04 - Arcane Words

Jump to: Arcane Words Descriptions

Thaumaturgy is the learned person's word for Magic.

Depending on where you go and who you talk to, it is also called Witchcraft, Sorcery, Enchantments, Arcana, and Flux, among others.

Speaking the Arcane Words

To cast a Spell with Thaumaturgy you must speak the Arcane Words, which define the Spell's Effect. Spells typically need at least 3 words each of a different type, spoken in the following order:
The Act, the Material, and the Form.

If you are missing words from a Spell, the Director will decide words or randomly roll words to fill them in.

Here are the full rules for Thaumaturgy.

Gaining Arcane Words

When you create your character, to gain the Arcane Words that your character knows roll the appropriate dice (upper left on each chart) for each Act, Material, and Form words based on your Trade.

If you have multiple words from a category and roll duplicate words, reroll the die to get unique words.
(For example, if my Academic rolled a d8 2 times for his Material words and rolled a 4 both times, I would reroll one of those d8 until I got a different number.)

No matter which Trade you chose, you may make 1 reroll per category. (Rerolling due to duplicate words does not count towards this.)

You can choose if your words are Ancient Dwarvish or Encanic, unless the Director specifies otherwise.

Trade Chart

• Note that Healer, Occultist, and Thaumaturge start with some particular words.

Act

The Act of your Spell is like a verb, and it creates the action of what happens to the Material you are manipulating.

• Trade Chart

Material

The Material of your Spell is like a noun, and it defines the type of energy or material your Spell affects or creates.

• Trade Chart

Form

The Form of your Spell is like an adjective, and it describes the shape of your Spell.

• Trade Chart

Special Words

Special Words may be given to your character by your Director.

• Trade Chart

Arcane Words Descriptions

Act

The Act of your Spell is like a verb, and it creates the action of what happens to the Material you are manipulating.

Evoke:
Evoke is the FEELING, IMAGE, or COMMUNICATION of an idea. If you EVOKE HEAT SPHERE, you might be able to scare away a bear who is looking for food in your camp.

Scry:
Scry is SEEING, the PEEKING through the veil to gaze upon distant or hidden truths. If you SCRY MARROW FOG, you might be able to perceive all of the people within an area.

Shape:
Shape is the COMMAND OVER FORM, the MOLDING of reality to your will. If you SHAPE WATER BEAM, you might be able to spray someone.

Augment:
Augment is ENHANCEMENT, the TRANSFORMING of something's natural properties. If you AUGMENT MATTER BEAM, you might be able to make a sword's edge impossibly sharp, or made of wood instead of metal.

Quell:
Quell is SUPPRESSION, STOPPING, or SILENCING of forces that rage out of control. If you QUELL MATTER FOG, you might be able to stop it from raining, or slow an object hurtling towards you.

Conjure:
Conjure is a BRINGING INTO EXISTENCE, the SUMMONING of something from nothing—or from elsewhere. If you CONJURE HEAT CONE, you might breath fire like a dragon.

Absorb:
Absorb is the act of TAKING IN, the DRAWING of energy, force, or information into oneself. If you ABSORB FORCE ORB, you might be able to gain energy from what would otherwise be a deadly blow.

Amplify:
Amplify is MAGNIFICATION, an INTENSIFICATION of something's effect or presence. If you AMPLIFY SOUND FOG, you might be able to hear things that you normally wouldn't.

Reduce:
Reduce is the DIMINISHMENT, the LESSENING of something's essence or influence. If you REDUCE LIGHT FOG, an area might become dark.

Rend:
Rend is the TEARING APART, the SEPARATION of elements that were once whole. If you REND MATTER BEAM, you might rip a hole in something.

Material

The Material of your Spell is like a noun, and it defines the type of energy or material your Spell affects or creates.

Light: The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
Sound: Vibrations that travel through the air (or other mediums).
Force: Kinetic energy.
Heat: Thermal energy.
Electricity: Lightning, static, galvanic energy.
Matter: Inert elements: Air, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal.
Plant: Living plantlife.
Marrow: Living flesh, blood, bone. People and animals.

Form

The Form of your Spell is like an adjective, and it describes the shape of your Spell.

Orb: Spherical
Cone: Conical
Beam: Linear
Fog: Diffuse

More Arcane Words

Design Notes:

This system was designed and inspired from:

• this article about magic systems (see the Soft-Coded Prompt Systems section),
• Ars Magica RPG,
• Grimoire: Tales of Wizardry and Intrigue magic system (pdf if you're interested),
• the magic in Name of the Wind (Sympathy),
• the magic in the Eragon book series (somewhat ashamedly lol),
• and a general dissatisfaction with D&D 5e spells and spell slots.

There are still clunky bits. If you have ideas to change it, please suggest them!