RULE ZERO

I’ve gotta put this at the top of both the Magic and Psionics sections since it comes up more often than I would like.  (Magic Potential + Psionics Potential) in the same creature = that creature’s head explodes.  Well, not literally.  It just doesn’t work.  One of the two abilities just does not function.  What this means is you can’t have both.  If you’ve got Psionics as a trained skill, you can’t get Magery as a trained skill, and vice versa is also true.

How Magic Works

Beyond the most basic abilities of magic – which work using willpower (and can only be done by those with innate magical talent (See Skills – Magery)), spells require entreating non-corporeal beings to do the work for you.  The beings, commonly referred to as ‘spirits’ are for the most part sub-sentient (but sapient), and heed the calls of spellcasters as a matter of self-preservation.  Without being called upon, the average run-of-the-mill spirit will only remain in existence for a day or so, before dissipating back into their component energies only to be reborn as a new spirit shortly thereafter.  The act of obeying the will of a caster essentially resets the clock on the spirit’s lifespan, granting it another few days of existence (‘believe in me, who believes in you’).  As such, the more a spirit is called, the sentience it accrues, eventually becoming fully sentient and self-sustaining (‘cogito, ergo sum’).  At this point, a spirit no longer needs to heed the call of a spellcaster, but can – usually in exchange for some form of compensation, and when it does the effects are much greater than those of a sub-sentient spirit.  This is inherently why mages prefer to not flaunt their abilities whenever given the chance, since continued use of magic in a given area will slowly but surely grant all spirits in the area sentience, thus rendering magic more difficult.

All mages accomplish these feats through a variety of methods, with each mage having their own specific focusing processes.  What the focusing ritual and/or objects consists of matters little, it is the process of doing the ritual or using the object that allows the mage to actually use their abilities.  For mages who use verbal focusing routines, it is common practice to choose a language that is not commonly used in their everyday life as the language they cast spells in.  This practice prevents ‘accidents,’ which can happen when someone uses a phrase in a mindset that is usually associated with spellcasting.  Some mages use ‘dead’ or extinct languages (though using extinct languages is more difficult), while those who do not travel much may choose to pick up another language that is still in use, just not used in their region.

Some of the more-defined branches of magic, such as the Japanese Onmyōdō method of Theurgy are set with the primary language of their region, and the safety protocol is introduced through the use of focus items (paper talismans, in the case of Onmyōdō).

Explanation of Magic Types

This is just a general overview  of each school of magic, for further information regarding specific spellcasting methods and abilities specific to each type of magic, see the that type of magic’s page.

Elementalism – Elementalism revolves around the control of the four classical elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, plus one force: Electromagnetism.  Elementalism works via a ‘battle of wills’ of sorts between the practitioner and the spirits.  There are currently two known variants on Elementalism:

• Diverse: This variant focuses on diversity in abilities, learning to manipulate all five elements, but focusing on two of them.
• Focused: This variant focuses on a single element, and learns to use it highly effectively, and gains the service of a spirit associated with that element.

 

Shamanism – This is ‘nature based magic,’ revolving around plant and solid matter manipulation, as well as weather control and similar abilities.  Shamanistic magic works via appeasement of spirits, the practitioner praises them and acknowledges that they exist, thanking them for all that they do as part of casting a spell.  All shamanistic practitioners also have an affinity for wildlife in all forms.  Shamanism suffers from a key weakness that can impair its combat utility – it loses a lot of its unique power in environments outside the natural world, though it retains its air and electromagnetism abilities.  A shaman aboard a starship could use his plant and earth manipulation abilities if he was in the ship’s arboretum if it has one, but in a mundane corridor he is for all intents and purposes a mundane human (animals aside) with potentially the ability to manipulate the air and electricity.  Shamanism has proven to be exceedingly rare amongst spellcasting species in the galaxy, possibly due to its limited use off-world.  As such, there is only one known variant of Shamanism so far:

• Mentor Spirit: Mentor spirits are either a spirit of Air, Animal, Earth, Nature, or Water that forms a bond with the shaman early on in their training, granting them some abilities tied to that spirit, but not the full range of abilities associated with a full contract.

 

Theurgy – Revolving around short-term contracts and deals with the spirits that actually power magic, Theurgy is extremely diverse but is not easy to learn.  Theurgists lack the raw offensive power of Elementalists, but they make up for it with a wide range of abilities they have access to.  There exist three different known variants of Theurgy:

• Familiar-Aided Theurgy: By far the most common form of Theurgy known so far, this is also the easiest kind to learn.  This is because the theurgist gains the aid of a creature which assists them in their negotiations with spirits.
• Theurgical Pacts: This variant is exceedingly rare on Earth, primarily due to the difficulty in mastering it, but it is extremely common among the Hand of Action and Hand of Temperance members of the Unity.  Theurgical Pacts allow a theurgist to provide a significant physical capability boost to a bonded ally or to themselves.
• Yoitsuni Servant Summoning: This variant is only known to exist among the Yoitsuni, as it relies on a unique aspect of their biology to properly function.

 

Device Magic – Anyone (except for the psionically-talented) can be trained to use a Device.  Device magic users aren’t exactly mages per se, but rather skilled operators of items that have been magically empowered.  Exactly how this works remains a mystery, and opinions on how they work vary from person to person, but they essentially function as a translation device, translating the wearers will to the spirits in the manner that that magically empowered humans do unconsciously. The devices vary, ranging from weapons, amulets, gloves, pens, books, and just about anything else imaginable.  While device magic users can skillfully use and maintain their items, they cannot under normal circumstances create new devices.  The only people that can create new devices are skilled Shamans, Elementalists, and Theurgists, but sometimes new devices just spring into being, proverbially speaking – the item does not appear out of nowhere.  Due to the slightly unnatural method of magic that they use, device users have difficulty dealing a specific kind of energy damage, and more frequently opt for just a general display of ‘destructive power.’  Device Magic is pretty much the same across all species, with the focusing involved being simply using the device, possibly with the addition of incantations for more powerful abilities.

• NOTE: Any spell learned via the Magery Training feat that a Device User casts that normally deals elemental damage (cold, electricity, fire) does simple energy damage instead.  Spells learned via Extra Offensive Spell device greater ability deal their normal damage.

 

Spirit Binding – Like Device Magic, Spirit Binding requires no innate magical talent (but cannot be utilized by those with psionic talent).  Effectively a variant on Theurgy, Spirit Binding involves making a contract with a spirit with the target of the contract being the user and the cost of the contract being a bit more…permanent.  Spirit Binders (commonly referred to as ‘Contractors’) enter into a permanent contract with the spirit, gaining a wide range of abilities associated with the spirit’s type – at the cost of being permanently influenced by the spirit’s very nature.