Magical Aspect

A world’s magical rating determines many of its characteristics, including how much sway scientific laws have over reality. The higher the rating, the less relevant the laws of science are. Magic becomes more readily available as the magical rating rises, increasing the likelihood that fantastic creatures exist on the world. Psionics are also more common and work better on high-magic worlds. Table 3 shows relative levels of magical power; a rating of 2 indicates no magical power, a rating of 10–12 indicates the level of power in a typical AD&D campaign. The most magical of the known planes (the Abyss, the Outlands) have ratings of 17. No known plane has a rating of 18 or higher.

Magical Aspect Notes

Characters using magic or psionics are often at great risk until they learn the rules governing magic locally. Strongly magical worlds can be more dangerous than worlds where magic is weak.

Spell Casting: Any spellcaster can attempt spells on worlds rated M3 or higher, but he is limited to what is possible locally or what is possible on their home worlds, whichever is less. For example, characters from M10–12 worlds must study their spellbooks even on M20 worlds, where the natives have no such restrictions. Characters from an M19 world visiting a M10–12 world cannot regain spells unless they return to their home world or acquire spellbooks. No character can cast a 9th-level spell on a world rated M8 or lower.

Low magic worlds impose a multiplier (x2 to x5) on casting times. Most casting times are given as simple numbers that are added to the caster’s initiative roll (see Player’s Handbook, Appendix 2). If the adjusted casting time is 10 or more, the spell requires one or more full rounds to cast. A casting time of 10 means the spell is completed at the end of the round when it is begun. A casting time of 20 means the spell is completed at the end of the second round after it has begun, and so on. If the adjusted casting time is not an even multiple of 10, subtract the nearest multiple of 10 from the adjusted casting time. The spell requires that many full rounds of casting, and is completed on the next succeeding round with an initiative modifier equal to the remainder. For example, a fireball spell (which has a normal casting time of 3) has an adjusted casting time of 12 on an M6 world. The spell requires one full round and is completed during the second round with an initiative modifier of 2.

Worlds rated M8 and lower restrict the levels of spells available. When a spell level becomes impossible, no spell of that level can be cast. Magical items and stored spells are an exception (see below).

Spells are modified on some worlds. Modifications can apply to individual spells, entire schools of spells, or classes of elemental spells. Possible modifications include:

Enhanced: The spell or school functions as though the caster were one level higher than he actually is. Spells are never enhanced on worlds rated M9 or lower.

Diminished: The spell or school functions as though the caster were one level lower than he actually is.

Nullified: The spell or school does not function at all. This is a fairly common modification on worlds rated M9 or lower. It is rare on Prime Material Worlds rated M10 or higher, but it often occurs on even highly magical outer planes, demiplanes, and pocket dimensions.

Altered: The spell or school of spells functions differently on this world. Changes can be superficial, minor, or catastrophic.

Superficial alterations usually change a spell’s form, but not the way it works. For example, fireballs might create scalding steam or intense light on some planes.

Minor alterations are more spectacular and potentially dangerous but do not change the way the spell works. For example, a clairaudience spell might cause the caster’s ears to grow very large and sensitive, causing the caster to suffer a saving throw penalty vs. sound-based attacks (harpy songs, shout spells, etc.) until the spell ends.

Catastrophic alterations cause the spell to go completely awry, and their effects are totally unpredictable. Conjured or summoned creatures might go berserk, a meteor swarm might center itself on the caster, or a death spell might target other player characters or their henchmen.

In many cases, native spellcasters are not subject to the alterations because their magic is naturally compatible or because they take special precautions. Player characters might learn to use the latter.

It is possible for the same alteration to affect several types of spells in the same way. For example, on Limbo, an outer plane of pure chaos, a spellcaster must pass an Intelligence check or any spell attempted is negated, a catastrophic alteration that affects all types of spells.

Any change to a spell or school of spells should reflect some local characteristic. For example, an unseen servant spell cast on an M13 world that also has a high technological rating might suffer a minor alteration and create a visible creature with a mass of robot-like arms (in keeping with the world’s technological nature).

Priests depend on their deities for their spells and suffer some extra difficulties when leaving their home worlds. Any priest spell is subject to whatever local modifications apply to the spell’s school. In addition, a priest’s ability to cast spells depends on his position in the multiverse relative to his deity.

Priest spells work best when the caster is on the plane where his deity resides because the deity has undisputed influence over priest magic on his own plane. Deities that keep multiple residences make things a lot easier for their priests. When priests go traveling through the multiverse, however, they enter realms where the interests of several deities might conflict. One of four things happen to a priest’s spells when the character enters a new world:

On an open world, the priest loses caster levels according to the distance to the deity’s home plane (see page 49). All the Outer Planes are open.

On a closed world, the priest can use any spell he has memorized but cannot regain spells higher than 2nd level. Many Prime Material Worlds, Pocket Dimensions, and Demiplanes are closed.

On a restricted world, the priest loses all spells. Restricted worlds are very rare.

On an unrestricted world, all priests function at full power. The Astral, Ethereal, and all known Inner planes are unrestricted, as are many Prime Material worlds and Demiplanes.

By general divine agreement, priests on open worlds lose one level of spell casting ability for every plane they are removed from their deity’s home plane. For example, a 10th-level priest one plane from his deity’s plane can cast spells only as a 9th-level priest, although he still functions as a 10th-level character in every other way.

Figuring the distance between a priest and his deity can be a little tricky, because priest spells use different rules for counting depending on the priest’s location. A priest whose deity resides on an Inner Plane is four planes removed when he visits an Outer Plane (Inner Plane to Ethereal to Prime to Astral to Outer Plane). Priests on the Outer Planes, however, must trace the path to their deity along the great ring (see below), but only planes between the priest and deity’s home plane count.

For example, if a priest whose deity resides on Mount Celestia visits The Abyss, the character loses seven levels of spellcasting ability. This effect has nothing to do with the properties of the planes themselves, it arises from a mutual agreement that prevents the entire multiverse from erupting into an interplanar war.

There are numerous divine agreements of a more limited nature that govern specific locations on the planes. The Prime Material Plane is subject to many such agreements. Each Prime Material world is the focus of one or more deities; these deities are allowed to treat the world as if it were home (at least insofar as granting spells is concerned). This gives any priest who worships these deities full powers on that world, though outsiders might find the world closed or restricted.

Demiplanes also are notorious for operating under their own rules, though most of them are either closed or unrestricted.

A priest’s granted abilities generally function at full power by general divine agreement, but local conditions prevail, especially for spell-like granted abilities. Calling down a flame strike just doesn’t work on the Plane of Elemental Water.

Note that divine agreement can circumvent a world’s magical rating. If a deity wants to grant priests a full range of spells, then that’s what happens, even if magical items, psionics, and wizards spells are weak. Such worlds are extremely rare, but possible.

Intelligent creatures native to high-magic worlds have natural spellcasting abilities as spellcasters of the indicated level:

	Minor Spellcasting	1st–3rd
	Major Spellcasting:	4th–7th
	Extraordinary Spellcasting:	8th–11th

Natural spellcasting abilities are retained if the creature visits worlds with lower magical ratings, but casting times are still extended and high-level spells still become unavailable as shown on Table 3. Natural spellcasting abilities are in addition to any abilities the creature has due to class and level and can be freely combined with other class abilities. For example, a fighter from an M20 world could cast natural spells even in metal armor; a wizard from the same world is still restricted from wearing armor but might enjoy extra wizard spells or have the ability to cast priest spells.

On worlds rated M19 or higher, wizards don’t require spellbooks. After a good night’s sleep, spellcasters can meditate and acquire any spell of a level normally available to them, just as priests do.

On worlds rated M20, wizards and priests do not require study time at all. If they get a good night’s sleep, they can call their spells to mind as needed, though they are still limited to the number of spells they can employ each day. Casting time and required components for spells remain unchanged. For example, an 11th-level wizard from an M20 world could call a lightning bolt to mind if he wished, but not if he had already cast four 3rd-level spells that day. The wizard would also need to have the proper material components on hand.

Psionics: Psionicists generally suffer less than spellcasters when traveling between worlds. Psionics depend on the character’s personal energies, which the character carries with him wherever he goes. On high-magic worlds (M13 or greater), psionics are unaffected, though some worlds—such as the Demiplane of Ravenloft—have quirks that affect even psionics. On low-magic worlds (M9 or less), psionics work normally, but PSP costs increase because more personal energy is required to manifest a particular effect.

Increased PSP requirements apply to both initiating and maintaining powers. If a psionicist does not have enough PSPs to pay the local cost for a power, he cannot use that power. Local conditions only increase the PSP cost, never the damage dice, duration, range or any other factor associated with a PSP expenditure. In other words, increased psionic cost is never an advantage for the character using the power.

A major race dominates the world in the same fashion that humans and demihumans dominate standard campaign worlds. The tanar’ri of the Abyss and the githyanki of the Astral Plane are major races in their home worlds. Members of major races native to high-magic worlds always have one or more spell-like abilities, as follows:

Minor abilities: Similar to 1st–2nd level spells, each of these abilities is usable 1–3 times a day. They function on worlds rated M7 or higher.

Major abilities: Similar to 3rd–5th level spells, each ability is usable 1–3 times a day. The creature also has 4–6 minor abilities each usable once a turn or once an hour. The abilities function on worlds rated M8 or higher.

Extraordinary abilities: Similar to 6–7th level spells, each is usable once a day. The creature also has 6–10 minor abilities usable at will and 4–6 major abilities usable once a turn or once an hour. The abilities function on worlds rated M9 or higher.

Spell-like abilities are subject to whatever magical modifications prevail locally, except that natives always ignore any detrimental effects their home world might have on their abilities.

Magical Items: Because they are portable containers for magical power, enchanted items can often function in low-magic worlds where the spell effects they duplicate cannot be cast. Otherwise, magical items are subject to the same limitations and modifications as spells. For example, a staff of the magi can produce a wall of fire effect, even on M3 worlds where 4th-level spells are impossible. However, the staff cannot produce a wall of fire on a world where evocation spells are nullified or on a world where fire spells don’t work.

If a school of spells is modified on a world, all magical items that duplicate or simulate effects from that school are affected as well. For example, if conjuration/summoning spells are catastrophically altered on a world, items such as Bucknard’s everfull purse and a bag of tricks can be dangerous to use.

Magical weapons, armor, and protective devices, such as rings of protection and bracers of defense, are attuned to the world where they were made. They lose one plus per plane removed from home, but remember that all Prime Material worlds are on the same plane. The Astral and Ethereal planes are one plane removed from the Prime Material. The Inner and Outer Planes are two planes removed from the Prime Material. Demiplanes are part of the Ethereal Plane and Pocket Dimensions are part of the plane to which they are attached. The maximum distance between planes is four (Inner Plane to Ethereal to Prime Material to Astral to Outer Plane). For example, a cloak of protection +3 made on a Prime Material world functions normally everywhere on the Prime Material Plane. The cloak’s bonus falls to +2 in the Astral or Ethereal planes, and falls to +1 on any Outer or Inner plane. Unlike priest spells, magical items always trace the shortest possible path to their home planes.

Magical items that become inert because of the local magical rating or because of the distance between planes cannot produce any magical effects but still function as normal items—an inert suit of magical armor is still armor. The items continue to have a magical aura that can be discerned with a detect magic or similar spell, and they function normally again once brought to a world where conditions are more favorable.

Creatures: A world’s magical factor determines what kinds of fantastic creatures can be found within it, as noted on Table 3. The local magical factor can make a world untenable for some visitors.

Humans, normal animals, and other non-fantastic creatures are not directly affected by the local magical rating.

Other creatures are dependent on their home world’s magical nature and can suffer from deprivation when visiting low-magic worlds.

Demihumans, such as elves, gnomes, dwarves, orcs, ogres, and similar humanoid creatures, must save vs. death magic immediately when entering worlds rated M5 or less, failure results in death. Even if the saving throw succeeds, the creature loses one hit point per hit die—but each hit die still gives the creature a minimum of one point—and suffers a –1 penalty on all attacks, saving throws, and ability score checks. These penalties increase an additional point for every magical rating below 5, to a maximum penalty of –4 on an M2 world.

Fantastic creatures, such as centaurs, dragons, chimeras, pixies, tanar’ri and others, have similar penalties beginning at M6 and increasing to a maximum of –5 on M2 worlds.

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