Magical Skills

Broken Worlds uses a closed system for magic. This means that the 'how's and 'why's of magic are largely unknown to you unless you have bought the right skills or traits. It is up to players to uncover magic in the Broken World, and bend it to their will.

When creating a magical character, you don't know precisely what you are going to get. We don't want this to stop you enjoying magic. so the common threads of the magical system are outlined below.

At game start, you may have a minor magical affinity. This alone will not be powerful enough to achieve things, but it can supplement your other skills. Using magic in this way will cost 1-2AP a turn.

If you left your magic alone, it would remain useful. You may want to explore your magic, and train it to a major level.

Exactly how yout progress is different for each magic type, but it is designed to take an investment of roughly 16AP before you can start doing major things.

Note: major levels are of the level of magnitude that they will roughly place you on equal pegging with someone of Fighting rank 3. Although this means you will have invested quite a bit more time in your magic for an equal advantage, that adventage will be in more unusual areas than just fghting, and you can progress it further.

Large scale spells, rituals and the like will require a significant effort to prepare. You should expect to spend around 3-6AP for a powerful magical effect.

Most magic involves some amount of ritual. For rituals, you'll need people to help you out, gathering the ritual components, dancing the sacred dance, meditating with you.

Rumors abound in the Broken World of 'magic'. Below is what most people know about the types of magic. There is more known about some magic types than others.

This tells you a little of what it does, how you do it, and what to take to start the game with magic.

Geomancy is in a way the magic that everyday people will know the most about. In fact, as Geomancy is of such importance to society (moving floating rocks abut is important when you live on said rocks) it has been developed to the point where anyone who wishes, and shows some aptitude, can train with their clan geomancer. This is normally done by finding a small fragment to the side of your home fragment, and *lots* of ropes to anchor you to your home fragment.

In any case players who learn the art of Geomancy could have done so to a minor, significant or major level, and can train up as game progress exactly like a skill. In order to acheive effects, they will have to spend time preparing the effects and performing the earthworks neccessary to destabilise the fragment (i.e. using BP).

Geomancy is in a way the most scientific of the magics, as it is all about the application of careful formulas to decide how to alter the fragment. To begin with this can be crude measures like digging great trenches and rolling boulders around, but as they fine-tune their control they can go all the way to shifting a few grains of sand to shift an entire fragment.

If you are interested in doing Geomancy, buy ranks in the Geomancy skill. The Harmonized trait could come in handy too.

The destruction and chaos of the storms is ever-present. Most clans have rumors or perhaps even witnessed beings controlling the destruction of the Storms. Fewer have met beings who can use that power for good. Storm magic is destructive, unpredictable, and obvious.

If you are interested in Storm magic, consider the Stormtouched personal trait. Also consider the Mystics or Loremasters family trait, in which case you are unlikely to have the magic yourself, but you know how to get it or someone in your family does.

This magic is known by many names throughout the cultures. Some refer to it as life magic, others as ritualism, others yet as natural science.

Life magic involves performing rituals a certain way. Through research, coincidence or just pure luck, some people have found that certain actions have unexpected consequences, such as mending broken bones, purifying ore, or growing larger crops than your neighbour. Rumours tell of people who have taken this further, plaguing herds and fields with sickness, extracting vast amounts of ore from mines that should have been depleted ages ago, and bringing people back from illness long after they should have given up hope.

If you are interested in Life Magic, consider the One With Nature personal trait. Also consider the Mystics or Loremasters family trait, in which case you wont have the magic yourself, but someone in your family does, or you know about it.

The Mists by their very nature are shrouded and mysterious. There are certain things you know about the Mists; They sing, they can dull minds, and things tend to disappear into them. You will also have heard of the Mistborn, children found alone wreathed in Mist who seem to demonstrate uncanny abilities, and the Mist-Addled, those that got too close to the mists and had their mind wiped clean.

If Mist Magic interests you, you should try Mistborn for the straight entry into magic and Mist-Addled for added angst. After all, what great hero doesn't suffer from Amnesia? Also consider the Mystics or Loremasters family trait, in which case you are unlikely to have the magic yourself, but you know how to get it or someone in your family does.

There is another type of magic available. This magic is available to characters at game start, but the details of it will be completely obscured.

If your character concept is appropriate for the magic, or you have taken a trait or skill that fits with it, we'll let you know it is available.

Alternatively, if you're feeling lucky. Ask us to surprise you. It'll cost 4XP, or one family trait.