[Torg] The Magic Axiom Chart (Magic Axiom, 4 of 9)

[Chris]

Having read 1 through 4 of this topic tonight, I have a minor question that
I need clarified before I feel I can even continue. In (I think) the
previous message (3/9), the word traditions was used in a very
understandable context, and was lower case as one would expect. However, it
also appears in this message and what I believe was the second message, in a
different context, being that it is upper case. What exactly is a Tradition,
and how does it differ from tradition? The other context I noticed it in was
that of Mage: The Ascension; is the concept of magic in Mage migrating to
Torg in how magic is limited based on background for your chart here?

And on the topic of Wish Magic, I do think that when it first becomes
available, it does not make sense that it would be perfect, as none of the
other Magics are described as being perfect when first introduced. Rituals,
hexes, etc are all stated to be unreliable when they are in their early
stages, so I do not understand why wish magic would not be the same; yes,
you wished for a pile of gold, that pile of gold has to come from somewhere,
right? It can either come from nothing as it is wished into existence, or it
can be transported to your location from where there was a pile of gold just
sitting around. Maybe that means that castle guards from the vault, or the
dragon sitting on top of its hoard will arrive with it. The results should
not be perfectly matching the users' desires when the magic first becomes
available or it does not fit with your progression and description of other
axiom levels, in my opinion.

I think I will leave my comments/questions to those for now.

-chris

On Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 6:13 PM, Jones Jasyn <jasynj at gmail.com> wrote:

> The Magic Axiom Chart
>
> This is the essential axiom chart, the chart reduced to the bare minimum of
> complexity (for ease of understanding). It is based around the Fundamental
> Principle of Magic and the Ages of Magic, but presents both in more detail.
>
> 0- Magic has no effect, and magical concepts and beliefs are contradictory.
>
> 1- Magical beliefs are now possible, including belief in luck, the symbolic
> manipulation of luck, omens, and so forth. The folk lore skill is possible.
>
> This is the beginning of the Age of Superstition.
>
> 2- Magical energies first manifest in the natural world, though weakly. The
> presence of magic alters the outcome of events for good or ill, causing
> random outbreaks of good or bad luck. Such magical effects are known as
> hexes.
>
> 3- Superstitions can now evoke hexes; people can, through the use of
> symbols, bless or curse each other or themselves.
>
> Omens, spontaneous events that prefigure good or ill luck, first manifest.
> The skill of omen reading is possible, which allows individuals to
> understand the import of omens.
>
> 4- Rituals to evoke omens are now possible, allowing for fortunetelling.
> Fortunetelling can predict the future, though only in the most general
> fashion, and doing so is very unreliable.
>
> 5- Rituals can now evoke hexes (though unreliably). A body of magical lore
> can be accumulated, which lore consists of a collection of recorded rituals.
> Many rituals do not work and those that do work are extremely unreliable.
> There is no way to differentiate between the two. As a result, magical
> knowledge is heavily entwined with folklore.
>
> Magical Traditions can be formalized, and organizations based on a
> Tradition are possible.
>
> This is the beginning of the Age of Mysticism.
>
> 6- Rituals increase in reliability; it is now possible to distinguish real
> rituals from folklore. A deliberate study of symbols is now possible,
> allowing the learned to guess at what symbols might evoke a desired effect.
> Through this process, they can discover new rituals.
>
> 7- The magical symbology of a Tradition can be formulated as a detailed
> series of magical laws; these laws delineate which symbols are needed to
> evoke a given effect (thus eliminating guesswork). Reliable rituals are now
> possible.
>
> 8- The rudiments of spells and spellcasting are developed. Specially
> trained (or talented) individuals can devise and cast spells. Spells allow
> precise control over when, how, and how powerfully a magical effect
> manifests. The spellcaster’s Tradition limits what effects are possible.
>
> Divination effects are possible. Some types of magical creatures are now
> possible.
>
> This is the beginning of the Age of Arcana.
>
> 9- Apportation effects are possible. Spells can be translated between
> Traditions. Focusing is possible.
>
> 10- Alteration effects are possible. Impressing is possible.
>
> 11- Conjuration effects are possible. Wards are possible. Charges are
> possible.
>
> 12- Traditions no longer limit the type of effects that are possible.
> Permanent magical items are possible.
>
> 13- Mages can discover the essence of a cosm’s magic; this essence
> underlies all magic in the cosm and is the source of all magic in a cosm.
> Knowledge of the fundamental nature of magic allows mages to transcend the
> limitations of a Tradition. They can share spells freely between different
> Traditions and can even devise and cast spells that use no symbols (although
> such spells are more difficult to cast and produce weaker effects).
>
> This is the beginning of the Age of Mastery.
>
> 14- Spell manipulation becomes possible, allowing mages to bend the rigid
> limits of a spell (e.g. to allow the effect to last longer or to make the
> spell more powerful). Manipulating a spell requires extra effort during
> spellcasting.
>
> 15- Spell formulae develop. A formula is a spell that can be manipulated at
> will, with no extra effort or concentration.
>
> 16- Spontaneous magic (casting “on-the-fly”) develops. Mages can select an
> effect and cast it without using a spell (drawing the energy directly from
> the essence of magic itself). Spontaneous magic can use components, but none
> are required.
>
> 17- Conjunctional magic becomes possible, allowing mages to mix different
> effects into the same casting (either as a spell or a spontaneous magic
> effect.)
>
> 18- Wish magic develops. A wish mirrors the desires of the mage creating
> it; what he wants, happens. Mages no longer need to learn different magical
> skills, as a wish can duplicate any one of them.
>
> This is the beginning of the Age of Myth.
>
> 19- Potential wishes (wishes which are created by mages, but which can
> enact the desires of anyone) are possible.
>
> 20- Wish magic can be used unskilled, though trained mages are far more
> proficient.
>
> 21- Wish magic becomes an innate ability. Anyone can evoke a wish, simply
> by concentrating.
>
> Jasyn Jones
> jasynj (at) gmail (dot) com
>
> "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
> Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson
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