Magical Schools

The Mortal and Planar schools of magic are granted powers and learned secrets. Each one may permute in a number of traditions.

Henge Drudism
As a Henge Drude, you know the plant-bending magic of the Wild Swamps. Novice Henge Drudes may attack with summoned and instant-grown plants, against single creatures within five squares, like a weapon attack; they may also use magic to grow and wither plants (but not bring them to bloom or fruit; that’s within the plant’s control). Trained Henge Drudes can manipulate up to a 5x5 area as a free action, twisting and shaping the terrain – this can create and remove cover, as well as create and destroy difficult terrain, water (instant landscaping, really). Expert Henge Drudes can meld with plants; sitting at the base of a tree or bush, you can fuse with the plant, fully disguising yourself.

Grove Drudism
As a Grove Drude, you are skilled in magical interactions with beasts and animals. Novices can communicate simple ideas to (and from) animals, and can spend ten minutes turning into a harmless animal (or turning back). Trained Grove Drudes can communicate complex ideas to and from animals (to the extend the animal is capable; generally animals are useful but not too clever), and can spend one minute turning into a combat-capable animal (or turning back) (the animal attacks with physical attacks suitable to its form, using your Mortal skill). Expert Grove Drudes can twist themselves instantaneously into both animal forms, and animalistic horrors of their own creation.

Shapechanging
As a Shapechanger, you control magic that tweaks your own physical form. Novices can change their facial features and some superficial traits, but can’t shapeshift dramatically (a human could pass for a dwarfborn, but not a torg); they can also manipulate their physical form to resist attack – like other defenses such as Ward or Dodge, you may add the result of a Shapeshift roll to your Threshold as an off-turn. Trained Shapechangers have more control over their form – they can shapeshift convincingly into any playable race (no giants!), and can create weapons and shields (not armour) from nearby mortal mass – pulling them from the earth, coalescing them from air, and soforth; these function as normal weapons and armour, and they crumble when you let them go, or fall unconscious. Expert Shapechangers can twist themselves into horrible pseudo-mortal forms, and can create armour similarly to how they create weapons.

Dark Magic
As a Dark mage, you channel magic from the Dark plane; magic of dreams and will. Novice Dark mages can harmlessly enter the dreams of others, while both are asleep; they can also consume an off-turn to force an NPC to perform an off-turn action, once per turn. Trained Dark mages can enter the dreams of sleeping people harmlessly while the target is asleep and the mage is awake; this requires intense concentration. They can also shut down a person’s will three times per game – for fifteen minutes, you grasp a target’s head, rendering them temporarily catatonic. Expert Dark mages can walk the world as hallucinations while asleep, and once per game, can go unconscious themselves for fifteen minutes to possess a target rendered catatonic by you. You don’t get to come back on your own; you’re trapped in their body until they re-awaken. This ability cannot be used on fellow players, on an out-of-game level.

Demon Magic
As a Demon Mage, you channel magic from the Demon plane; magic of violence and rage. Novice Demon mages can summon hooks and chains – one chain may be active at a time. This chain can target a creature within 10 squares, and either pull them to you, or anchor them to the ground. Trained Demon mages can channel their anger into magical pain – once per turn, while attacking, you may consume up to 25 stamina – this turns into Pain damage, at a 2:1 ratio (so 13 Stamina deals 26 damage). Expert Demon mages can leech power from their enemies – to a cumulative total of 100 damage dealt (thus 50 healed) per adventure, an anchored or pulled creature can be leeched, healing you at a 1:2 ratio, rounding up (so you can deal 15 damage and heal 8 Stamina) – this damage is pulled from the per-adventure pool of 100 Stamina, at your discretion.

Sky Magic
As a Sky Mage, you channel magic from the Celestial Plane; magic of benevolence and ego. Novice Sky mages can call lightning from their eyes – against a target within 15 squares of you, once per turn, you may deal damage equal to the result of a Planar roll – this turns into Lightning damage, and halves the target’s speed until your next turn. Trained Sky mages, once per game, can turn a killed enemy into moonlight, and consume them – this grants you a pool of 50 health that you can channel into your allies (not yourself). Expert Sky mages, once per game, can turn an enemy into a burst of sunlight. The enemy is instantly killed, and the sunlight heals the caster 50 Stamina – the GM can override this, in which case, the use is not expended.