Description: Magic harnessed by manipulating mana via speaking magical languages.

There are four ways to invoke spellcasting:

1. Words of Power

2. Chants

3. Spells

4. Narrations

Spellcasting, indeed all magic, is both art & science. A spellcaster who studies magic can learn the rules & follow them explicitly, and will always come out with the same results if they do it right. Or they can approach it as an art--envisioning & creating using the basics of the system. The best spellcasters combine the two, using the theories behind the rules to create their own rules.

Speaking a magical language without intent or focus does not engender effect on reality, unless it is a Word of Power. A spellcaster must study magical language (most commonly manatic) to use magic, but they must also learn the underlying theories involved. Mind magic of all varieties simply manipulates extant mana in the universe to alter the nature of reality. Mana is a form of dormant or active energy on Shem & similar worlds that allows those who know how to tap into it to alter reality, & void, its opposite, is just another way to do the same. Because Shem is a magical universe by nature, however, magic is more capable, flexible, & powerful.

So a mage must be able to understand the natural flow of mana, to be able to focus their mind to be able to channel it, & to be sensitive to its existence. Furthermore, they must be sensitive to the consequences of using it--the bodily exhaustion, the chance of wild surges, the chance of backlash, etc.

So magical training involves the following:

# Language

# Theory/Rules

# Art/Creativity

# Mental Exercises

# Mana Theory/Rules

Languages: The magical languages of Shem are listed in a chart below next to the spheres they work best with.

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	Language		Spheres

Demonic

Darkness

Shadow

Darkness

Undeath

Velenu

Pestilence

Hassian

Hatred

Elemental

Ice

Cosmos

Moons

Fire

Earth

Water

Weather

Air

Metal

Force

Sun

Moons

Time

Flora

Fauna

Hex

Destruction

Balderdash

Chaos

Luck

Change

Mischief

Hladomor

Famine

Despair

Unseelie

Nightmare

Envy

Glorious

Hope

Korongo

Peace

Sol

Sun

Onomatos

Music

Reinean

Love

Home

Miraazi

Vision

Sophian

Wisdom

Ceying

Insight

Angelic

Light

Shepherd

Light

Harvest

Juris

Order

Madzene

Creation

Aldar

Creation

Argent

Life

Bihotzan

Healing

Nom

Truth

Korfic

Family

Lunarian

Moons

Ygg

Flora

Indrik

Fauna

Chronurian

Time

Seelie

Dream

Manatic

Magic

Pesperis

Luck

Islandic

Celebration

Shonite

Connection

Thothim

Knowledge

Story

Brannish

War

Skill

Wathite

Might

Draconic

Dragon

Wealth

Djinni

Fate

Cocidian

Hunt

Unsaid

Silence

Divine

Balance

Words of Power: A word in a magical language that has inherent power. It instantly casts a spell. Thousands of these are known for each language, thus, every mage has a long list of spells to instantly invoke.

Chants: Repetitious chanting of words in a magical language, ending in a Word of Power. This is a longer way to cast a spell (thus lowering the difficulty).

Spells: Written in a magical language, these are specific constructions made with specific intents.

Narrations: Knowing a magical language allows one to write their own narrations of reality via that language.

Learning: Assuming 6 hours of study a day, five days a week, the following chart tells how long it takes an average human to reach certain power levels. An adept student would lessen the time intervals, of course. For other races, the chart might well be horribly different. This is just to give an idea.

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	Power		Time (in years)

25

166

24

143

23

121

22

102

21

85

20

70

19

57

18

46

17

37

16

30

15

25

14

21

13

18.5

12

16.25

11

14.25

10

12.5

9

11

8

9.75

7

7.75

6

6

5

4.5

4

3.25

3

2.25

2

1.5

1

1

Lowering: The difficulty of a spell depends on a large variety of factors, but can be manipulated by the caster without knowing all the factors if the caster knows his intended outcome. Using the right language & style for an intended effect can make it easier to get that effect, regardless of circumstance. This is not to say that the effect is a sure thing in the right style & language, but it adds another layer of reducing difficulty.

Lowering Difficulties:

# With words of power, it is only possible to affect difficulty by choosing the right words. You cannot take time to lower difficulties, because words of power are instant effects or no effects at all.

# With chants, you simply repeat the chant until you speak the word of power to activate the spell.

# With spells, lowering is either worked into the spell in question or it isn't. Every spell will have instructions explaining what must be done to cast it. All spells end in a word of power.

# With narrations & epic poems, eloquence, clarity, & creativity can lower the difficulty. Taking time to improve upon detail helps a lot here.

Furthermore, controlling external factors can help with difficulties--complexity of target & spell, precision of spell, power of intended effect, amount of mana & void in the area, & environmental factors can all affect the difficulty of a spell.

An example of environmental factors: If your intent is to cause the wind to blow, the presence of air makes it much easier to cause wind to blow. If you wish to make something warmer, its current warmth affects difficulty. Making something that is very hot warmer is difficult. Making something that is very cold warmer is easier, but making something that has no heat at all in it is even more difficult for having to create heat in the first place.

Lowering the difficulty by chanting or narrative, the basic numbers are thus:

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	Difference		Points lowered

+7

none

+6

1/60 per 3 seconds

+5

1/54 per 3 seconds

+4

1/48 per 3 seconds

+3

1/42 per 3 seconds

+2

1/36 per 3 seconds

+1

1/30 per 3 seconds

0

1/24 per 3 seconds

-1

1/18 per 3 seconds

-2

1/12 per 3 seconds

-3

1/6 per 3 seconds

-4

1 per 3 seconds

-5

7/6 per 3 seconds

-6

13/6 per 3 seconds

-7

19/6 per 3 seconds

-8

25/6 per 3 seconds

-9

31/6 per 3 seconds

-10

37/6 per 3 seconds

Fatigue: If difficulties are lowered, the consequences increase a level. Special to exceptional, etc.

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	Time spent		Exceptional success		Special success		Normal success		Tie		Normal failure		Special failure		Exceptional failure

25 hours

-16

KO

KO

KO

KO

KO

Death

22 hours

-13

-16

KO

KO

KO

KO

KO

19 hours

-13

-16

-16

KO

KO

KO

KO

13 hours

-13

-13

- 16

-16

KO

KO

KO

10 hours

-10

-13

-13

-16

-16

KO

KO

7 hours

-10

-10

-13

-13

-16

-16

KO

4 hours

-7

-10

-10

-13

-13

-16

-16

1 hour

-7

-7

-10

-10

-13

-13

-16

30 minutes

-4

-7

-7

-10

-10

-13

-13

15 minutes

-4

-4

-7

-7

-10

-10

-13

10 minutes

-1

-4

-4

-7

-7

-10

-10

5 minutes

-1

-1

-4

-4

-7

-7

-10

1 minute

None

-1

-1

-4

-4

-7

-7

30 seconds

None

None

-1

-1

-4

-4

-7

15 seconds

None

None

None

-1

-1

-4

-4

9 seconds

None

None

None

None

-1

-1

-4

3 seconds

None

None

None

None

None

-1

-1

Casting: How it works!

# Words of Power: Magic users collect words of power from magical languages, using them to activate their spells. If they have no word of power in a language, they may substitute a word of power from Manatic, but this makes the spell more difficult. Simply using one word of power invokes an instant cast spell. The potency of that Word of Power is the skill score for the roll. So to use a Word of Power, one rolls first Language Skill vs. the difficulty of the Word, then rolls the potency of the Word with bonus or penalty depending on pronunciation vs. the difficulty of the intended effect--which will be specific for the Word. One must understand a Word to use it.

# Chants: Magic users simply pick the right words from a magical language to indicate what they want, then chant them. Roll language to see if you get a casting bonus or penalty, then chant until the difficulty is where you want it. Failure on the language roll can increase difficulty, but only on a normal failure will a chanter notice. At the end of a chant, the caster must speak a Word of Power to initiate the spell. If the chant stops without a Word of Power, the chanter is subjected to automatic backlash. As the Word of Power is spoken, one rolls their score in the sphere with bonus or penalties vs. the difficulty.

# Spells: Magic users share spells, specific constructions with specific results. To use one, a user must be able to read the language it is written in and understand it. One rolls magical language skill to determine their understanding. If one understands, the same roll can apply to their reading the spell to cast it. Successes and failures work the same as with chanting. The spell will have its own potency independent of the caster's skill, so that will be rolled in place of the skill level. Unless lowering is worked into the spell, no lowering is possible. The spell will end with a Word of Power.

# Narratives: A caster can use a magical language that they know well (10+) to simply narrate reality. The narration will end in a Word of Power, and it will be a complex tale. It will take more than one round to cast, but the more intricate and descriptive the narration, the easier the spell will be--assuming one succeeds one's language roll. If one fails, the more intricate it is, the harder it will be. So roll language, then determine the description (which determines how long it takes to narrate). Then roll magical skill with bonuses based on the language roll, as the spell ends in a Word of Power.

Failure: See here.

Sensing: See here.

Auras: None.