{{tag>classes}}

====== Magicien ======

En tant que magicien, vous êtes un scientifique arcanique et, comme n'importe quel scientifique, vous pourriez être diligent, excentrique, ou même complètement fou. Parmi les autres utilisateurs de magie, vous avez toutes les raisons d'être fier de vos talents. Les bardes? Des magiciens de scène obsédé par la célébrité. Les sorciers? Des freaks qui ont remporté la loterie génétique. Les démonistes? Des tricheurs qui ont acheté leur magie à quelqu'un d'autre. Vous avez mérité votre pouvoir.

**École de pensée et Philosophie arcanique actuel dans Khorvaire (D6)**

   - **Consensualiste**  La réalité est définie par la pensée et les croyances des mortels. Les praticiens de cette théorie croit aux principes de la magie arcanique est possible quand suffisamment de gens croient en ces principes établis, mais une telle magie pourrait être sujet à changelment au fil du temps.
  - Théorie du Dominion. (Dominioniste)
  -

École de pensée et Philosophie arcanique actuel dans Khorvaire (D6)

1 Consensualiste. La réalité est définie par la pensée et les croyances des mortels. Les praticiens de cette théorie croit aux principes de la magie arcanique est possible quand suffisamment de gens croient en ces principes établis, mais une telle magie pourrait être sujet à changelment au fil du temps.

2 Théorie du Dominion. (Dominioniste) Toute magie est un don des Souverains et des Six. Les rituels et les incantations sont de lemballage et il n'y a pas de différence fondamentale entre la magie arcane et la magie divine. Les partisans de cette théorie sont souvent appelés «loyalistes» ou «fous» par certains, car ils décrétent que la «magie arcanique» est une illusion.

3 Externaliste. Toute magie implique de canaliser les énergies des différents plans. Une boule de feu tire l'énergie de Fernia et un rayon d'affaiblissement tire l'énergie de Mabar.

4 Principes prophétiques. (Prophetiste) Beaucoup croient que la magie fonctionne en apportant de minuscules modifications à la prophétie draconique - le plan fondamental qui définit la réalité.

5 Théorie Siberienne. L'énergie arcanique émane de l'anneau de Siberys et imprègne Eberron. La magie arcanique façonne et canalise cette force. Certains adeptes de cette théorie insistent sur le fait que les cristaux - en particulier les éclats de dragon de Siberys - sont les seuls focus d'arcane valables.

6 Sympathisant. Toute étincelle produite peut être agrandie, il suffit de connaître les bons matériaux. Même à distance, les objets matériels une fois en contact les uns avec les autres maintiennent une connexion, et la magie coule le long de cette connexion, permettant à un véritable magicien d'affecter un objet similaire par cette connexion. L'écorce sera toujours connectée à un arbre, et tout ce qu'un sympathisant a besoin pour réveiller les arbres est un peu d'écorce et l'étincelle primordiale de la vie.

Formation Arcanique Selon les mythes de la Légion Souveraine, le dieu Aureon fut le premier à maîtriser la magie arcane. La version la plus courante de l'histoire raconte qu'au cours de ses études, une erreur de calcul a donné vie à l'ombre d'Aureon, qui est devenue l'une des Sombres Six. Depuis, l'Ombre est devenue le patron de ceux qui se plongent dans les parties les plus sombres de la magie arcane. Une autre version suggère qu'Aureon a réellement appris la magie de l'Ombre, mais certains historiens théorisent que cela pourrait être une métaphore pour un érudit mortel enseigné par le diabolique Maître Démoniaque Sul Khatesh. Quelle que soit la vérité, les prêtres d'Aureon jouent un rôle actif dans l'enseignement des arcanes. Les académies d'Aureon sont des institutions publiques pour apprendre les principes de base de la magie arcane, dont la plupart sont composées de disciples du Souverain du Droit et du Savoir. Les diplômés de ces académies sont des mageartisans, pas des magiciens, en raison de l'enseignement avancé requis pour en savoir plus que des cantrips quotidiens.

Considérez où vous pourriez avoir obtenu les instructions et les conseils nécessaires pour maîtriser les arcanes. Vous avez peut-être fréquenté l'une des prestigieuses écoles de Khorvaire, ou peut-être avez-vous maîtrisé les principes par vous-même au cours de décennies d'études exténuantes et autodidactes? Peut-être qu'un mentor plus sinistre vous a endoctriné aux facettes les plus sombres des arcanes. Une telle relation serait différente d'un démoniste, dans la mesure où votre instructeur ou tuteur surnaturel ne vous a pas accordé de pouvoir mais vous a simplement appris à l'obtenir.

Formation arcanique (D8)

1 Tradition familiale. Votre famille a une longue histoire de talent arcanique et vous êtes le plus prometteur étudiant depuis plusieurs générations, attirant à la fois des éloges et l'ire des membres de votre famille. Alternativement, vous pourriez être éclipsé par des frères et soeurs plus talentueux. Alors que certains dans une position similaire veulent se faire un nom dans l'histoire de la famille, d'autres ne veulent que se dégager de cette responsabilité.

2 Magicien ??? (Hedge wizard) Vous avez peut-être étudié dans l'une des académies mais avez trouvé leurs méthodes et leurs limites irritantes. Malgré les risques, vous avez appris par vous mêmes, même si cela signifiait de voler des textes pour reconstituer les mystères des arcanes. Vos méthodes semblent probablement étrangels, voire horribles aux magiciens de formation classique.

3 Entrainement militaire. Vous avez servi pendant la dernière guerre et vos capacités mystiques sont le résultat de votre entraînement militaire. Vous avez peut-être été un Franc-Lanceur (franc-casteur) sur les lignes de front, opéré de l'artillerie mystique, ou conservé des objets magiques importants.

4 Mentor mystique. Vous n'avez pas de formation formelle, mais vous avez appris les arts de la magie grâce à une étude individuelle avec un professeur exceptionnel. Peut-être que votre mentor était un officier lors d'un grand conflit comme la dernière guerre, un étRanger qui espérait offrir ce qu'il avait reçut, ou un mage qui parcourait les routes et les villes frontalières après avoir été expulsés de l'un des principaux instituts en raison dde ses méthodes peu orthodoxe ou interdites.

5 Éducation prestigieuse. Vous avez obtenu votre diplôme avec mention dans l'une des meilleures institutions des arcanes. Selon votre origine nationale, vos études pourraient avoir eu lieu à Arcanix, Korranberg, l'Académie Vermishard ou toute autre école de magie accréditée.

6 Étude religieuse. Vous êtes un acolyte de la légion souveraine et êtes dévoué à Aureon. Vous avez perfectionné une aptitude à la magie dans l'un des grands temples de la légion et croyez qu'Aureon vous a guidé sur votre chemin.

7 Orientation surnaturelle. Orientation surnaturelle. Vous avez appris les principes de base de la magie avec un certain encadrement d'une entité surnaturelle, semblable à un démoniste, mais sans un pacte formel vous accordant leur pouvoir. Demandez-vous comment et pourquoi cette entité vous a contacté, dans quel but et s'il pourrait y avoir une relation continue entre vous.

8 Éducation économique. Vous avez appris les arts des arcanes dans l'une des académies les moins prestigieuses, comme l'Université Morgrave, considérée comme l'une des écoles de métiers des Douze. Ceux des établissements d'enseignement supérieur peuvent vous mépriser, mais ils ne peuvent pas retirer vos réalisations, quoi qu'ils disent.

Arcane Focuses An arcane focus is a tool that allows a wizard to ignore the standard material components required for a spell, as described in chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook. Under the standard rules, the difference between a staff or an orb is purely aesthetic and simply mitigates the need for components.

In the Monde d'Eberron, a wizard’s choice of focus is both an expression of who they are and the nature of the magic they wield. Wands, staffs, and rods are primarily associated with Humain cultures in Eberron. Both the Géants of Xen’drik and the Elfes of [[:aerenal|]] occasionally use scepters as a form of focus, and although some have adapted the practice, it was the Humains of Sarlona who first made the wand a staple and brought it to Khorvaire. Primarily an offensive tool that amplifies the aggressive energies of a spell, wands of naturally magical woods have been known to increase the potential of evocation spells. In Khorvaire, people recognize wands, staffs, and rods as weapons and assume the carrier know how to use it. Those who wave wands around might cause a panic as if pointing a crossbow at someone and is likely to find either, or both, aimed squarely back at them.

Like a wand, a staff is more than just an expensive piece of wood. In the Player’s Handbook, a staff can be used as an arcane focus if its value is at least 5 gp and differs from a quarterstaff in more than just cost. An arcane focus is made from specially treated wood, and is generally engraved with mystical symbols, studded with Fragments de Dragon or other mystically active substances, and sometimes both. The compact nature of the wand makes it twice as expensive as a staff, which varies based on the exotic nature of the wood, and any customization that the focus might also exhibit. For instance, a staff or cane might be fashioned to conceal a thin blade, and rods that double as umbrellas are a current fad in Sharn. A trained Mage-artisan would easily be able to identify whether a length of wood is a functioning rod, staff, or wand and a novice artificer or talented wizard would be able to fashion a nonmagical length of wood into a focus.

Orbs and crystals have been used as an arcane focus for far longer than wands. It’s thought that the dragons were the first to employ these tools as arcane focuses, but they are also found in the ruins of Xen’drik and are the primary arcane focuses used in the nation of Aérénal.

An orb is a sphere of metal or stone, engraved with arcane patterns and imbued with Fragments de Dragon or other mystic substances. In Eberron, orbs are typically associated with abjuration and enchantment spells, and more expensive gemstones can enhance the lucidity of divination magics.

A crystal can take a wide variety of forms. The core of a crystal is typically a Siberys dragonshard, though an Eberron shard of remarkable quality can also serve the same purpose. The focus can simply be a loose crystal shard that has been polished and engraved with mystical symbols. However, a crystal focus might also be carved into a distinct form and many crystals share the length and overall shape of their counterpart wands. Crystals are generally used to channel evocation, conjuration, and illusion magic.

Ignoring any theoretical limitations, a necromancer might use a specially prepared skull, engraved as an arcane focus. The critical elements of an arcane focus require its cost be at least 5 gp, that at least one hand free to be used effectively, and that those who have arcane proficiencies are able to recognize its purpose. For instance, another wizard or cleric would likely recognize a spellcaster using a gold mask worth 50gp as a focus with a distant glance and, unless your DM decides it functions while worn, the mask would need to be held in one hand to function properly.

Variant Wands, Rods, and Staffs The Dungeon Master’s Guide and other sourcebooks present a wide variety of magical wands, staffs, and rods, but there are considerably fewer orbs and crystals in the treasure tables. As a DM, you can take an existing magic item and simply changel the form. If you’re creating an adventure set in an Aereni crypt and want the player characters to find a wand of fireballs, you can make it a crystal of fireballs to give it more distinctive Aereni flavor. In changing the form of an item, remember that all arcane focuses typically require one hand to use effectively. Arcane Institutions Arcane magic is an important part of daily life in the Cinq Nations. Basic education requires students to be tested for arcane aptitude and those that show promise are tracked to study at one of Aureon’s Academies or one of the trade schools of Les Douzes. The trade schools provide a significantly better education at a higher cost, though tuition can be waived for students who commit to a lengthy “apprenticeship” with one of the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon that many see as a form of indentured servitude. Both options are available across the Cinq Nations and are designed to produce Mage-artisans but not wizards. To learn more complex spells than simple cantrips required for municipal employment, a potential candidate would need access to one of the advanced institutions, their libraries, or a powerful mentor. No matter the nation, these academies maintain impartiality in the training of gifted students from any nation, and a favorite past time during La Dernière Guerre saw Aundair recruit ambitious wizards of Brelandeto join the Arcane Congress, just as Rekkenmark promoted the unity and survival tactics of squad-based comradery to turn the impressionable cadets from Thrane. Even in these institutions, people with abilities of high-level player characters are rare in Eberron. The teachers in Arcanix aren’t all advanced wizards and might never learn to cast the invisibility or dimension door spell. Some scholars understand the essence of advanced magical theory, teaching spells that they can’t perform themselves, while others are ritualists who can cast high level spells, but only as lengthy rituals. By 12th level, a wizard’s talents are legitimately legendary, and a careful hermit would still be known far across the world, if not by entities of other planes of existence.

Arcanix and the Congrès Ésotérique The Congrès Ésotérique of Aundair is the finest institute of magic in the Cinq Nations. Founded in 15 AR, the Congress was primarily focused on the domestic applications of magic until Galifar collapsed and the Congress was immediately militarized. Aundair is the smallest of the Five Nations, and arcane superiority was crucial to its strategy during La Dernière Guerre.

The Congrès Ésotérique is a massive institution with campuses across Aundair. The most renowned among these is Arcanix, which serves as a center both for cutting edge research and for teaching the most advanced students. The core of Arcanix is located in a cluster of floating towers, and it was moved to its current location during La Dernière Guerre to secure territory claimed from Thrane. Arcanix isn’t merely a school, it’s also a military citadel, a testament to the arcane might of the Congrès Ésotérique and Aundair as a whole. While arcane magic plays an important role in daily life across Khorvaire, this is especially true in Aundair. Between the long-established presence of the Congrès Ésotérique and the importance of magic to the war effort, Aundair has the greatest number of Mage-artisans and wand adepts in the Cinq Nations. All schools of magic can be studied at Arcanix, but Aundair is particularly noted for abjurers, conjurers, and especially, diviners. Skilled diviners might be recruited to Aundair’s intelligence service, the Royal Eyes, which is used extensively to keep an eye on national securities at home and abroad.

Atur Academy The Karrnath based Atur Academy, within what outsiders call the “City of Night”, specializes in mystical studies shunned by other institutions. Atur is a stronghold of the Le Sang Divin, and the Academy has no equal when it comes to the study of necromancy. While its coverage of other schools of magic is unremarkable, its researchers develop necromancy and transmutation spells that others would consider to be horrifying, and its vaults are said to contain tomes and scrolls of many spells forbidden during the reign of Galifar.

The Bibliothèque de Korranberg The gnomes of Zilargo place great value on illusion, divination, and enchantment magic. Most of Zilargo’s many universities teach at least one of these subjects. The Bibliothèque de Korranberg is especially noteworthy, and its divination facilities rival those of Arcanix. It’s rumored that La Tutelle of Zilargo maintains a number of hidden arcane think-tanks, but this has never been conclusively proven by anyone outside the capitol.

The Perdu Facilities of Cyre In addition to the strong presence of House Bombardier and Les Douzes, Cyrans embraced the artistic and social potential of magic. The Vermishard Academy trained promising nobles in the arts of enchantment, while the Wynarn Institute of Art (affectionally referred to as WIA by enthusiasts or snobs) focused on the artistic potential of illusion and conjuration magic. Like other nations, Cyre embraced the martial aspects of magic during La Dernière Guerre, but its war magic programs weren’t as developed as those of Aundair or Karrnath.

Université Morgrave Brelanderelies on the trade schools of Les Douzes for general magical education and Morgrave University is the best option for mystical research and private training. Morgrave’s faculty is eclectic, and its facilities are no match for Arcanix, but the University still produces an impressive number of wizards and Artificiers. This is driven by a tradition of encouraging students to personalize their techniques, shifting verbal and somatic components to find a uniquely effective approach. Aundairian and Aereni wizards find this to be revoltingly slipshod, but it has produced some impressive results over the course of generations and Breland’s wizards are well-known for their improvisation, turning the worst situations in their favor. The King’s Citadel provides training for spies and war magic to those with the highest marks, or those showing the most pose and creativity, while at the University.

Rekkenmark Located in the capital city of Korth, Rekkenmark is the finest military academy in Khorvaire. While its focus has always been military strategy and martial excellence, since the collapse of Galifar, it has aggressively expanded its mystical studies to augment its strategic efficiency. While still limited in scope, Rekkenmark has top-notch facilities for evokers, transmuters, and war mages, and reasonable instructors for abjuration and conjuration.

Advanced Civilizations Arcane magic is a part life’s daily conveniences in the Cinq Nations, but there are other nations that are significantly more advanced than Aundair. Foremost among these is Aérénal, the island nation of the Elfes. Aereni culture is tens of thousands of years old, and arcane magic is deeply integrated into its society. Almost every citizen of [[:aerenal|]] knows at least one cantrip, and the Elfes only recognize the term Mage-artisan when conversing with people on Khorvaire. Spells that might be impossibly rare in the Five Nations are seemingly unCommun but hard to find along the [[:aerenal|]] interior. One might even be able to seek out an elder spellcaster capable of powerful incantations like the true seeing or plane shift spells. While this power is impressive, it comes at an existential cost. The Elfes of [[:aerenal|]] feel that they have reached the apex of their civilization, and they are more concerned with perfectly preserving and replicating the techniques of the past than in developing new approaches to magic. As a result, Aereni magic has barely changeld over the course of the last five thousand years, while just in the last century Humainity has made dramatic strides in understanding and application. In terms of capability, wizards of the Cinq Nations remain in Aérénal’s Ombre for now, but things could easily changel in the coming millennium. While Aérénal’s techniques are impressive, they are difficult for Humains to master. The first challenge is finding an instructor. The Aereni learn magic from their families, and the insular Elfique culture has no interest in training outsiders. Even if they did, Aereni techniques involve a tremendous amount of repetition, absolutely perfecting smallest details. An Aereni wizard could spend ten years simply practicing somatic gestures before learning even a single spell. The techniques of fully trained Aereni wizards are flawless and beautiful, considered a work of art, but might not be any more effective than the quick and dirty techniques of a Morgrave mage. However, this time and patience has instilled the Aereni with an appreciation for the beauty and dangelr of magic that shorter lived races might never understand, and a

novice wizard from [[:aerenal|]] could likely tell the region of another wizard’s training based on the specificity and confidence by somatic or verbal components alone. Few people have even heard of another advanced civilization in Khorvaire, the Domaine Empoisonné, a tiefling nation on the coast of Droaam. The Domaine Empoisonné has preserved the arcane techniques of one of the fallen nations of Sarlona. Their traditions often blur the line between warlock and wizard, as even a traditional wizard likely receives guidance in the form of instructions from supernatural tutors. Like Aérénal, higher level magic can be expected from students in the Domaine Empoisonné, and it is similarly mired in the traditions of the past with little advancement in recent centuries. If you’re playing a wizard from one of these cultures, consider how you feel about life in the Cinq Nations. You might miss the arcane luxuries of your homeland or constantly wonder how people can live in such primitive conditions. Perhaps there might be something to learn from the innovative spirit of these people or, their ingenuity might simply strike you as stubbornness. In any case, expect those you encounter to have strong opinions about your origins and discuss with your DM how much that might play a factor in the world before you embark together into a campaign.

====== Dragonmarks: Magicians ======

Posted on [[http://keith-baker.com/sorcerers/|April 27, 2017]]

It’s busy as always here. Renegade Games just announced the [[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/223518/scott-pilgrims-precious-little-card-game|Scott Pilgrim game]] I’ve been working on, and I just got back from a trip to LA where I did some things with Maze Arcana, Saving Throw, and Geek & Sundry. I don’t have time for a big article, but an interesting question came up during the week and wanted to explore it.

Before I start I want to take a moment to address the limitations of this format. Eberron is the intellectual property of Wizards of the Coast, and at the moment, //only WotC can create new material for Eberron//. What I can do – both here and on Manifest Zone – is to //clarify //the material that does exist, as well as talk about how I use it and interpret it. But I can’t create entirely new material. So for example: I’d really like to write more about the planes, but I can’t precisely because so little has been written about them – and it’s a logical subject for an official sourcebook or series of official articles at some point in the future. This is why I’m planning to post more //Phoenix// material here in the future. I can’t create new material for the Shadow Marches, but I can create material for the Fens in //Phoenix//… and give some tips as to how you could adapt that to the Shadow Marches. So keep an eye out for that. And in the meantime, the best thing you can do for Eberron is to continue to voice your interest and support – to be sure that WotC knows there is ongoing interest in new material!

This question came up in a discussion earlier this week, and it pushes a lot of my buttons, so…

**//I’ve always felt the sorcerer is a strange class. They don’t “understand magic,” but they can read scrolls, use wands, and have Spellcraft and Knowledge: Arcana in their skill list. Theoretically you could have a sorcerer with Charisma 18 and Intelligence 3, who can barely read but can still use scrolls… Finally, specifically for Eberron, do they immediately control their power or do they have the same problem as aberrant dragonmarks, where they could accidentally harm friends or family? And aren’t they persecuted as “Hidden Aberrants?”// **

The first issue here is how you view classes. Are classes a construct that exists in the world exactly as they exist in the rules? Does every member of a class have access to all the choices within that class? Or are they simply mechanical tools that allow us as GMs and players to model the characters we want to play? Does every sorcerer in the world recognize “I am a sorcerer?” Or is that a term we use to identify anyone using this rule set, but not something they would recognize?

To me, what’s important is to start with an idea of who a character is and what their role is in the world. Then I will apply a class and break it down from there. Each class has a core, basic mechanical principle; the sorcerer’s is //I cast arcane magic from a very limited list of spells, but with greater flexibility in casting than a wizard//. The wizard has to memorize spells in advance, but has the ability to use any spell they can acquire; the sorcerer is limited to a very specific set of spells. Bear in mind that //arcane magic is an ambient force that exists in the world of Eberron//. The power is there, and it can be manipulated by tools, by formulas, by innate talent. A sorcerer interacts with this power in a fundamentally different way than a wizard – but within that framework //(spontaneous arcane casting) //there’s room for a lot of different concepts and stories.

  * **Harry ir’Potter. **There are people in Eberron who simply have a natural potential to channel the ambient arcane power in the world, but it’s a gift that they’ll never manifest unless they learn to harness is. Arcanix seeks out these sorcerers. By studying the principles of magic and engaging in a focused curriculum, they learn to produce specific magical effects. This character possesses both Spellcraft and Knowledge: Arcana, reflecting their disciplined study of magic. Their spells have no particular relation to one another, because they have chosen exactly what spells they want to cast as part of their studies; they //understand //their talent and its limitations. These characters are called //sorcerers //at Arcanix, though many wizards refer to them as “living wands”, mocking their inability to master a spell from a spell book.
  * **Touched By Fire. **Irilask is a tiefling conceived in a manifest zone tied to Fernia. She is a living conduit to Fernia, and she has developed the ability to channel its eternal flames. All her spells have to do with fire; as DM, I may allow her to cosmetically shift some spells to reflect this, so maybe her //ghost armor //is made of solidified flames. She //could //know Spellcraft or Knowledge: Arcana, but it’s up to the player; her spells aren’t tied to arcane study and there’s no reason she needs to have these skills.
  * **Dragonmarked Savant. **Haskal d’Lyrandar is a dragonmarked scion with the Mark of Storms. While he only possesses the Least Mark of Storms, he has connected to the mark in a deeper way that most heirs ever do. His mark is a lens through which he focuses arcane power related to winds and lightning; he levitate on a cushion of wind, or strike his foes with lightning or shocking grasp. Again, these are powers most heirs can never develop (and more destructive than the typical mark powers); the point is that the mark helps him understand and focus arcane power. Like Irilask, he doesn’t //need //to understand how magic works, because the mark is the tool that allows him to use it. He //could //study Spellcraft, but he doesn’t have to.
  * **Deadly Aberrant. **Tesha possesses an aberrant mark with power not seen in centuries. Like Haskal, she has a base mark (Inflict Wounds)… but like Haskal, I’m using the sorcerer class to represent the unusually powerful and versatile nature of her mark, which does far more than simply granting a single spell-like ability once in a day. Just as in the stories, Tesha’s abilities manifested when she was young and were never under control, and she killed her family before she knew what she was doing. Even now, these powers frighten her… and yet, they continue to grow stronger (as she gains new spells). If Tesha was a PC, I might provide her with a mechanical benefit (say, +1 to save DCs) in exchange for the downside that as GM, I can trigger her abilities without her permission. Meanwhile, she knows absolutely nothing about Spellcraft or Knowledge: Arcana; she doesn’t understand her powers or CHOOSE to make them grow stronger, they simply do.
These are just a few concepts off the top of my head. A sorcerer could be someone twisted by the power of the Mourning. They could be the beneficiary of some sort of fey boon, or the result of mysterious magebreeding experiments. A sorcerer could have a connection to one of the Progenitor dragons, something I explored in a Dragon article back in the day. Of all these examples, Harry Potter is the only one who would think of himself as a “sorcerer” – it’s simply that *I* will use the class to mechanically represent the concepts I’ve come up with. Most likely an expert in the arcane will use the term “sorcerer” to identify “spontaneous arcane caster”, and HE might call Tesha or Irilask sorcerers, but THEY don’t identify that way.

Let’s revisit a few specific points…

**//They don’t “understand magic,” but they can read scrolls, use wands, and have Spellcraft and Knowledge: Arcana in their skill list.// **

First of all: a sorcerer doesn’t //have //to understand magic. That doesn’t mean they don’t. Looking to the examples I gave above, Harry Potter DEFINITELY understands magic and based on his concept he should have Spellcraft and Knowledge: Arcana. Haskal and Irilask don’t have to understand magic, but they could if you wanted to take the character in that direction – in which case they should take the skills reflecting it. Tesha definitely doesn’t understand magic and her powers have nothing to do with Spellcraft or Knowledge… so I wouldn’t give her the skills. The fact that they are on the skill list is a tool we can choose to use; but if it doesn’t make sense with the concept, //don’t give them those skills//.

The second question does follow, though: Tesha could be an illiterate peasant. So how is it that she can use a scroll?

The question you have to ask here is //what is a scroll? //Being literate doesn’t allow you to use it; a normal person can’t read a scroll and produce a magical effect. A scroll isn’t written in any sort of normal language, hence the existence of the //read magic //spell. Instead, a scroll is about sigils and symbols that contain pure arcane magic… and once you activate the scroll, the magic is GONE. So again, it’s not simply about words; a scroll is a spell that’s been frozen midcast and bound to paper. In my opinion, the ability of a sorcerer to use a scroll doesn’t represent them literally reading it the way you might read a book; it represents them connecting with the magic, //feeling //the locked progress, and having the power to unlock it and release the power inside. The same principle holds true for a wand. A wand doesn’t have a button; you have to understand how arcane magic works. A wizard may have a disciplined, technical approach to using a wand. In the case of Tesha, whether she’s using a wand or a scroll, she doesn’t //understand //what she’s doing in a scientific way. She just holds the scroll and she can //feel //the power within it, //see //the pattern in her mind… and she somehow knows that if she completes that unfinished pattern, makes that connection, the power bound to the page will be unleashed.

Because they approach it technically, a wizard can look at a scroll and copy the concept into their spell book. They look at the frozen spell and say “I get it – I understand the principle here and I think I can replicate that.” The sorcerer can’t do that, but they can still unleash the frozen spell.

**//Finally, specifically for Eberron, do they immediately control their power or do they have the same problem as aberrant dragonmarks, where they could accidentally harm friends or family? And aren’t they persecuted as “Hidden Aberrants?”// **

As outlined above, this entirely depends on the story of your sorcerer. Harry ir’Potter will never manifest magic if he doesn’t get training. Irilask is in some ways like an aberrant, having the ability to spontaneously produce fire, but the fact that it IS entirely under her control and has no negative consequences is what makes her NOT an aberrant. Meanwhile, Tesha IS an aberrant, and her sorcerer levels are simply a reflection of her aberrant power; and it’s part of her story that these powers are dangerous, and thus she WILL be persecuted.

Bear in mind that people with PC class levels are rare in Eberron, and add to that the idea that there is no one set of rules governing how a sorcerer’s abilities manifest. Even with aberrant dragon marks, it’s STORY that says that they are dangerous to the bearer and those around them. Mechanically nothing says an aberrant mark can trigger on its own; it’s a choice we ENCOURAGE because it’s part of the flavor of the setting, and that STORY is why aberrants are feared.

//**I almost always have low level NPCs call their spells by other names, until some bookish wizard gets a chance to correct them. ** //

At my table, the spell the sorcerer casts may not BE the same “spell” that the wizard uses. In the examples above, the way Irilask casts her fireball will be quite different to what Harry would do, let alone a wizard. These spells have to have the same //limitations //laid out in the rules: verbal components, somatic components, etc. And someone can use Spellcraft to recognize a spell from these things. But that doesn’t mean that there is one single incantation that is the only way to cast a fireball, and that Irilask has somehow spontaneously stumbled onto it thanks to her connection to Fernia. Irilask has to have SOMETHING that matches the limitations of a verbal component; but in her case, that could be a strange sort of throat-singing that helps her focus her power, while Harry DOES use the same incantation an Arcanix wizard would use. Spellcraft is about recognizing patterns of magic as much as specific words.

This ties to my idea that Aereni arcane magic presents very differently from Aundair’s path. At my table the idea is that the Aereni use a definitive lexicon of magical incantations, and that as an Aereni wizard you not only learn the 82 words for fire and the proper conjugation, you also learn to enunciate them with the exact pronunciation the elf who first scribed the spell… while Aundair’s Path is that each wizard works from a basic toolset but personalizes it. So four wizards from Arcanix are all using the same fundamental incantation for their fireball, but they are emphasizing different syllables, and they’ve added or dropped a few words to find out what works best for them. Their gestures are similarly unique. Think of it as the magical equivalent of music. The Aereni are a classical symphony orchestra, where each piece has to work just so; Arcanix teaches jazz, and every time you cast a spell the casting might be slightly different, as you adjust to the feelings of the moment. Which is why an Aereni spends a century learning the same foundation a human can master in a decade. It’s not that the elf is stupid; it’s that their wizardry is literally more ARCANE, and human wizardry is more “figure out what works and run with it.” I think the Aereni are appalled by human wizards and amazed that they somehow produce magic with their clumsy, kluge-y methods. Meanwhile, those same methods are why human wizards are coming up with things that the elves have never tried in twenty thousand years of working spells… because their approach to magic //encourages //creativity.

//**With planes like Lamannia and Thelanis, is it possible that “sorcerer druids” would appear in the Eldeen Reaches and similar places, essentially treating primal magic like normal sorcerers would arcane?** //

I have no object to the concept of a spontaneous primal caster. The point of the sorcerer vs the wizard is that arcane energy exists in the world waiting to be manipulated, and the two classes represent two different ways of manipulating that energy. Primal magic is also a force that exists in the world, and I am entirely open to the idea that there are different ways to manipulate that. With that said, I seen Thelanis as more tied to arcane magic than to primal magic… back to my [[http://keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-thelanis-and-the-fey/|previous posts on Thelanis]], I don’t see there being anything natural about Thelanis. A dryad is a fey creature, not an elemental. She’s not a natural entity; she’s about the magic we //imagine //could be part of the world. So it’s more that I see there being Greensingers with levels in Sorcerer and Bard, who supplement their primal magic with arcane illusion and enchantment, than I see //Thelanis //producing primal sorcerers. Lamannia is a stronger possibility, but personally, I’d see a primal sorcerer as someone who has simply developed an innate connection to Eberron itself. On some level I could see this in the Rothfuss style of someone who knows “the name of the wind” – they don’t know any of the standard druidic rituals or tradition, but they have found a way to directly interact with primal forces.

//**How do you conceptualize progress as a wizard (i.e. levelling up) versus society’s progress in arcane magic as a whole in a world where magic is a scientific discipline?** //

Good question. Check out [[http://keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-61816-faith-and-wisdom/|this post]] if you haven’t. The main issue is that arcane magic IS fundamentally different from our science and technology. It behaves in a scientific fashion: it is reliable, repeatable, predictable. However, it is something that incorporates a living component in a way that’s not easily defined. A 5th level wizard may be more intelligent than a higher level wizard, and could have a better understanding of magical theory (Spellcraft) than that wizard. They can read a 7th level spell and understand the concept, but //they can’t cast it//. Further, even the higher level wizard has to memorize that spell and then they can //only cast it once //before they need to prepare it again. Which means that it’s not simple science like a software engineer coding a piece of software or a scientist making a calculation. The wizard is a direct living component of this effect. The basic idea of arcane magic is that there is ambient energy in the world that can be channeled to alter reality. But beyond understanding theory, I believe that this requires significant willpower and takes a certain toll on the mind of the user. Note that a wizard’s Will Saving Throw goes up as they increase in level. In memorizing a spell, a wizard is balancing forces, weighing energy, both making mental calculations and potentially performing sub-rituals that are triggered when the final spell is released. But the short form is that a lower level wizard //literally cannot cast //that higher level spell. Something about their brain simply isn’t capable of serving as a channel or focus for the power that’s being unleashed. And that right there is something scientists in our world don’t generally have to deal with.

So first of all: It is certainly the case that if you go to Arcanix, they have a library of spells that //almost no one can cast//. They’ve had high-level wizards (like Mordain) in the past. And there are a few 12th level wizards floating around Aundair over the course of the war. They know this power exists, but most people simply cannot perform these spells. And you can be sure that they’re researching ways to make that possible.

**WITH ALL OF THAT SAID: **A fundamental pillar of Eberron is that **player characters are exceptional**. This is reflected by action points, by the fact that they use player character classes, and by the fact that they can both quickly advance in level and attain levels far beyond the masses. So if a wizard is a scientist, your PC //IS //Tesla or Einstein. The fact that YOUR wizard can create new spells doesn’t mean that EVERY wizard in the world can do it so easily; your character may make arcane breakthroughs people have been struggling with for centuries.

//**A 20th level wizard living in the present is going to be able to call down meteor swarms just as a 20th level wizard living in pre-Galifar Khorvaire 1,500 years earlier would be. The GM could restrict the spell list for the earlier wizard but does that still leaves us with phenomenally powerful spells available in the present (and also probably upsets the player of the ancient high level wizard)?** //

There’s a few ways to look at this. In the case of non-human civilizations, that’s correct. Giants, dragons and Aereni were all throwing around //meteor swarms //long ago. With HUMAN civilization, there’s room to play with this. Some day I’d like to do a deeper look at the evolution of arcane magic, and to identify the breakthroughs and legendary wizards who made them. But here’s the simple answer I came up with using 3.5 rules to consider how magic might have evolved in Galifar: **Components**. In 3.5 there are meta magic feats – Still Spell, Silent Spell – that let you cast a spell without verbal or somatic components… by increasing the slot of the spell by one level. This means it is POSSIBLE to perform those effects without gestures or incantations. In MY Eberron, those gestures and incantations didn’t appear out of the blue: they were painstakingly developed over centuries of research. The fact that proper gestures help to efficiently channel arcane energy was a revelation, and then generations of human wizards worked to refine those gestures. Likewise with incantations. So go back a thousand years and a wizard would be casting many of the same spells, but he’d be doing it without somatic or verbal components, and the spell slot would be two higher. So back in the day, //Magic Missile //was a **third level spell**. When your future wizard pops back, flinging magic missiles around like they’re nothing, it’s AMAZING to past wizard… even though he recognizes the principles you’re using. Meanwhile, in the present day, we’ve become so dependent on incantations and gestures that most wizards can’t even imagine casting a spell without them without special training (metamagic feats)… just as now we have matches and lighters, most people don’t know how make a fire without them.

//**How do NpC adepts fit into the mix, especially in 3.5 when they get familiars? If they are a healer, does their magical companion strike anyone as out of the ordinary?** //

First of all: just as I’ve outlined with sorcerers, the adept is a tool you can use to represent a certain type of character. Just because it has a particular spell on its spell list or skill in its skill list doesn’t mean that EVERY adept has access to that spell in the context of the world. And looking to familiars, note that per the SRD, they **//may //** call a familiar; it doesn’t automatically appear if they never call it. So, for example, most Brunet healers are adepts. Some revere Arawai or Boldrei, while others are agnostic and draw their healing power through the lens of their dragonmark. A Brunet adept whose power is justified as coming from his mark will simply never take spells like //Burning Hands //or //Wall of Fire//; those spells are on the adept spell list, but they don’t make logical sense for THIS adept.

So within the world, adepts are healers, both secular and religious. They are found in all of the major faiths as a step between the mundane priest and the full cleric; they are able to touch the divine, but not with the full power of a cleric, just as the magewright understands the principles of magic but not so well as the wizard. They can also be found in places like the Elder as a simple village healer… though I also created [[http://www.giantitp.com/articles/gk7uKJeF296jRcx1NJw.html|the Gleaner]] to serve this role.

As for familiars, there are wizards and sorcerers in the world. Familiars exist. And hey, in 3.5 gnomes can talk to animals… not to mention Létourneau magebreeding. Familiars may draw attention, but it’s not like people will freak out about them; it’s a recognized magical talent.

//**Would 4E/5E rituals be the natural culmination of the process of greater spell acessibility at the cost of more complex spell components? It seems to me that rituals almost all but eliminate the caster themselves as a living component.** //

I’ve written about rituals before. The basic CONCEPT of rituals is a far better match for Eberron’s vision of a magical economy than Vancian magic. It’s hard to imagine a magewright making a living making //arcane locks //if he can only make two per day; what’s he do for the rest of the day? This is what led to Dragonmark Focus Items in 3.5 – the point that while a Sivis Gnome can cast Whispering Wind once per day with his mark alone, what is economically important is that it lets him use a //Speaking Stone //and communicate more frequently. In addition, the idea has always been that Eberron dragonshards are the “fuel” of the magical economy. If you consider 4E’s residuum to be crushed and refined Eberron dragonshards (something I discussed in the Q’barra Dragon backdrops, IIRC) then that works. The magewright can cast arcane lock as often as he wishes during a day, provided he has the time (15 minutes per ritual) and a sufficient supply of dragonshards,  and he marks up the costs to make his profit.

So: the //basic principle //of rituals is very good for Eberron. However, what I HATE about 4E rituals is the idea that it’s all about just essentially reading them off a book. Because Magewrights and Eberron are about the idea that performing a particular ritual or set if rituals is a JOB – that you have an arcane locksmith who knows //knock //and //arcane lock//, an augur who can perform divinations, a lamplighter who makes continual flames… not that these guys could pass books around and suddenly trade jobs. So what I do in 4E is to say that //Magewright //is a feat allowing the individual to perform three rituals without a ritual book. So PCs with the Ritual Caster feature are prodigies who are so talented that they can just look at a book and perform the ritual on the spot; but most people in the world spend years studying a book and mastering the ritual. They don’t need the book to perform the ritual, but they also can’t just spot-read a different ritual.

Having said all of that, how do rituals eliminate the caster as a component? The ritual can’t cast itself. It’s a pattern that produces an effect… but you still need the ritual caster to perform that ritual, channel and focus the energy, and make it happen. Even dragon mark focus items require a character with a dragonmark to operate them.

Tied to “Greater Spell Accessibility”, in my 4E Eberron I also restricted a significant number of rituals to the dragonmarked… essentially having rituals take on the role of the Dragonmark focus items in 3.5, but with the idea that the Arcane Congress is always looking for ways to replicate these effects with rituals anyone can learn. This is discussed in far more detail in **[[http://keith-baker.com/dragonmarks-51-the-dragonmarked-houses/|this post**]]**.

How have you used sorcerers and magic in YOUR games?

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