Last Emperor: Magic
ellilao This article describes the conversion for the Last Emperor, a D20 Dragonstar campaign to the Storytelling system, of the Magic system.
Contents
Spell Characteristics
The Mage system uses several factors to describe their magic. The D20 spells all fall into the same category for some of these factors. All D20 spells are rotes, and none of the casters can use improvisational magic. Almost all spells are vulgar, and casting vulgar magic does not produce Paradox. Almost all spells are sense range (not sympathetic) only and can not have their range, duration, or area altered at casting time. There are meta-magic merits which allow altering the rotes.
Divine vs. Arcane magic
D20 makes the distinction between Divine magic, which is granted through the power of a diety the character worships, and Arcane magic, which is powered through the caster's own power. From a game mechanics perspective these two are very similar and are treated largely the same way here.
Schools of Magic
| School of Magic | Ruling Arcana |
Inferior Arcana |
|---|---|---|
| Abjuration | Space / Fate | Life |
| Conjuration | Space / Spirit | Forces |
| Diviniation | Time / Fate | Mind |
| Enchantment | Mind / Life | Matter |
| Evocation | Forces / Death | Spirit |
| Illusion | Mind / Prime | Space |
| Necromancy | Death / Sprit | Time |
| Transmutation | Matter / Life | Death |
Like the Mage mystic orders, D20 has a set of 8 schools of magic. By selecting a speciality school of magic, the caster gets access to two ruling arcana (which are then cheaper to buy more dots in) and is limited by one Inferior arcana (which now costs more to buy dots in, and is limited in how many dots they can purchase). A mage is not required to have a school of magic, all their arcana are common ones.
Wizard vs. Sorcerer
In D20 a wizard know a great many spells, but can cast only a limited selection of them per day, and the selection is set at the beginning of the day. A Sorcerer knows a smaller selection of spells but can cast them with no prior selection process. Mage creates magic users who are most like Sorcerers, knowing a list of rotes and can cast them without having to prepare a fixed list.
Wizards use Intelligence as their spell casting attribute (see below), whereas Sorcerers use Presence for theirs.
Divine Magic
| Diety | Ruling Arcana |
Inferior Arcana |
|---|---|---|
| The Destroyer | Death/Forces | Mind |
| The Father | Prime/Life | Time |
| The Judge | Fate/Death | Matter |
| The Lover | Mind/Spirit | Space |
| The Magus | Prime/Mind | Time |
| The Merchant | Space/Fate | Death |
| The Mother | Life/Spirit | Prime |
| The Reaper | Death/Fate | Life |
| The Stormlord | Forces/Space | Spirit |
| The Smith | Matter/Life | Fate |
| The Trickster | Fate/Prime | Forces |
| The Warrior | Forces/Prime | Life |
Divine magic works completely differently than the spell casting of wizards and sorcerers.
While the generic D&D universe is overflowing with Gods, Goddesses, lesser gods, demi-gods, Elder gods and a host of other outplaner creatures who can grant powers, Dragonstar proclaims there are only 12 (or 2 depending upon your beliefs) rather generically named Gods. In order to become a Divine spell caster, the character must devote themselves to the service of one god, gaining the abilities and powers granted by their god. This is done by taking the Divine Favor merit.
Clerics (and druids and other divine casters) do not learn rotes, arcana or Gnosis. Instead each day when the character prays, their god sends a set of spirits, parts of themselves to serve the character. Tne number of spirits to arrive depends upon the Divine Powers merit the character has. These spirits usually can cast one Numen, one spell effect, before returning to their diety.
Mage game mechanics
Gnosis
Gnosis is the basic magic skill, a measure of understanding and connection to the realm of magic. All creatures have a Gnosis of 1, all the creatures in the world have some connection to the magic.
Rule Changes
- Gnosis cost has been changed to x5 (new dots x5).
- Gnosis determines the casters access to spells. The caster's gnosis must be greater than the D20 spell level to learn and cast a given spell. E.g. to learn and cast 3rd level spells requires the caster to have Gnosis 4.
- The Arcana Mastery table (pg 76 Mage) has been changed to the following:
| Arcana | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gnosis | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Mana Max |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
Arcana
Arcana represent the both knowledge and skill with each of the 10 spheres of magic. While Gnosis represents a general knowledge of magic, the arcana are the specific areas. The maximum ranking in each arcana is given on the Arcana mastery table (above) based upon their current Gnosis.
The mage must rank their arcana from 1st (highest knowledge) to 10th (lowest knowledge). If the wizard accepts a school of magic, their ruling arcana are ranked 1 and 2, and their inferior arcana is ranked 10th. They may rank the remaining arcana as they see fit, but may not change it once set.
Rule Changes
The cost for learning new Arcana has been changed.
- Ruling Arcana cost is x2
- Normal arcana cost is x3
- Inferior arcana cost is x4
Casting Spells
Casting spells in D20 is automatic, with no chance of failure, but not so in Mage. The caster must roll a spell check (Arcanum + Gnosis + Attribute) and get one or more successes, adding willpower dice if desired. The Arcanum is the dots in the primary arcanum for the spell, and the Attribute is determined by the type of caster (Arcane Wizard, Arcane Sorcerer or Divine).
Mana
Mana is the power of magic, a personal reserver of power to influence the world around them. Many rotes require one or more mana to cast. Casters may also spend mana to increase damage on a spell (Bashing -> Lethal -> Aggrivated).
Spell Descriptions
This section describes the translation between the D20 system spell descriptions and the Mage spell descriptions. A significant difference between the two systems is the granularity of the spell statistics. D20 uses a precise tactical scale description for time and space of the spell. Mage uses general terms with less specific meanings, being more granular.
Practice
Practice is a very generic and general description of the spell effect. All spells have one of the 13 practices, which determines the number of arcana dots used for the spell.
Arcana
Arcana is another broad description of the kinds of things the spell will effect. The number of dots in the arcana is determined by the Practice.
Aspect
Aspect is either Covert or Vulgar. For Last Emperor, this makes no difference. In normal Mage, casting vulgar spells introduces Paradox, a backlash against using magic. Aspect is includes in the spell listings to make the spell description complete.
Action
Action is the casting time of the spell. Mage uses two general actions: Instant (cast in one turn) or Extended (anything longer). D20 spells with a casting time of 1 standard action (most of them) are Instant action rotes. The few spells with longer casting times are Extended actions.
Duration
Duration is the time the magic of the spell persists. Mage spells have one of four durations: Lasting, Concentration, Transitory and Prolonged. D20 spells with concentration duration are concentration duration. D20 durations of 1 round per level are Transitory (they last one Turn, with penalties for longer). D20 durations of 1 or 10 minutes per level are Prolonged and durations of an hour per level are Extra Prolonged. Spells with a duration of Instant, Permanent or longer than hour per level are Lasting spells. Mage makes no distinction between Instant (where the magic goes away quickly but the effects last) and Permanent (where the effect lasts because the magic is enforcing the change and can be dispelled).
Range
Mage has two ranges for their spells: Sensory and Sympathetic. Sympatheic spells can be cast only on victims with some connection to the caster, which corresponds to D20 unlimited range. The rest of the spells are Sensory range. Many of the Sensory spells are also Aimed spells, which indicates intervening objects (like walls or armor) can interefere with the spell, and the range is limited by the casters Gnosis. D20 spells with a Close or Medium range will be Aimed spells.
Cost
Cost of the spell in Mana points. Some spells, with specific world altering effects, require the expendature of mana. Usually this cost is only one point, but can be more.
D20 additions
Saving Throw
Many spells can be resisted by use of a Fortitude save (Staminia + Resolve), Reflex Save (Dexterity + Wits) or Will save (Composure + Resolve). Every success on the save reduces the number of successes (and effects) of the spell. The D20 spell description notes which type of save is allowed, and should be kept for the Mage spells.
The Spell Resistance merit grants a number of automatic successes to reduce (or eliminate) the effects of a spell.
Mage spells note the resistance as either Contested (with a specific resistance attribute: Resolve, Stamina, Composure), Automatic (with an attribute), or None. Spellcasters can use a Countermagic rote to resist or disrupts spells as well. Fortitue saves use Stamina, Reflex saves use Resolve and Will saves use Composure as their resistance attribute.
Components
The verbal and somatic components are called Mudras (signs or symbols). Material, focus, and divine focus are called tools.
