Wednesday 7 July 2021

Primordial Wizard

Think this will be the last Primordial class for a little while!

We've had the Reverent and the Fiendish. So what makes the original spellcaster different?

Coincidentally, I've been thinking about magic a bit recently, and I like the idea that it's a force that drenches the whole world, not something restricted to an elite few.

So yeah, magic is everywhere, but words have a special ability to be able to tap into it in a number of different ways.

This wizard is just a big nerd librarian, weaponising their reading age to spectacular results.

Bit of a cheat this time, as this class is really nothing without the specific spellbooks that they tap into, which will be coming next time. This is more about understanding the truths of the world surrounding word-magic, and an excuse to use some very silly wizard-words. 



Primordial Wizard

Magic is everywhere. All parts of the world conceal it, and all people tap into it without even realising. Just as stories can help us to understand complex matters, words have a special ability to connect with magic. 


The Mystical Languages

You know two of these confidently, two of them passably, and one just barely. 


Grimnal: A difficult script that predates any recorded history, often requiring an entire page to accurately record a single word. Doesn’t hold innate magical power itself, but used in foundational and instructional texts for all magical knowledge. If you can read Grimnal you can read any mundane language by extension. 


Primotonic: A language that is easily read, but requires much practice to pronounce correctly. Allows small bypasses of the innate rules of our world such as gravity, momentum, molecular stability. 


Urunic: Cannot be held in paper, only in heavy matter such as metal, stone, or particular woods. Must be touched to be read aloud, awakening power in the item it is carved on or channeling it to a willing vessel.


Etheric: A language that cannot be spoken or written, only mouthed, gestured, and felt from within. Calls upon worlds beyond our own to bring forth elemental energies and beings.  


Metalingual: Not so much a language, but a deeper understanding of the power of syntax. Two words can sound identical, but carry entirely different meanings based on the context of their use. As such, any language can become mystical if the correct context is applied. All texts reveal hidden truths to you that would pass others by. Used in the casting of charms and curses bound by rigid laws.


Spellbooks

Your repertoire of Spells grows as you explore the world, held in some record beyond this sheet, typically multiple Spellbooks. Some of these can represent Spells learned from a non-written source.


You begin with a single Spellbook of your choice.



Casting Spells

Choose one that you are particularly experienced with, and one that you find difficult. 


  • Recite: Reading a specific set of words, whether from your spellbook, an immovable tome, or an engraved object. Typically takes a long time, but is reliable if you know the language well enough. 

  • Enact: Performing a specific method to cast a spell more quickly, typically requiring some expertise in Etheric and carrying a greater risk in the case of failure. 

  • Discharge: This is typically a single word that “releases” a spell that was previously bound in some form. Often this is in a scroll or gem, which is destroyed in the process. This is also the method for dispelling ongoing spells, as long as you know the correct word. 


Implements

Choose one of the following implements.


  • Wand: Aids greatly in the casting of any spell that calls for Etheric methods, and the precision of any spells that require a target.

  • Staff: You can bind any spell you cast into your Staff, to be Discharged later on. Typically only one Spell can be stored in this way, but legendary staffs can hold more spells or even alter or combine them as they are Discharged.

  • Familiar: An intelligent animal that can act as a vessel or point of origin for any spell that you cast.


Cantrips

These small, simple spells are impressive to outsiders, but really they are a single spell bound by a clear set of restrictions, which Wizards can manipulate to a wide variety of effects. Certain articles of Arcane Paraphernalia can even allow certain cantrip restrictions to be loosened or even ignored.


  1. Ephemerality: The effects of a cantrip cannot last more than a few moments, during which you must be focused on the spell.

  2. Unreality: Anybody that suspects an effect of a cantrip to be magical can clearly see its mystical nature. 

  3. Modesty: Any force or matter conjured cannot exceed that of the caster’s physical form.


2 comments:

  1. Hey Chris, there is something missing on the "Staff" entry, the sentence ends at "but there’s always" :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The mysteries of magic!!!

      (I'll fix it, thanks)

      Delete