Thaum (Thaumaturgium)

    is the vary essence of magic.

Physical Properties:

    Appearance: When in high enough concentration to be visible it appears as a luminous deep red-violet, extremely cohesive, semi-crystalline, gas.

    Temperature: When summoned from a raw source (such as the thaumic plain) it has a temperature of about -20ËšF (-29ËšC).

    Density: slightly lighter than air.

    Charge: Positive 

Thaum Manipulation (Magic)

    Most magic users – all except sorcerers – are not innately capable of using thaum: they have the potential to do so but are not born with the an intuitive grasp of how to work thaum or even how to access it. 

    Those who are not sorcerers gain the ability to access and work thaum through training.  The type of training a particular character receives teaches them how to access and mold thaum in certain ways.  These ways are dependant upon the underlying theories/beliefs of the group in question.  The theoretical structure of the universe – overt or implied by the way a group thinks about and interacts with thaum – will limit the range of the caster’s abilities to what is possible within that theoretical structure.

    Each method of accessing and shaping thaum has its own weaknesses, strengths, and risks.  These are discussed in detail in the sections devoted to each type of magic user.

Magical Ability:

    Magical ability is determined by three things: Magic Capacity (number of thaum points (tha) a person can expend – per healing cycle – before doing significant damage to themselves); skill, which is developed through practice; and knowledge, which is gained through study and experience.

    Magical Capacity is a physical property like strength or agility.  To determine a chacacter’s magic capacity:

• Add their Endurance and Willpower stats
• Roll a d4 (sorcerers get a +1 to this roll)
• If you roll a

1. your character’s capacity is that of their combined stats.
2. roll a d6 and multiply the combined stat by the number you roll.
3. roll a d8 and multiply the combined stat by the number you roll.
4. roll a d10 and multiply the combined stat by the number you roll.
5. roll a d12 and multiply the combined stat by the number you roll.

• The new total is the number of thaum points a character can use before causing damage to themselves.

    Skill and Knowledge are both skill point based.

Ruff Averages:

    Normal Person: 10 tha

    Village Witch: 20-50 tha

    Guild Mage: 60-90 tha

    Seagarden Student: >90 tha

Next: The God Effect

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