Microsoft Zone Archive/Asheron's Call Handbook/The Way of Magic: Of Schools and Spells

Related topics: Magic

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The Way of Magic: of Schools and Spells

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A Neophyte's Primer on the Arcane Arts, by Kimizu Jii-wen of Hebian-to

The world of Dereth is steeped in magic. Magicians are nearly as plentiful as warriors, and many an enchanted item waits to be found by adventurers. It is perhaps a more difficult choice to begin a career as a spellcaster than it is to begin as a warrior, but the potential rewards may also be greater. Consider that high-level spellcasters are powerful characters whose magical expertise is as important to gameplay as skill with the axe or bow, and as much in demand as the deadliest flaming sword.

Spellcraft Skills and Schools of Magic
The three basic types of spellcasters in Asheron's Call are: Enchanters, Life Mages, and Sorcerers. Each uses a different spellcraft skill to cast spells.

In addition, there are seven magic skills in AC. The first four, the spellcraft skills, are associated with the four schools of magic.

Creature Enchantment is associated with the School of the Left Hand. This skill is used for spells that affect the attributes of opponents or other characters, such as raising the Quickness of a player character, or lowering the Endurance of an opponent. Spells belonging to this school are used by Enchanters, and also by adventurers who have Creature Enchantment as a trained or specialized skill.

Item Enchantment is associated with the School of the Right Hand. This skill is used for spells that affect the attributes of item, such as raising the armor level of a piece of armor, or lowering the damage caused by an opponent's sword. Like the spells belonging to the School of the Left Hand, these spells are used by Enchanters, and also by adventurers who have Item Enchantment as a trained or specialized skill.

Life Magic is used by the School of the Heart. This skill is used for spells that heal or harm living things, such as spells that raise or lower a character's Health or other secondary attributes. Life Magic can also be used to protect characters from damage of various types. These spells are used by Life Mages, and also by adventurers who have Life Magic as a trained or specialized skill.

War Magic is used by the School of the Arm. This skill is used for spells that act as weapons against opponents, such as spells that hurl missiles of fire, force, ice, electricity, or acid. Spells of this school are used by Sorcerers, and also by adventurers who have War Magic as a trained or specialized skill.

Other Magic Skills
Arcane Lore is used when a character attempts to learn a new spell formula or use a magic item.

Magic Defense is used to resist spells cast upon a character.

Mana Conversion reduces the amount of Mana necessary to cast a spell or use a magic item.

Spell Use

In Dereth, the forces of magic are often fickle and dangerous. The spellcasters who do not understand this will soon find themselves at the mercy of the very powers they seek to control -- possibly at the risk of their own lives. If one follows a few simple principles, however, this danger will be greatly reduced.

Keep a diverse spellbook. Since overusing a spell will reduce its potency, it is best not to rely on any one enchantment to the exclusion of others. Use spells of different powers, or with similar effects, to keep from being crippled.

Use different means to the same end. There is often more than one way to achieve a particular goal using magic. If you want to turn a foe into a poor swordsmen, for instance, you can cast a spell to reduce his skill with a sword, or you can use other spells to hamper his Strength or Coordination. To help a friend do more damage in battle, you can increase the damage his axe does, or make him stronger, or make his opponent more vulnerable to slashing damage. You can also use all these spells together to magnify the effects.

Use counterspells. Except for the War Magic school, most spells have a corresponding counterspell that will reverse their effects. For instance, for every spell that decreases one's Quickness, there is a counterspell to increase it by a similar amount. Keep these spells on hand, so if an enemy casts an enchantment to hinder you or your friends, you can counter it with your own magic.

Protect your secrets. Magic is precious. Every time someone in Dereth casts a spell, its power is slightly depleted. For that reason, most wise mages don't reveal their secrets readily. Share your formulae only with friends and followers you trust.

Watch other spellcasters. You can learn much about magic by watching others perform it. The gestures wizards make, and the incantations they recite, will reveal much to the careful observer. Try to associate meanings with words and motions, and use those to reconstruct the spell's formula.

Beware while experimenting. Not only does wantonly testing spell formulae tax your Mana, it can also have dire consequences for the unwary. While experimenting, you will sometimes stumble across spells that harm or hinder you. To explain this, some scholars have developed a theory of Arcane Symmetry, which states that if a spell exists, its counterspell must also exist, whether that counterspell is beneficial or harmful. It is also possible that the Empyrean seeded the magical continuum with these malicious spells in an attempt to discourage dilettantes and dabblers, and to teach their own wizards to be responsible in their research.