Maelstrom Rules - Magic

Key Concepts
There are five different types of magic. Three of them, necromancy, sorcery and theurgy, allow you to cast spells. Some spells require the use of mana crystals to power them. These crystals are produced by spell casters during downtime.

Alchemy allows the character to refine magical powders between events that can be mixed into preparations later. Talismancy allows the character to enchant talismans during downtime that produce magical effects when used.

In this chapter are brief descriptions of all the magical powers available to a starting character. When you choose a magical power for your character you will receive more information on what it does and how to use it.

Many magical powers require knowledge of the target’s true name to be effective. Some powerful talismans have true names. If a spell requires a true name, then you must know the true name of the target to cast the spell at that target. True names are explained in Chapter Eight.

There are many more magical powers in the system that are not listed here as you can only acquire them after you enter play. There is a list of standard calls used for magical powers so that you know how to react if a magical power is used on you.

Magic Calls
There are many more magical powers, spells, preparations and talismans that exist in the Maelstrom system and are not described in these rules. Where these powers require a player to referee their own reaction to the power they will always use one of the calls described in Chapter Six or one of the magic calls described opposite. All players should make sure they are familiar with what is required if someone uses one of these calls on them.

All calls are covered by the one second rule so you must wait one clear second after using one of these calls before any other call. You may speak spell vocals or speak the words to invoke an item but you cannot give another call until one clear second after the first. The only exception to the one second rule is the negate call. You should call negate whenever it is appropriate and it has no effect on your ability to make other calls.

If you are using a magic call then you can only ever make a single magic call. For example, you can call shatter or mass paralyse but you cannot call mute repel. You can never call more than one magical call at once.

If a magical power allows you to give a combat call then it will use the same format and rules that apply to all combat calls. The magical power will allow you to call the amount of damage points caused and a single mortal blow if one is appropriate. For example, a magical power may allow you to call zero strikedown at a target within five metres but you cannot call through stun. You can never call more than one mortal blow at once.

All of these powers have a range of five metres. Most of these powers last for thirty seconds where this is appropriate.

DETECT - raise your hand for a few seconds to indicate you have been affected. If you are currently engaged in melee then shout “yes” rather than raising your hand. You are glowing with a pale light visible to all in the vicinity. This effect lasts for two seconds.

FEAR - you are overcome with fear and should role-play accordingly. You may either flee the caster or else cower in fear. You cannot approach the focus of this fear. You cannot attack or defend yourself for the duration and may not cast any spells. This effect lasts for thirty seconds.

MUTE - you must become completely silent. You cannot scream, speak or cast a spell. You cannot activate any magical item that requires words of invocation to be spoken. This effect lasts for thirty seconds.

PARALYSE - you cannot move at all. You cannot walk, talk, cast a spell, attack or parry. You cannot eat or drink anything or activate any magical item. This effect lasts for thirty seconds.

REPEL - You are forced to move as swiftly as possible, directly away from the caster until you are over five metres away. You must remain more than five metres away from the caster for thirty seconds.

SHATTER - this spell will shatter a single item, such as a talisman, weapon or shield. You must drop the affected item or put it away. It will do a single point of damage to a suit of armour. The effect is permanent until the item is repaired.

SLAY True Name - Immediately kills the body of the character whose true name is spoken after the call if they are in range. The power is permanent.

MASS Call - Any magic or combat call proceeded by the call Mass affects every single character in range apart from the caster. For example, Mass Fear affects every character within five metres of the caster with the Fear effect.

Limitations
Some spells only affect a limited range of characters. These spells include a limitation word after the call but before the true name if one is required. For example, repel Necromantic will cause a repel effect on the target only if they are necromantic in nature; if you are not necromantic in nature then you must call negate to show that you are not affected by this call.

There are a range of different limitations which may be applied to a call. If you belong to one or more of these categories then you will receive a racial briefing sheet or a lammy informing you of this. If you do not have a lammy or briefing sheet which tells you that you are in the affected category then you are not affected. For example, unless you have a lammy or a racial briefing sheet which informs you that you are affected by Necromantic calls then you are not affected by them.

All characters are living in nature unless informed otherwise. You are always affected by the limitation living unless you have a racial briefing sheet or lammy that specifically states otherwise.

Negate
If you have some means to protect yourself against a combat or magic call or if you are unaffected by a combat or magic call which has been used against you then you should call negate. For example, if you have the shield skill and a crafted shield then your shield is not shattered when struck by a single cleave. You must call negate if another player hits your shield and makes this call. If you are negating a magic call then you should state which effect you are negating, for example NEGATE SHATTER.

If anyone negates a mass call effect then no one is affected by the call. Do not call negate if you are targetted by a mass call unless you are specifically able to negate the effect for everyone. For example, if you are in the area of a mass repel Necromantic but you are not necromantic then you should ignore the call; you must not call negate unless you have a lammy that specifically allows you to do so.

NEGATE - Negates a single call just made. This call must be used if you are unaffected by, or have some means to resist, a combat call or a magic call that has just been used on you. Do not make this call against a mass call unless you have a lammy that specifically allows you to do so.

Detect Calls
The Maelstrom system includes many spells which allow a character to detect different magical and mundane phenomena. If you are the target of a DETECT call then you should raise your hand or indicate your are affected if you are covered by the limitation. For example if someone calls DETECT SOUL TAINT at your character and your character is soul tainted, then you should indicate that you are affected.

The DETECT call is not automatically a MASS call. The basic spell Heaven’s Truth Revealed allow the caster to call MASS DETECT THEURGIC or MASS DETECT NECROMANTIC. A normal DETECT call can only be used against a single target by clear indication by the caster. A MASS DETECT call affects everyone in the area of effect.

Spell Casting
If you purchase necromancy, sorcery or theurgy, then you choose a single spell that you know. You may also pick one additional spell of the same type each time that you purchase additional magical knowledge. You are free to pick a cantrip, incantation or ritual from the lists presented on pages 31, 32 and 33 as appropriate.

Incantations are cast using mana crystals. Mana crystals contain the raw energy of the Maelstrom gathered into physical form. Any spell caster can gather more mana crystals during downtime. When a spell is cast, the mana crystal is discharged permanently and becomes useless.

Cantrips are spells that are so minor in power that the spell caster can draw the energy for them directly from the Maelstrom. They do not require mana crystals, so cantrips can be cast as often as a spell caster wishes.

All cantrips and incantations take time to cast and require the caster to speak words of magic in a clearly audible tone no quieter than a normal speaking voice. These verbals must begin with “By the power of the Maelstrom, I ...” Most cantrips and incantations can be cast in the time it takes to say the vocals, but some require thirty seconds to cast as noted. You must speak the spell verbals for the full casting time of the spell.

To cast an incantation, you must hold the mana crystals you intend to use in hand and clearly rip the tab from the mana crystal lammies during the spell casting. You may not have any item in hand, other than mana crystals, whilst casting a cantrip or incantation. If a spell requires you to say a true name then it must be said at the completion of the spell in a voice loud enough for the target to hear it clearly. If you are casting a spell on a talisman with a true name then you must say the true name in a clearly audible tone that is no quieter than a normal speaking voice.

A verbal pause (for example uttering any call with the exception of NEGATE) will invalidate that casting of the spell. For a ranged spell the target must be within range at the end of the casting time.

Rituals are so powerful that they can only be cast at a ritual site, a special location where spell casting magic is particularly powerful. Such sites are not common and their potency waxes and wanes. Less mana crystals are required to cast a ritual at a more powerful ritual site. Many rituals can be cast on more than one target at once. The mana cost for a single casting must be paid for each target affected. Some rituals have a range of Maelstrom; these spells can be cast on any character who is currently in the Maelstrom. Rituals take approximately five minutes to perform.

Players are free to perform a ritual in any way they choose, so long as they role-play it in a manner appropriate to the setting and relevant to the type of magic (necromancy, sorcery, or theurgy) employed. It must be apparent to anyone within 10 paces that a ritual is being performed for it to be valid. A ritual is interrupted if you stop role-playing casting the ritual for any reason.

Rituals are not judged, but you must obtain a referee before commencing a ritual so that they can ensure the rules are followed and referee the outcome of the ritual. A referee is available from GOD if there is not one present at the ritual site.

Rituals can only be performed at events if the hosts locate the event at a ritual site.

Soul Symbols
A soul symbol is a mystical symbol a few centimetres across which represents the mystical allegiance of your soul. If you are an immortal, an eidolon or an undead character, then your must have a visible soul symbol on your forehead. Mortal characters do not have a visible soul symbol.

If you are playing an eidolon or undead character then contact Profound Decisions before choosing your soul symbol. You will receive the guidelines on choosing a soul symbol together with a page of examples. Once you have selected your character’s personal soul symbol it cannot be changed.

Mana And Mana Crystals
All incantations and rituals require a number of mana crystals to be used to cast the spell. Once a mana crystal is used it becomes useless. If you have purchased necromancy, sorcery or theurgy then you can produce mana crystals during downtime.

Mana crystals are small crystals that give off a faint warmth when full of mana. Any character can identify them and tell whether they are full of mana or not. All mana crystals have a special charged item lammy on them. They can be bought, sold and stolen like any other IC item.

And so it began......

Dawn breaks, war looms, the evil Lord is gathering his armies to wage a campaign of destruction upon the free peoples of the world. It is up to I, Sir Maximilan Pegasus to stop him, with my trusted band of adventurers we must gather the enchanted sword of Tek, the Shield of Way-Lem and the amulet of Subsidence and together we shall slay this abomination! “TIME FREEZE” And bam, the fantasy world fades away, the enchanted sword of Tek in my hand is a rubber sword smothered in coloured ribbons with a laminated card cable tied to the hilt, I look down and I’m wearing plastic armour and unflattering heropants, and the magical world of my imagination washes away to reveal a field in Wigan, but you know what? It’s larp and I’m a larper, it’s what I do.
I started larping when I was 17, I’d never role-played before, I’d never played D&D or Warhammer, never played WoW or any form of online game, I’d never even read Lord of the Rings, I feel somewhat privileged that I hadn’t done any of those things, I think it gave me an untainted attitude towards what larp could be, I had no preconceptions about saving the maiden fair, slaying the dragon or smiting the liche, to me it was just a new thing to try.
It was cold, really cold, 10am on a September morning, the rain was battering down and I’d been given a faux fur tunic, a mouldy old sword and been pointed towards a man and told, “You’re monstering, there’s the ref he’ll tell you what to do.” I obeyed, I played wave after wave of zombies, orcs and various line monsters and to be honest, was cold, bored and hungry. That is, until lunchtime, the teams switched sides, I got into the kit I’d scrounged up, as with most first timers, a black trenchcoat. I took the mouldy old sword, stood with my fellow adventurers and it hit me, I’m a god damn hero!
Pow, there it was, a new larper was born.