Magic

Magic is an integral part of the setting, having driven humanoid civilization for centuries. Although the changes to actual game rules are few, an understanding of where magic comes from and how it is used is essential to understanding the current state of humanoid civilization.

The Nature of Magic

Magicants

Between 5 and 20 feet tall, weighing up to 25 tons, a Magicant is a softly glowing crystal in the shape of a pointed hexagonal prism. The origins of these stones has been lost to antiquity. The Old Ways consider them fragments of the heavens that fell to earth in the aftermath of the creation of the universe, while the Church of the Pantheon beleives them to be gifts from the gods placed to help guide people onto the path of righteousness. Modern magical researchers believe that they represent the "fundamental energy" of the universe bound into a physical (potential) form.

A Magicant under the control of the Church is housed in a cathedral inside a special Essence collection chamber. One-third of the Magicant is sunken into the floor, held in place by precisely cut stone. (Magicants are difficult to move; violent motion and exposure to sunlight both "dull" the stone -- ceasing its glow -- for a period of time, sometimes years.) The chamber itself is around 25 feet in diameter, with a pointed ceiling. Tiles on the walls and ceiling and standing up on the floor near the Magicant collect the Essence. As light from the magicant falls on the tile, it forms a fine sparkling dust, which collects in a tiny ledge at the bottom of the tile. Priests of the Church swap out the tiles periodically, gathering the Essence. A single Magicant can produce between 10 and 50 gold pieces worth of Essence per week.

Followers of the Old Ways gain their Essence from trees known as mallorns. A mallorn is a massive oak with roots that twine around a submerged Magicant. The roots absorb the Essence and collect it in the tree's fruit, a soft, edible acorn. The sheer amount of magic infused in the mallorn manifests itself as a nature spirit known as a dryad. If the dryad is killed, she will reform within 2d4 days, provided her tree is still alive; if the tree dies, the dryad lives for another 3d6 hours, during which time she spends all her efforts trying to plant a new acorn above the magicant.

Essence

One gold piece worth of Essence is a tiny pinch of sparkling dust. Kept in special tightly-woven waterproof pouches, Essence is the stuff of raw magic, used by all spellcasters. The "raw materials" cost to create a magic item is almost entirely Essence. Any spell with a costly material component requires Essence instead of the normal component (for example, identify requires 100 gp worth of Essence, instead of a 100 gp pearl). Spells without costly material components require no material components. However, most spellcasters require Essence to prepare their spells. A spellcaster PC (of any level) starts with 100 gold pieces worth of Essence.

Divine casters ingest Essence during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp worth of Essence per caster level. A divine caster that does not partake in the daily Essence can't cast spells that day. Ingesting Essence in this manner causes vivid halucinations and visions. These are often frightening at first, but if the character holds strong faith (in anything: the gods, him or herself, the natural world, science, etc.), the images gradually become meaningful. Clerics often communicate with gods in this state, and Druids commune with nature and spirits. A character without strong faith will experience horrific nightmares.

Wizards sprinkle Essence on their Heartstones during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp per caster level. Unlike divine casters, a wizard only needs to prepare spells when he wants to replenish spell slots or change prepared spells -- so if he prepares spells (supplying Essence to the Heartstone) and then doesn't cast any spells for a few days, those spells will still be available without further Essence application. A wizard prepares and casts spells using special gestures and intonations which, for poorly understood reasons, shape the magical energy within the Heartstone and then release it into the world.

A sorcerer doesn't need to consume any Essence to prepare or cast spells. A spell with a costly material component still requires Essence, though. She must merely be touching the Essence during the spellcasting in order to use it.

The noble families also have a long tradition of using Essence to increase their physical and mental capabilities. A large tub is filled with a mixture of Essence and special oils, and the noble in question is submerged in the tub. (This costs 5000 gp for a medium-sized noble.) At first, the Essence bath is pleasant. The noble's perceptions expand and her mind opens up to new possibilities. Then her thoughts turn dark and the process becomes excruciatingly painful. This torturous state lasts for hours. Nobles that can withstand it with their sanity intact (those with Wisdom scores of 13+) emerge as scions, capable of moving with fluid grace and sensing things that others miss. Those nobles who can't stand the bath's effects usually recover in a month or so, with nothing but a painful memory to show for it.

Heartstones

A Heartstone is a colored gemstone sized somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball. It is formed from congealed magical energy extracted from the corpse of a magical creature. Someone trained as a wizard can use mystical gestures and intonations to shape magical fields within the Heartstone, and then later can release these fields, which in turn shape the universe. (This can actually be done using a Magicant as well, but they are too large to use as a practical spellcasting focus and the Church of the Pantheon does not allow it.)

The power of a Heartstone is based on the type of creature that it came from:

Dragon, Fey, Outsider	HD + 2
Magical Beast, Elemental	HD
Abberation, other living creature with spell-like abilities	HD - 2
Animal, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Plant, Vermin	0

A wizard's spell casting level and caster level are capped by this amount. For example, a 7th-level wizard using a power-5 Heartstone casts as a 5th-level wizard. The current market price of a Heartstone is its power squared times 100 gold pieces (so a power-5 Heartstone is worth 2500 gp, a power-20 Hearstone is worth 40,000 gp). All wizard PCs start with a power-5 Heartstone. (Dwarves in the Mountain Duchies farm cockatrice to produce these low-power Heartstones.)

Heartstone fragments are sometimes required as "raw materials" in the creation of magic items.

A Heartstone loses all attributes associate with the creature it came from except for its power, although there are rumors of "tainted Heartstones" that gradually impart the former creature's mentality and alignment upon their posessors. However, it is possible to unlock these monstrous aspects. A person who implants a Heartstone in their own body will gradually transform into the monster that produced it, taking levels in the relevant monster class. Once this transformation has begun, it can't be undone by mortal magic -- the Heartstone itself dissolves into the person's blood and can't be removed. The Church of the Pantheon considers this to be a travesty, and most people find it downright creepy.

Effects of Essence Ingestion

Divine casters ingest Essence during spell preparation, requiring 1 gp worth of Essence per caster level. A divine caster that does not partake in the daily Essence can't cast spells that day. Ingesting Essence in this manner causes vivid halucinations and visions. These are often frightening at first, but if the character holds strong faith (in anything: the gods, him or herself, the natural world, science, etc.), the images gradually become meaningful. Clerics often communicate with gods in this state, and Druids commune with nature and spirits. A character without strong faith will experience horrific nightmares.

When clerics (and other divine casters) get their visions, about 60% of these are revisited memories -- the character relives some memory of theirs, but sees things in a new light, which imparts some measure of understanding and wisdom. Sometimes, the character is able to act differently in the memory than they did in real life; other times, they observe themselves from a detached position. About 35% of visions are dreamlike -- the character moves about in an ever-shifting landscape, encountering beings with the characteristics of people they know (sometimes multiple people or changing over time). The whole thing is surreal and, much like a dream, only occasionally helpful. About 5% of visions are "Lucid Conversations," in which the character speaks and interacts with a god, angel, or spirit. It is often a being the cleric feels an affinity for (such as a patron deity, saint, or deceased mentor), and can take place anywhere -- often, it is someplace signifigant to the cleric, or it is the realm of the gods. This interaction may not involve talking at all -- someone could go on a hunt with the Huntress, do battle against or along side the Silver Knight, dance with the Golden Princess, or just kick back with the Aimless Wanderer. Less than 0.1% of all visions are "Spirit Quests," in which the character goes on an extended journey of discovery in the realm of the gods, meeting a variety of fantastic (sometimes deceased) characters. These are usually of great significance, and the cleric sometimes knows when they are coming. They can sometimes bring their allies with them, if the allies ingest a small amount (about 1-3 silver pieces worth) of essence before falling asleep while the cleric prays. However, this makes the quest correspondingly more difficult -- the quest is always just hard enough for the person to complete it if they put forth their maximum effort (often an effort they didn't know they had). Success or failure on the quest has no in-game impact, but bodes well or poorly for the immediate future of the character; those that routinely fail Spirit Quests dwindle into obscurity, while those who succeed become great leaders.

It is possible to overdose on Essence. A divine can ingest up to twice their caster level in gold pieces worth of Essence without harm; other characters can ingest at most 1 gold piece worth. Any character that overdoses must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1 per gold piece worth of excess Essence). On success, the faithful experience normal visions and the unfaithful normal nightmares, although they wake up with a pounding headache. On failure, the character experiences such intense visions that they develop a short-term or long-term temporary insanity (see Unearthed Arcana) . If they fail their save by 10 or more, they develop indefinite insanity. If they fail by 20 or more, they die instantly. Essence is sometimes used as a poison, but it has a strong and distinctive taste known to most people, and so can only be delivered by feeding someone a large meal of extremely spicy food. (Essence tasts like 7-Up + 1000 volts of electricity.) Essence used as a poison has no primary effect, and the visions described above as a secondary effect. It allows a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1 per gold piece worth of Essence) to negate the secondary effect; people who willingly take Essence are assumed to be voluntarily failing their Fortitude saving throw.

A divine caster who overdoses on Essence doesn't necessarily develop indefinite insanity. Instead, there is a percentage chance equal to the character's Charisma score that they will be possessed by an outsider. This "possession" is gradual, and really represents the character merging with the outsider. This being usually matches the character's alignment and outlook; a character that does not wish to be possessed can make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 outsider's hit die + outsider's Charisma modifier) to get indefinite insanity instead. A possessed character retains their own mind and personality but knows that they have acquired the soul of an otherworldly entity. As they gain levels, they take on the entity's traits -- gaining levels in the appropriate monster class for the outsider, until gradually they become the outsider.

A Church member who becomes possessed by a celestial is known as a "saint." Anyone possessed by any other creature is known as a "witch" or a "warlock," depending on their gender. Under the Old Ways, most witches and warlocks were bound to elemental or nature spirits. Nowadays, it seems like most witches and warlocks harbor demons inside them (at least, that is what the Church claims). The Church demands that anyone discovered to be a witch or warlock be killed immediately.

A character can also become a witch or warlock by implanting a Heartstone inside their own body. A person who implants a Heartstone in their own body will gradually transform into the monster that produced it, taking levels in the relevant monster class. Once this transformation has begun, it can't be undone by mortal magic -- the Heartstone itself dissolves into the person's blood and can't be removed. Because witches have such a horrible reputation, thanks to the Church, this process is rare; its discovery gave a lot of credence to the Church's claims that Heartstone use was inherently evil.

Saints are respected by everyone and attain positions of prominence, but rarely leadership, within the Church. They are never created deliberately; the risk of indefinite insanity is too great. Most are young clerics who "accidentally" took too much essence and survived. Some scholars believe that the Prophet Jordana was a saint, but there is a lack of concrete evidence to support this claim.

Essence can be injected directly into the bloodstream, but this is a very bad idea. Any character who has 1 gp worth of Essence or more injected must make an immediate DC 20 Will save, or suffer from permanent insanity. Even if they succeed, they get indefinite insanity.

Properties of Magicants

Also, while a Magicant has no power level (it's just too strong), a piece of one might. There aren't any hard and fast rules for this but I would say that the power level of a Magicant fragment would be the square root of its weight in pounds (so a 400 lb. Magicant fragment would have a power level of 20). When combining fragments you must combine their weight -- so two 400 lb. pieces won't get you power-40, it will only get power-28 (the square root of 800). From this formula I guess a 5 ton Magicant is power-100, but such a number is largely meaningless.

A Magicant fragment sheds no light (and hence produces no Essence). Or rather, they do shed light, for a time -- smaller fragments burn out faster. Putting two fragments together to form a larger mass does cause them to illuminate again (people have "built" their own bootleg Magicants this way, although it's usually more cost-effective to use the Magicant shards in magic item creation). Scholars suspect that there is a Magicant "critical mass" at which a large enough sample will illuminate forever, and estimate it at around a ton (well lighter than most Noble Magicants). Of course, such experiments are rare as cutting up Magicants is generally regarded as the most idiotic thing imaginable, like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Also, sudden or violent motion, such as that required to break off a chunk, causes the Magicant to dim or grow dark for a time. The reasons for this are completely unknown but it could last years. A Magicant that falls down is typically dark for a few months and then dim (reduced output) for a year; one story tells of a Magicant that rolled down a hill and was dark for almost 50 years. For some reason, if the Magicant is moved by earthquakes, landslides, strong winds, etc., it continues glowing normally. A darkened Magicant can't be used as a spellcasting focus the way a Heartstone can; the ancient Renlinean wizards practiced their art using full-sized Magicants and consequently were rather stationary individuals. (If they had been mobile, the Empire would never have fallen, and we'd all be living in a giant-ruled magocracy today.) When a Magicant needs to move, even a short distance, it is done extremely gently. When one is moved long distances (such as the spoils of war) it is still done gently, and is expected to be inoperative for several years, so this is rarely done.

New Magicants are most typically found in the ground -- sometimes deep within mountain caverns, other times poking out of the earth of a farmer's field. A new one is located and excavated about every hundred years or so, and minor wars have broken out over the ownership rights. The event often triggers a gold rush of Magicant prospectors hoping the area has another one, but they always come up empty-handed. So far, no spell has been developed to detect Magicants (other than very short-range things like detect magic and locate object).

The Multiverse

Most people are unaware that there are realms beyond physical reality. These "planes," as scholars call them, in some ways are places one can go, in other ways are "altered states of being," and in other ways are merely metaphysical constructs without true existence.

Cosmology

The World

The world is a great sphere. (This has been obvious to scholars for centuries; in fact the size of the world can be easily triangulated.) It is composed of all four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) bound together, with fire generally contained within the earth and air floating above the others.

The Sun & Moon

Above the sky, these two heavenly bodies revolve around the world. The sun is a giant ball of pure light, while the moon is thought to be made of mist or at least cloud-covered. The sun is larger than the moon but is farther away, giving them the appearance of being the same size; it's unclear how far these bodies are from the world, although they do have a distinct effect on seasons (the sun moving higher or lower in the sky) and the tides.

Land of the Dead

High above the sky is the Land of the Dead, where most souls end up. Here, millions of Magicants glitter, and Essence is free. These Magicants can be seen at night as stars (during the day, they are obscured by the sun's light). (According to the Old Ways, the stars actually are the souls of the departed.) Moving through the stars are the 7 planets, illegitimate children of the Aimless Wanderer who were slain by their mothers' angry husbands and fathers. They move somewhat erratically but always along the same path as the moon and sun, who have agreed to protect them in the afterlife. Another moving star is very bright but always found close to the sun. It is called the Dawn Star in the morning and is thought to be the home of the Fire Master, and the Evening Star at night when it is home to the Fire Mistress.

Ethereal

"Ethereal" is more of a state of being than a plane. It is treated as a separate, cotangent and coexistant plane for most purposes, although the plane shift spell can't reach it. An ethereal creature or object is "outside" the normal world, looking in. There are different depths to the ethereal plane; the deeper you get, the slower time passes. The imprisonment spell shunts a creature so far "deep" into the ethereal that it is effectively in suspended animation. Lesser versions of this spell can bump a creature just a few levels deeper, slowing it to the point of helplessness.

Spirit Realm & Shadow Realm

These two mysterious lands are actually the same place, but are called by different names depending on who you talk to. The Old Ways venerate the Spirit Realm as the "true world," inhabited by idealized forms of all things. Modern scholars talk of the "Shadow Realm," a twisted and frightening place of illusions and darkness. Time and space are warped here as in a dream, yet physical travel to this realm is possible with the shadow walk spell. It can also be reached via the plane shift spell.

Pandemonium

Known by many names, including the Abyss and the Inferno, this is a realm of demons where evil-hearted people go when they die. Horrible creatures are sometimes summoned from here.

Elysium

Also called Heaven and the Realm of the Gods, the gods live here, but also maintain manors in other parts of the cosmos (for example, the Sun Father lives inside the sun). Pious souls are taken here after death where they become disciples of the gods, as the Prophet was in life.

Conceptia

Sometimes called the Land of Dreams or the Astral Plane, Conceptia is a purely mental realm in which all intelligent beings exist all the time. All things imaginable exist here, by definition. The plane shift spell can allow people to roam Conceptia directly.

Otherworlds

Strange "other" places, different states of being entirely, are reachable through the plane shift spell. Some of these are understandable and border on Conceptia; others defy description entirely.

Planar Travel

High-level spells such as shadow walk, gate and astral travel can be used to move physically between realms. Mortals can also move physically into the Spirit Realm at special locations where the barrier between realities is "weakened." However, the most common means of travelling to other plans is to project one's mind using the plane shift spell. The phrase "most common" is something of a misnomer, since this dangerous activity is undertaken only rarely.

Plane Shift

Conjuration

Level: Cleric 5, Druid 5, Wizard 5

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 full round action

Range: Touch

Targets: 1 character/level

Duration: Instantaneous; see text

Saving Throw: Will negates

Spell Resistance: Yes

The targetted creatures travel instantly to one of the alternate planes of existence. The caster determines the destination. He can specify any planar location that he's been to before. He can specify a plane he's never been to before, but everyon arrives at the same random location on that plane. Casting this spell while on an outer plane allows the caster (and targets) to change their location as specified above, or to end the spell (returning to the material plane). Note that planar conditions may make spellcasting difficult or impossible.

Although the spell has a duration of "instantaneous," this is merely the length of time the travel takes from the point of view of observers on the prime material plane. Time travels differently on alternate planes than in the real world: no matter how long the creature stays on the alternate plane, when their travels there are done, they reappear on the material plane in the exact same spot where they left at the exact instant that they left. Even if one creature leaves the plane immediately and the others linger a while, both will return to the material plane at the exact same point in time. In fact, the creature isn't really physically travelling to the plane at all. Their mind and spirit travel to the plane, where an exact copy of their current body and all their current gear is replicated. Items lost or used up or magic item charges expended while on other planes do not actually get used up; they retain their original state on the material plane when the character returns. Artifacts can't be brought to other planes in this manner. When the character returns to the material plane, though, they bring all afflictions with them (including hit point damage, ability drain or damage, negative levels, diseases, poisons, polymorphing, etc.), and any other effect which stretches across planes also remains. A creature can never suffer permanent level loss while on an alternate plane; negative levels gained disappear 24 hours after returning to the material plane. Similarly, a characters abilities can't permanently change while on an outer plane (except through normal level advancement). If a creature dies or is destroyed on an alternate plane, they don't really die. Instead, the spell is broken, and they reappear at the time and place where they left the material plane, but suffer the loss of 1 level (or the loss of 2 Constitution points, if they are 1st level) just as though they had died and been raised.

A creature on an alternate plane of existance can spend an action point to succeed at any one immediate task. For example, if you're climbing a mountain on an alternate plane, you could spend an action point to get to the top of the mountain. You can't spend a point on a long-term task; for example, if you're looking for someone, you can't spend an action point to find them, you have to go looking. You can also spend an action point to find a way to leave the plane (which ends the spell, dumping you back on the material plane at the exact instant you left). These action points are spent from your current total as normal, and remain spent when you return to the material plane. Planar denizens and conditions can never steal action points from a character.

Note that the Ethereal Plane does not count as an alternate plane of existence; it is considered a part of the material plane (a sort of alternate state of existence).

All other rules are optional on alternate planes of existence. For example, on some planes, combat might not proceed in turns, or maybe characters don't have any ability scores, or maybe everyone is a disembodied mind in a realm with no dimensions. Magic might be unavailable, go haywire, or maybe every character can cast any spell they want at will. Players might not even be controlling their own characters. This isn't an excuse for the DM to shaft the players or buffet the characters about like helpless puppets -- each alternate plane follows its own bizarre set of rules which may or may not resemble the D&D rules. However, it is meant to convey a sense of danger: few people undergo planar travel except in extreme circumstances. If things get too hairy, a player can always spend an action point to bail out.

Spells

Common Spells

The following spells are those that are common enough or important enough to play a defined role in society.

Cleric Spells

Protection from Evil: Traditionally used to ward off, well, evil, this spell has seen much more use recently for its property of suppressing mind-control effects. During important meetings it is now customary for a cleric to cast this spell on each participant to be sure they are not charmed.

Command: This is traditionally the "first line of defence" for clerics, as such a display of power can diffuse many situations and frighten off would-be attackers. Of course, more sophisticated individuals, such as nobles and wizards, shrug off such tricks.

Detect Evil: This spell is typically used only on members of the clergy or at the request of wealthy nobles as a means of rooting out corruption. (Except, of course, for the Lightbearers who use it on everyone constantly.) Simply being evil is not a crime; one has to actually do evil things for the Church to take action.

Detect Good: This is used on whole congregations during the weekly ritual of Prayermeet. Those that show goodness are considered Balanced. Independant Temples also sometimes use this to decide whether to trust someone or not.

Sanctuary: Another great defensive spell frequently used by clerics.

Obscuring Mist: This is sometimes used as an escape spell, allowing the cleric to flee while their opponents can't see them. However, it is sometimes also used as a "cover-up" spell, hiding the transfer of valuable goods or people. Finally, the Keepers of the Treothe branch of the Church use this to harvest Essence; condensation from the spell builds up on the walls of the Magicant chapel and runs down into special collecting troughs, taking the Essence with it.

Remove Fear: Often cast on nobles during a duel or before important negotiations, this spell is also cast on the priest leading the Prayermeet, so that he or she does not show fear before the gods (or have trouble speaking in front of an audience).

Cure Light Wounds: A staple spell used to treat a variety of injuries. The Church charges for this service. Independant Temples do not, but only make it available to those who truly need it.

Comprehend Languages: A big money-maker for the Church. Priests are often called upon to serve as translators, interrogators, or to read letters or texts in foreign languages.

Create Water: A common miracle used to impress common people, especially in dryer lands. This spell can be made permanent and powers fountains.

Detect Poison: Usually cast before a great feast, especially between rival nobles.

Detect Magic: Often used on visitors, or by visitors on their guest quarters, as a sort of security sweep. This spell can also find Heartstones fairly effectively.

Mending: The Church makes MANY minor repairs using this spell. They don't often sell this service because it's cheaper to fix things manually, but it does keep Church facilities in pristine condition.

Purify Food and Drink: Another spell used before banquets, most "holy water" is normal water created by create water and then purified by this spell. The Essence Bath used to turn someone into a scion must be purified before use.

Read Magic: Clerics use scrolls too, and often don't have the Spellcraft ranks required to use them well. In addition, Keepers make heavy use of glyphs, sigals, and symbols, and this spell can reveal their meaning.

Cure Minor Wounds: The most common form of treatment for common people, this arrests bleeding and grants some temporary relief so that people can get some rest and heal naturally.

Light: Another popular miracle for the common folk, this spell is part of the Prayermeet ceremony.

Wizard Spells

Arcane Mark: By FAR the most valuable, widespread, and accepted wizard spell, arcane mark has found extensive use. Because the marks are unforgable, they are used to certify a variety of documents and even verify the identity of people. Each major city's government hall, and many noble manors, bear "mark stones," giant stone plinths that serve as registries for arcane marks -- when a noble visits, their name is carved into the stone and their arcane mark inscribed beside it along with the mark of a witness (who is usually someone who maintains the mark stones). This allows people to verify the identity of those marking documents.

A major use of arcane marks is letters of credit and deposite. Moneylenders and gold merchants often maintain their own mark stones with the marks of trusted individuals. You can give some gold to one individual in the network, receive a document listing the amount deposited and bearing an arcane mark, and present it to another individual to withdraw a like amount. Letters of identification and passage typically bear arcane marks, as do official orders from nobles to their retainers. People can also be marked, although the mark wears off after a month. This practice usually only occurs when very paranoid nobles want to protect themselves against shapechangers by marking everyone around them.

The mark can be up to six characters, written in the magical language. This is a language of complex ideograms that can only be read with a Spellcraft check or a read magic spell. The characters are the caster's name, possibly including family, highest title, group affiliation, major accomplishment, or strong personality traits (in other words, it is not a direct translation of the character's actual name, but is a unique string that represents the character's true self).

An arcane mark can't be forged, although many illusions can create the likeness of a particular mark. A Spellcraft check (DC 10 + level of the illusion, or opposed by the caster's Forgery check + level of the illusion) can discern minor flaws that distinguish it from a true mark, and a simple detect magic spell will reveal the spell to be too high in level. Also, while the mark itself can't be forged, the document it is attached to can certainly be modified, or the caster could be charmed or compulsed into placing the mark.

Arcane Signet Ring: When this white gold ring is placed on a character's finger, a personal rune appears on the broad flat top of the ring. This is the wearer's arcane mark. The wearer can use arcane mark at will. (Every character, even non-spellcasters, has a mark.) Dim universal; CL 1st; Forge Ring, arcane mark; Price 1,000 gp.

Mending: Nobles frequently use this spell to make minor repairs to their personal items and clothing. For particularly elaborate or exquisite items, they typically turn to skilled crafters, since the spell is not always very precise.

Alarm: A common security measure (surprise, surprise).

Mount: This spell is usually cast just to show off, since most nobles can afford horses just fine.

Unseen Servant: Many nobles like to be able to see their servants as a way of relishing their power, but some would rather just have magic attend to their needs.

Comprehend Languages: An invaluable spell when it comes to studying ancient texts or translating foreign correspondance. Some nobles have been pen-pals for years and never learned each other's language, because they could simply cast comprehend languages instead.

Charm Person: Highly illegal; on the same level of severety as threats and coercion. Still, nobles sometimes get away with it, especially casting it on unsuspecting individuals from a distance (usually commoners, who have less legal recourse).

Sleep: A popular non-lethal defensive spell, with the added bonus that it can be used as a lethal spell if you just go about and coup de grace everyone.

Magic Missle: Everyone's favorite zap-'em-up spell! Initially met with resistance because it allowed a feeble scholar to triumph over a strong knight, the magic missile is now the weapon of choice for noble wizards everywhere. Competitions and courses are set up, in which the contestants run through a sort of maze/obstacle course firing missles at moving targets.

Disguise Self: A problematic spell. It is not illegal in and of itself, but wearing a disguise or making false claims about your identity is often illegal. Nobles who learn this spell usually do intend to abuse it, although it makes for a great party spell as well.

Silent Image: This low-level illusion is most frequently used for entertainment purposes, such as special effects for plays.

Ventriloquism: Another spell which is good for mischief. Fortunately, ruses like this are easily detected and dealt with.

Cause Fear: Many nobles, especially the egotistical, love this spell. It is often used to disperse attackers, but sometimes is also used on prisoners as part of interrogations.

Enlarge Person: This spell is most frequently used on halflings who wish to have "relations" with one of the big folk. It also has utility as a combat spell.

Reduce Person: This spell is most frequently used on halflings who wish to sneak into areas too small even for them.

Arcane Fields and Pseudospells

The following spells are part of the Field subschool of Divination, and are only available to wizards. As you know, the theory behind wizard spellcasting is that a mystical energy field is set up within the Heartstone, reverberating in place as a standing wave, until the wizard releases that field into the universe, where it forcefully bends reality to conform to the pattern it specifies. A Divination (Field) spell does the opposite -- it analyzes some part of reality and reduces its essential pattern into an energy field within a Heartstone. This field can then be released later in a manner similar to a spell, or even learned as a proper spell. Needless to say, these spells are an invaluable part of spell research. (In game terms, knowledge of one or more of these spells is needed to research an original spell.)

Of course, divine casters claim that this is all rubbish, and that all magic stems from the will of the spirits, an idea vehemently denied by most learned wizards.

Enfold Anima, Lesser

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 2

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 full round

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Targets: 1 creature with maximum HD equal to your caster level

Effect: Summoned creature

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); 1 round (see text)

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The magic of this spell analyzes the target creature and creates a pseudospell, an energy field within your Heartstone that can be discharged later to create a effect similar to a spell. You can't prepare another spell in place of lesser enfold anima until the pseudospell is discharged. Your Heartstone may hold more than one pseudospell, if you cast lesser enfold anima more than once. Discharging the pseudospell is a standard action that provokes an Attack of Opportunity and is considered using a spell-like ability; treat the pseudospell as a 2nd-level spell with your caster level. Once the pseudospell is discharged, it is gone, and you must cast lesser enfold anima again to create another pseudospell.

To create the pseudospell, you must target a creature for one full round, and specify one of the actions the creature took that round. When the pseudospell is discharged, you summon a duplicate of the creature (this is a Conjuration (Summoning) effect) at any location within close range. The duplicate remains for one round, and undertakes the action taken by the analyzed creature, to the best of its ability. For example, if you target an ogre attacking someone, the pseudospell will produce an ogre that attacks someone, likely the nearest person. You have no control over the summoned creature aside from where it appears and its orientation. For example, if you target a dragon using its breath weapon, you could use the pseudospell to summon the duplicate dragon anywhere within close range and facing any direction you wish, and it will use its breath weapon in that direction. (You can only target a creature with HD up to your caster level, so the most powerful of dragons are beyond the reach of most casters.)

The duplicate vaguely resembles the original target creature but is not an exact copy. It is of the same type, gender, and general appearance; has the exact same ability scores, skills, feats, special abilities, and spells; and the same equipment. However, all equipment is non-magical (a duplicated +1 longsword functions as a masterwork longsword; a duplicated wand is just a stick). The duplicate retains the general attitude and demeanor of the original creature at the time the spell was cast (for example, a creature in combat will be aggressive and hostile; a sleeping creature will be drowsy). The duplicate creature has all of the original creature's languages and skills, but does not have the original's memories or specific knowledge; it only has common knowledge, knowledge appropriate to its skills. It knows it is a magical creation and is not bothered by this fact. For the duration of the pseudospell, the creature can't cast any spell or use any spell-like ability higher than 2nd level, can't use any ability usable less often than 1/day, can use each of its spell-like abilities only once, and can only cast one spell of each spell level that it is capable of using. (Note that a duplicated Heartstone is a non-magical crystal, so a duplicate of a wizard won't be able to cast any spells.)

Enfold Anima

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 4

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); 1 round/level (see text)

As lesser enfold anima, except as specified here.

When discharging the pseudospell to summon the duplicate creature, the creature remains for 1 round per caster level. Instead of taking the same action as the scanned creature, you can direct it to take any single action upon summoning, and it tries to carry out that command for the duration of the pseudospell (for example, you could say "attack my enemies" and it would do so). If it can't complete a command (for example, it can't reach your enemies or they are all dead), it stands idle (although it still defends itself normally). You may command the creature to "follow my commands," in which case it will follow your spoken orders for the duration, but it must be able to understand your language (or you must be good at pantomiming). The duplicate can use spells and spell-like abilities up to 4th level.

Enfold Anima, Greater

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 8

Targets: 1 creature of any HD, except for unique creatures and deities

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); up to 1 hour/level (see text)

As enfold anima, except as specified here.

You can analyze any creature regardless of HD, other than unique creatures and deities. When discharging the pseudospell to summon the duplicate creature, if you give the creature a specific task to complete, the creature remains until the task is completed, up to 1 hour per caster level. The task must be something fairly specific and immediate; if you say "attack my enemies" the creature will attack all the enemies present but won't scour the world looking for other creatures that might possibly be hostile to you. If you task you specify is "follow my commands," the duration is only 1 round per caster level. The duplicate can use spells and spell-like abilities up to 8th level.

Enfold Entropy, Lesser

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 3

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 full round

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Targets: 1 creature or object

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); instantaneous (see text)

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); Fortitude half (see text)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless); Yes (see text)

The magic of this spell analyzes an attack against the target creature or object and creates a pseudospell, an energy field within your Heartstone that can be discharged later to create a effect similar to a spell. You can't prepare another spell in place of lesser enfold entropy until the pseudospell is discharged. Your Heartstone may hold more than one pseudospell, if you cast lesser enfold entropy more than once. Discharging the pseudospell is a standard action that provokes an Attack of Opportunity and is considered using a spell-like ability (except that your Intelligence modifier, rather than Charisma, applies to the Save DC); treat the pseudospell as a 3rd-level spell with your caster level. Once the pseudospell is discharged, it is gone, and you must cast lesser enfold entropy again to create another pseudospell.

To create the pseudospell, you must target a creature or object for one full round, and specify one instance of damage the creature took that round. When the pseudospell is discharged, you target any creature or object (the same type of target that you analyzed) within medium range and it instantly takes as much damage as the original and of the same type (up to a maximum of 6 points per caster level, maximum of 60). For example, if you cast this spell at an ogre, and during the round of casting the ogre is hit by a sword for 12 points of slashing damage and by a fireball for 27 points of fire damage, you could chose to store that fire damage in the pseudospell; later, you can target a dire bear with the pseudospell and deal it 27 points of fire damage. The creature affected by the pseudospell gets a Fortitude save for half damage, and spell resistance applies. Even if the originally analyzed attack required an attack roll (such as a sword swing), none is required for this spell. No affect other than damage is transferred by this spell (if you duplicate damage from a sword of wounding, the wounding effect is not duplicated, only the hit point damage).

Enfold Entropy

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 5

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); Fortitude half and partial (see text)

As lesser enfold entropy, except as specified here.

When you discharge the pseudospell, you duplicate ALL damage that was dealt to the analyzed creature during the round you cast enfold entropy. The total of this damage still has a maximum of 6 points per caster level (maximum 90 points). In addition you can duplicate any one secondary effect of the damage (such as wounding, stunning, poison, catching on fire, etc.). This must be a secondary effect of the damage in order to be duplicated; for example, if you analyze a creature hurled by the telekinesis spell, you could duplicate the damage from the fall, but not the actual movement (since the damage is a side effect of the movement, not the other way around). If the target of the pseudospell saves against the damage, the secondary effect is negated.

Enfold Entropy, Greater

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 7

As enfold entropy, except as specified here.

When you discharge the pseudospell, you duplicate ALL damage that was dealt to the analyzed creature during the round you cast enfold entropy, with a maximum of 150 points. You can duplicate all the secondary effects of all damage (such as wounding, stunning, poison, catching on fire, etc.). If the target of the pseudospell saves against the damage, all secondary effects are negated.

Enfold Kinetics, Lesser

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 3

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 full round

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Targets: 1 creature or object

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); 1 round or instantaneous (see text)

Saving Throw: Will negates (object) (harmless); Will negates (object) or none (see text)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless); Yes (see text)

The magic of this spell analyzes the movement of the target creature or object and creates a pseudospell, an energy field within your Heartstone that can be discharged later to create a effect similar to a spell. You can't prepare another spell in place of lesser enfold kinetics until the pseudospell is discharged. Your Heartstone may hold more than one pseudospell, if you cast lesser enfold kinetics more than once. Discharging the pseudospell is a standard action that provokes an Attack of Opportunity and is considered using a spell-like ability (except that your Intelligence modifier, rather than Charisma, applies to the Save DC); treat the pseudospell as a 3rd-level spell with your caster level. Once the pseudospell is discharged, it is gone, and you must cast lesser enfold kinetics again to create another pseudospell.

To create the pseudospell, you must target a creature or object, and note its movement (during the round the spell is cast) in relation to another recognizable creature or object reference point (such as yourself, the ground, or a nearby wall or boulder). Later, when you discharge the pseudospell, you can duplicate the effects of a telekinesis spell, but only to move the same type of object in relation to the another recognizable reference point (all within Medium range). For purpose of this spell, a "type of object" means the object can be called the same thing with the same meaning or is synonymous. For example, if you target a rock, which someone throws at an ogre's head, the pseudospell created is "rock moves quickly towards head;" when you discharge the pseudospell, you would target a rock within medium range and the head of any creature within range, and the rock would fly towards the creature's head. The object can move at any speed, but speeds faster than 20 feet per round count as the "violent thrust" application of telekinesis and require an attack roll. The pseudospell lasts only one round regardless. Movement of objects does not take obstacles into account, but will try to barrel through them; in the case of most obstacles, the object will become held in place for the remainder of the pseudospell's duration.

Enfold Kinetics

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 5

Targets: 1 creature or object per level

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); 1 round per level or instantaneous (see text)

As lesser enfold kinetics, except as specified here.

The pseudospell can last for 1 round per level, and can move objects at speeds of up to 60 feet per round (instead of just 20 feet per round as with telekinesis). Speeds faster than this count as the "violent thrust" application and end the pseudospell. In addition, you can target multiple creatures or objects (up to 1 per caster level) for movement, provided they are all moving in the same direction or their movement can be described as a group (such as multiple objects moving closer together, away from some object, or rotating around some point). If the reference point of the pseudospell moves, the objects change direction to follow it, by the most direct path possible.

Enfold Kinetics, Greater

Divination (Field)

Level: Wiz 8

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D); 1 round per level or instantaneous (see text)

As enfold kinetics, except as specified here.

Moved objects can move up to 150 feet per round. Multiple creatures or objects can be made to move in any direction, provided the creatures or objects analyzed in when the spell was cast were moving in those directions. In addition, you no longer need to specify a creature or object as a reference point when casting the spell or discharging the pseudospell; you may designate any point in space as the reference point.

Other Field Spells I've Thought Up But Not Bothered To Write Down Yet: Enfold Topology (shapechanging and physical buffs) Enfold Dwoemer (copying raw magical effects) Enfold Imago (illusions -- copying something's image) Enfold Nexus (distorting space and time) Enfold Sympathy (odd non-physical buffs and transmutations and abjurations) Enfold Probability (bonuses and penalties) Enfold Meme (enchantments; the copying of moods and ideas) Enfold Energy (creating energy effects)