes per success rolled to everyone within a 5’ radius, but the magical resistance cost is only 2 per round. The caster could also grant complete magical and physical protection as described in rank Three, but at a magical resistance cost of 2.
***** At rank Five, the caster can call forth a shimmering blue bubble of protection that will protect everyone within a 5’ radius from any physical or magical attack. It only costs 2 magical resistance points per round to maintain, and any magical attack that contacts it will dissipate immediately. It will prevent entry by but not cause damage to people, natural animals or ‘pulled-through’ Nuameii. Nuameii that have not been ‘pulled through’ will actually sustain damage upon contact with the barrier (1 box per round).
This magic can also be used for other protective actions, such as: slowing a fall, blessing someone who is going into battle (raising the hit difficulty for those who attack them), granting protection from certain kinds of magic (reducing the damage those magics do), giving someone a temporary protective boon (such as “no one with red hair may touch you”), or any other action deemed appropriate by the Game Master.
********************Healing*******************
The magic of salvation. Its color is white, and it has the power to restore health, or even life, to those whom the caster believes deserve redemption.
* At rank One, Healing magic grants the target ½ box of health per success rolled (vs. 6). Note that this means that character who has only one dot in healing will have to work multiple rounds to heal a full box of damage. If they stop channeling before a full box is healed, then no healing is received.
** At rank Two, Healing magic becomes stronger and heals a full box of health per success. However, this magic will not re-attach severed limbs, heal magical Taints, heal disease, or cure poison.
*** At rank Three, the magic still only heals one box per success, but now it will re-attach or re-grow limbs, heal diseases, and reduce the effect of poison. It also leaves the target feeling rested and at peace.
**** Rank Four Healing magic grants the same healing effect as the rank Three magic, and it will also revive someone who died less than 10 minutes (two turns) before.
***** Rank Five Healing magic will either heal 2 boxes of damage per success rolled (vs. 6), or it can revive someone who died less than twenty minutes beforehand. If used to heal damage, it will restore or re-grow lost body parts, heal disease, cure poison, and leave the target feeling rested and at peace. Those who use Fury magic can not cast without extreme provocation for a minimum of one hour. Most impressively, rank Five Healing magic will allow the caster a ‘Final Act’. If the caster’s body is destroyed, they may attempt to resurrect themselves at a magical resistance cost of ten. No caster ever revives themselves from death without receiving a Taint, regardless of whether or not they have magical resistance to spare.
This magic may also be used in other curative ways, such as: lessening the pain of childbirth, curing diseases, restoring vitality, healing birth defects, restoring sight to the blind, removing someone from a potentially fatal position by way of levitation, or any other action the Game Master deems appropriate.
*****************Pure Magic*****************
The art of channeling and shaping magic itself. Its color is silver, and it can be used in more ways than any other magical discipline. It can even gain control over Nuameii.
* At rank One, the caster has two options. They can either disrupt the magical flows of another caster, or channel the magic directly into a target, causing damage. If disrupting magic, the caster reduces the opposing caster’s successes by ½ of a success for every success rolled. This means it will take two rounds to reduce the opponent’s magic by one success. If doing damage, the target takes 1/2 box of damage for each success vs. a 7. This damage is almost impossible for the target to avoid. The caster is also automatically aware of anyone casting in the near vicinity, whether or not they are actively trying. This last ability costs 0 Magical Resistance.
** At rank Two, Pure Magic can mimic rank One Protection magic, the only difference being that it grants only ½ a ‘shadow’ box of health per success. It can also be used to deal direct damage as described in rank One, but now it does 1 box of damage to Nuameii that have not yet been ‘pulled through’. A caster who knows rank Two Pure Magic often has insightful dreams, which may provide valuable information or clues.
*** At rank Three, the capabilities of Pure Magic become more varied as well as stronger. The caster can now sense the presence of Nuameii without effort. By expending 1 magical resistance point, the caster can speak to a Nuameii or cause it to be repulsed by the caster’s presence. This is not an absolute deterrent, but it does make the caster an unattractive target. Resisting magic becomes easier, reducing the opposing caster’s successes at a 1 to 1 ratio. Damage now does 1 box per success to normal targets, and 1 box to a Nuameii that is not yet ‘pulled through’(roll vs. 7) . They can also hear the voice of someone who lost theirs through excessive use of magic, although others cannot.
**** Rank Four Pure Magic allows the caster to bind any willing creature, including Nuameii (‘pulled through’ or not), to a single oath. Failing to at least attempt to honor this oath kills the oath breaker. The caster may also channel Pure Magic into any artifice, causing it direct damage.
***** At rank Five, the Pure Magic caster controls the flows of magic itself. They can banish it from an area, creating a ‘dead magic zone’, or call it into a previously dead zone. This does not supersede magical barriers, it just re-creates the naturally occurring fluctuations of magic. The caster may also use this power to ‘pull through’ a Nuameii, although it is recommended to bind them to an oath first.
This magic may also allow the caster to: find the direction of their true love, call out for a lost soul, revive someone who is unconscious, recognize who a Nuameii used to be, or form a temporary link between their mind and another’s. Any additional abilities the Game Master allows should be intangible; this magic deals with the strings of fate and fabric of dreams.
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Note: "Pulling Through" a Nuameii means making the spirit form physical. Nuameii of all types seem vicious, or at the very least, indifferent to human life, but giving them a physical body mitigates these tendencies (usually).
And that's it for the first three magics. The Game Master and player determine most of what a character can do; the listed ranks are meant as guidelines and base abilities for all users of that type. But magic is a highly personal thing, based on the character and their beliefs/background, and should be different for every individual. Just because two players use Healing doesn't mean they'll have the exact same abilities. It's up to the Game Master to make sure that the abilities are appropriate and balanced.
See you in two days. :)
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