The magical world of Alyria is a complex one; the same underlying forces that create the effects known as magic can be tapped in varied ways, producing many different disciplines of the occult and spellcasting. For instance,
Wizards will call upon the ethereal forces using combinations of reagents (ingredients designed to fuel a spell), speech (words and inflection), and/or somatic movements (hand and arm movements, as well as body stances).
Druids, on the other hand, can call upon elemental forces present in the physical plane and channel them through their bodies by using will power alone, although they cannot produce as complicated and specific an effect as the Wizard.
MAGICAL REAGENTS
The magical disciplines usually have several things in common, however. One very important similarity is the use of reagents. Reagents are the ingredients that make up most powerful magics; they are substances capable of producing reactions when combined with other reagents and the binding forces of the ethereal plane. Reagents are required
for many spells, as they provide additional power and definition in a spell's outcome. Magic users can attempt to cast some spells without reagents, and in cases where the will and power of the caster is strong enough, may succeed.
There are seven different types of magical reagents:
- AIR REAGENT
-
Used in spells that require an air component, such as 'lightning'
(for to make lightning you must mix fire with air). A typical
air reagent would be a roc's feather.
- WATER REAGENT
-
Used in spells that require a water component, such as
'control weather'. A typical water reagent would be a fish's scale.
- FIRE REAGENT
-
Used in spells requiring a fire component, such as 'fireball' or
'summon elemental'. A typical fire reagent would be a pinch of sulfur
or a lava rock.
- EARTH REAGENT
-
Used in spells requiring an earth component, such as 'blindness'.
A typical earth reagent would be a leaf from a mandrake plant.
- ASTRAL REAGENT
-
Used in powerful spells requiring additional magic and astral
material, such as 'nexus' or 'plane travel'. Typical reagents of this
kind are not known, as they are very hard to find and expensive
to produce.
- ETHEREAL REAGENT
-
With the discovery of ethereal reagents, magical transportation
is now possible, as well as casting spells that require the powers
of the ethereal plane in order to be successful. A typical ethereal
reagent would be a sunstone.
- GEM REAGENT
-
Used in all spells that require either a greater concentration of
power than the magic user can store in his/her body (such as
'circle of fire') or in spells utilizing the art of fascination (such
as 'charm'). A typical gem reagent would be a silver runestone or a
faceted gem of some kind.
Most reagents can be bought at magic supply shops around the land, such as Grimaldi Magick in the Towne of Rune, with the exception of astral reagents, which are magical themselves and are therefore either quite expensive or difficult to locate.
SPELLBOOKS
Spells may be memorized or inscribed into specially-prepared books, known as spellbooks. As it is well known that a written spell has its own inherent power, the book must be specially designed to hold words in the language of magic. When a mage comes across a scroll in his or her journey, it may then be scribed into the book by magic and from there, memorized for later casting, or cast directly.
There are ten basic spellbooks, each being a different color and able
to contain a maximum number of spells and a maximum total complexity.
The spellbook must be held by the player in order for them to cast a spell
that is scribed within. Spells that have been scribed within a spellbook
do not vanish when the spell has been cast as a scroll does.
The most common spellbooks are:
| White |
7 |
70 |
1 |
1,000 gp |
| Red |
10 |
110 |
15 |
2,000 gp |
| Orange |
13 |
150 |
25 |
3,000 gp |
| Yellow |
15 |
180 |
35 |
5,000 gp |
| Green |
18 |
200 |
45 |
7,500 gp |
| Blue |
20 |
250 |
55 |
10,000 gp |
| Indigo |
23 |
300 |
70 |
20,000 gp |
| Violet |
26 |
360 |
90 |
50,0000 gp |
| Octarine |
29 |
450 |
120 |
95,000 gp |
| Black |
31 |
600 |
150 |
150,000 gp |
Some special spellbooks are also available, although there are not as
many of these available as the basic spellbooks. Like the basic spellbooks there are different types of special books, each one being
a different color. The special spellbooks also have a maximum number
of spells and a maximum complexity rating that they may contain. Special
spellbooks have some special features, and may not be moved from their
location. Spells may be copied from them by using the scribe spell and
an astral reagent.
Spells may also be memorized from spellbooks, and cast without use
of the book, using the MEMORIZE command.
SPELL SCHOOLS
Spells are split up into groups, called "schools". Each spellcasting class has one main school in which it is most proficient. Depending on one's master school, you have decreased efficiency in the schools as they get more and more different from the first school.
The schools are as follows:
