So You Want to Do Magic

There’s plenty to get involved in without touching a grimoire or breathing a word of Monite; you don’t have to play one of the arcane races to participate in plots, and most galdori aren’t sorcerers. Still, magic is the crux of much of the conflict in Thorns: Uprising, and playing a sorcerer or a wick, or even a passive—whose “magic” manifests itself in sudden, unpredictable, and often dangerous diablerie—can open up a lot of opportunities for interesting storylines.

Nevertheless, magic in Thorns follows a unique system. There aren’t warlocks or necromancers, and you can’t necessarily just throw a fireball or put a curse on someone. If you’re planning on playing a magic-user, please read on for a short summary, some relevant links, and a FAQ.

Please also peruse the Magic directory, and make active use of staff and the Question and Answer channel in the Discord. Staff are always willing to help talk you through any ideas you may have.

Also helpful are the Magic FAQ and Magical Terminology. You can read in detail about the differences between Galdori Magic, known as Conversation and Wick Magic, usually contained within a Spokes’ Almanac also.

The Basics

The world of Thorns is full of living, sentient particles called the Mona. Thought by most to be agents of the gods’ will, they can neither be seen nor heard, only felt. Only the arcane races are genetically capable of communicating with the mona; this includes the galdori and wicks. Passives cannot cast spells at will, but are arcane in nature and have a mysterious (and presently unknown) relationship with the mona.

Galdori and wicks have very different approaches to magic.

Galdori are academic and organized, and choose one or two (at most) conversations of magic to pursue; they are stronger and can do much more, but are limited by their specialization and by their Noble Uses.

Wicks are free-form and organic; the same wick might spark a fire or fill a shot glass with water from moisture in the air. However, wick magic is very weak in comparison to their galdori counterparts, and most wicks can only cast one very simple spell at a time.

The Monite spoken by wicks is also very different from galdori Monite. The universities have been standardizing the grammar of Monite for over a millennium, and galdori Monite is grammatically and phonetically consistent. Wick Monite tends to differ wildly from one tribe, one kint, and even one wick or witch to the next, and is more grammatically loose, with no real standardized spelling.

Spells and Monite

A spell, which is written in the mona-specific language known as Monite, is a politely phrased request in its natural form. It explains what needs to be done and entreats the mona to comply. In this way, spells are very similar to prayers. More detailed information is available on the magic page.

The Conversations

The galdori divide magic into categories, based on the “type” of mona with which a sorcerer is communicating.

What might be termed “schools” of magic are, in Thorns, known as Conversations, because magic is the art of conversing with the mona. (Granted, the conversation is rather one-sided; the mona have never been known to speak back.)

There are six known conversations of magic:

Spells in each conversation range from beginner to advanced. A beginner physical conversationalist might cast a simple Push spell, asking the mona to knock over a vase. An advanced physical conversationalist might lift something the size of a building.

Most galdori specialize in one conversation and stay with it their entire lives, if they think much about casting at all. Galdori who choose more than one conversation tend to be slightly less focused in either, and take longer to pursue proficiency in both. Galdori can also switch specialties mid- or post-education, but are often known as sliders, and viewed somewhat derisively by “serious” students of magic.

While taken for granted by most galdori, it is possible that there are more types of mona than those six; whatever opinions the universities espouse are not the end-all, be-all of magic.

Wick Magic

For more information on the types of spells a wick can cast, see Wick Magic. As aforementioned, wicks take a much freer, less academic approach to magic and to their relationships with the mona, but their casts are much weaker and less complex.

Most established wick spells come from a folk compendium called the Spoke’s Almanac. Sometimes written and bound, sometimes part of an extensive oral tradition, the Almanac is a fluid, colorful handbook to spoke magic, and beloved by nomadic and even tsat wicks.

Wicks can theoretically do Elementary-level galdor spells, but their power is limited. They do not learn magic in the structured environment of Brunnhold, so their knowledge will be scattered and sparse. Additionally, A wick is not "built" to sustain galdori magical power. All long-term effects of magic use are accelerated for wicks who cast galdori spells at even an Elementary level. A wick can never reach Master level of galdor magic; it would, most likely, kill them.

Spell Writing

Spell writing is an important part of the sorcerous tradition. Most galdori, and even wicks, go by defined, written spells. Most galdori don’t deviate from spells published by the universities; to do so, in fact, is against the law. But spells can be written, with or without using the “correct” channels.

Many galdori specialize in spell writing, to the point that it’s all they do; some galdori may be better at writing spells than casting them. Mechanically, spellwriting works a little differently from other focus skills. To learn more about spell writing as a skill, see the Spell Writing page.

A book of galdor spells is called a grimoire. Licit grimoires are published and tightly regulated by the universities. Illicit grimoires, and rogue spellwriters, exist.

Wicks also write spells, but the process is more loose. A wick might be famous because their spell was notorious enough to wind up in the Spoke’s Almanac; wick spell-writers are more like folk heroes. For a wick, it’s like originating an oral tradition.

Fields

A field is a resonance around a magically talented being filled with mona. It reflects the ability of the galdor or wick. Galdori and certain wicks have the ability to "read" the fields of others, to find out how powerful they are; humans can sense fields, but only experience them as a mild side effect. They cannot draw any information from them, unlike galdori and wicks who use them as a secondary form of communication.

In general, a field extends five feet around a galdor at the elementary level; master-level sorcerers may have fields that extend ten feet or more. This varies with the caster, but these guidelines are broadly applicable.

A field can also be used to find out what spells a galdor has cast in the past, as all spells leave a monic signature.

Limitations

Thorns: Uprising is not meant to be a high fantasy setting. While magic can manifest itself in ways that are earth-shatteringly powerful, it follows guidelines. And keep in mind that every spell is a communication with sentient, amoral, unpredictable particles.

Furthermore, there is a toll on the actual endurance of a sorcerer, galdor or wick, and both casting and maintaining spells—or, upkeep—are physically tiring (in addition to various other side effects, depending on what type of magic is used). Galdori who cast a great deal in their lifetimes see long-term effects; perceptive conversationalists often suffer from hearing and vision problems, living conversationalists see faster hair and nail growth but may suffer from immune disorder, and so on.

Naturally, all side-effects and long-term effects of magic are deeply individual to the caster. They depend on your relationship with the mona, your conversation, how you’ve specialized, and even what level of spells you’re casting (and with what frequency). The only exception to this rule is the quantitative conversation, which has no negative short- or long-term side-effects.

The average person—the average galdor, even!—does not engage much with magic except as a cultural tradition, in the same way that the average person on Earth isn’t a rocket scientist.

Magic also goes hand in hand with science. Any living conversationalist must have a more than passing knowledge of anatomy to do anything as simple as mend tissue, and perceptive conversationalists study psychology and the brain extensively to ensure that they can manipulate it. Physical conversationalists are masters of physics; they can move the boulder, yes, but they have to do the math.

While this becomes second nature to masters, the most powerful galdori are deeply specialized. A master of cognomancy might eavesdrop on a conversation through a completely unwitting witness, without even a medium; that same sorcerer might be unable to cast a simple adrenaline spell.

In the same way that conversation interacts with science, there are, of course, cross-disciplinary spells and casters. Some sorcerers choose to divide their energies between two conversations, because the career or course of study they have chosen requires one to be augmented by another. For example, a static/quantitative conversationalist who not only changes the properties of matter with static, but also records data about the changes that occur with quantitative.

There is give and take; each choice has benefits and detriments.

For a more in-depth treatment of the limitations and uses of conversation with the mona, see Limitations and Uses of Magic. For the side effects and risks, including runoff and backlash, see Risks of Magic.

Brail and Backlash

The mona are sentient and not always obedient; they can and often do say “no” to a caster’s request. Every spell, no matter how politely-phrased, has a chance for failure.

Fizzling is when a spell simply does not work. The caster speaks, and the mona do not respond, or respond negligibly. There are no other negative side-effects, except perhaps the exhaustion of casting.

Brailing is the sudden ending of a spell mid-cast—whether on purpose, because of a stammer/fumble, or through the interference of a third party. The mona don’t smile upon sorcerers changing their minds about a spell mid-cast; once a request has begun, it is very dangerous not to see it through to the end. A brail often, but not always, results in backlash.

Backlash is when the mona literally turn on the caster. Not only does the spell not work, but it backfires and inflicts psychological or physical damage on the caster, usually in proportion with the power and complexity of the spell. Sometimes a backlash also has consequences for innocent bystanders in the general vicinity of the caster. The mona often completely depart the area, leaving any sorcerers nearby unable to cast for a variable length of time.

A sorcerer’s relationship with the mona is a very large determining factor in the frequency and severity of backlash, though even casters in good relationship with the mona will experience some form of backlash during a brail. Brash, disrespectful galdori and wicks are often said to be asking for backlash. This relationship varies from sorcerer to sorcerer. There is no objective, static measure by which a “good” relationship with the mona can be judged, especially because the mona are known to be amoral.

The rule of thumb, generally, is that you treat the mona with firmness and respect: you don’t make wanton demands of them, and you don’t doubt or waffle on a decision once you’ve made it. Intent is a key component of relating to the mona in any capacity, whether a galdor or a wick. That said, note that all casters will find that casting during periods of mental instability, drug use, intoxication, strong emotional distress, or similar highly increases their risk of backlash.

Some casts result in runoff, or short-lived side-effects like drowsiness, toothache, flavors, scents, etc. that can affect all persons in the vicinity of the spell as well as the caster and target.

Legal Regulation

Cases of magic abuse—or magical aberration—fall under the purview of the Arcane Court in Anaxas. While nobody’s going to arrest you for lighting a cigarette with static conversation, using magic to harm or kill other galdori (or the lower races) is taken as seriously as doing so without magic. Unregulated experimentation is discouraged, and in some cases a crime, even if no one is harmed.

Some examples of magical behavior that are against the law:

Writing and casting spells that haven’t been approved by authorities in the universities. All licit grimoires are at least approved, if not published, by one of the six universities. This leads some galdori to trade in illicit grimoires, and they’re quite the hot property on the black market. But be careful; unless you know the ins and outs of every clause in a spell, if it’s not regulated, you may not know the consequences of what you’re experimenting with.
Circulating said illicit grimoires.
Casting on, experimenting with, or magically abusing any member of the lower races—especially passives, whose passivity is believed to make traffic with them unpredictable and dangerous. The galdori are meant to be benevolent shepherds of the lower races.
Effectively, breaking any law with magic instead of without it. Whether these magically-executed crimes should be treated as magical aberration is controversial.

Of course, corruption abounds. Simply because experimentation on and abuse of the lower races has been outlawed does not mean it does not occur. These abuses occur in any oppressive system, and when the courts are predominantly galdori, the word of humans, wicks, and especially passives is not always believed.

Keep in mind that, while content with the lot of humans in the factories and on the streets, as well as passives in Brunnhold—out of sight and out of mind, effectively—most galdori would balk at outright, one-sided violence against them. If the abuse of power is exaggerated enough, and there are galdori witnesses, these crimes are punished severely.

Science and Magic

Science is in the service of magic; magic is in the service of science. '’Both are in the service of the gods.

The mona are scientifically provable, after all, and divine—and many actually take the existence of the mona as proof of the existence of the Circle.

Furthermore, magic aids scientific knowledge; one of the Noble Uses of magic, in fact, is the pursuit of knowledge. Quantitative conversation can be used to take measurements. Living conversation can augment secular medical treatment and, in dire cases, save lives that would otherwise be lost.

True Name

Every galdor—every individual with a soul, according to some—has a “true name”, or the name by which the mona identify them. Most galdori live their lives without ever knowing their true name, and many are content not to find it. However, some sorcerers, especially those who pursue conversation at a master level, seek to learn their True Name, as the process entails a much deeper relationship with the mona. Among other things, this enables them to cast without speaking.

For more information, see Finding a True Name.

How is Magic Moderated?

In short, it depends!

For the most part, we encourage people to be creative. Every sorcerer or wick has a unique relationship with the mona and with their magic—whether it be a Brunnhold dropout and criminal pursuing their magical education on his own, a wick toying with illicit grimoires picked up on the Bad Brothers’ black market, or a magister pursuing her true name after years of vigorous postgraduate study and research. We encourage players to enjoy thinking about how their character approaches conversation with the mona, and we celebrate differences in application and writing style.

Nevertheless, staff do like to moderate magic sometimes—e.g., write as if we are playing the mona opposite your character, to give you a feeling of two-way communication. If you want a magical thread moderated, please let us know! We love writing it.

Rolling the Dice

In lieu of moderation, players tend to roll 1d6 for each cast, because the mona are sentient and unpredictable, and things don’t always go right even when a caster does everything correctly. Even the most meticulous of sorcerers could fizzle or backlash, and we find that the small chance of failure (and potential consequences) raises the stakes and spices things up. However you cast, you never cast lightly.

Here’s what we suggest for the results of a roll:

1—Spell failure. Roll again to see whether it’s fizzling or backlash.
2—The spell didn’t fail, but the outcome is lackluster or just plain weird, and you’re probably exhausted.
3—The spell went off just fine, but not spectacularly; the cast was mediocre.
4-5—A very good cast.
6—Not only is the spell successful, you blew it out of the water.

If you roll a 1, you roll again; 4-6 is merely a fizzle, 1-3 is definitely backlash.

Of course, this rule is flexible. You can always make the results of a roll worse. If you’re not dueling another player, and it just really does not suit your narrative purposes for a spell to fail, then you might forgo the rolling process altogether. Just use common sense, and don’t powerplay. Every caster has successes and failures; aim for a balanced narrative.

Keep in mind you can always try to interrupt an opponent’s cast, too. Players tend to work that out among themselves, but shouting at/distracting a galdor is a good way to cause a brail. Just remember to use common sense and respect OOC.

How Does Improving Magical Abilities Affect Spell-Casting?

Over time, a PC may improve their magical skill in a conversation from elementary to intermediate or even to master. These improvements enable a galdor to cast more powerful spells in that discipline, as well as to cast more basic spells in a more powerful way.

Mechanically, another change you can choose to implement is a decreased risk of backlash for lower-level spells. Many players choose to interpret 1-2 as backlash when a lower-level spell is failed by a higher-level caster, and 3-6 as fizzing.

If You’re Not Sure, Ask

This is, ultimately, the rule of thumb. '’If you don’t yet have a good feel for the magic of Thorns, or if you have a feeling that what you want to do with a spell might be “too powerful” or not lore-friendly, please just ask. This is also true for dice rolls! We’re happy to help you figure out what to make of a 2 or 3 for a spell or even a 6. We are always available to moderate your magic threads, with or without other involvement.

You can DM or PM an administrator or moderator or ask in the Question and Answer channel of Discord, and you’re sure to get a timely response. If you’re still not sure, then keep asking. It’s what we’re here for.

And if the answer is “no”, it’s not because we want to staunch your creativity. We’ll usually try to help you achieve that goal through different mechanics, or at least suggest alternatives.

We’re an extremely flexible site—chances are, if you want to accomplish something with a storyline, you’ll be able to see it through one way or another!—but the rules are there for a reason. Thorns wouldn’t have that distinctive Thorns feel without its unique magic lore, and all we ask is that you enjoy it for what it is and respect our staff and player base.