Magic in Dierde


 
NEED TO FINISH & CLEAN UP!!
07/18/2023

change this... categories of levels. All magic in Dierde comes from The Weave, even divine magic ultimately comes from the Weave in its own way. -- Arcane magic: Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards... Artificers (UA pg. 18) Divine magic: Clerics and Paladins (UA pg. 19) Primal magic: Druids and Rangers (UA pg. 20) -- -- Arcane: Magic gained by following the fundamental rules of magic of the world. Divine: Magic coming from gods. Eldritch: Magic coming from powerful beings that are neither gods, nature spirits, or greater elemental powers Elemental: Magic sourced from raw elements or from greater powers of the Inner Realms or Elemental Chaos Nature: Magic that this filtered through nature either from a nature deity or nature's divinity itself Primal: Magic from nature and ancestor nature spirits. -- 1. Source of power. Examples: divine, arcane. 2. Actions undertaken by the caster. Examples: rituals, spell memorisation. 3. Properties of the caster such as their race or cultural group. Examples: pixie magic, Red Wizards of Thay magic. 4. Desired goal. Examples: illusion, healing.

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not sure: Arcane, Divine... Mundane? In the past, magic in D&D has been split between arcane and divine casting. For past editions, this had some actual mechanical significance, but 5e seems to be moving away from these things and using the different types of spellcasting as flavor, rather than hardcore crunch. Since the rules are backing off, I wanted to take a look at how the classes have been divided between these disciplines, and see if I could come up with an alternative system that could make more (or less) sense. Arcane Magic Also known as Hermetic, or "Dark" magic Arcane magic is pretty similar to how you've already learned, with an added key principle: arcane magic is derived from knowledge. The classes that use arcane magic (wizards, warlocks, eldritch knights, and arcane tricksters) gain their abilities through some sort of education. Wizards engage in rigorous study and theorizing; eldritch knights undergo similarly regimented drilling and memorization; arcane tricksters employ practice, mnemonics, and roguish skill expertise; warlocks make Pacts with strange beings that give them eldritch knowledge and turn them into fearsome engines of destruction. Arcane magic is sometimes called "hermetic," due to its deep roots in traditions of study, or "dark," because of its associations with the more alien magical practices like Pact magic and necromancy, though the last is understandably somewhat pejorative. You will notice that sorcerers have been removed from this tradition; you'll find out why in a bit. Divine Magic Also known as Liturgic, or "Light" magic Divine magic is almost completely unchanged from standard. Clerics and paladins alike draw upon their faith to manifest their marvelous magical powers. The removal of a deity as a requirement for the paladin class made me think about divine magic a little bit differently; divine magic is not necessarily handed down by the gods, but rather it is derived from the caster's faith in ideals outside of themselves. For instance, a paladin can swear an Oath of the Crown; does this mean that the King has the power to bestow holy magic on his subjects? Or is the ideal of rulership and righteous forbearance so strong as to endow exceptional people of exceptional faith with exceptional powers? It is the faith in something greater which creates the magic, not a frazzled deity with a 10-piece bucket full of spell slots and a minivan full of needy clerics. Mundane Magic Also known as Shamanic, or "Grey" magic Up to this point, we've seen some gaps in our roster. Sure, this system is all well and good for wizards and warlocks, clerics and chevaliers, but what about all of the other reindeer? Sorcerers, bards, druids, and rangers draw upon the oldest type of magic: "mundane," or "grey" magic. Grey magic is the magic of instinct, and flows not from knowledge of an esoteric truth, not from faith in an ineffable ideal, but from a simple awareness of oneself and one's place in the world. Its practitioners use magic like we would use a shovel or a lever--there's a job that needs doing, and this is the tool that can do it. Grey magic can be diverse, and even lean towards the other disciplines in its attitudes. Sorcerers, for instance, can seem an awful lot like wizards, and druids can look like particularly unwashed clerics. Where they differ is in the core principles behind the manifestation of their magic. A wizard would be confronted by a problem and flip through magical tomes or prior research to find the answer, while the sorcerer would roll up their sleeves and eyeball it, because this looks pretty similar to something they did two weeks ago in principle, and they could probably estimate out a pretty damn decent solution. A cleric would be confronted by a problem and appeal to their god, or more accurately pursue a course of action in line with the principles of their god in order to find a solution. A druid might even commune with local spirits, but as colleagues, rather than superiors--and then they'd summon some walking trees or make a Goodberry or hit someone with a shillelagh or something and everything would work out pretty much fine, because nature has a way of filling in the gaps. TL;DR: Isn't it kind of bizarre that a hippie, an evangelist, a crusader, and Bear Grylls all have the same magic power source? Let's fix that. Isn't it kind of strange that a college professor, a rock star, the X-Men, and the goth kid all have the same magic power source? Let's fix that too.

Arcane