Difference between revisions of "Magic (Arden-Vul)"

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[[Arden-Vul]] > [[Rules_(Arden-Vul)|Rules]] > Magic
[[Arden-Vul]] > [[Rules_(Arden-Vul)|Rules]] > Magic


=Spell Lists=
* [[Arcane Spells_(Arden-Vul)|Arcane]]
* [[Divine Spells_(Arden-Vul)|Divine]]
* [[Primal Spells_(Arden-Vul)|Primal]]


=Foundations of Magic=
=Foundations of Magic=
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* Preparing a spell requires 2 Turns per level of a spell and a vacant, undisrupted nexus of high enough circle (high enough level spell slot) to contain the spell.
* Preparing a spell requires 2 Turns per level of a spell and a vacant, undisrupted nexus of high enough circle (high enough level spell slot) to contain the spell.
** You must be reasonably comfortable and secure, able to meditate, focus, take ceremonial actions, etc.  While working, you have a +1 chance to be surprised.
** You must be reasonably comfortable and secure, able to meditate, focus, take ceremonial actions, etc.  While working, you have a +1 chance to be surprised.
*** Mages require access to a spellbook containing the spell to be prepared.
*** Mages require access to an Arcane Text of the spell (scroll, spellbook, etc).
** Spells can be prepared into higher circle nexii than their minimum, but there is no additional benefit to doing so.
** Spells can be prepared into higher circle nexii than their minimum, but there is no additional benefit to doing so.
** If interrupted, the preparation must be restarted, but the nexus is not disrupted.
** If interrupted, the preparation must be restarted, but the nexus is not disrupted.
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=Arcane Magic=
=Arcane Magic=


Learning Arcane Spells
===Learning Arcane Spells===
* When you study an arcane scroll for a Short Rest, roll % Chance to Understand Spells (based on Intelligence), to see if you are able to fully comprehend it.
* When you study an Arcane Text (scroll, spellbook) using Read Magic, you learn its purpose and nature, and can read it without magical aid thereafter.
** You can attempt this once per level per instance of a spell available (e.g. if you acquire a second copy of a scroll, gain tutelage from another mage who knows it, etc).
** You can cast the spell from the text, consuming it.
* There is no limit to the number of spells you can learn, but you must commit them to spellbooks, and reference those to prepare the spells.
** If you are high enough level to prepare the spell, you can roll % Chance to Understand Spells (based on Intelligence), to see if you fully comprehend it.
** If successful, you can now prepare the spell from the arcane text.  If you fail, you can attempt comprehension once per level per instance of the spell available (i.e. try again if you acquire another copy).
* There is no limit to the number of spells you can comprehend.
 
===Arcane Spellbooks===
* Traveling Spellbook (25 gp, 5 lbs)
** Flexible leather cover, cloth tie or leather buckle, oilskin cover protects from splashes of water/acid, limited exposure to flame, etc.
** Saves as leather / paper.


Arcane Spellbooks
* Spell Tome (250 gp, 30 lbs)
* Tome (1000 gp, 30 lbs, 48 capacity)
** Leather-bound wooden covers, metal corner bosses, metal clasp.
** Leather-bound wooden covers, metal corner bosses, metal clasp.
*** Sturdy, saves as wood / metal.
** Sturdier, saves as wood / metal.
*** +X to save against magic, where X is the highest capacity taken up by any spell in the book (e.g. +6 if it has a 7th level spell in it).
*** +X to saves (X is half (rounding up) of the highest level spell in the book).
* Traveling Spellbook (500 gp, 6 lbs, 12 capacity)
** flexible leather cover, cloth tie or leather buckle, oilskin cover protects from splashes of water/acid, limited exposure to flame, etc.
*** Saves as leather / paper.
** Binding the magic into a more compact form, with less "tome infrastructure" to assist it, doubles the cost of transcribing spells.


Transcribing an Arcane Spell
===Transcribing an Arcane Spell===
* You must have a source document and a suitable spellbook to transcribe intoThe process takes 1 day per spell level and requires costly materials and space in the spellbook as listed below.
* A spell can be transcribed from one location to another (e.g. scroll to spellbook)This takes 1 day of work per spell level and extracts the power from the original, erasing it.
** 1st - 2nd = 2 capacity, 100 gp per level
** Regardless of the form (scroll, book, stone tablet, etc), a spell can always be cast from the text (instead of using it to prepare), but this erases the spell and consumes its power.
** 3rd - 4th = 3 capacity, 150 gp per level
* New arcane texts can be created by a 5th level or higher mage.
** 5th - 6th = 4 capacity, 200 gp per level
** The mage prepares the spell and transcribe it from his own mind onto a scroll.  This requires ritual materials costing (spell level x minimum mage level to cast the spell x 100) gp.
** 7th - 9th = 6 capacity, 250 gp per level
*** 1st (100 gp), 2nd (600 gp), 3rd (1500 gp), 4th (2800 gp), 5th (4500 gp), 6th (6600 gp), 7th (9100 gp), 8th (12,000 gp), 9th (153,000 gp)
** Transcribing into a traveling spellbook costs 2x the listed price, but takes the same time and capacity as a tome.
*** Using the harvested blood, organs, etc of an eldritch creature can defray cost equal to the creature's xp value. The creature can't be antithetical to the nature of the spell, and must be worth at least 1/10th of the scroll's cost to contribute meaningfully.
** If you consume a magical scroll while transcribing it, it covers the cost of transcription.


Recreating an Arcane Spell
=Divine Magic=
* If your spellbook is lost or destroyed, you can recreate spells you know from memory and experimentation.
* For each level of the spell, this takes 300 gp and 1 week, after which you may also pay the normal time and cost to transcribe it into a spellbook.


Arcane Research
===Acquiring Divine Spells===
* Each time a mage gains a level, they invent 1 spell.
** The player chooses a level and picks from a set of 3 randomly-selected spells (rerolling any the mage already knows).
* They must transcribe the spell at normal cost.


=Divine Magic=
'''Immortal Flame'''
 
Acquiring Divine Spells
* Clerics of the Immortal Flame have all spells relating to the following domains automatically available when they are high enough level to cast them.
* Clerics of the Immortal Flame have all spells relating to the following domains automatically available when they are high enough level to cast them.
** Healing, purification, divination, flame, light, warding, protection, smiting / banishing evil
** Healing, purification, divination, flame, light, warding, protection, smiting / banishing evil
** Other cleric spells that aren't antithetical to the Flame's ethos are obscured miracles associated with particular saints.
* Other cleric spells that aren't antithetical to the Flame's ethos are obscured miracles associated with particular saints.
*** To learn these spell requires special study and devotional practice dedicated to the saint, costing
** A learned devotee of the saint or a rare manuscript may need to be found and accessed to learn a saint's spell, followed by special (costly) study and devotional practice (3 days / spell level) dedicated to the saint
*** 1st - 2nd = 200 gp per level
*** 3rd - 4th = 300 gp per level
*** 5th - 6th = 400 gp per level
*** 7th - 9th = 500 gp per level
* Reversed spells that cause harm, darkness, or other evils are generally not available.  Some rare, strange saints might make them available.
* Reversed spells that cause harm, darkness, or other evils are generally not available.  Some rare, strange saints might make them available.


'''Cult of Ptah'''
* Dwarven clerics of Ptah have all spells relating to the following domains automatically available when they are high enough level to cast them.
** Healing, purification, divination, warding, protection, smiting / banishing evil, earth, stone, metal, craftsmanship
*** Spells of stone, metal, and craftsmanship from mage and druid spell lists may be taken as cleric spells.
** Clerics of Ptah can't gain further spells, except lost rarities from the old cult of Ptah.


acquiring divine spells (saints)
===Turning Undead===
* As an action, you brandish your holy symbol (requiring a free hand) and verbally rebuke the undead and unholy.
** As long as the turning affects at least some undead each attempt, you may continue to turn on subsequent rounds.  If you affect no targets, you cannot turn again until you take a Brief Rest.
** Turning is a spell-like ability and can't be interrupted.
* Consult the chart and roll against the DC.
** If successful (T = auto-success), turn 2d6 creatures (or only 1d2 Type 13).  On a result of D, destroy 1d6+6 creatures, who crumble to dust.
** Turned creatures flee for 3d4 rounds, fighting only to break through to a path of escape.
** The lowest HD undead are affected first.  If enough creatures are turned, the excess can move up to the next higher HD undead.  Apply the same roll against the new DC to see if they are affected.


* clerics get a large number of core spells automatically available (healing, abjuration, light, divination, fire). they can get extra spells by devotions to particular saints associated with the domain (effectively spending time and cash like arcane research)
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Turning DC (OSRIC p130)
|-
! Type !! Example !! Cleric Level || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9-13 || 14-18 || 19+
|-
| Type 1 || Skeleton ||  || 10 || 7 || 4 || T || T || D || D || D || D || D || D
|-
| Type 2 || Zombie ||  || 13 || 10 || 7 || T || T || D || D || D || D || D || D
|-
| Type 3 || Ghoul ||  || 16 || 13 || 10 || 4 || T || T || D || D || D || D || D
|-
| Type 4 || Shadow ||  || 19 || 16 || 13 || 7 || 4 || T || T || D || D || D || D
|-
| Type 5 || Wight ||  || 20 || 19 || 16 || 10 || 7 || 4 || T || T || D || D || D
|-
| Type 6 || Ghast ||  || -- || 20 || 19 || 13 || 10 || 7 || 4 || T || T || D || D
|-
| Type 7 || Wraith ||  || -- || -- || 20 || 16 || 13 || 10 || 7 || 4 || T || T || D
|-
| Type 8 || Mummy ||  || -- || -- || -- || 19 || 16 || 13 || 10 || 7 || 4 || T || D
|-
| Type 9 || Spectre ||  || -- || -- || -- || 20 || 19 || 16 || 13 || 10 || 7 || T || T
|-
| Type 10 || Vampire ||  || -- || -- || -- || -- || 20 || 19 || 16 || 13 || 10 || 7 || 4
|-
| Type 11 || Ghost ||  || -- || -- || -- || -- || -- || 20 || 19 || 16 || 13 || 10 || 7
|-
| Type 12 || Lich ||  || -- || -- || -- || -- || -- || -- || 20 || 19 || 16 || 13 || 10
|-
| Type 13 || Fiend* || || -- || -- || -- || -- || -- || -- || -- || 20 || 19 || 16 || 13
|}


 
* Lesser Fiends (imps, quasits, etc) turn as lower type creatures.
Turning Undead
- Once per Dungeon Turn, as an action, you brandish your holy symbol and rebuke the undead with holy words.  Roll d20 and consult the chart.  Up to 2d6 individuals are affected.  Apply the single roll against all types of undead, resolving each case, from weakest to strongest.
- This is not casting and can't be interrupted.
- Turned undead attempt to flee for 3d4 rounds.  They may fight, but only to break through to a path of escape.


=Primal Magic=
=Primal Magic=


acquiring primal spells
Acquiring Primal Spells
 
* druids have to develop their abilities through training.  they get some (4?) free spells of their choice added to their repertoire with each level, and can train to develop others (effectively spending time and cash like arcane research)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
???learning a spell: 1 week per level? roll chance of success?  can retry, you just lose the time and money trying
 
 
 
 
 
Identifying an Arcane Scroll
* scrolls can be activated without knowing what they do.
* a scroll's effect can be deciphered by reading it during a Short Rest (1 hour).  Can also decipher 1 spell in an unfamiliar spellbook (foreign tradition, written in code, crazy author)
 
* ancient magic combined divine and arcane aspects in ways modern magic doesn't.  modern wizards (and thieves, and bards) can only activate mostly-arcane scrolls, clerics can only activate-mostly divine scrolls (the spiritual process is accessible, even if it was prepared with the aid of a different god).


* Druid spells are loosely grouped into domains, which they gain access to through (costly) training.
** Fire (fire, light, lightning, heat)
** Earth (earth, stone)
** Flow (wind, water, ice, cold)
** Green (plants, wood)
** Red (animals, flesh)
** Cycle (healing, harming, vitality)
** Sight (divination, concealment)
** Unseen (spirit, mind, metamagic)
* A druid begins with access to 4 domains.  Learning a domain costs 1,000 gp and 1 week for first new domain, then doubles in cost and time for each subsequent domain.
** Some spells may fall into multiple domains, e.g. Hallucinatory Forest Green and Sight), Sticks to Snakes (Red and Green), Animal Friendship (Red and Unseen), Protection From Fire (Fire and Flow).


=Identifying & Using Magic Items=


Scrolls
* Ancient magic combined divine and arcane aspects in ways modern magic doesn't.
** Modern mages (and thieves and bards) can only activate arcane-leaning scrolls (those in the mage spell list), while clerics can only activate divine-leaning scrolls (the spiritual process is accessible, even if it was prepared with the aid of a different god).
* To know the spell within an Arcane scroll, it must be deciphered using Read Magic or the thief skill Decipher (which may reveal only a general notion of the effect, if the spell is unfamiliar).
** A scroll can be activated by those with the arcane skill, even if it's effect isn't known yet.
* Divine and Primal "scrolls" are actually talismans imbued with power.  Their purpose can be understood with a successful use of the Sense Magic ability.
** Arcane casters can grasp the purpose of a talisman, but only those able to wield divine or primal magic can activate them.


potions
Command Words
- sipping (or maybe just smelling?) a potion gives a clue to its effects
* Magic items that require command words to activate may have them inscribed on them, either in arcane runes (requiring Read Magic) or mundane languages.
- can share a potion around, dividing its duration among multiple uses / people? (some minimum amount must be used)
* Some items merely require a cogent command in any language, and thus knowledge of the item's purpose and effects (e.g. telling a Wondrous Figurine to "arise and do my bidding"), provided by bards, sages, divination, etc.


Potions
* Identifying Potions
** Smell and feel the faintest of effects (almost always harmless) that may offer a clue.
** Sip and feel somewhat stronger effects (can be harmful with poisons).
** Test on a lab animal or hapless hireling.
** Test on a scrap of material (for oils, dusts, etc).
** Potions of the same type produced by the same magical tradition will look the same.
** Hiring a sage or alchemist to analyze it in a lab.
** Using the Identify spell or similar.


identifying and using magic items
* Potions can be subdivided, shared among multiple people or used gradually.
** The effects are subdivided, usually either in magnitude (a healing potion) or duration (a levitation potion).
** When first consumed, the DM determines the outcome of any random elements of the potion.  If the effects can't evenly divide into the portion consumed, any fractional effect is lost.
*** e.g. if a healing potion would heal 3 hp, drinking half would heal 1.5, rounded down to 1.  Drinking the other half would also heal 1, so the potential 3rd hp would just be lost.
*** Durations measured in Turns can be subdivided into minutes or rounds.
* Exact durations are not known by the imbiber, but they can usually feel the power waning as the end approaches.

Latest revision as of 00:17, 24 March 2024

Arden-Vul > Rules > Magic


Spell Lists

Foundations of Magic

The Metaphysics of Spells

  • The focus, study, magical attunements, and other requirements to pursue holy, primal, or arcane magic interfere with one another. A practitioner can only pursue one.
  • Spells are prepared, woven from energies that are patterned with assistance from ritual tools, reagents, paraphernalia, meditation, and other techniques.
    • Once prepared, they are bound to nexii within a caster's spirit until ready to unleash.
    • Skilled casters can bind a spell in ink and paper, creating scrolls.
  • Over time, a caster cultivates their spirit through the methods of their tradition, expanding and deepening it, adding more nexii.
    • Nexii occupy spiritual shells radiating out from the core of the caster, like electron shells around a nucleus. As these are usually depicted as concentric circles, they have come to be called circles.
    • Nexii within higher circles are able to contain more power and complex spells, and so spells are considered to be of a certain circle.
      • e.g. fireball is a third circle spell, requiring a mage who has cultivated themselves enough to possess nodes in the third circle of their spirit.
  • Once a spell unleashed from the nexus that contains it, the nexus is disrupted and cannot contain another spell until, stability is restored by several hours of sleep or meditation.

Spell Preparation

  • Preparing a spell requires 2 Turns per level of a spell and a vacant, undisrupted nexus of high enough circle (high enough level spell slot) to contain the spell.
    • You must be reasonably comfortable and secure, able to meditate, focus, take ceremonial actions, etc. While working, you have a +1 chance to be surprised.
      • Mages require access to an Arcane Text of the spell (scroll, spellbook, etc).
    • Spells can be prepared into higher circle nexii than their minimum, but there is no additional benefit to doing so.
    • If interrupted, the preparation must be restarted, but the nexus is not disrupted.
  • A spell remains prepared until cast, or until the caster allows it to dissipate (effectively casting without any effect), leaving the nexus disrupted.

Casting

  • During combat, a caster must declare their intention to cast a particular spell at the start of the turn, prior to rolling initiative.
    • They cannot move before casting without aborting, and can't move after casting.
    • If they take damage or fail a save before completing the spell, the caster rolls save vs Spells. If failed, the spell is lost, as if cast without effect. If successful, the casting is aborted, but the spell is retained.
  • Each kind of caster requires certain tools to cast, and their lack introduces a chance of spell failure (treat as casting without effect).
    • Cleric: without a holy symbol or suitably hallowed location, +50% chance of spell failure.
    • Druid: without a primal crystal or suitably elven location, +50% chance of spell failure. If disrupted by the use of metal tools or armor, +100% spell failure.
    • Mage: without raiment (not compatible with armor), +50% spell failure.
  • Components
    • A spell with a Verbal component requires that the caster speak clearly at conversational volume.
    • A spell with a Somatic component requires that the caster have a hand free to gesture.
    • A spell with a Material component requires that the caster have a hand free to manipulate the reagents (thus both hands for Somatic and Material).
  • The invocation of magic is obvious to onlookers, but not necessarily what the spell's effect will be.

Arcane Magic

Learning Arcane Spells

  • When you study an Arcane Text (scroll, spellbook) using Read Magic, you learn its purpose and nature, and can read it without magical aid thereafter.
    • You can cast the spell from the text, consuming it.
    • If you are high enough level to prepare the spell, you can roll % Chance to Understand Spells (based on Intelligence), to see if you fully comprehend it.
    • If successful, you can now prepare the spell from the arcane text. If you fail, you can attempt comprehension once per level per instance of the spell available (i.e. try again if you acquire another copy).
  • There is no limit to the number of spells you can comprehend.

Arcane Spellbooks

  • Traveling Spellbook (25 gp, 5 lbs)
    • Flexible leather cover, cloth tie or leather buckle, oilskin cover protects from splashes of water/acid, limited exposure to flame, etc.
    • Saves as leather / paper.
  • Spell Tome (250 gp, 30 lbs)
    • Leather-bound wooden covers, metal corner bosses, metal clasp.
    • Sturdier, saves as wood / metal.
      • +X to saves (X is half (rounding up) of the highest level spell in the book).

Transcribing an Arcane Spell

  • A spell can be transcribed from one location to another (e.g. scroll to spellbook). This takes 1 day of work per spell level and extracts the power from the original, erasing it.
    • Regardless of the form (scroll, book, stone tablet, etc), a spell can always be cast from the text (instead of using it to prepare), but this erases the spell and consumes its power.
  • New arcane texts can be created by a 5th level or higher mage.
    • The mage prepares the spell and transcribe it from his own mind onto a scroll. This requires ritual materials costing (spell level x minimum mage level to cast the spell x 100) gp.
      • 1st (100 gp), 2nd (600 gp), 3rd (1500 gp), 4th (2800 gp), 5th (4500 gp), 6th (6600 gp), 7th (9100 gp), 8th (12,000 gp), 9th (153,000 gp)
      • Using the harvested blood, organs, etc of an eldritch creature can defray cost equal to the creature's xp value. The creature can't be antithetical to the nature of the spell, and must be worth at least 1/10th of the scroll's cost to contribute meaningfully.

Divine Magic

Acquiring Divine Spells

Immortal Flame

  • Clerics of the Immortal Flame have all spells relating to the following domains automatically available when they are high enough level to cast them.
    • Healing, purification, divination, flame, light, warding, protection, smiting / banishing evil
  • Other cleric spells that aren't antithetical to the Flame's ethos are obscured miracles associated with particular saints.
    • A learned devotee of the saint or a rare manuscript may need to be found and accessed to learn a saint's spell, followed by special (costly) study and devotional practice (3 days / spell level) dedicated to the saint.
      • 1st - 2nd = 200 gp per level
      • 3rd - 4th = 300 gp per level
      • 5th - 6th = 400 gp per level
      • 7th - 9th = 500 gp per level
  • Reversed spells that cause harm, darkness, or other evils are generally not available. Some rare, strange saints might make them available.

Cult of Ptah

  • Dwarven clerics of Ptah have all spells relating to the following domains automatically available when they are high enough level to cast them.
    • Healing, purification, divination, warding, protection, smiting / banishing evil, earth, stone, metal, craftsmanship
      • Spells of stone, metal, and craftsmanship from mage and druid spell lists may be taken as cleric spells.
    • Clerics of Ptah can't gain further spells, except lost rarities from the old cult of Ptah.

Turning Undead

  • As an action, you brandish your holy symbol (requiring a free hand) and verbally rebuke the undead and unholy.
    • As long as the turning affects at least some undead each attempt, you may continue to turn on subsequent rounds. If you affect no targets, you cannot turn again until you take a Brief Rest.
    • Turning is a spell-like ability and can't be interrupted.
  • Consult the chart and roll against the DC.
    • If successful (T = auto-success), turn 2d6 creatures (or only 1d2 Type 13). On a result of D, destroy 1d6+6 creatures, who crumble to dust.
    • Turned creatures flee for 3d4 rounds, fighting only to break through to a path of escape.
    • The lowest HD undead are affected first. If enough creatures are turned, the excess can move up to the next higher HD undead. Apply the same roll against the new DC to see if they are affected.
Turning DC (OSRIC p130)
Type Example Cleric Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9-13 14-18 19+
Type 1 Skeleton 10 7 4 T T D D D D D D
Type 2 Zombie 13 10 7 T T D D D D D D
Type 3 Ghoul 16 13 10 4 T T D D D D D
Type 4 Shadow 19 16 13 7 4 T T D D D D
Type 5 Wight 20 19 16 10 7 4 T T D D D
Type 6 Ghast -- 20 19 13 10 7 4 T T D D
Type 7 Wraith -- -- 20 16 13 10 7 4 T T D
Type 8 Mummy -- -- -- 19 16 13 10 7 4 T D
Type 9 Spectre -- -- -- 20 19 16 13 10 7 T T
Type 10 Vampire -- -- -- -- 20 19 16 13 10 7 4
Type 11 Ghost -- -- -- -- -- 20 19 16 13 10 7
Type 12 Lich -- -- -- -- -- -- 20 19 16 13 10
Type 13 Fiend* -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 20 19 16 13
  • Lesser Fiends (imps, quasits, etc) turn as lower type creatures.

Primal Magic

Acquiring Primal Spells

  • Druid spells are loosely grouped into domains, which they gain access to through (costly) training.
    • Fire (fire, light, lightning, heat)
    • Earth (earth, stone)
    • Flow (wind, water, ice, cold)
    • Green (plants, wood)
    • Red (animals, flesh)
    • Cycle (healing, harming, vitality)
    • Sight (divination, concealment)
    • Unseen (spirit, mind, metamagic)
  • A druid begins with access to 4 domains. Learning a domain costs 1,000 gp and 1 week for first new domain, then doubles in cost and time for each subsequent domain.
    • Some spells may fall into multiple domains, e.g. Hallucinatory Forest Green and Sight), Sticks to Snakes (Red and Green), Animal Friendship (Red and Unseen), Protection From Fire (Fire and Flow).

Identifying & Using Magic Items

Scrolls

  • Ancient magic combined divine and arcane aspects in ways modern magic doesn't.
    • Modern mages (and thieves and bards) can only activate arcane-leaning scrolls (those in the mage spell list), while clerics can only activate divine-leaning scrolls (the spiritual process is accessible, even if it was prepared with the aid of a different god).
  • To know the spell within an Arcane scroll, it must be deciphered using Read Magic or the thief skill Decipher (which may reveal only a general notion of the effect, if the spell is unfamiliar).
    • A scroll can be activated by those with the arcane skill, even if it's effect isn't known yet.
  • Divine and Primal "scrolls" are actually talismans imbued with power. Their purpose can be understood with a successful use of the Sense Magic ability.
    • Arcane casters can grasp the purpose of a talisman, but only those able to wield divine or primal magic can activate them.

Command Words

  • Magic items that require command words to activate may have them inscribed on them, either in arcane runes (requiring Read Magic) or mundane languages.
  • Some items merely require a cogent command in any language, and thus knowledge of the item's purpose and effects (e.g. telling a Wondrous Figurine to "arise and do my bidding"), provided by bards, sages, divination, etc.

Potions

  • Identifying Potions
    • Smell and feel the faintest of effects (almost always harmless) that may offer a clue.
    • Sip and feel somewhat stronger effects (can be harmful with poisons).
    • Test on a lab animal or hapless hireling.
    • Test on a scrap of material (for oils, dusts, etc).
    • Potions of the same type produced by the same magical tradition will look the same.
    • Hiring a sage or alchemist to analyze it in a lab.
    • Using the Identify spell or similar.
  • Potions can be subdivided, shared among multiple people or used gradually.
    • The effects are subdivided, usually either in magnitude (a healing potion) or duration (a levitation potion).
    • When first consumed, the DM determines the outcome of any random elements of the potion. If the effects can't evenly divide into the portion consumed, any fractional effect is lost.
      • e.g. if a healing potion would heal 3 hp, drinking half would heal 1.5, rounded down to 1. Drinking the other half would also heal 1, so the potential 3rd hp would just be lost.
      • Durations measured in Turns can be subdivided into minutes or rounds.
  • Exact durations are not known by the imbiber, but they can usually feel the power waning as the end approaches.