Arcane magic is not freely taught or commonly understood.
Spells are:
hidden
traded
stolen
deciphered
bargained for
or recovered from forgotten places
To possess magical knowledge is to possess power.
A spell scroll contains a single spell bound into parchment, sigils, or arcane markings.
Spell scrolls are valuable because:
anyone may attempt to cast from them.
The user does not need to be a Mage.
They need to be able to read the spell.
Spell Scrolls cannot be upcast.
To cast from a scroll:
make a Lor + xxx check
The TN is predetermined by the spell
Result | Effect |
|---|---|
Success | The spell works normally |
Failure | The spell fails and the caster suffers 1d6 psychic damage |
Critical Failure | The spell misfires catastrophically at the Referee’s discretion |
After the attempt:
the scroll burns away, crumbles, dissolves, or loses its power
regardless of success or failure
Grimoires are ancient spellbooks containing arcane knowledge.
They are:
rare
dangerous
highly valuable
A grimoire may contain:
spells
rituals
notes
diagrams
warnings
forbidden lore
Only a Mage may properly decipher a grimoire.
A Mage may only understand spells:
they are capable of casting
Some grimoires may:
resist study
contain traps
corrupt the reader
or possess hidden wills of their own
A grimoire functions as a spellbook once understood.
Arcane knowledge may also appear:
carved into stone
hidden in ruins
etched into statues
sealed in forgotten libraries
or written in dead languages
To decipher an ancient text:
make an LOr+LOr check
On a success:
the Mage understands the spell
and may attempt to copy it into their spellbook
On a failure:
the meaning remains unclear
another attempt may require additional study, time, or discovery
The Referee may increase the difficulty for:
damaged texts
forgotten languages
cursed writings
or alien symbols
A Mage may learn spells from another willing teacher.
To learn a spell:
the Mage must spend time studying, practicing, and recording the spell into their spellbook
The Mage then makes a casting roll using the spell’s
On a success:
the spell is successfully learned and recorded
On a failure:
the process fails
the Mage must complete a Long Rest before attempting again
A Mage may only learn spells:
they are capable of casting