Humans are the dominant race, and 'elves', 'goblins', 'orcs', etc., are the result of magical experimentation. They are corrupted humans, restrained to life as guinea pigs or escapees to be hunted down and killed by adventurers.
Technological development is approximately equivalent to the 1600s on Earth; weapons consist primarily of swords, axes, crossbows, bows, etc. Flintlock pistols and rifles are present, but they are unreliable and infrequently used in large-scale combat. Cannons are more common.
The continent Erias is at last at peace, after hundreds of years of war and instability. Throughout the history of the continent, psychics and mages have fought. Royal families with strong magical bloodlines were regularly usurped by renegade psychics keen on forging their own dynasties, only to crumble as their children often developed useless powers. Entire countries split and merged, annexed and were annexed, on a generation-by-generation basis.
The country Ayle was a special case: originally established as a center of trade, its focus shifted quickly to research. Scholars flooded in, refugees from war-torn lands. A camaraderie developed, and as cultures mixed and intermingled, this stew of nationalities and diversities transformed into not just the economic center of Erias, but the scientific center as well.
Every warlord sought the conquest of Ayle, but his enemies would not allow it. Anyone who made a move against the citadel-upon-a-mountain met with fierce resistance from the rest of continent, united against the would-be conqueror. As such, Ayle remained comfortably neutral, and relatively stable -- so long as no sole nation grew so fierce as to oppose the entirety of the known world.
Our story begins one hundred years after the first great peace was brokered. The greatest war the world had ever known had halved the population, and Ayle had united the broken nations under one banner. Rising from the ashes, a golden age of prosperity followed, and war is but a memory long since forgotten by the inhabitants of Erias.
'Magic' in this world follows strict rules. It is very much a science, and something that almost anyone could learn, with effort. That said, some people are better suited for magic than others. Magic relies upon the manipulation of energy (mana) to allow the mind to affect reality. There are two sources of mana. The primary source, from which all is derived, is the Earth itself. The ground, the air, forests and mountains and even oceans -- they all possess mana. To tap into this source of energy requires preparation. It requires knowledge of ley lines, and it requires magic circles, rituals, and possibly sacrifice. With enough time, space, and knowledge, almost anything is possible.
There is, however, a second source. The soul. Almost every living being produces mana simply by breathing. By going about their business, they will collect mana (up to their capacity. Any produced beyond that 'spills out' into the environment). Even skilled mages with strong bloodlines will produce an order of magnitude less mana than is present in the environment, and furthermore, the capacity of a human body is limited. However, because this mana is present within the body, it can be used in novel ways -- to strengthen one's muscles, or to harden one's skin. To enhance one's reflexes, or even to forcibly discharge it as a bolt or ball, in an offensive attack.
Beyond the basics, every mage has a specialty. This is their 'focus' -- it is intrinsically linked to their soul, and is usually a manifestation of their personality. It can be as encompassing as the classical elements -- fire, water, wind, earth -- as unique as 'void', 'time', or 'transfer', or something as specific as 'swords'. A mage's focus is tied to their ultimate magic: an absolute spell that, if achieved, will define them. All of their spells are generally an application of the 'ultimate magic', albeit diluted. For example:
A mage with an affinity for 'flame' might possess the ultimate magic of Phoenix. The Phoenix is literally a part of the mage's soul, though sealed. The fireballs he summons would be physical manifestations of the Phoenix's heat, and as such, require little mana. It is a trivial task to transfer energy from one location to another; the difficulty arises in manipulating the energy to conform to the mage's thoughts. As the Phoenix's heat literally exists within the mage's soul, he can transfer it outside with ease, and it is in a form close to what he desires. Meanwhile, a mage with a focus of 'water' would not possess any inner heat; he would have to create a fireball from scratch with his mana, an inefficient process. Should the flame mage ever attain his ultimate magic and unseal the Phoenix of his soul, he would be functionally immortal.
How this applies in game terms:
If you are a mage, expect an arduous road ahead. You will choose a focus, and I will choose an 'ultimate magic' (which will not be revealed unless you achieve it). Mages are more versatile than psychics, but their powers are similarly derived from a single source, and they must operate within the limitations of mana while contending with mental exhaustion. The more specific your focus, the more limited you will be in the spells you can learn, but the higher your magical capacity, and the stronger your spells. More general focii will yield less magical capacity but more versatility, and fewer high-end spells. A mage, filled to capacity, will constantly spill mana into the environment, and tracking him is possible for other mages.
Psychics are humans with powers unexplainable by science. While magic is something anyone can learn, one can only be born with psychic powers. Psychics who attempt to perform magic will find themselves unable to do so; while they could perform rituals, they do not possess any internal mana -- their souls produce nothing. In this sense, they are inferior to regular humans. On the other hand, even amateur psychics are often capable of feats that master mages would think impossible.
Psychics possess a single talent, one which they have usually honed to perfection and learned to apply in different situations. A few examples:
Telekinesis: The ability to move an object without touching it; manipulating it with willpower. Develop its strength to tear off limbs, or its finesse to heat or cool objects (by slowing/speeding up thermal vibrations.)
Telepathy: The ability to read minds, and eventually, implant thoughts.
Clairvoyance: Seeing things that should not be seen -- ghosts, spirits, even mana. Sufficiently strong clairvoyants eventually develop to either see the future, or to see death.
Throughout most of history, psychics were reviled as abominations -- mages could not replicate their strange powers, and the absence of mana bolstered claims that they were mixtures of demon and human blood, without souls. On occasion, a powerful enough psychic arose to upset the power balance of the land, but almost inevitably, he would fail to produce offspring with powers as magnificent as his own, and his dynasty would die out after a single generation.
While magic has produced many noble bloodlines, psychics have never had any such organization. Children of psychics are more likely to be psychics themselves, but the powers they acquire appear to be mostly random. The country of Ayle became somewhat of a haven for psychics seeking refuge from tyrants eager to exploit or massacre them. As a result, Ayle has a much higher density of psychics than any other part of Erias.
What this means for gameplay:
You will choose a root ability, like telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, or otherwise (run it by me!). As a psychic, you aren't limited by mana. You will tire yourself out using your powers, but that's all. You'll have opportunities to develop your abilities in specific ways (strength, finesse, etc) more frequently than mages. Furthermore, your abilities cannot be dispelled! Magical shields and wardings have no effect on you. Some more backwards countries are still intent on murdering every psychic they can, though -- so it might be in your best interest to conceal yourselves if travelling abroad. Since you don't use mana, you also cannot be detected through magical means.
We'll be operating under the standard 1d6 RtD ruleset.
You are students at a mixed academy in the country of Ayle -- both aspiring mages and psychics interested in learning more or developing their powers are present. I'll introduce the rest of the setup once we're full. Please actually read the Psychic Powers and Magecraft spoilers; otherwise you probably won't know how to fill out the character sheet properly.
Name:
Mage or psychic:
Focus or ability:
Background (optional):
Player list:
1. dermonster
2. adwarf
3. Tarran
4. Gatleos
Waiting list:
1. lawastooshort
2. wolfchild
3. Tiruin
Author
Topic: Psychics & Mages RTD {Turn 3!} (Read 6110 times)