House Rules/Magic

From Westaven

[edit] Basic Rules

Contents 1 Basic Rules 2 Learning New Spells 3 Agents 3.1 Healing spells 3.2 Fire spells 3.3 Light & Darkness spells 4 Herb-Hunting 4.1 Identifying Herbs

Westaven’s World works on “intrinsic magic” (F 18), meaning magic (mana) exists most everywhere, and a magician has the innate ability to detect and manipulate the surrounding power. This world has “normal” mana—although there may be occasional high or low aspect mana areas (F 43-44).

• The maximum magery level allowed to PCs is 3, and the Magery advantage is a requirement for casting spells.
• Magery should be considered “rare.” There are no known “magic shops,” “magic schools,” or the like. Magic items are likewise very rare! Note that magic used openly will draw attention—and possibly repercussions (ex: by the religious infrastructure).

Magic is also limited, to a degree, by the need for magical agents in addition to gestures and spoken words to perform spells. The table below indicates how dependent a spell is upon natural agents.

Skill lvl 9	2x agents + elaborate rituals
Skill lvl 10-14	1x agents + gesture + spoken words
Skill lvl 15-19	gesture OR spoken words. No agents needed except for VH spells or spells with 1 minute or longer cast times 1/2x agents.
Skill lvl 20-24	Same as 15-19. Agents may now be single and 1/4x amount.
Skill lvl 25+	No gestures, words nor agents needed.

Note that multiple agents (or single exotic agents) are required for VH spells below lvl 20.

[edit] Learning New Spells

As magic in Westaven is quite rare, there are no formal schools of magic and it is not unusual for a wizard to never meet another of his kind. This being the case, learning spells outside those few for which a wizard has a natural talent is also somewhat rare, not because the wizard can't learn other spells but simply because the opportunity is not readily available. Learning a new spell requires intensive study. Note that as per B292-293 it takes 200 hours of study to earn 1 Character Point in any given Skill or Technique, the following table shows study requirements for any non-magical skill:

Study Time

Intensive Training	100 Hours (each hour of study counts as two hours of Education)
Formal Education	200 Hours
Self-Teaching	400 Hours (each hour of study counts as 30 minutes of Education)
On the Job Training	800 Hours (each hour of study counts as 15 minutes of Education)

When learning spells, reduce the time to learn by 10% for every level of Magery up to 40% [B235]. The following table details how many hours are required to earn 1 Character Point accounting for a character's Magery levels (note that Magery 3 is the highest level available in Westaven):

Study Time with Magery

Type of Study	Magery 1	Magery 2	Magery 3
Intensive Training	90 Hours	80 Hours	70 Hours
Formal Education	180 Hours	160 Hours	140 Hours
Self-Teaching	360 Hours	320 Hours	280 Hours
On the Job Training	720 Hours	640 Hours	560 Hours

Finally, most of the wizards in Westaven can puzzle out new spells given enough time and effort. This is accomplished again by study and takes the same amount of time to earn 1 Character Point as it does when learning on the job with one significant difference. The time spent studying must be "successful." Every 90, 80 or 70 hours—depending upon the wizards Magery level—the wizard must make a Thaumatology roll. A successful roll means that all the hours were successful and count toward the total hours needed. A failed roll means that only half the hours were successful and a critical failure means that none of those hours were successful. A critical success means the hours plus half-again were successful!

Example
A wizard with Magery 2 begins trying to find a spell that will create light. Looking at the table above for On the Job Training with Magery 2, we find that this will take 640 hours of successful study. Every 80 hours, our wizard will need to make a Thaumatology roll and our wizard has a Thaumatology skill of 13. He will have to make at least 8 Thaumatology rolls during the course of his study:

1. After 80 hours of study, he rolls a 12 v 13 Success = 80 Successful Hours
2. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 7 v 13 Success = 80 Successful Hours for 160 Total
3. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 13 v 13 Success = 80 Successful Hours for 240 Total
4. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 10 v 13 Success = 80 Successful Hours for 320 Total
5. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 3 v 13 Critical Success = 120 Successful Hours for 440 Total
6. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 14 v 13 Failure = 40 Successful Hours for 480 Total
7. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 18 v 13 Critical Failure = 0 Successful Hours for 480 Total
8. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 15 v 13 Failure = 40 Successful Hours for 520 Total
9. Next 80 hours of study, he rolls a 10 v 13 Success = 80 Successful Hours for 600 Total
10. Next 40 hours of study, he rolls a 14 v 13 Failure = 20 Successful Hours for 620 Total
11. Next 20 hours of study, he rolls a 5 v 13 Success = 20 Successful Hours for 640 Total
12. Our wizard finally learns the Light spell!

[edit] Agents

[edit] Healing spells

Name	Sage (mundane)
Lookalike	None
Habitat	Well drained or sandy soil, found at almost all altitudes, available year around as sage is an evergreen.
Dose	Three leaves
Dose Multiple	4
Rarity	-2
Price	1 farthing for 8 doses

Name	Garlic (mundane)
Lookalike	Wild onion (until picked and then the difference is obvious)
Habitat	Prefers moist areas but otherwise grows in most locations
Dose	2 cloves
Dose Multiple	4
Rarity	-3
Price	1 farthing for 4 doses (one head of garlic)

Name	Ice Mint (exotic)
Description	Similar to common spearmint but shorter with pale blue flowers. Highly prized for its flavor.
Lookalike	Peppermint, spearmint, the less informed may mistake stinging nettle for ice mint.
Habitat	Found only near mountain waterways.
Dose	2 leaves
Dose Multiple	2
Rarity	-6
Price	1 farthing for 1 dose

Name	Bloodwort Berries (exotic)
Description	Bloodwort is a parasitic growth like mistletoe. The bright red berries only grow from November through February although it is occasionally possible to find the berries still on the stems throughout the year.
Lookalike	None
Habitat	Dislikes sunlight, found on north side of exposed trees and toward the center of thickets.
Dose	1 berry
Dose Multiple	1
Rarity	-8 March–October, -5 November–February
Price	no commercial value

Name	Bloodstone (reusable, exotic)
Description	Green stone with red flecks throughout. Large, nearly fist sized, stone required.
Rarity	-15
Price	?

Name	Emerald (reusable, exotic)
Description	Emerald, square cut, about the size of a thumbnail required.
Rarity	-20
Price	?

[edit] Fire spells

Name	Pine cone (mundane)
Description	Looks very similar to a pine cone.
Lookalike	none
Habitat	Pine trees
Dose	1
Dose Multiple	4
Rarity	-1
Price	no commercial value

Name	Wood chips (mundane)
Description	Looks very similar to wood chips
Lookalike	none
Habitat	Places where wood has been chopped
Dose	handful
Dose Multiple	4
Rarity	-1
Price	no commercial value

Name	Firethorn (mundane)
Description	Bush that is very similar to pyracanthas. Dark green, slightly waxy leaves with wicked thorns and firm waxy berries. Bushes bear berries year round. A veritable requirement for VH spells.
Lookalike	Various thorny, berry bearing bushes
Habitat	Found near rivers and streams.
Dose	10 berries
Dose Multiple	6
Rarity	-4
Price	no commercial value

Name	Ruby (reusable, exotic)
Description	Ruby, egg shaped, about the size of a thumbnail required.
Rarity	-20
Price	?

[edit] Light & Darkness spells

Name	Dwarf Sunflower (mundane)
Description	Small weed which looks very similar to dandelions.
Lookalike	Looks similar to some varieties of marigold.
Habitat	Just about anywhere.
Dose	Four buds
Dose Multiple	2
Rarity	-2 (May–September), unavailable at other times
Price	no commercial value

Name	Firethorn (mundane)
Description	Bush that is very similar to pyracanthas. Dark green, slightly waxy leaves with wicked thorns and firm waxy berries. Bushes bear berries year round. Useable for light spells only.
Lookalike	Various thorny, berry bearing bushes
Habitat	Found near rivers and streams.
Dose	10 berries
Dose Multiple	6
Rarity	-4
Price	no commercial value

Name	Owl feathers (mundane)
Description	The feathery part of an owl.
Lookalike	Feathers of other birds
Habitat	Forests, thickets, barns, owlsy places.
Dose	One feather
Dose Multiple	1
Rarity	-5
Price	no commercial value

Name	Black Aster (exotic)
Description	Similar to other flowers in the Aster family but blooms are deep purple to black.
Lookalike	Any of the Aster family may be mistaken for Black Aster if the plant is not in bloom.
Habitat	Wetlands or other damp areas (streams, riverside, etc). Blooms in July and August.
Dose	Entire plant.
Dose Multiple	3/4 (round down, min 1)
Rarity	-6 in wetlands, -7 near running water, -10 elsewhere
Price	no commercial value

Name	Fire Opal (reusable, exotic)
Description	Fire opal in tear drop shape about the size of a thumbnail required.
Rarity	-20
Price	?

[edit] Herb-Hunting

Because magic in Westaven requires the use of agents in many cases, most magical folk will be engaged in gathering such agents as they can. The following rules, based on rules proposed by S. John Ross, are used for gathering herbs.

Each search takes 1d hours. An herbalist may make as many searches as he pleases, if he has the spare time.

First: The herbalist chooses which herb he is searching for, and rolls against his skill (Naturalist, modified for inappropriate specialization if needed), modified by the Rarity of the herb. Naturally, the season and location must be right, too.

1. If the roll succeeds, then go to A.
2. If the roll fails by 1, then go to B.
3. If the roll fails 2, then go to C.
4. If the roll fails by more than 2, then the herbalist has wasted his time and finds nothing!

A). The herbalist has found the herb he sought. He has found doses equal to the amount the roll is made by. If the herb has a dose Multiple, then apply this to the final amount, and round up. The End.

B). The herbalist has failed in his search, but has found another useful herb. Determine randomly or choose. If the result is a lookalike, allow a roll versus Naturalist to realize this! Amount found is 1d-2 doses (minimum 1), modified by the Dose Multiple. The End.

C). If the herb in question has a lookalike, then the the herbalist has discovered it and mistaken it for the real thing! Amount found is 1d-2 doses (minimum 1), modified by the Dose Multiple. The End.

[edit] Identifying Herbs

If an herbalist finds an herb he wasn't specifically looking for (with the exception of result 4, above) he gets an Naturalist roll to identify it. In modern times, a botanist can subject a plant to all sorts of tests to discover specific alkaline content and other identifying factors (spore prints for mushrooms). However, the medieval herbalist just tastes the plant in question . . . This can be dangerous even on a successful roll, so let the player beware!