# Magic Systems of Temerant
## Complete Mechanics & Rules Reference
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## Table of Contents
1. [Core Philosophy](#core-philosophy)
2. [Sympathy: The Art of Links](#sympathy-the-art-of-links)
3. [Naming: True Words & Elemental Control](#naming-true-words--elemental-control)
4. [Sygaldry: The Grammar of Power](#sygaldry-the-grammar-of-power)
5. [Glamour: Fae Illusion & Desire](#glamour-fae-illusion--desire)
6. [Lethani: Adem Discipline & Philosophy](#lethani-adem-discipline--philosophy)
7. [Magic Exhaustion & Costs](#magic-exhaustion--costs)
8. [Magical Research & Discovery](#magical-research--discovery)
9. [Counter-Magic & Suppression](#counter-magic--suppression)
10. [Restrictions & Taboos](#restrictions--taboos)
---
## Core Philosophy
Magic in Temerant is not supernatural—it is natural philosophy applied with precision and will.
There are no "spell slots," no arbitrary power limits, only the laws of physics and the capacity of the individual mind. A skilled practitioner understands the true nature of things and can reshape reality through that understanding. An unskilled one dies, goes mad, or fails spectacularly.
### The Price Always
Every working—every exercise of magic—exacts a cost. The cost may be:
- Knowledge (dangerous lore burns the mind)
- Energy (exhaustion, weakness, shortened lifespan)
- Time (years of study, decades lost to research)
- Sanity (exposure to truths unmakes reason)
- Material (rare components, consumed in working)
- Spiritual (names given, pieces of self sold)
- Social (marking oneself as heretic, witch, or worse)
No magician ignores these costs. The strongest mages in Temerant are not those who cast the most spells—they are those who understand the true nature of things and are willing to pay.
### Types of Magic in Temerant
| Type | Practitioners | Nature | Cost | Risk |
|------|---------------|--------|------|------|
| Sympathy | Arcanists, University-trained | Energy manipulation via links | Exhaustion, disruption | Alar fracture, madness |
| Naming | Rare, gifted individuals | Commanding true nature | Knowledge, lifespan | Death, erasure |
| Sygaldry | Scribes, scholars | Rune-based grammar | Time, materials, focus | Incomplete workings, explosions |
| Glamour | Fae, rarely humans | Illusion, desire, beauty | Names, time, seed | Enslavement, transformation |
| Lethani | Adem warriors | Mental discipline, perfect action | Daily practice, will | Stagnation, pride |
| Folk Magic | Tinkers, healers | Practical working, binding | Experience, intuition | Unpredictable failure |
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## Sympathy: The Art of Links
Sympathy is the most commonly taught form of magic in the University. It operates on a simple principle: establish a link between two objects or locations, and transfer energy through that link.
### Sympathy Mechanics
Alar (Mental Control): The capacity to focus will and maintain sympathetic links simultaneously.
- Characters begin with 1 alar
- Arcanists gain +1 alar per level (max 10 at 17th level)
- Each sympathetic link requires 1 alar to maintain
Creating a Link (DC 10 Arcana check):
1. Acquire item/location connected to target (sympathetic anchor)
2. Spend 1 action to establish link (speak incantation, make sign)
3. Spend 1 alar to maintain link each turn
4. Link lasts concentration or until broken
Sympathy Range & Difficulty:
| Link Type | DC | Range | Alar Cost | Notes |
|-----------|----|----|-----------|-------|
| Personal object (own clothes) | 8 | 50 feet | 0 (passive) | No check needed; always linked |
| Recently handled object (within 1 day) | 10 | 100 feet | 1 | Common sympathetic anchor |
| Familiar location (visited many times) | 12 | 500 feet | 1 | Requires multiple visits |
| Unfamiliar location (seen once) | 14 | 100 feet | 2 | Risky; dangerous on failure |
| Distant location (known only by description) | 16 | 1,000 feet | 3 | Requires detailed knowledge |
| Foreign country (never visited) | 18 | 5,000 feet | 4 | Nearly impossible; high failure risk |
Sympathy Workings (transferring energy through links):
### Common Sympathy Workings
| Working | DC | Alar Cost | Effect | Time |
|---------|----|----|--------|------|
| Warmth | 10 | 1 | Heat one location to comfortable warmth (80°F) | 1 min |
| Chill | 10 | 1 | Cool one location to 50°F | 1 min |
| Lift/Push | 12 | 1-2 | Move object remotely (50 lbs per alar) | 1 action |
| Burn | 14 | 2 | Ignite fire on target (2d6 damage, concentration) | 1 action |
| Wound | 16 | 3 | Transfer injury (3d6 damage, requires link) | 1 action |
| Heal | 14 | 2 | Mend wound or cure poison (2d4 recovery) | 1 min |
| Hold | 18 | 4 | Paralyze target (requires multiple links) | concentration |
| Transmute | 20 | 5 | Change material properties (lead → gold, water → ice) | 10 min |
### Disruption & Counter-Sympathy
A maintained sympathetic link can be disrupted by:
- Hostile Alar (opposed Arcana check, DC = 10 + caster's alar)
- Physical Barrier (iron, lead, salt water blocks links)
- Sympathetic Counter (another mage links to same target)
- Distance (exceeding the working's range)
- Caster Death (all links dissolve)
Disruption Effect: Link breaks. If working is disrupted during casting:
- Minor working (DC 10-12): Energy dissipates, no effect
- Moderate working (DC 14-16): Backlash deals 1d6 damage to caster
- Major working (DC 18+): Backlash deals 4d6 damage; risk of alar fracture
Alar Fracture (catastrophic failure on major working):
- Caster must make DC 16 Wisdom save
- Failure: One alar point is permanently fractured; cannot be used for sympathy again
- Effects stack: losing all alar makes character unable to maintain any links
---
## Naming: True Words & Elemental Control
Naming is the rarest and most dangerous form of magic. It operates on a fundamental principle: knowing the true name of something grants dominion over its nature.
A true name is not a label or common word. It is the essential identity of a thing—its purpose, nature, and place in the world. Knowing a name grants the namer the ability to reshape that thing's fundamental properties.
### Naming Mechanics
True Names: Every object, person, place, and force has a true name. Examples:
- Water's true name grants dominion over its form (liquid, ice, vapor)
- Fire's true name commands its hunger and spread
- A person's true name grants perfect knowledge and control (rarely used, deeply taboo)
- Stone's true name hardens or shatters at command
Discovering a Name (research):
1. Spend 1 week of focused study per name tier
2. Make Arcana check (DC = 10 + name tier)
3. Success: Learn the name; can use it immediately
4. Failure by 1-4: Wasted time, no progress
5. Failure by 5+: Dangerous knowledge gained; take 1 madness point, cannot retry for 1 month
Name Tiers:
| Tier | Examples | DC | Research Time | Uses/Day | Danger |
|------|----------|----|----|-----------|--------|
| 1 (Cantrip) | Wind, light, heat | 12 | 1 week | Unlimited | Low |
| 2 (1st-level) | Stone, water, air currents | 14 | 2 weeks | 3/day | Medium |
| 3 (2nd-level) | Fire, ice, growth | 16 | 1 month | 1/day | High |
| 4 (3rd-level) | Metals, lightning, complex forces | 18 | 2 months | 1/week | Very High |
| 5 (4th-level) | Life, death, entropy | 20 | 6 months | 1/month | Catastrophic |
### Common Naming Workings
| Working | Tier | DC | Cost | Effect | Duration |
|---------|------|----|----|--------|----------|
| Name the Wind | 1 | 12 | 1 fatigue | Gust or breeze (10 feet/round) | concentration |
| Command Fire | 2 | 14 | 2 fatigue | Ignite, spread, or extinguish flame | concentration |
| Shape Stone | 2 | 14 | 3 fatigue | Move or reshape rock (10 cubic ft) | 1 minute |
| Summon Lightning | 3 | 16 | 4 fatigue | Strike target (4d6 damage, no save) | Instantaneous |
| Call the Rain | 3 | 16 | 5 fatigue | Summon localized storm | 1 hour |
| Mend Life | 4 | 18 | 5 fatigue | Restore lost limb, cure disease | 1 minute |
| Unmake | 5 | 20 | 10 fatigue | Erase object, person, or place | Permanent |
### Naming & Madness
Using a true name exposes the mind to profound, dangerous truths. Each use of a name tier 3 or higher requires a Wisdom save:
- DC 14 (Tier 3): Failure = 1 madness point
- DC 16 (Tier 4): Failure = 2 madness points
- DC 18 (Tier 5): Failure = 4 madness points
Madness Table (accumulate points):
- 1-3 points: Disturbing dreams, paranoia
- 4-6 points: Hallucinations, phobias emerge
- 7-10 points: Personality fracture, loss of 1d4 hours/day
- 11+ points: Insanity; character becomes unplayable (NPC or retirement)
### The Chandrian's Advantage
The Chandrian possess names beyond mortal understanding. They can:
- Erase names from existence (removing all knowledge/evidence)
- Use personal names to control minds
- Unmake the structure of reality itself
Opposing the Chandrian through naming is extremely dangerous and requires understanding names the Chandrian also know.
## Sygaldry: The Grammar of Power
Sygaldry is the art of inscription—using runes to encode magical effects. Unlike sympathy (which requires active focus) or naming (which requires dangerous knowledge), sygaldry allows magic to be "stored" in permanent forms.
### Sygaldry Basics
Runes are symbols that encode magical meaning. A simple rune might represent "heat," "ward," "bind," or "see." Complex runes are combinations that create compound effects.
Inscribing a Rune:
1. Decide effect and complexity
2. Gather materials (chalk, ink, carving tools)
3. Spend time inscribing (minute to hours depending on complexity)
4. Make Arcana check (DC = 10 + rune complexity)
5. Success: Rune is active; effect persists until triggered or erased
6. Failure: Rune is inert; can be tried again
7. Critical failure: Rune activates unpredictably (dangerous)