Magic for dummies

[lordbaylay]

This is my first post on this forum, so let me start by saying 'Greetings fellow GMs!'

To the point now. I have been running a 3rd edition ED campaign for about two months now. When I was reading the player & GM manuals for the first time, I thought that the use of magic is a bit complicated to get too deep into it from start, especially being a new GM for this system and having a party completely new to the ED setting. The time has come when I cannot avoid using the magic in the campaign anymore as the party gained some magical treasure and they will, sooner rather than later, face spellcasters on their troubled journeys.
I did some reading on how magic works, especially in relation to magical objects and treasures, and I have to admit I am a bit lost! Would anyone be kind enough to help me understand and explain to me, in a language for dummies, how this all works? How does the party get to know that Item they hold is magical? How do they know what knowledge/deeds they need to attune to a thread? How is attuning done, does it happen automatically, or do they have to use their discipline's 'thread weaving' talent? If so, can it only be done at circle 4 and not earlier?
As you can see I've got a lot to ask about, but don't want to flood the first post with a ton of questions. I will appreciate any help and shall try to work my way through it all for the benefit of my players.

Thanks up-front.

[Mataxes]

First of all, welcome!

The magic system in Earthdawn is rich and deep, and can certainly be a little bit daunting -- especially for people who are new to the system and coming from games with different assumptions. However, it can add quite a bit of texture and depth to your game.

I'm going to do my best to start off with some answers here by breaking out individual questions (because right now that's all I have time for). Perhaps I'll work up a more detailed example as a breakdown in the future, but this should get us started.

Q: How does the party get to know the item they hold is magical?

* For the most part, this is pretty easy. Basic astral sensing will show an item is magical in some way (see Astral Space and Astral Sensing p. 108-112 in the ED3 Player's Guide, especially "Astral Imprints" on p. 109). All magic leaves a "living" imprint in astral space, and so determining if an item is magic usually involves looking at it astrally.

Q: How do they know what knowledge/deeds they need to attune a thread?

* Two ways. The Item History talent provides the initial information -- as described on pages 114-115 ("Key Knowledges"). This talent provides the questions that must be answered in order to use a thread item. The second way is through research -- once you know the question, you need to track down the answer. This can be done through traditional library research, information gained as a result of an adventure, or some combination of the two.

Q: How is attuning done, does it happen automatically, or do they have to use their discipline's 'thread weaving' talent?

* Once a character knows the information the need to bond to a thread item, they use their Discipline's Thread Weaving talent to actually weave the thread (creating the bond). Yes, this does mean that in ED3 thread items cannot be used until Circle 4 for most Disciplines (spellcasters learn Thread Weaving at Circle 1, and so -- as written -- can bond items at that point, though there is an optional rule that pushes permanent threads off to Circle 4).

[Telarus_KSC]

Hi lordbaylay, welcome to the forums!

Mataxes has definitely covered the bare bones of this aspect of the ED metaphysics. Let us know if you want further details on anything!

[Slimcreeper]

For spell casters: the ambient magical energy is polluted by the taint of horrors. So: it is a bad idea for a spell caster to channel pure magic. Instead, they build invisible magic filters - spell matrices to protect themselves. A matrix has to be tuned to the spell being cast or it won't work. Some spells need more magic than the act of spell casting can provide - for those spells the magician has to weave one or more threads of magical energy into the matrix prior to casting the spell.

For normal situations, the magician enters battles with the matrices already tuned for the spells he or she wants to use. Weave threads if necessary to prime the pump, the use spell casting to funnel the magic through the matrix to filter out the taint and shape the energy to the desired effect.

[lordbaylay]

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for the input, this is making a lot of sense now! I really appreciate the help guys.
If you don't mind I'll ask a few more questions the informations seems to be a bit scattered amongst various books, so a reply like Slimcreeper's would be appreciated ( quick summary and link to the book/page where I can source more information from).

So - there seems to be a few categories of magical items/treasures. I encountered things like 'thread Items', 'Named items' etc. Would someone care to elaborate a little bit on this and send me to the correct places in the books?

Also difference between Names and True Names. this seems to have something to do with concept of magic?

And lastly for now, there does not seem to be anything about it in Character Creation bit in the PG, but when I used Character Creator for ED3 it asked me to choose 'Primary Element' for my character... any input on this please?

Thanks for the help again, I will be working on my next session over this week, so more silly questions may come eventually!

Cheers!

[Baravakar]

[Mataxes]

[ukhata]

I have always seen patter items as being small external parts of a true pattern.

for instance warrior X has a sword with which he has done many great and one LEGENDARY act.
because of the legendary act people have started to see the sword, the namegive and the legendary action as fully intertwined. you think of the sword, you think of the warrior and you think of the legendary act. so the true pattern of the warrior has grown into the sword which is now a pattern item of the warrior. also possible is that the sword has grown its own true pattern, although this is more rare and has more chance of succeeding if the sword was allready named, a pattern item to begin with or allready a thread item which would then become more powerefull.

soo in small steps from non to most magical you have:

mundane -> Named -> Minor Pattern Item -> Major Pattern Item -> Core Pattern Item
_\| /\ | /\ | /\ |
| \/ | \/ | \/
Common Thread Item -> Greater Thread Item -> Legendary Thread Item

after named with proper epic things happening an item can thus be transformed into any of the other, always going up, never going down.
also becomming one does not mean it not still being the other.
a thread item can be a pattern item.

note: these epic things are usually reserved for post circle 6 things imho

[kosmit]

Quick question about magic in 4th edition. Failure at grimoire casting no longer wipes spells from the book?

[Razan_GM]

It never wiped spells, it was damaging grimoire itself sometimes causing pages with spells to be destroyed, or even destroying whole grimoire.
In 4ed PG i havent found that rule.