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Magic

In FateCORE how is magic different from other skills or other effects? What is the difference between an something throwing a oil lamp, a wizard casting fire, and an dragon breathing fire? They all involve attacking a target in a different zone with fire.

See also: Spellcraft Lore

In the FateCORE system a practitioner of Spellcraft uses mnemonics to focus their will and safely draw power from the Shadow Realms before shaping it into the form that they desire.

Rules

You must use one of your aspects to define your magic. Typically this is your High Concept, but it not required. Examples include Fire Wizard, Member of the Circle of Eight, or Black Tower Initiate. This aspect defines your personal method to summon forth and control magic.

You must select one or more Power Skills. These skills represent the very specific nature of the Shadow Realms that you can control. The following are the common Power Skills available:

Spellcraft is difficult to use properly in the presence of metal. The presence of metal can be used as a compel against their magic. Anything on the Periodic Table of Elements listed as a metal in sufficient quantity near a caster can be used as a compel. The exception to this rule is that Noble metals (silver, platinum, gold, and mercury) never cause problems.

Spellcraft involves gestures, incantations, and concentration to properly work. Physical discomfort, tiredness, and extreme stress can all be compelled against Spellcraft. A caster must keep their mind ordered and focused or the power they draw into them will be life-threatening.

Brizanthimus is a wanderer that has picked up small bits of magic from various people, so Jackie decides that his magic is central enough to him to make it part of his High Concept. She calls it Wandering Magician Storyteller. To go along with his story-telling she decides that he will have the Glamour power skill so that he can dazzle the senses.

Jackie also wants Briz to have some inherent understanding to the magical ley lines that crisscross the world. She works with the GM to create a new Power Skill called Magical Conduit with an appropriate description and actions.

In Practice

The Power Skills selected by a caster are used just as non-magic skills are used, to accomplish actions (Overcome, Create an Advantage, Attack, and Defend). Each of the skills explain fully how to accomplish each action.

Briz needs to slip by some orcs that have captured prisoners. The orcs represent a Good(+3) opposition because although they are not watchful - there are quite a few wandering around the camp. She rolls a +1 on the dice, combined with Briz's Good(+3) Glamour check means that she overcomes the obstacle. She narrates the effect of creating lights and sounds in the woods, causing the orcs to investigate.

See also: Elemental Lore

An elementalist binds an entity from one of the Elemental Storms that are found in this dominion to their own spirit. This binding will cause an eventual merging of both spirits into a single spirit.

An elementalist is different from a simple caster that uses Spellcraft to make fire, earth, water, lightning, etc. The caster is using the power of the Shadow Realms and manipulating that power into a recognizable form.

Rules

You must use your high concept to indicate which storm you have bound yourself. Any change to this must be the result of a story element or extreme consequence.

You must purchase the Power Skill Conjuration. This is the skill that you will use to manipulate the power of the Elemental Storm to which you have been bound.

In Practice