Primal Magic

General

Overview

Primal magic is magics at their purest form, with free-flowing mana as its only source and only manipulated thing. It is primary used to counter spells by disrupting mana flow from caster to target and to create magical enchantments by shaping mana flow to bind the effect. For magics granting duration by nature, primal magic is method to create more lasting effects.

Mana Drawing

Primal magic is limited to generic mana drawing, but is has other ways to get mana as long as some mana is available: it can be used to release mana from enchantments and to drain mana of other spells just cast.

Primal Effects

Level 1

Detect Mana

The mage can sense the mana flows around him or her. By combining this to any other magic, mana sources other than free-flowing become apparent. With use of other magics this mana can be also made visible to other creatures.

Release Mana

With this spell the mage can quickly and quite safely release mana in his or her mana pool. This can be sometimes useful when mage has gigantic mana reserve and notices that he or she does not need it for anything.

Mana Storing

The mage can 'pump' mana from his or her mana pool to some container. This uses no mana, but requires normal spell casting roll or mana is lost. Overcharging is dangerous and may cause explosion of container, causing effects similar to mana burn.

Spell Blasting

The mage can control free-flowing mana and mana in his or her mana pool to create sudden flows of it. In practise this means that mage can counter other spells by hitting them with his or her own mana reserve. Unless total mana in spellblast can beat total mana in target spell it only reduces effect a bit.

Level 2

Spell Nullifying

The mage can now control a bit even mana flows generated by other magic users. This means that he or she can counter other spells simply by causing mana on it to split into surroundings, breaking the spell apart. This usually requires only some general number of mana, unless target spell is very powerful and well defended.

Bind Effect

Instant simple effects can now be created temporary by trapping extra mana to them and binding them to objects or places. The mage can now create walls of fire or illusions by combining primal magic to other magics.

Unbind Mana

With this effect mage is capable to release mana from binding and thus dispel any simple magical effect. Effects made more permanent require higher level control. This power can also be used to drain mana from other magic users.

Spell Storing

The mage can use mana to bind short-time spells into objects or creatures. The effect is stored in target thing and released in some way.

Level 3

Spell Drain

The mage can now counter other spells by breaking the mana-flow apart and then draining it into his or her own mana pool. Countering is done as with nullifying, but if it is successful, all mana of the other spell is instead drained directly into mage's own mana pool.

Enchantment Enhancing

The mage uses extra mana to bind enchantments for longer duration and durability, or even make them almost permanent and harder to break apart. This usually requires vast number of mana.

Spell Shaping

The mage can now change effects of spells just cast before it forms to its actual effect. This usually requires some mana, and do not affect targets without other chances.

Anti-Magic Areas

Now it is possible to create areas that reject all magical attempts there, like detection from outside or portal creation to area. Creatures in this area can try to draw mana, but it is very hard and taxing operation. This power can also be used to shield own creations from very easy detection or unweaving.

Mana Trapping

The mage can create temporary reserve of mana. This reserve as duration like with spells, and after it all mana in it is released and may cause mana burn to creatures near it. Mana can be drawn from that reserve as from free-flowing, but it resist effects so that mana is first drawn from surroundings, and only after that from reserve.

Level 4

Spell Redirection

The mage redirects a target spell just cast and possibly shapes it to new form with other magics. This feat requires about as much mana as in original spell.

Spell Hardening

The mage can now create more resilient magic effects, which are very hard to break and dispel, requiring study of spell construction.

RIP 3rd edition (C) Kalle Marjola 1996-97. All rights reserved