Scene Orchestrator Quick Guide to Magic
Magic System - Scene Orchestrator's Quick Guide
Quick reference for running magic in systemRPG sessions
Quick Skill Determination
Listen for These Keywords
| Magecraft Indicators | Thaumaturgy Indicators | Witchcraft Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Study, research, formula | Pray, invoke, blessed | Feel, instinct, ancestors |
| Components, materials, precise | Divine, holy, sacred | Spirits, natural, emotional |
| Calculate, measure, systematic | Faith, devotion, authority | Will, desire, tradition |
| Books, notes, theory | Ritual, ceremony, vessel | Trust, gut feeling, inherited |
30-Second Decision Framework
- What's the character's mental state? (Academic/Faithful/Intuitive)
- What actions are they taking? (Preparing/Praying/Feeling)
- What do they believe is happening? (Science/Divine/Natural)
- Does this match their established pattern? (Consistency check)
Power Level Quick Reference
By Rarity Tier
| Rarity | Skill Level Range | Example Effects | Typical Mana Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abundant | 1-10 | Light candle, detect magic, heal scratch | 1-3 Mana |
| Plentiful | 5-15 | Create small flame, sense emotions, heal cuts | 2-5 Mana |
| Common | 10-20 | Fireball, invisibility, cure wounds | 5-10 Mana |
| Uncommon | 15-25 | Flight, major healing, control weather | 10-20 Mana |
| Rare | 20-30 | Raise dead, mass teleport, reality shift | 20-50 Mana |
| Exotic | 25+ | Time manipulation, planar travel, wish | 50+ Mana |
Difficulty Scaling
| Effect Complexity | Base Difficulty | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Simple (single component) | Character's skill level | +/- Affinity bonus |
| Moderate (2-3 components) | Skill level + 5 | Environmental factors |
| Complex (4+ components) | Skill level + 10 | Leyline interactions |
| Experimental (new combination) | Skill level + 15 | Stress/time pressure |
Component Combination Examples
Sphere-like Combinations (Freeform)
Creating a Magical Shield:
- Components: Force (protection) + Duration (persistence) + [Optional: Light (visibility)]
- Magecraft: "I weave protective energies using the barrier formula"
- Thaumaturgy: "I call upon divine protection to guard me"
- Witchcraft: "I will a wall of force between me and danger"
Healing Magic:
- Components: Restore + Body + [Optional: Purify (remove toxins)]
- Magecraft: "I apply regenerative theory to accelerate cellular repair"
- Thaumaturgy: "I channel divine healing through my blessed touch"
- Witchcraft: "I draw on life force to mend what's broken"
Enhanced Movement:
- Components: Movement + Self + Duration
- Magecraft: "I calculate the kinetic enhancement formula"
- Thaumaturgy: "I invoke divine speed to serve righteously"
- Witchcraft: "I feel the wind spirits carry me forward"
Arts-like Combinations (Structured)
Formula: Technique + Form + Range + Duration + Target
Example - Enhanced Weapon:
- Base: Enhance (technique) + Metal (form)
- Range: Touch (0) + Duration: Scene (+2) + Target: Single (+0) = Level 2
- Required Skill Level: 2+ in relevant magical skill
Example - Area Damage:
- Base: Destroy (technique) + Fire (form)
- Range: Distant (+2) + Duration: Instant (0) + Target: Area (+3) = Level 5
- Required Skill Level: 5+ in relevant magical skill
Common Magical Effects by Difficulty
Difficulty 5-10 (Beginner)
- Light sources, minor illusions
- Detect magic/invisible, sense emotions
- Minor healing (1-5 HP), cure fatigue
- Simple telekinesis (light objects)
- Basic elemental effects (spark, breeze, etc.)
Difficulty 11-15 (Apprentice)
- Combat spells (fireball, ice bolt)
- Moderate healing (6-15 HP), cure poison
- Invisibility (self), simple disguises
- Enhanced physical abilities (temporary)
- Communicate with animals/spirits
Difficulty 16-20 (Journeyman)
- Flight, levitation, wall-walking
- Major healing (16-30 HP), cure disease
- Control weather (local), shape terrain
- Advanced illusions, mental effects
- Teleportation (short range)
Difficulty 21-25 (Expert)
- Resurrection, regeneration
- Mass effects, large area control
- Dimensional manipulation
- Permanent transformations
- Long-range teleportation
Difficulty 26+ (Master)
- Reality alteration, time effects
- Planar travel, dimensional creation
- Divine ascension, apotheosis
- Fundamental force manipulation
- Universal law changes
Environmental Effects
Leylines Effects
| Leyline Type | Modifier | Special Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Aligned (matches character affinity) | +2 to skill checks | -1 Mana cost for aligned spells |
| Neutral | +0 | No special effects |
| Opposed (conflicts with affinity) | -2 to skill checks | +1 Mana cost, risk of backfire |
| Chaotic | Random (+3 to -3) | Unpredictable spell modifications |
| Dead Zone | -5 to skill checks | All magic costs +2 Mana |
Stress Conditions
| Condition | Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Calm, prepared | +1 | Ideal casting conditions |
| Normal pressure | +0 | Standard gameplay |
| Time pressure | -1 | Combat rounds, urgent situations |
| High stress | -2 | Life-or-death, emotional trauma |
| Extreme stress | -3 | System-threatening crisis |
Troubleshooting Common Situations
"Can I combine X with Y?"
Quick Check:
- Do both components exist in the spell list?
- Does the character meet the prerequisites?
- Does the combination make narrative sense?
- Would the result exceed the character's power level?
If Yes to 1-3, No to 4: Allow with appropriate difficulty
If No to any: Suggest alternatives or require additional development
"This spell seems too powerful"
Solutions:
- Increase Mana cost proportionally
- Add time/component requirements
- Limit duration or effectiveness
- Require specific environmental conditions
- Make it a Path System
"Player wants to invent new magic"
Framework:
- Identify required base components
- Determine closest existing effects as baseline
- Set difficulty 2-5 points higher than baseline
- Require experimentation rolls over multiple attempts
- Success creates new "known" combination for character
"Magic vs. Non-Magic Balance"
Guidelines:
- Magical effects should solve problems differently, not better
- Non-magical characters excel in reliability and resource efficiency
- Magic provides versatility at the cost of resource management
- Both approaches can reach similar power levels through different paths
Quick Affinity Reference
Elemental Affinities
- Fire: +2 damage/heat effects, -2 ice/cold effects
- Water: +2 healing/flow effects, -2 fire/heat effects
- Air: +2 movement/weather effects, -2 earth/binding effects
- Earth: +2 protection/growth effects, -2 air/movement effects
Arcane Affinity
- Bonus: +1 to all magical skill checks
- Special: Can sense magical auras naturally
- Drawback: -1 to purely physical/mundane tasks when magic is available
Void Affinity
- Bonus: +2 to destructive/necromantic effects
- Special: Resistance to mental/spiritual attacks
- Drawback: -2 to healing/creation effects
Session Prep Checklist
Before the Session
During Play
After Session
Emergency Rulings
When in doubt, use these defaults:
Skill Determination: "Based on what you described, this sounds like [Skill]. Does that match how your character thinks about this?"
Difficulty: Start at character's skill level, add +5 for complexity, adjust for environment
Mana Cost: 2x spell level for standard effects, +50% for creative combinations
Success Levels:
- Failure: No effect, 1/2 Mana cost
- Partial: Reduced effect, full Mana cost
- Success: Full effect as intended
- Critical: Enhanced effect, -1 Mana cost
Remember: The goal is to make magic feel meaningful and personal to each character while maintaining game balance and narrative flow.