Aetrimonde

While I was building Ipki Chainbreaker, I went into a lot of detail about Aetrimonde’s gods, religions, and even a bit of metaphysics, to give context to the Divine classes. Not all of that information is in the CRB (some of it is relegated to a section of the campaign setting in the GMH, and other stuff won’t make it into the initial books at all), but out of fairness, I think this is a great time to circle back and discuss some of the lore that the CRB contains for other class groups.

So today, I’m going to present some of the theories of magic that the CRB discusses when introducing the Arcane classes: these are purely flavorful (although I’ve got some ideas on how to represent them mechanically, which sadly didn’t make the cut for the core rules…), but they provide players with context as to how an arcanist might think and behave in this setting.

The mindset that an arcanist twists their mind into to cast spells is called their theory of magic. While most arcanists eventually develop their own unique theories, there are several common theories taught to apprentices as a starting point, and arcanists group themselves according to what they were taught when first learning magic.

High Magic

High magic is the original theory of arcane magic, as practiced by ancient elven sorcerers and eventually adapted into wizardry. Practicioners of high magic immerse themselves in studies of the forces they aim to control, internalizing how those forces behave naturally until they can visualize the effects of their intended spell in minute detail. Training in high magic is a slow, painstaking process, but its practicioners claim that it offers the most potential for those who master it. High magic is the theory most heavily associated with wizards and academic arcanists.

Low Magic

The name “low” magic was originally an unsubtle insult aimed at the first humans to successfully use arcane magic, because their spells were crude compared to those of the high magic that preceded them. Low mages train themselves to associate their spells with specific emotions, memories, or sense impressions, and then embrace those sensations when they intend to cast the spell. Low magicians tend to use simple, brute-force spells, and are widely feared for the possibility that strong emotions can cause them to lose control of their magic. Low magic is stereotypically practiced by sorcerers and hedge mages without formal training.

Rune Magic

Originally a dwarven form of magic, rune magic allows its practicioners to construct complicated spells out of simpler parts. The runes in rune magic are symbols representing parts that are common to many spells; by training to associate these common steps with a rune, runescribes are able to construct “phrases” of runes to form a complex spell. Rune magic is often cast by tracing out the runes of a spell, or (if a practicioner uses a runic alphabet with phonetic meanings) by speaking it aloud. Rune magic is most commonly practiced by artificers.

Geometric Magic

Much as rune magic represents the parts of a spell with symbols that form a sentence, geometric magic represents spells as geometric designs, with lines, arcs, and nodes representing the parts of the spell. This allows the parts of a geometric spell to be connected together with more flexibility than runes, which–as a theory of magic based on writing and symbols–has a rigid, sequential grammar dictating how the runes must fit together. Geometric magic is often cast by tracing out a spell’s diagram using one’s hands, with the order of the tracery allowing the spell to be altered on the fly. Geometric magic is closely tied to ritual magic, which makes heavy use of diagrams in ritual circles.

Physiognostic Magic

Physiognostic magic is often treated as an offshoot of rune and geometric magic due to apparently combining the symbolic aspects of rune magic with the gestures of geometric magic, but it is a distinctly unique theory. Practicioners train to associate stances and movements with parts of a spell: by moving through a sequence of poses in the correct form, physiognostics move their minds through the appropriate contortions to work their magic. Many physiognostics are easily mistaken for boxers or soldiers, until they throw a punch with their fist wreathed in flames. Physiognostic magic is associated with so-called battlemages, who combine their spells with the use of weapons and armor.

Deep Magic

It’s debatable whether deep magic properly counts as a theory of magic, because the core of the practice requires the practicioner to change themselves on a deep level (hence the name). Practicioners of deep magic inevitably become something other than entirely mortal, by internalizing principles of magic that twist their minds beyond the point of no return, absorbing sources of power that alter them on a fundamental level, or accepting the tutelage and influence of otherworldly entities. Deep magic is often treated as one step short of dark arts like diablerie and necromancy, and is most commonly used by warlocks.

Stay tuned for more lore about Aetrimonde’s classes: I’ll be covering the different kinds of spirits that bond with and empower Spiritual classes next!