[Notebook] Astral Magic

[Morgenstern]

Astral Magic
Astral magic is a limited magic system that can exist alongside traditional sorcery or be used separately for campaigns with limited magic themes. Like sorcery, it is turned on by a campaign quality, and introduces a new feat tree to manage its effects as character options. Magic ‘granted by the stars’ is simply one theme for these abilities and they can be easily re-skinned for campaigns where this type of limited magic is gained from other sources.

Marked by Magic (campaign only). Characters are sometimes marked by their affinity for certain stars, gaining a mystic bond to a particular constellation that often has lasting impact on their path in life. Characters may take feats from the Astral tree.

Astral Spellcasting
Character with Astral feats are marked with a shimmering replica of the constellation that guides their fortune. Initially these marking are simply a small scattering of stars on the character’s skin. As they gain additional Astral feats, these marking become both more luminous and more elaborate, becoming detailed representations of the image embodied by constellation in addition to the framework of stars that appear in the heavens.

Masters of Astral magic can cast spells by calling forth the energies bound in their marks. To cast an astral spell, make a Spellcasting check using the charter’s constellation skill and bonuses. The character does not need to spend spell points to cast these spells, and failed attempts do not count against the number of times they may attempt to cast the spell each scene. The character’s casting level when casting a spell this way is equal 1 + the number of Astral feats he possesses. The save DC of astral spells is equal to 10 + the character’s Charisma modifier + the number of Astral feats they possess. Spell defense works normally against this check.

Creating a ‘Constellation’
Each constellation is made up of three parts: a name or theme, a ‘constellation skill’ associated with that form of magic, and a list of 10 spells, two from each spell level from 1 to 5. Creating a new constellation for a setting featuring Astral Magic is as simple as choosing a theme, picking the skill that goes with this theme, and filling in the spell list.
Some constellations featured here also have an additional unique feat or class that those marked by the stars can gain access to.

Astral Feat Tree
This feat tree offers spellcasting abilities and specialized bonus based on narrow themes called ‘constellations’.

Astral Basics
You bear the mark of the stars.
Prerequisites: ‘Constellation’ skill 5+ ranks
Benefit: Choose one astral constellation. You gain a +1 magic bonus on all checks with your constellation skill. Choose one of the constellation’s Level 1 spells. You may cast that spell twice per scene.
 
Astral Mastery
Your mark has grown, and with it, your powers.
Prerequisites: ‘Constellation’ skill 10+ ranks, Astral Basics
Benefit: You gain a +2 magic bonus on all checks with your constellation skill (this replaces the bonus from Astral Basics). Choose one of the constellation’s Level 3 spells. You may cast that spell once per scene.

Astral Supremacy
Your mark has blossomed and your power is not to be dismissed lightly.
Prerequisites: ‘Constellation’ skill 15+ ranks, Astral Basics
Benefit: You gain a +4 magic bonus on all checks with your constellation skill (this replaces the bonus from Astral Mastery). Choose one of the constellation’s Level 5 spells. You may cast that spell once per scene.

Constellation Heir
Your mark shows unusual versatility and potency.
Prerequisites: Astral Basics
Benefit: Choose one of the constellation’s Level 2 spells. You may cast that spell once per scene. Further, you may cast the spell you gained from the Astral Basics feat 1 additional time per scene.

Constellation Scion
Truly you are blessed by the stars!
Prerequisites: Astral Mastery, Constellation Heir
Benefit: Choose one of the constellation’s Level 4 spells. You may cast that spell once per scene. Further, you may cast the spell you gained from the Constellation Heir feat 1 additional time per scene.

Constellation Visionary
The power of your astral bond is unmatched!
Prerequisites: Astral Supremacy, Constellation Scion
Benefit: Choose 1 of the remaining spells of your constellation from levels 1-5 that you cannot already cast. You may cast that spell once per scene. Further, you may cast the spell you gained from the Astral Mastery feat 1 additional time per scene.

[glimmerrat]

The Crow: Known for its intense curiosity, the Crow is eager to drink deep of the well of knowledge. It thirsts for secrets, and is often willing to consort with the unclean dead to learn them. The Crow constellation grants insight into and power over the secrets of others, including those who are no longer living.

Constellation Skill: Notice

Spell List
1 Deathwatch, Detect Magic
2 Death Knell, Living Library I
3 Tongues I, Speak with the Dead
4 Detect Lies, Detect Traps
5 Living Library II, True Seeing

[Khaalis]

   
I simply LOVE it.  This has SO many applications, not simply "Astral" in nature. This concept would work for anything from constellations, to seasons, to dragonmarks, to tarot, etc. Basically any "source" you want to use to give limited magical talents based on a theme. Brilliant!

A 1st attempt:

THE CENTAUR
The Centaur is a study in extremes, philosophical, intellectual and outgoing on one extreme, and the epitome of the hunter on the other. The Centaur is independent with grand ideas about philosophy, religion, arts, history and current events. Driven by a need for knowledge, the Centaur’s fierce independence lets nothing stand between them and truth.
Constellation Skill: Investigate
Constellation Spells:
•   Level 1: Identify I, Scrye 1
•   Level 2: Living Library I, Wit I
•   Level 3: Scrye II, Zone of Truth
•   Level 4: Detect Lies, Wit II
•   Level 5: Scrye III, True Seeing

[Desertpuma]

You could even use it for just magic tattoos in general

[Morgenstern]

The Crow:

Take a cool point. That's a superb fusion of theme and effects.

This concept would work for anything from constellations, to seasons, to dragonmarks, to tarot, etc. Basically any "source" you want to use to give limited magical talents based on a theme.

I find the idea of a campaign that had exactly 4 of these - one for each season - very appealing .

I'd suggest mixing the centaur up a little bit - brawn or rage effects in with the divination. Maybe a nod to archery.

[knight.errant]

I just wanted to chime in and say that I love this, I'm planning on using it as well. Basing it on seasons seems very appealing to me too.

Excellent work.

[Aldus Vertten]

This is great! In my campaign i started using the concept of metals from Mistborn (adding a few ones, taking out the ones that were mistborn specifics) to create a zodiac like system. Every one had a metal that represented them. In the first adventure they're investigating a "Zodiac" ritual killer, suspecting that it's using the rituals to get some long lost power... ant this seem like a good addition to this... I was planning on using the priest and paths, but this could work as well

[spinningdice]

Hmm, this helps my "doubtful I'm ever going to use" project of converting 7th sea...

[knight.errant]

A slightly different twist on this, here's my first crack at applying this to the colors of magic (ala MtG). I'm working on them as I get the opportunity. Comments and suggestions welcome.

The Colors of Magic
Color magic is a limited magic system that can exist alongside traditional sorcery or be used separately for campaigns with limited magic themes. Like sorcery, it is turned on by a campaign quality, and introduces a new feat tree to manage its effects as character options.
Color magic derives its power from the primordial power of the earth itself. The Colors represent five types of terrain: Black for Swamps, Blue for Islands, Green for Forests, Red for Mountains, and White for Plains.

Colored by Magic (campaign only). Characters are sometimes marked by their affinity for certain colors, gaining a mystic bond to a particular color (or colors) of magic that often has lasting impact on their path in life. Characters may take feats from the Colors of Magic tree.

Colored Spellcasting
Masters of Color magic can cast spells by calling forth the mystic energies bound in the land itself. To cast a color spell, make a Spellcasting check using the characters Color skill and bonuses. The character does not need to spend spell points to cast these spells, and failed attempts do not count against the number of times they may attempt to cast the spell each scene. The character’s casting level when casting a spell this way is equal 1 + the number of Color feats he possesses. The save DC of color spells is equal to 10 + the character’s Charisma modifier + the number of Color feats they possess. Spell defense works normally against this check.

Color Feat Tree
This feat tree offers spellcasting abilities and specialized bonus based on narrow themes called ‘The Colors of Magic'.

Color Basics
Choose a color of magic: Black, Blue, Green, Red, or White. Your affiliation with that color grants you power.
Prerequisites: ‘Color' skill 5+ ranks
Benefit: Choose one color of magic: Black, Blue, Green, Red, or White. You gain a +1 magic bonus on all checks with your color skill. Choose one of the color's Level 1 spells. You may cast that spell twice per scene.

Green
Is the color of life, instinct, nature, reality, evolution, ecology and interdependence.
Green values Nature. The way green sees it, the world has gotten it right. There is no force more powerful, more peaceful, or more elegant than nature.
Its mission is to protect the natural way. Green fights not for an ideal but rather for a way of life.
Balanced between the order of white and the chaos of red, green embraces the duality of nature. At times nature is gentle and loving. At other times it is fierce and harmful. While every other color fights to change the world, green battles to keep it the same.
Color Skill: Survival
Color Spells:
•   Level 1: Nature's Ally I, Entangle
•   Level 2: Hold Animal, Brawn I
•   Level 3: Nature's Ally II, Verdure
•   Level 4: Brawn II, Wall of Ice
•   Level 5: Natural Attunement, Nature's Ally III

And now for another:

White
Is the color of order, equality, righteousness, healing, law, community, peace, and religion.
White values harmony. It wants to help not just itself, but the entire world. White believes that there is right and there is wrong. Individuals are morally obligated to do right, but also to stop those that do wrong.
White believes that the good of society is more important than the rights of a single individual. The laws white creates help ensure that the group is protected.
Caught between the nature of green and the nurture of blue, white is all about balance. White understands the importance of valuing the past but also sees the importance of planning for the future.
Color Skill: Medicine
Color Spells:
•   Level 1: Bless, Cure Wounds I
•   Level 2: Cure Wounds II, Shield Other
•   Level 3: Prayer, Cure Wounds III
•   Level 4: Divine Power, Cure Wounds IV
•   Level 5: Heal, Resurrection I

And introducing Black:

Black
Is the color of power, ambition, greed, death, corruption, and amorality.
Black is about seizing power. Its ongoing goal is to use whatever means necessary to get what it wants.
Black believes that every other color wants to change the world to make it something that it isn’t. Black feels it is simply accepting the world as it is. Mortals are essentially selfish beings. Any other belief is simply denial.  All the other colors put limitations on themselves. Black doesn’t do that. It uses whatever tools are available. Death, disease, madness. Nothing is off limits to black.
Color Skill: Intimidate
Color Spells:
•   Level 1: Cause Wounds I, Call from Beyond I
•   Level 2: Cause Wounds II, Death Knell
•   Level 3: Cause Wounds III, Call from Beyond II
•   Level 4: Cause Wounds IV, Phantasmal Killer
•   Level 5: Cause Wounds (Mass), Call from Beyond III

Now for the last two, Blue & Red:

Blue
Is the color of intellect, reason, illusion, logic, knowledge, manipulation, and trickery, as well as the elements of air and water. Blue values information most. Knowledge is power.
Blue wins its battles by outthinking its opponent. Blue’s mastery of the art of magic allows it the ability to stop spells in their tracks.
Blue’s ongoing quest is to collect as much knowledge as it can and then find ways to apply it. Blue wants to constantly better itself to maximize its own potential.
Color Skill: Investigate
Color Spells:
•   Level 1: Detect Magic , Conjure Elemental I
•   Level 2: Hold Person, Locate Object
•   Level 3: Counter Magic I, Conjure Elemental II
•   Level 4: Geas, Spell Immunity I
•   Level 5: Conjure Elemental III, Wall of Counter Magic

Red
Is the color of freedom, chaos, passion, creativity, impulse, fury, warfare, lightning, as well as the elements of fire and earth.
Life is the ultimate adventure. Red feels that living life to its fullest means taking advantage of every opportunity. Red acts on its gut and follows its heart. Red cares about making itself (and those it cares about) happy. Red wants to just live its life without interference from anyone. To accomplish this task, red harnesses the power of its emotion to do things that others, kept in check by different restrictions, are unwilling to do.
Color Skill: Athletics
Color Spells:
•   Level 1: Magic Missile, Conjure Elemental I
•   Level 2: Gust of Wind, Scorching Ray
•   Level 3: Searing Ray, Conjure Elemental II
•   Level 4: Wall of Fire, Lightning Bolt I
•   Level 5: Wall of Stone, Conjure Elemental III

[Morgenstern]

Clever ! I dig Survival as a spellcasting skill for the green folk.

(Myschief suggests Intimidate for Red)

M:tG has a nice, strongly thematic structure that will very much lend itself to this sort of treatment.

[Morganti]

Prestidigitation for blue, medicine or resolve for white, black is eluding me though.

[Khaalis]

Prestidigitation for blue, medicine or resolve for white, black is eluding me though.

I'd go Medicine (INT) for White and Resolve (CON) for black.

[Agent 333]

Hmm, I'd actually give Black Prestidigitation, and give Blue  Investigate.

[Aldus Vertten]

Can the Color Basics feat be taken more than once, one for each different color?

And couldn't be some kind of bonus related to the terrain in which you cast the magic? Something akin to pathfinder basics but related to spellcasting?

[Mister Andersen]

What would you give to Octarine?