Sources of power

There are two sources of magical power in Cerilia. Thus, there are two quite different ways of using magic in the BIRTHRIGHT world. Arcane magic is closely linked to the living land and is destroyed by the presence of civilization. Divine magic thrives in civilized areas, where the gods have many worshipers.

Battle and realm magic

Only blooded characters can handle the power required to cast battle spells and realm spells. Elves and others with the ability to use True magic are still prevented from using battle/realm magic if they don’t also posses a bloodline.

Arcane magic

Arcane spellcasters are rare in Cerilia. Even though the land teems with magical energy, called mebhaighl by the elves, few know how to access it. Mebhaighl is generated by the world itself, through mechanisms unknown (or at least unimportant to most). The power is strongest in regions where nature is left undisturbed and weaker where lands become settled or tampered with. The power is unseen and unfelt by those without special abilities. Those specially gifted can feel the ebb and flow of the power, and some very few can even access the power and use it to shape the world as they desire.

There are three ways of accessing the flow of mebhaighl, and thus producing magical effects.

Formulaic spellcasting

Wizards and magicians utilize formulaic spellcasting. These spellcasters spend years learning how to manipulate the mebhaighl through the precise application of specific techniques. Formulaic spellcasters can prepare their spells only by studying their spellbooks.

Spell requisite: Intelligence.

Wizards

Can cast True magic. Cast spells of levels 0-9. Only blooded characters can become one. Follows the rules for wizards in the PHB.

Magicians

Magicians are very similar to wizards, but lack the ability to fully understand or utilize the mebhaighl.

Can cast only lesser magic. Cast spells of levels 0-6, using bard spell progression. Lesser magic comprises the schools of illusion and divination up to 6th level, which have the same spell level for as for wizards. Abjurations and enchantments up to 2nd level can be cast normally, and 3rd level abjurations can be cast as 4th level spell. Lesser magic also includes conjuration, evocation, necromancy and transmutation spells up to 2nd level, but these schools are difficult to master. 1st level spells of these schools are considered 2nd level, while 2nd level spells are cast as 3rd level.

Anyone with a fair level of intelligence can become a magician; it’s all a matter of learning the right techniques.

Spontaneous spellcasting

Sorcerers and adepts are a special kind of breed; creatures who are born with (or somehow acquires) a special connection to the mebhaighl. Through instinct and force of will, these spellcasters are able to manipulate the mebhaighl and produce magical effects. Spontaneous spellcasters need not prepare spells beforehand, but may cast whatever spell they know at will.

Spell requisite: Charisma.

Sorcerers
Can cast True magic. Cast spells of levels 0-9. Only blooded characters can become one. Follows the rules for sorcerers in the PHB.

Adepts

Adepts is to the sorcerer what the magician is to the wizard. Adepts are the most commonly encountered spellcasters among less civilized races like goblins and gnolls.

Can cast only lesser magic. Cast spells of levels 0-6, using bard spell progression and number of spells known. Lesser magic comprises the schools of illusion and divination up to 6th level, which have the same spell level for as for sorcerers. Abjurations and enchantments up to 2nd level can be cast normally, and 3rd level abjurations can be cast as 4th level spell. Lesser magic also includes conjuration, evocation, necromancy and transmutation spells up to 2nd level, but these schools are difficult to master. 1st level spells of these schools are considered 2nd level, while 2nd level spells are cast as 3rd level.

Anyone with a fair level of charisma can become an adept; it’s all a matter of having the hearth for it.

Empathic spellcasting

Druids and seers represent a type of creatures that have an intuitive understanding of nature. Since nature and the mebhaighl are two sides of the same thing, they are able to subtly manipulate its flow to produce magical effects.

Empathic spellcasters are special in that they utilize the mebhaighl in a manner very different from sorcerers and wizards. Where other arcane spellcasters use their will or skill to manipulate the mebhaighl in an unnatural fashion, druids subtly guides it to produce only natural effects. Empathic spells have more in common with divine magic that it does with other arcane magic. Still, druids do use sources when casting realm spells.

Spell requisite: Wisdom.

Druids

Can cast True magic. Cast of spells of levels 0-9. Only blooded characters can become one. Follows the rules for druids in the PHB.

Seers

Seers represents those who follow the calling of nature as a druid does, but who does not have the ability to truly connect (lacks a bloodline or elven ancestry).

Can cast only lesser magic. Cast spells of levels 0-6, using bard spell progression. Casts the same spells as druids do, but only within the limits of lesser magic as described under the entries for magician and adept. To account for the special nature of their connection to the mabhaighl, seers can also use spell of up to 6th level from the cleric domains of Animal, Divination and Plant, regardless of which school they belong to.

Anyone with a fair level of wisdom can become a seer, as long as they respect and understand nature.

Elves

Elves and half-elves can use true magic, even without a bloodline. Other characters can be of elven ancestry by choosing the Elfblood feat during character creation. Such characters are also able to use true magic without a bloodline.

Spellsong

Elven spellcasters (regardless of class) cast spells using a special technique known as Spellsong. When using Spellsong, the Silent Spell metamagic feat may not be used. Due to the nature of elves, Spellsong cannot be used to cast spells from the necromancy school and spells of the conjuration and evocation schools are less effective; effective caster level is reduced by one. Illusion, divination and enchantment spells are enhanced; effective caster level is increased by one.

Note that while bards use a technique similar to spellsong, they are not affected by this rule (even elven bards). Since bards can use only illusion, divination and enchantment spells anyway, they cast these spells at their normal caster level.

Touched by the Divine

Some gods, most notably Azrai, Erik and Ruornil, may ‘touch’ their most devout followers. Touched characters are able to use true magic, even without a bloodline. This way, a cleric of Ruornil can become a wizard without being blooded. You represent this by choosing the Touched by the Divine feat.

Bards

Bards are a special case. They follow the normal PHB rules for bards, but can only cast spells of the enchantment, divination and illusion schools (of levels 0-6). They are most like sorcerers and adepts when it comes to learning and using spells. While most bard spells are lesser magic, and bard are considered users of lesser magic (and thus unable to use realms magic) they do have access to some true magic (enchantments levels 4-6). This does not require them to be blooded or of elven ancestry as their use of spellsong is assumed to account for this limited access to true magic.

Rangers

Cerilian rangers do not have access to spells. They instead follow one of the myriad alternate mundane ranger classes available. There may be prestige classes available to rangers that give them spells, but that’s another story.

Shadow magic

The Shadow world, the sinister twin of the Daylight world, has its very own magical forces. Shadow mebhaighl, or awnmebhaighl, is generated by the land, much the same as in Cerilia. Indeed, where the barrier between the worlds is thin, awnmebhaighl seeps into the Daylight world.

Some very rare spellcasters know of this, and use awnmebhaighl instead of regular mebhaighl to power their spells. This has some unique benefits and drawbacks. Illusion, enchantment and necromancy spells are most suited to the awnmebhaighl, and are enhanced by it. Evocation and transmutation spells are less ideally suited, and are hampered by the use of awnmebhaighl. Other schools are not affected. Spells that use awnmebhaighl are harder to detect and counter for those who use regular mebhaighl, but the opposite is also true.

Any arcane spellcaster can learn how to use awnmebhaighl, but his soul is forever tainted by it and he loses the ability to access regular mebhaighl. To use awnmebhaighl, the Shadow Magic feat must be chosen. Experienced users of shadow magic can gain access to the Shadow Walker prestige class. See the FR rulebook for the details of the feats required to use Shadow magic.

Divine magic

Divine magic is powered from a completely different source, and is not at all dependent on the access to the arcane power flow. The source of all divine magic is the gods; worship brings a god power, some of which can be returned to faithful followers in the form of spells.

Scholastic spellcasting

Chosen for their devotion and trained by one of the temples, these beings establish a link to their patron deity, which allows then to channel divine power.

Spell requisite: Wisdom.

Clerics

Can cast True magic. Cast spells of levels 0-9. Clerics do not have the ability to cast battle/realm magics unless they are also blooded. Follows the rules for clerics in the PHB.

Anyone judged worthy by the gods may become a cleric, although the gods seem to prefer those with divine bloodlines.

Priests
Can cast only lesser magic. Cast spells of levels 0-6, using bard spell progression. In addition, priests can chose two domains, from which they can cast spells regardless of the restrictions imposed by lesser magic (see magician or adept)

Anyone with a fair level of wisdom can become a priest; it’s all a matter of indoctrination.

Paladins

The paladin class is no longer available as per the PHB. Instead, there is a paladin prestige class for each god that has access to paladins.