Under a Savage Sun: Arcane Backgrounds

Arcane Backgrounds

The first and biggest element to the conversion is paring down all the myriad magic elements of 2nd Edition AD&D into the streamlined Savage Worlds system...while maintaining enough differences to give each type of magic its own "flavor."

There are three broad categories into which Arcane Backgrounds fall.

Wizards: Wizardly magic is the most diverse. They theoretically have access to any arcane power imaginable, and unlike other Arcane Backgrounds, can encode their spells in writing, buying, selling and trafficking in spellbooks.

Staying hidden is of primary importance to Wizards, due to the draconian laws set forth against magic by the Sorceror-Kings. It isn't easy, however. First, all wizardly magic draws its power from life, and while most can only rob it from plants, even animals and humanoids can feel a brief sapping of their vitality when in the presence of a wizard casting a spell. Also, wizards of both types are hampered by the need for verbal, somatic and material components. Hands waving, speaking in arcane tongues and throwing little bits of bat crap around tends to tip off wary observers that something bad is going on.

Defilers practice the oldest and most destructive form of magic on Athas. Unlike most Arcane Backgrounds, Defilers lack a power point pool of their own. Instead, they can cast all day and all night if they wanted, obliterating all plant life and turning soil into black ash in their immediate vicinity. How much land is destroyed depends on the power of the spell and the surrounding vegetation; more lush terrain contains more magical energy and a Defiler doesn't need to destroy quite so much to power his spells.

Preservers teach a balanced, refined version of the same magic Defilers practice. It isn't as overtly powerful, but also doesn't destroy the land in such an obvious manner.

Priests

Elemental Clerics

Earth

Air

Fire

Water

Druids

Templars

Psionics

Wild Talents

Telepathy

Psychmetabolism

Psychokinesis