Wizards and magic and their affinity for magic

[Albert]

Wizards are kind of magical creatures it would seem, and magic does seem to be fairly widespread but everyone isn't capable of using magic? They are non magical? I take it there is more than just skill and training.

 

Which brings up the question... Are there different levels of magic in different wizards? Are all Wizard born with the same magical powers?

Is it skills and their stamina and health that determines their power potential? Or are they born to be great.

There are some minor prodigy and astrological signs that affect the characters skills and gives them bonuses, that I know. But are some born with a lot more magic inside them while others are doomed to be weak?

 

So far it seems to be skills and experience and stuff like that, which determines the power of the wizard.

[Schwarzbart]

The legate mentioned it allready a vew times that magic is about learning the things and not that your special magical or non magical.

As every education there for sure some people who manage to learn it bether and other who never understand more then the basics.

But it many times comes just down how much time you invest into it , if you love it then you natural spend more time learning about it as when you dont like it.

[Albert]

Ok, so skill knowledge and entusiasm, experience. Insight and intelligence. And perhaps the ability to apply it in a smart way.

 

I was wondering since the triplets were said to be so well regarded while I think my character outscored them at just about everything.

I guess it's just filler text.

[Legate of Mineta]

albert;

 

Well, that's the limit of the engine, though. We can't (yet) handle all the cases, so we have to generalize.

[Dreamweaver]

Ok, so we've established that everyone is equally capable of mastering magic if they can learn the skills (though luck seems semi-magical and you can get born lucky).

 

What about when a mage has been practicing for a while, does he become inherently magical in some fashion? I'm partially thinking about the familiar bond, basically it's stated that a wizard will inevitably attract a familiar, but if he isn't BORN a wizard it must be some sort of innate magic he acquires?

 

Also would an experienced, powerful wizard be able to call on some sort of magic without a wand if he needed to? Using his hands as focus or his pen or perhaps without any focus at all?

[Legate of Mineta]

Dreamweaver;

 

Yes, that's true- using magic does confer an overall magicality to the wizard that a normal person does not have, and that grows with time.

 

This can allow them to use magic without a wand in the normal way (by using a finger to draw a Pheme), but your aura would need to be very powerful to do this. It's much better to rely on an enchantment.

[Dreamweaver]

What is an aura? An expression of great skill or some sort of built up magical power?

[Albert]

One of my favrite moments even if it was a very minor one was when my character was told to fix the acting costumes for the theatre.

 

One coudl use Revision, which Iguess woudl expire after a while maybe in the middle of an act (your character likely woudln't have to worry about that though).... Or you could use a needle and your sewing skills, slower but it's quality craftmanship that lasts if you are skill.

 

And then there was the third option or maybe there were more of them, but anyway, my favrite, enchant an army of "ants" to do the work for you. Excellent results, it won't expire like Revision and... Well, somehow it seems more like animal mastery than enchantment. I guess the target has to be human for it to count as mastery though.

But after encountering the Ant Queen in the room of light that worked as a Diplomacy boost.... Talking to that ant made the act of having enchanted ants to do your biding seem soemwhat sinister even if they probably didn't get hurt.

 

Hummm will I be able to do that again? If maybe the family needs to have their clothes fixed after some horrible accident?

[Cyx]

Is the player able to do that already? Because I think I remember an event where the PC called back his wand by drawing Phemes without it. Or do differrent Spells require a different "Magicality"?

[Albert]

What is an aura? An expression of great skill or some sort of built up magical power?

 

Probably residual magical "radiation" just like how people who spend too much time near a nuclear reactor can soak up some radiation, mages soakup magic. Hopefully that magic isn't deadly.

 

Ilaro, the Legates bothersome friend had a strong aura, but he could also hide it, Though the use of magic I'm guessing. Not sure if it was him or his amulet, or maybe it was both.

[Dreamweaver]

 

Probably residual magical "radiation" just like how people who spend too much time near a nuclear reactor can soak up some radiation, mages soakup magic. Hopefully that magic isn't deadly.

 

Ilaro, the Legates bothersome friend had a strong aura, but he could also hide it, Though the use of magic I'm guessing. Not sure if it was him or his amulet, or maybe it was both.

Considering some mages live for centuries I doubt it's deadly, probably the opposite. This aura was described in an adventure?

[Albert]

Is the player able to do that already? Because I think I remember an event where the PC called back his wand by drawing Phemes without it. Or do differrent Spells require a different "Magicality"?

 

I'm not sure if there were any phemes involved, think it was more like a chantrip, muttering some choice words and concentrating on the intended result.

 

There was a research entry about a master of Willpower or concentration, can't remember which, maybe it was both who used his willpower and conentration to move some "chess like" pawns when playing some kind of boardgame.

 

It seems that some things can be accomplished without phemes, by using concentration, willpower and perhaps some chants with good diction and such.

[Albert]

Considering some mages live for centuries I doubt it's deadly, probably the opposite. This aura was described in an adventure?

 

A letter from the Head Master, or one of the later parts of that Adventure line.

I think you need to build up your relationship points with the Legate first. When he likes you enough and trusts you then he might have a few tasks for you.

In my first playthrough I doubt I even encountered him. But in later playthoughs it almost seems like he's everwhere... Or maybe it's just my later character's who are attracting unusual amounts of attention from the faculty.

 

I almost expect there to be a line with people outside some of my students doorm room's waiting for attention, regarding one crazy problem or another.

[Albert]

Those ants were almost like having organic nanomachines doing your bidding. I kind of liked that. Those tiny pinchers can likely reach hard to reach places when needed.

[Legate of Mineta]

As albert suggests, the aura is like a background radiation. Definitely not deadly, though.

 

As for Cyx, most mages have their fingers enchanted so that they can draw Phemes with them as a last resort. There are certain forms of enchantment that allow you to manipulate things with your mind, as it were, but that, too, is the byproduct of a Spell.

[Albert]

As albert suggests, the aura is like a background radiation. Definitely not deadly, though.

 

As for Cyx, most mages have their fingers enchanted so that they can draw Phemes with them as a last resort. There are certain forms of enchantment that allow you to manipulate things with your mind, as it were, but that, too, is the byproduct of a Spell.

 

Then I want to know how to enchant my mind aswell and not just my fingers

[Legate of Mineta]

Albert;

 

It's possible, but not in Y1. Or Y2, for that matter.

[Albert]

Albert;

 

It's possible, but not in Y1. Or Y2, for that matter.

 

This would likely make a nice adventure seeing as enchantments are fairly long lasting, possibly for a whole lifetime unless you manage to extend your life in some unnatural way.. Just clicking enchant mind spell would be kind of underwhelming.

 

I would expect an epic adventure where you prepare everything and train, study and prepare yourself aswell as possibly havign to seekout some rare reagent to to be used... Like how you had to help Duran Detimines with his spell research.

 

But this would be your own quest for soemthing that most wizard might not bother with pursuing, because its hard, because its dangerous and perhaps even a little creepy... Or might requier skills they lack.

 

You know, a crazy adventure for students who push themselves beyond what's normal. Perhaps incuding a cautionary tale of a student that lost his mind and became an inbicil janitor working an out of the way area of the Academy to avoid people.

[Svinik]

As albert suggests, the aura is like a background radiation. Definitely not deadly, though.

 

As for Cyx, most mages have their fingers enchanted so that they can draw Phemes with them as a last resort. There are certain forms of enchantment that allow you to manipulate things with your mind, as it were, but that, too, is the byproduct of a Spell.

 

I'd presume that its also much easier to affect something like your wand, a favourite quill, etc than something not "attuned to you" - inevitable sloppiness from fingers instead of wand drawing the pheme is less risky because the wand "knows you" and is "used to your magic".

 

I suspect that casting without a wand is very much emergency stuff - or very very minor stuff, like a mother soothing a baby with some minor finger-magic instead of waving a wand that might confuse the babe - if the latter practice is prevalent I suspect that there may also be social stigma to using fingers instead of a wand.

[Legate of Mineta]

Svinik;

 

It's definitely for emergencies, for exactly the reasons you describe. Your finger is a bit clumsy, and is difficult to draw finely with, as compared to a wand. Wands themselves are often attuned to certain kinds of magic, which makes them superior in the drawing of it.

 

Enchanted fingers, while very useful, are of the last resort.

[CremePudding]

I remember the stupidly written eye-casting thing

 

What happens if people, er, transform while their fingers and stuff are enchanted? Will it work properly or else? Something like if someone turned into a werewolf.

[Legate of Mineta]

CP;

 

It depends on the nature of the transformation. Usually, though, unless special care is taken, enchantments on your fingers would be disrupted, at least until you regained your original form.