TREATSIE ON MAGIC
By the Sage Telos McCorie
The forces of magic have grown considerably weaker since before the breaking of the world. The Crisis at the end of the Fourth Age when magic was temporarily stripped from the world by Greymire, the Mage Wars, and the Breaking all deeply effected the flow and strength of magic. Only time will tell if the nature and properties of magic has been permanantly or if they will rebound. Magic can still be practiced but the process is no longer as easy or as straight forward as it once was.
Unfortunately a great deal of lore and knowledge about magic has also been lost since the Breaking. During the early part of the Fifth age the corrupted Church of the Creator actively suppressed the knowledge of magic and science. Much that had been written about these subjects had been systematically gathered up and burned. Not only were books and scrolls burned but magic items and even a few artifacts were destroyed by the Church. The practice of Magic was also forbidden and those who practiced it hunted down and killed. I have spent several lifetimes attempting to catalogue what survived the purge. .
Unfortunately a great deal of magical knowledge has been lost. Most mages today don’t even know the basics of spell casting. Being able to cast spells has almost become a lost art. Mages today resort to creating potions and powders which they imbue with magical properties. The reason for this is that casting spells of levels higher than third requires most mages to use of a focus whereas imbuing magical properties to potions and powders does not require as much magical energy. I have speculated that this is a result of the purge. I believe the hereditary trait of magical use has been weaken and diluted because of the killings of mages during the purge. .
Most Mages must now possess a focus to concentrate the magical energies and to bind them to their will. A focus can take many forms a special crystal, a staff, a wand, a ring. Such items are used to store and build up magical potential so that when needed spells can be cast. The casting of spells higher than third level is for the most part impossible without the use of a focus. .
The creation of a focus is the first thing a new mage undertakes when he begins his studies. The mage must craft his focus using only the best materials available and it will cost at least 1000 g.p to craft and at least a month to make. .
The process for creating and imbuing a focus is a long and tedious process requiring rigorous concentration and expenditure of personal energy. The final step in the process is a blood ritual to bind the focus to the user. This blood ritual results in the loss of one point of constitution permanently for the mage. The magics of imbuing a focus are such that a mage may not have more than one in existence at a time. A mage with two focuses after all is no longer focused. If a mage attempts to create a new focus while his other one is still whole he will fail and will lose 1d4 points of constitution permanently. .
Should a mages focus be destroyed he will be unable to cast any spells for 1d6 months and he will lose 1 hit point permanently for every level he has gained. This means that a focus is the most cherished possession of any mage and his weakest point. Mages are attuned to their focuses and can sense its whereabouts anywhere on the planet. The loss of a focus is an unbearable thing for any mage and he or she will do just about anything they can to retrieve it. A mage can use his or her focus as long as they are within 10’ + 1’/point of intelligence radius of the focus. A mage can never cast spells of his highest level without physical contact with his focus. .
Thankfully the process that imbues a focus with its powers also makes in nearly indestructible by mundane means. Focuses receive a +6 to their saving throws when saving against non-magical forces. Saves against magical forces are modified by +/- 1 for every two levels of difference between the focuses owner and the level of the destructive magic. .
ACQUISTION AND RARITY OF SPELLS
Many spell books and texts have been burned and destroyed by the church over the centuries. The acquisition of spells is indeed a very rare and difficult event. Secret covens sprung up over the centuries to train and pass along the knowledge of magic. Such covens are very secretive and unwilling to share their knowledge with those not of their brotherhood. This has resulted in the passing of spells and spell books down from teacher to student. The number of spells available to any particular member is dependent on how old and how successful the coven has been over the years. Often covens have developed around a theme or type of magical casting. Unless one goes searching for new spells and faces the dangers inherent in traveling to such places the number and quality of the spells he gains will be meager. The price of belonging to a coven is that one swears an oath of fealty and mutual support to all members of the coven. The mage must share all his knowledge and spells with the coven and must pay annual dues equal to 1000 g.p per year or more. The good news is that the mage gains 1 spell every time he goes up a level provided that the coven possess a spell of the level he can cast at. A mage can opt to take a lower level spell as well.
MAGIC ITEMS
The Art of creating and permenantly imbuing magical properties to an inanimate object is nearly a dead art. Perhaps the elder races like the Elves and Dwarves who hide away in their secret sanctuaries still possess the knowledge on how to forge magical items other than potions, powders, and foci but the children of men have lost the art. Over the centuries I have collected rumors of magical items and artifacts that survived the purge. I have no need of these items myself but I have assemble a list of items I have heard about in case some future researcher or explore might seek these items out.
ARTIFACTS
The Staff of Arcanium
This item lays within the ruins of the Wizard/Warrior Grishlahomes Keep. Grishlahome was one of the foremost Wizards of his time. He is siad to have been one of the Wizards who forsaw the breaking of the world and that he help to save many lives. Grishlahomes Keep is located in the Dragonwall mountains to the north near Nestlers Bay. Nestlers bay is the home to a pair of Black Dragons.
The Swords of Triplication
The remains of the the two broken swords lie with the one remaining whole sword near the heart of the Wastelands. The swords sits in the underground ruins of the fable Dwarven city of Thermax. The ruins of the city are now occupied by many evil creatures including mind flayers and a shadow dragon.
The Seven Rings of Telos and The Twelve Rings of the Vampire Lords
In the last days of the fourth age the Gods decreed that these powerful items from beyond time were too powerful for mortals. The Gods summoned the chosen and champions of Knom and told them to place these items within the Temple of the four winds. The flying fortress temple of the the four winds was than transported to the fabled island of Godshome where it sits to this very day. The island and the temple were than transported outside of time to a place where only the gods and those chosen to travel.
The Orb of Cristar
This powerful orb which legend relates was used by the Creator to forge the World and which was used at the end of the fifth age to banish demons and devils back to the nether regions belongs to the King of the Frost Giants. The frost giants live far to the south on the frozen southern continant.
MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC ITEMS KNOWN TO STILL EXIST
- RINGS
- Feather Falling
- Invisibility
- Mammal Control
- Regeneration
- Spell Storing
- Spell Turning
- Telekinesis
- Weakness
- Wizardry
- Mammal Control
- RODS/STAVES/WANDS
- Rod of Absorbtion
- Rod of Cancellation
- Staff of Curing
- Staff of the Magi
- Staff of Striking
- Wand of Enemy Detection
- Wand of Fear
- Wand of Illumination
- Wand of Illusion
- Wand of Magic Detection
- Wand of metal and Mineral Detection
- Wand of Magic Missile
- Wand of Paralyzation
- MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
- Alchemy Jug
- Amulet of Inescapable Location
- Amulet of Proof against Detection & Location
- Arrow of Direction
- Bag of Holding
- Book of Exalted Deeds
- Book of Vile Darkness
- Boots of Levitation
- Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals
- Bracers of Defense A.C 6
- Bracers of Defense A.C 4
- Bracers of Defense A.C 2
- Chime of Opening
- Cloak of Displacement
- Cloak of Protection +2
- Crystal Ball
- Cubic Gate
- Dust of Appearance
- Dust of Disappearance
- Efreeti Bottle
- Gem of Brightness
- Gem of True Seeing
- Instruments of the Bard
- Jewel of Attacks
- Libram of Gainful Conjuration
- Libram of Ineffable Damnation
- Libram of Silver Magic
- Pearl of Power
- Robe of the Archmagi (all three)
- Robe of Scintillating Colors
- Rope of Entanglement
- Scarab of Protection
- Stone of Good Luck
- WEPONS/ARMOR
- Leather Armor +1 thru +4 (2 each)
- Shields + 1 thru +3 (2 each)
- Chain Mail + 1 thru +3 (2 each)
- Plate +1 thru +5 (1 each)
- Bow of Light (1 only)
- Daggers (+1 thru +4) (3 each)
- Swords (Various types) + 1 thru +3 (3 of each type)
- Flame Tonuge +1
- Luck Blade +1
- Dragon Slayer +3 (works on all dragon types) (1 only)
- Defender +4
- Defender +5
- Sword of Dancing