Since it’s wizard week I thought I’d share a piece of the Ars Magica hack I’m working on.

Since it’s wizard week I thought I’d share a piece of the Ars Magica hack I’m working on. Specifically, this is the section on Arcane Moves. My base premise is that most of the things you want to do with magic are things you’d want to do without magic – magic just adds power, flexibility and variety. Oh, and risk. Definitely risk.

Anyway, let me know what you think.

You’ll probably notice that the arcane moves are very similar to the basic moves. In fact, when you look at the risks associated with the arcane moves, it may seem like they are just riskier, possibly even inferior versions of the basic moves.

If you used them as straight-up substitutes for the basic moves, you’d be right.

The true power of magic comes from the fiction more than the mechanics. A few examples:

In addition to adding tags, Vulnero might allow a magus to inflict harm on a creature that is immune to physical damage. It also allows him to be a threat without carrying a weapon.

Fugio might allow a maga to avoid danger by flying over her enemies or by becoming invisible.

Specto might allow a magus to carefully examine an area from a safe distance.

Protego might allow a maga to shield herself from a dragon’s breath that would melt the finest plate mail.

By default, Suadeo allows a magus to manipulate a GM character without leverage.

While the game mechanics remain fairly constant, the only real limit to magic use is your imagination and your narrative ability. As noted under Guidelines for Magical Mishaps, rather than forbidding uses of magic (be a fan of the characters), the GM should embrace imaginative uses (provided they honour the guidelines for technique, form and limitations of magic).

Any use of magic requires two elements: a Technique and a Form. Describing the technique and form and how they relate to the fiction is a requirement to trigger any of the arcane moves.

The Techniques are:

Creo: create something new. The thing being created must be a normal specimen of its type. Adding things to an already existing object would fall under Muto.

Intellego: perceive things. Combined with the right forms, Intellego can let you see through things, hear from impossible distances or pluck information from an unwilling mind.

Muto: change the properties of something. This can be the shape, the substance, or both.

Perdo: destroy things. This might be a wall, a body or a thought.

Rego: control things. This usually refers to motion (mind control usually falls under Creo since you’re creating new thoughts).

The Forms are:

Animal: natural animals.

Aquam: water.

Auram: air.

Corpus: human bodies.

Herbam: plants.

Ignem: fire.

Imaginem: sensations, illusions, perception.

Mentem: thoughts, emotions, memories.

Terram: earth, dirt, stone, metals and inanimate objects in general.

Vim: magic itself. This includes magical creatures as well as spells. Vim is the form that governs the ability to counter the magic of other magi.

Guidelines for magical mishaps

As a general rule, it gets harder to accomplish things with magic if:

– The target is far away 

– The target is hard to see (in fact, you require an arcane connection of some kind to affect anything you can’t see).

– The target is very large (whether a single large object or a large area)

– You’re in a hurry

– You’re trying to be subtle

– You want the magic to last for a long time

– You’re already using magic to do something else at the same time

– Your movements or voice are restricted (in fact, if both are restricted the GM may rule you are either very limited or unable to use most of your magic).

Rather than adding bonuses and penalties based on the above factors, the GM should note how many of them apply and, before the dice are rolled but after the move is triggered:

Tone down the effect (reduced range, smaller area, less information, slower movement). The spell still works, it just isn’t quite as amazing as hoped (tell them the consequences and ask).

Be ready to make moves appropriate to the difficulty if the player rolls 6-. Start with one or two of the choices from the 7-9 list and feel free to make additional moves from your GM list according to the technique, form, difficulty and circumstances (turn their moves back on them, inflict harm et al).

The Moves

Vulnero

When you use magic to harm someone, roll+Casting. On a 10+ inflict harm and choose 2.

+Messy

+Harm (can be chosen more than once)

+AP

+Area

+Forceful

+Stun

You impress, frighten or dismay your target.

You can maintain the effect for a little while.

On a 7-9 inflict harm, choose 2 from the list above and one from the list below.

You draw unwanted attention. The GM will explain how.

The magic does 1 harm to you.

Take -1 ongoing to Casting and Book until you’ve had comfortable rest and time to study for a few hours.

You gain +1 Warping

The target gains a Link to you

Fugio

When you use magic to act despite an imminent threat or suffer a calamity, describe the magic you’re using and roll+Casting.

On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a 7–9 you do what you set out to do and choose one.

You draw unwanted attention. The GM will explain how.

The magic does 1 harm to you.

Take -1 ongoing to Casting and Book until you’ve had comfortable rest and time to study for a few hours.

You gain +1 Warping

Specto

When you use your magic to study a situation or person, roll+Casting. On a 10+ ask the GM 3 questions from the list below. Take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

What happened here recently?

What is about to happen?

What should I be on the lookout for?

What here is useful or valuable to me?

Who’s really in control here?

What here is not what it appears to be?

On a 7–9 ask 1 question from the list above and choose one from the list below. Take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

You draw unwanted attention. The GM will explain how.

The magic does 1 harm to you.

Take -1 ongoing to Casting and Book until you’ve had comfortable rest and time to study for a few hours.

You gain +1 Warping

You inflict harm or do damage to someone or something you were studying.

If the target is sentient, it gains a Link to you.

Protego

When you use your magic to defend a person, item, or location under attack, roll+Casting. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 1 and choose one.

You draw unwanted attention. The GM will explain how.

The magic does 1 harm to you.

Take -1 ongoing to Casting and Book until you’ve had comfortable rest and time to study for a few hours.

You gain +1 Warping

So long as you stand in defense, when you or the thing you defend is attacked you may spend hold, 1 for 1, to choose an option:

Redirect an attack from the thing you defend to yourself

Prevent the attack’s effect or harm

Create an opening for an ally giving that ally +1 forward against the attacker

Inflict harm on the attacker

You impress, frighten or dismay the attacker.

Suadeo

When you use your magic to manipulate a GM character, roll+Casting. On a 10+ they do it but choose one from the list below. On a 7-9 they do it but choose two.

You draw unwanted attention. The GM will explain how.

The magic inflicts 1 harm to them (this shouldn’t be lethal but should leave some kind of visible, lasting effect).

Take -1 ongoing to Casting and Book until you’ve had comfortable rest and time to study for a few hours.

The GM character remembers that you manipulated them.

You gain +1 Warping

The GM character gains a Link to you (though they might not remember why).

Intercedo

When you use your magic to help or hinder the magic of a wizard you have a Link with, roll+Link with them. On a 10+ they take +1 or -2, your choice. On a 7–9 you also expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost.