File Name: menedianmagic.htm
Article Title: Menedian magic system
Written By: Tim Prestero
Edited By: R. Downey(layout)
First Appearance: HarnList
The following is an alternate system for HMM.My Harn game is not based on Harn (so why do I call it harn?). I was pretty satisfied with the rules given for Shek Pvar in Harnmaster, but as I run what could be considered a high fantasy game by regular Harn standards, I wanted to have a group of rather obvious, flashy mages, to balance the subtle Shek Pvar, and satisfy some ex-AD&Ders who found Shek Pvar too limiting.

Hence, the Menedian mage. There are no internal controls on the Menedian mage society. There are as many corrupt Menedians fiddling about in mortal affairs as there are decent, upstanding ones. In my opinion, Skek Pvar and Menedians balance each other out nicely. The "origins" section is a bit clunky still, as I'm an atrocious writer. Just kinda skip over that part, and tell me what you think of the rules. I welcome and encourage any questions, comments or criticisms. I should be posting some example spells from the Thaumaterge convocation, to give you an idea of "power levels".

ORIGINS

Originally, Menedian mages came from the same ancient society as Shek Pvar, that of Alphatia. The mages of Alphatia were the first to organize into any sort of community. Before that time, mages were an isolated group, and stayed away from each other in order to protect their secrets and lives.

About three hundred years after the founding of the Academy Arcane, the magical community split as a result of two separate arguments, that somehow became associated with each other. These arguments eventually grew to such ridiculous proportions, that a group of mages left the Academy, to establish a colony near one of AlphatiaUs western colonies, what is now the country of Menedia.

What was it that these ancient mages so disagreed on? Firstly, the mages differed on the proper classification of magic. Shek Pvar believed that a spell was to be classified by its elements, the components of the spell, and the elements the spell was able to affect. Their six convocations were split along elemental lines.

Menedian mages, on the other hand, believed a spell was to be classified by its effects in the physical world. Their seven major convocations were divided along those lines.

Secondly, although both groups agreed that mages were set apart from the rest of the populace, they differed on what was the proper place of mages in society. Shek Pvar believed that a mage should never use his art to set himself a place above the rest of humanity. Magical arts were to be concealed, so as not to bring about the attentions of the often- hostile populace. Additionally, only a select few should be chosen to be taught the arts, to carry on the studies of magic.

Menedians, on the other hand, had no qualms about using their arts in the presence of, or even on, ordinary men. They thought nothing of displaying their magical might in public, and even using to gain advantage in the mundane world. According to the Shek Pvar, they would also teach the arts to anyone who had enough money.

Eventually, the Menedians, searching for a place to practice their art in peace, settled on the distant shores of the Alphatian colonies. They developed Menedia into a land where a mage was free to study without fear of religious or superstitious interruption. They invented the High Council, which served as both an expert panel on magical affairs, and a sort of public watch group, keeping their fellow mages from getting out of hand.

The Disciplines

There are seven major disciplines or schools in Menedian magic, and numerous minor ones. The disciplines are divided along the lines of their effects.

School Title Principle
Divination Seer Divination/ Scrying
Enchantment Enchanter Charm/ Enchantment
Illusion Illusionist Light/ Illusion/ Deception
Necromancy Necromancer Necromancy/ Life/ Unlife
Thaumatergy Thaumaturge Summoning/ Formation of Energy
Witchery Warlock Summoning/ Binding of Creatures
Wizardry Wizard Change/Transformation

Sunsign Modifiers

Menedian skill bases are just as affected by sunsign as Skek Pvarian ones. The table below lists the modifiers to convocational SB for each sunsign.

SIGN Div Ench Ill Necro Thau Witch Wiz
AHN -2 -2 +0 +0 +2 -2 +2
ANG -2 -2 +0 -2 +3 -3 +0
ARA -2 -2 -2 +2 +0 +0 +2
FEN -3 -3 -1 +0 +0 -1 +3
HIR +0 +0 +3 -3 +0 -2 -2
LAD +0 +0 -2 -2 -2 +2 +0
MAS +0 +0 -2 +0 -3 +3 -2
NAD +0 +0 +2 -2 +2 -2 +0
SKO +2 +2 +0 +0 -2 +2 -2
TAI +3 +3 +0 -2 -2 +0 -3
TAR +2 +2 +2 -2 +0 +0 -2
ULA -1 -1 -3 +3 -1 +0 +0

Choosing Disciplines

After reaching a point of study, Menedian mages assign their focus of further study. Each mage has a Primary Discipline, two Secondary Disciplines, two Tertiary Disciplines, and two or more Quarternary Disciplines. When attempting to learn a spell of a non-Primary discipline, there are modifiers to the mageUs SB, as follows:

Primary Discipline +0
Secondary Disciplines -4
Tertiary Disciplines -8
Quarternary Disciplines -12
Neutral Disciplines -6

Spell Elements

Menedian spells have have primary, often secondary and tertiary, and even quarternary elements. Elements are aspects of the seven disciplines used by the spell. For example, a spell could use elements of Alteration, Necromancy and Summoning to achieve its effects.

SB modifiers for mages casting spells using elements other than their primary disciplines are reduced as the non- primary disciplines are used as non-primary elements (Didya catch that?). The modifiers are as follows:

Primary element +0
Secondary element +2
Tertiary Element +4
Quarternary element +6

A Very Necessary Example

Sonoric Newt, a notorious Menedian mage, has Divination as his primary discipline, Illusion and Summoning as his secondary disciplines, Charm and Necromancy as his tertiary disciplines, and Alteration and Evocation as his quarternary disciplines.

One of his spells, SonoricUs Spying Minions, a Fourth complexity spell, has Divination (+0 to SB) as its primary element, and Summoning (-4 to SB) as its secondary element. His SB is determined as per Shek Pvar rules, using the [Aura Aura Int] formula, with modifiers due to spell elements and complexity. Sonoric has an Aura of 16, and an Intelligence of 18, which yields a base SB of 17. His SB for this spell would be:

17 (SB) -4 (element) -4 (Complexity) +2 (element place) = 11

It is up to the GM to determine what class each spell element takes during spell creation. It is possible for a spell to have two primary components, and other such combinations.

Menedians and Shek Pvar Spells

It is possible for Menedian mages to learn and cast Shek Pvarian spells, and vice versa. In the case of the Menedian, the mage must determine what elements constitute the spell, in order to determine his SB. Additionally, the complexity level of the spell may change, due to differences in spell philosophy.

In the case of the Shek Pvar, he must determine which convocation the Menedian spell most resembles (often a difficult decision). As with Menedians, the complexity of the spell may differ as a result of differences in spell philosophy.

This page was last updated on January 23, 2002
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