All magic that flows through the world and is a part of it is harnessed by elven magic. This includes the specialized magic of druids and rangers, as well as wizards and bards. While druids and rangers ask for the guidance and assistance of the natural magics, wizards and bards bend them to their wills. Both of these approaches to magic, however, are within the natural order when used properly. However, the orc and goblin tribes have found ways to turn these magics against nature, taking the energy from nature instead of borrowing it, leaving the land parched and dead. Those that do this tend to get more power in their spells for the cost to the land. Any elf worth their salt would kill anyone using this style of magic on sight. However, most goblins and orcs have neither the time nor the intelligence to decipher the elven language to try and corrupt it.
The magic from the gods is more powerful and limitless than any other form of magic, however, only paladins and clerics may access this power. Some say that druids do, to a lesser extent, but this power is from the nature deity, who prefers to let their magic flow through nature itself. The only one who truly controls this magic are the gods themselves. A cleric or paladin may pray for the assistance of a deity, but only the god chooses if the magic is effective.
The natural blood magic of the dragons is the most powerful and flexible, but also the most limiting and dangerous of the magics wielded by mere mortals. Only those with dragon blood in their veins may wield this magic, and those that do are called sorcerers. Strangely enough, dragons are prevalent enough in almost anyone’s lineage, and many have been known to give the boon of their blood blessing on many mortals. However, like the flame of a dragon’s flame, the flame of dragon magic within someone can burn out, with either pushing the limit of the magic, or other arcane magics. There are some differences in sorcerers from Alosha and those from other realms. Those are detailed below.
Sorcerers do not gain the ability to summon a familiar until 3rd level, instead of 1st level.
Pushing the Limit: This is a new ability all sorcerers have. It allows a sorcerer to try and cast a spell normally not possible due to lack of available slots or insufficient level. A sorcerer may try and cast either a spell of up to level 2 with no available slots, any spell up to three levels higher than an available slot, or a lower level spell with a higher level of effectiveness. If a sorcerer wishes to cast a spell of higher level effectiveness, then merely add the additional levels to the spells level. So, if a sorcerer was 7th level, and wished to cast a fireball as if he was 10th level, the normally 3rd level spell would be a 6th level spell. It would behave as if cast from a 10th level mage, including effect, range, area of effect and duration. However, since a level 7 sorcerer has no level 6 spell slots, they would need to push the limit. A sorcerer can only push the limit up to 3 levels higher and must have an available spell slot within 3 levels. Also, they can only push the limit on spells known that are either cast at a higher level of effectiveness, or modified by metamagic feats. To push the limit, first a Concentration check must be made with a variable DC, depending on how the limit is being pushed. If the check succeeds, the spell is cast, but the sorcerer takes subdual damage as indicated on the table below.
Concentration Check DC | Feat Attempted | Fortitude Save DC | Damage Taken |
15 | Cast 0-level spell with no slots | 15 | 1 |
20 | Cast 1st level spell with no slots | 25 | 2 |
25 | Cast 2nd level spell with no slots | 35 | 3 |
20 | Cast spell of 1 level higher | 15+effective level | 2 |
25 | Cast spell of 2 levels higher | 25+effective level | 4 |
30 | Cast spell of 3 levels higher | 35+effective level | 6 |
If the Concentration check fails, any familiar the sorcerer has takes physical damage equal to the chart above, which may kill them, and the sorcerer must make a Fortitude save. If the save is succeeded, the sorcerer takes the subdual damage only. If the save fails, how much the save fails by determines the effect on the chart below as well as double the subdual damage on the chart above. Any damage taken by the sorcerer is halved and dealt to the familiar of the sorcerer as well.
DC Missed by | Result |
1-5 | Minor headache & fatigue, -1 penalty on all skill, ability checks, attack rolls & saves. Fatigue fades after 6 hours of rest. |
6-10 | Slight headache & fatigue, -2 on all rolls, plus 1d6 physical damage and cannot attempt to push the limit until rested. |
11-15 | Moderate headache & fatigue, -3 on all rolls, plus 2d6 physical damage and cannot cast spells for 24 hours. |
16-20 | Strong headache & fatigue, -4 on all rolls, plus 3d6 physical damage and cannot cast spells for 48 hours. |
21-25 | Severe headache & fatigue, -5 on all rolls, plus 4d6 physical damage and cannot cast spells for 2 weeks. |
26+ | Sorcerer has dragon blood ‘burned out’ and cannot cast spells until the blood is healed. Massive headaches & fatigue, -6 on all rolls plus 5d6 physical damage. |
No one knows where this magic came from and so few even know of its existence. However, there are some powerful magics that can only be explained by this form of magic. From what little can be gathered, any mortal spell can be cast with runic magic, at any level of effectiveness, with any modifications to duration, effect or range the caster wishes. It is even rumored to be possible to have a simple spell made permanent with little effort using this magic. Some even whisper that powers equal to the gods own powers are possible with this form, but no one who wields it has stepped forward to denounce or confirm this hypothesis. There are, however, some ancient structures of long abandoned civilizations that have survived the ravages of time and war, marked with strange runes that emanate an incredibly powerful aura that no one has yet been able to reproduce, so they are known to exist.