Character Generation[]
Everybody starts with the following skills at D6:
- Language: Throalic
- Language: [Racial]
- Art: [Any one]
- A number of bonus skills equal to your Smarts
Magic:[]
Dice pool is Spellcasting (Smarts) with a wild dice as normal.
Target number is normally 4 but can be modified by the magical environment and distractions. .
If you are from a spellcasting discipline (Elementalist, Illusionist, Nethermancer or Wizard) Then you have a number of "Threads" available to you (think power points), starting at 10, These regenerate at about 1 per hour under normal circumstances (A small amount of concentration is needed, so you can’t regenerate threads under stress).
Threads are bits of carefully purified and prepared magic. You can draw on magic without purifying it first but there is more risk.
You can cast magic in three ways:
- On the fly - You spend 1 action per thread to weave the spell together, Then make the dice roll to cast. (So a thread 2 spell would need you to spend a turn weaving the thread and then take effect on the second turn of casting) a single thread spell can be cast instantly.
- Matrix Casting - Like on the fly casting but you commit the threads ahead of time and store the spell. They become unavailable until the spell is cast and then regenerate as normal. This is a very reliable way to cast spells but all of your matrices are lost if you botch a spellcasting roll.
- Raw Magic - This is highly dangerous but does not require threads. You make the roll to cast your spell, but then suffer 2D6 damage (A backlash occurs if you roll a 1 on either dice, although the effect may still succeed)
Backlash table: (Normally this only happens if you roll a 1 on both the wild and spellcasting die)
- Attracts a horror from Astral Space - A horror will enter the world shortly.
- Astral Hazing - The local manasphere is polluted, making all spellcasting rolls harder (+2 to target number)
- Physical damage - Immediately take 2D6 damage
- Unconsciousness - Caster falls unconscious for a short time (1D6 minutes)
- Pain - Caster is incapacitated by pain for the next round
- Loss of threads - Lose any remaining threads, if you don't have any, then they are taken from the next nearest spellcaster.
If the spell would otherwise succeed but the spellcasting dice still comes up 1 (such as when using raw magic)
- Spell works but roll twice on the failure table above)
- Spell seems to work, but the effect either stops early or has a negligible effect.
- Misdirected spell - Apply the spell to another target, usually the least convenient one.
- Reverse spell function - Healing spells harm, protective spells cause vulnerability etc...
- Different spell effect - Another of the characters spells is used against the same target instead.
- Spell works with an increased success, but suffer astral hazing, 2D6 damage and lose all threads.
Things Magic can not do:[]
1. Restore life to the dead (Although you can reanimate corpses and may be able to rekindle a spark of somebody who is not completely dead.) This used to be true but since the Scourge some very difficult or immoral magic can restore life to the very recently dead. It is widely believed that Death is trapped beneath the lava in the sea of death.
2. Travel through time (Although you could suspend your life for a time and "travel" to the future or visualise past events)
3. Teleportation (Although you can make yourself faster, move through the astral or bend space within some limits)
4. Magic can not be used beyond the celestial sphere. (About 1-2 kilometers up magic begins to have trouble working and gradually fades out entirely as it goes higher.)
Rituals:[]
It is possible to do more significant magic in a ritual. To do ritual magic you need:
- Ritual Magic is very difficult and often brings terrible consequences.
- You must spend lots of time (it usually takes hours, sometimes days for difficult rites)
- Ritual magic always has a cost greater than just effort. Small enchantments like making light crystals just requires a small amount of a True element, raising the dead requires 7 healthy victims of the same race, all younger than the person to be resurrected.
- It is usually based on your Knowledge (Magic) skill rather than spellcasting.
- Sometimes negotiations with spirits, horrors or elementals is required.
Extra Spells:[]
- Recovery - Nethermancer (Seasoned) - Threads 2
- Effect: Allows the target to make an immediate vigor check (penalised by wounds as normal). Success will stave off death and stop bleeding. Each raise cures a single wound. This can only be used once per patient per set of wounds.
- Circle of Well-Being - Illusionist (Seasoned) - 3 Threads
- Effect: Grants a +2 bonus (+3 on a raise) to the next recovery test for anybody within the circle.
- Invigorate - Wizard (Seasoned) - 2 Threads
- Effect: Allows the target to ignore their wound penalties (But not incapacitation) until the next sunrise or sunset or until they are injured again, whichever comes first. This can not be cast on the same target more than once per day.
- Stone Bones - Elementalist (Seasoned) - 2 Threads
- Effect: Temporarily splints a broken bone. This negates the penalties from some rolls on the injury table. Each casting lasts a full day and a night and allows people to move normally despite broken limbs. It does nothing to remove wound penalties or other effects though.
Blood Magic:[]
In practical terms there are three types of blood magic:
- Oath-binding - Magically solidifies an oath, this is commonplace and largely harmless, involving a few drops of blood to seal an agreement with the consequence of a curse to the party that breaks it. Widely practiced and respected. There are three well known oaths. Blood Peace (used to swear two people to peace at the cost of their health) Blood Promise (two parties promise to accomplish a great feat for each other and gain a bonus to doing so at a cost to their health until the deed is accomplished) and blood sworn (two people who have known each other for years may swear themselves to protect and serve each other, grants significant benefits in exchange for health.) People who break blood oaths are marked with disfiguring scars, whilst those that have successfully upheld them gain crystal-clear or Golden marks instead. Oath breakers are widely reviled and distrusted. Most cities will not let a blood oath breaker enter.
- Animal Sacrifice - In an emergency a mage can sacrifice a moderately sized animal to instantly regain 1 or 2 threads. Most civilised places frown on this, but the legality varies.
- “Death Magic” - By spilling blood the caster can drastically empower their own magic. The blood can come from the caster themselves or a living intelligent (name-giver) victim. This is a dangerous practice which can cause permanent maladies to the caster. Wounds from blood magic can not be magically healed and do not heal naturally until the effect they empower has ended. The practice of this type of magic using any blood other than your own is considered a capital crime in Barsaive, even using it against your willing allies, worst enemies or threats to the realm is inexcusable and the death penalty for it has universal support. Death magic empowers magic and the effects of a botched spell are equally powerful. Each wound inflicted can do one of the following:
- Increase the duration of the spell to a year and a day
- Gain the equivalent of an extra raise on the spell (As long as the spell is successful)
- Regain all lost threads.
- Other dramatically appropriate magic.