Types of Magic
There are three basic categories of arcana, each with complex rivalries and relationships with the others. They are as follows:
Learnéd magic is carefully studied over the course of many years. The
Wizard are the most common and well-known practitioners of learnéd magic, followed by the
Artificer. The
Bard also count as a user of learnéd magic, despite often being looked down upon by the former two. Most arcane universities are dedicated to various forms of learnéd magic, and most practitioners learn either through these schools or via apprentices with established casters.
Self-study of a few basic cantrips is not uncommon, but learning beyond this without formal instruction is nearly unheard-of for wizards and artificers. Bards are much more likely to be self-taught, though achieving high mastery this way is still rare. Powerful self-taught bards are sometimes called
prodigal bards.
Granted magic is given to a practitioner by a more powerful being.
Warlock magic is granted via an intentional pact with a greater power. A
Warlock's patron can easily revoke their magic if the pact is broken. In rare circumstances, a canny
Warlock can steal powers from their patron despite violating the terms of their pact—though they risk immense retribution by doing so. Patrons typically retain a loose telepathic connection with their warlocks, and are capable of observing them or contacting them at any time.
A
Sorcerer's magic, in contrast, is granted either via birth circumstances (such as bloodline) or singular, extraordinary contact with a greater power. In the case of the latter, the granting power sometimes remains able to make continued contact with the
Sorcerer—such as in the case of a
Wildmage curse given by a powerful
Fey creature—but this contact is usually fleeting and one-way.
All holy magic is considered granted magic. Its power can wax and wane depending on how closely a
Paladin follows their oath or how well a
Cleric pleases their god(s). As a rule, users of holy magic communicate with their gods much more frequently than their gods communicate with them.
Found magic is discovered by one's deeper connection to the natural or spirit world. The
Druid and the ranger are both practitioners of found magic. A
Warrior Monk's connection to ki through meditation is also a form of found magic. However, since monks train ki as a physical and spiritual power rather than a mental power, monks without training in other magical disciplines typically cannot use spell scrolls.
Spell Scrolls
Any literate magic user can cast any spell from a written scroll. It takes the same amount of time to cast a spell by reading its scroll as it does to cast the spell through ordinary means. Casting a spell from a scroll consumes the scroll.
Most low- and mid-level spell scrolls are easy to purchase. Magic shops, adventuring outfitters, wizarding universities, and even some major temples sell the knowledge of their mages. Spell scrolls above 7th level tend to be much more expensive, difficult to find, and occasionally illegal. Casting such powerful spells without the magical prowess required to truly understand them can have unintended consequences; in particular, a scroll of Wish is far more likely to produce unintended negative consequences for the caster than a "legitimate" casting from a spellcaster, item, or immortal being.
Material Components
In ages past, many spells required the use of material components to cast. These components are still listed in many textbooks and spellcasting manuals, and can still be used if a caster wishes to honor tradition and has the time and money to track down and prepare such components. Some magic users still choose to do so; for instance, many
Resurrection rituals that take place off the battlefield still use such components as herbs or the blood of the deceased to lower the difficulty of the ritual and ensure the stability of the connection between the reanimated body and the
Soul's destination in the Liminal Planes.
However, modern magic (as pioneered early in the
Age of Complexity) allows for the simulation of the material components' essences via the same spell focus used to execute a spell's somatic components. For most magic users, this is an external device such as a wand, staff, orb, crystal, or holy symbol. Charismatic casters can instead draw on forces within themselves: a
Bard's voice, a
Sorcerer's blood, or a warlock's telepathic link with their patron can all facilitate powerful magic.
A few particularly powerful and complex spells still require some level of material component. For more information, see the section on Individual Spells.
Individual Spells
The following spells differ from their presentation in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition official rules.
Clone. This spell requires 1 cubic inch of flesh and 1 pint of blood from the cloned creature, as well as a crystal tank worth at least 2,500 gp. A clone grows to maturity in three months. This is the most taboo method of bringing back the dead in most of modern society. Mages powerful enough to cast this spell are extraordinarily rare, and the sale of Clone scrolls is illegal in most jurisdictions. However, the wealthy and powerful have little trouble finding these scrolls on the black market—particularly if they have connections to the high priests of
Morigana or the secret necromancy traditions of Old
Bjália.
Contact Other Plane.If using this spell to contact a mortal
Soul (living or dead), the saving throw is reduced to DC 10.
Counterspell. This spell feeds parasitically off the arcane energy of the original spell, destroying it from the inside out. Cantrips do not contain enough magical energy to feed the Counterspell, and thus cannot be countered. If a caster attempts to Counterspell a Counterspell, a wild magic effect will likely occur.
Dream. Casting this spell at 6th level or higher allows the caster to shape the dreams of someone on a nearby plane. Casting it at 8th level or higher allows the caster to shape the dreams of any mortal, on any plane. (Warlocks whose patrons are native to another plane may be able to contact mortals on that plane while still casting at 5th level, at the DM's discretion.) Creatures that don't sleep—elves, constructs, immortals, and the souls of the dead—are immune. The souls of departed mortals who were exceptionally powerful divine spellcasters are occasionally able to cast this on the living, though typically only those they had close relationships with in life.
Find Familiar. This spell requires a scale (such as from a reptile), a feather, and a piece of fur to be placed in a spellcaster's basin and burned. The summoner will then go into a "dream state" during the ritual; the choices they make in this state will attract the attention of a lesser
Celestial,
Fey, or
Fiend spirit, who will then appear on the Material Plane in its preferred animal form. When a familiar is temporarily dismissed, it appears as a tattoo somewhere on the owner's body, usually their non-dominant arm. The owner can re-summon it in a different animal form (as listed in spell description if they do not specify a form, it will typically take its original preferred form. If a familiar or its owner dies, its spirit returns to the realm from whence it was summoned. If Find Familiar is cast on the same person thereafter, that spirit will be contacted first, and will often return to them if treated well.
This spell can also be cast on another person's behalf; familiars are sometimes given as gifts for close friends of wizards. Gifted familiars often have different forms available to them, depending on the owner's relationship with magic, though rarely do they have as many forms as a
Wizard's familiar or as much control over said forms. For instance, a
Wildmage may have less control over their familiar's form, or a
Cleric's familiar might take the form of a symbol of their god. Non-mages cannot use their familiars to deliver spells, and their familiars do not change forms.
Find Steed. The rules for this spell are much the same as those for Find Familiar. The main differences are that a steed comes from a spirit with more strength of personality than a familiar does. Thus, the steed chooses the owner; no ritual or dream state is required, but the steed chooses its own form and does not change shape except under extraordinary circumstances.
Heroes' Feast. This spell can only be cast from a scroll.
Identify. This spell automatically works on magic items of rarities up to
rare, and items affected by spells of 6th level or lower. For powerful magic, extremely unusual or legendary items, and effects or materials potentially beyond most or all mortals' understanding, the caster must make an ability check using their spellcasting ability (adding their proficiency bonus if proficient in Arcana). The DC is up to the DM's discretion, depending on how unusual the magic in question is.
Imprisonment. This spell requires an artist skilled in the arcane to create a likeness of the target, carved in crystal or painted with arcane ink. You must be able to describe the true form of the target accurately to the artist. The price of this service varies, but artists typically charge based on how powerful and/or feared the target is. (Artists are not sworn to secrecy when performing this service; be careful who you trust.) When casting this spell, you must stipulate at least one condition that ends the spell. The condition must be reasonable and have a likelihood of coming to pass eventually.
Leomund's Secret Chest. This spell requires a specially crafted chest, typically sold by artificers for around 2,500 gp (prices vary). Some major banks offer services similar to the spell; these are more costly, but often include Ethereal Plane item loss insurance.
Magic Jar. This spell requires a sealable with a capacity of at least 1 pint. The ideal reliquary for this spell is made from the wood of an awakened tree and studded with high-magic gems such as opals and deep rubies worth at least 500gp—though the price of the actual vessel often far exceeds this, as few artificers are willing to break the taboo of making a soulcage. Less-than-ideal vessels can be used in a pinch, but the less valuable or magical the vessel, the higher the chance that the soul may leak or be irreparably damaged. Therefore, aspiring soul-trappers are advised against keeping their collections in mason jars, Gnupperware, etc.
Misty Step. This spell briefly allows one to pass through the Ethereal Plane; however, it does not allow you to interact with any objects or creatures on this plane.
Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion. Some enterprising mages have developed modified versions of this spell that create a more modest, but longer-lasting, extradimensional dwelling. These are popular as single-use vacation homes.
Planar Binding. This spell requires special elixirs and tinctures that vary depending on the type of creature you are attempting to bind, as well as a
Deepsilk rope worth at least 300gp. Some of these ingredients are commonplace (most powerful wizards keep the ability to bind elementals handy), while others are much rarer—potentially even illegal or taboo. For instance, in elven-majority lands one will almost never find the required ingredients to bind a
Fey creature to one's will, as this is seen as a betrayal of the ancestors and their bargain with the fey.
Plane Shift. This spell exclusively works in conjunction with teleportation circles, and you must know the rune sequence for a specific teleportation circle in order to reach it yourself or banish an unwilling creature there. Spellcasters who use Plane Shift typically keep a notebook to record the rune sequences of circles they wish to visit. Recording a rune sequence accurately takes [(2d4-INT)/2] hours of studying and can be done during a short or long rest. (Treat a roll of 0 or below as 10 minutes.)
A circle's rune sequence can always be recorded at its location, provided that the caster can spend the required amount of time there and that the circle is not hidden or obscured by illusion magic. Well-known public circles, like those in city market squares or at major temples, can be found easily in any library or temple scribes' tower. Owners of private circles tend to guard their rune sequences carefully. Mages often guard their personal collections of rune sequences, too—though many trade rare rune sequences within their inner circles like collectibles.
There is a controversial and little-known class of circles, known as
banishment circles or sometimes
punishment circles, that are intentionally installed in extreme or inhospitable environments, intended as destinations for criminals or one's enemies. Some mages see these as an unthinkably cruel fate; others consider them an invaluable solution to the forces that threaten society. Most immortals take enormous offense at being sent to a banishment circle, and many will expend incredible energy tracking down and punishing the spellcaster that dared send them there.
Raise Dead. Though this spell doesn't regenerate missing body parts, it can re-attach severed body parts provided they are held onto the body in the correct position. As with all resurrection spells, a returning soul is
altered by The Fates on its way back to the mortal world.
Reincarnate. This spell should be performed with a partner, ideally one also trained in the rituals. Without a partner, or with an inept partner, the caster may risk taking levels of exhaustion (DCx WIS save, with x representing the target's CHA score +5). The new body created by this spell takes influence from the soul it is created to inhabit; it will always align well with the gender of the soul, it will likely correspond to the approximate age of the soul, and it may take on other physical characteristics shared by the former body. The species of the new body is randomized according to the following table within the continent of Belcantas:
Sending. This spell can only contact creatures on the same plane as the caster.
Sequester. When casting this spell, you must stipulate at least one condition that ends the spell. The condition must be reasonable and have a likelihood of coming to pass eventually, and must occur or be visible within 1 mile of the target.
Silence. Bards can theoretically learn and cast this spell. However, very few do so, particularly if it would affect themselves, as bards typically seem to abhor the very concept of silence.
Simulacrim This spell requires a vial of blood from the duplicated creature, collected inside an enchanted crystal vial worth at least 500gp. Creating a simulacrim of a creature besides yourself is illegal in many jurisdictions, and vials intended for the spell are sometimes difficult to find because of this.
Teleportation Circle. This is the spell that creates the circles used as destinations for Plane Shift, though this spell cannot be used to reach circles on other planes of existence.
True Resurrection. This is a profoundly difficult spell that requires at least two other people besides the caster, and always consumes the full 25,000gp material component of gems, holy incense, and other rare materials blessed by high priests. In cases where the
Soul is otherwise
prohibited from resurrection, the casters may be required to give up essential pieces of themselves to call it back. Even so, some legends tell of these souls forcibly returned that remain hollow, longing for the Outer Planes. For more information, see the
Ritual of Saint Assam.
Unseen Servant. Casting this spell as a ritual on the same spot at least thrice daily for 30 days in a row creates an Unseen Servant that lasts until dispelled. These permanent Unseen Servants tend to take on the personality of their "home" and the people around them, and can sometimes perform more complex variants of tasks (for instance, following simple recipes).
Wellspring. This spell cannot be cast without the enchanted pickaxe listed under "Components."
Wish. A Wish is a single sentence, spoken in a single breath, that compels the hands of
The Fates themselves. It is interpreted literally, but otherwise as generously as is logically possible. Creating spell scrolls from Wish angers the fates; Wishes cast from scrolls may be interpreted more erratically or maliciously. If a caster loses the ability to cast Wish, this also applies to uses granted by magic items, spell scrolls, or immortal beings. This ability can only be regained if another caster uses Wish to restore it (this use of Wish doesn't risk revoking that caster's ability to cast the spell).
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