Mysterious Magic
Chaotic otherworldly forces underpin the cosmos in the World of
Drakkenheim. The true nature of magic is only dimly understood
by its mortal inhabitants, and spellcasters among them are
exceptionally rare. Barely one in every thousand people can cast
spells, and of these, the majority only master cantrips and firstlevel spells in their entire lifetimes.
Everyday people aren’t used to monsters, and they don’t understand magic. Monsters exist, but the common folk tremble at their sight. Planar cosmology is mysterious and unknowable, but sages have still developed many conflicting (and wildly incorrect) theories.
Mageborn
The arcane magic of sorcerers and wizards draws upon otherworldly planar energies. The ability to tap into these forces is reliant on a recessive genetic trait in mortals, these individuals are called mageborn. Mageborn parents often pass their magical gift on to their offspring, but not always. The genes can lie dormant for generations, or emerge unexpectedly in a family with no prior magical history. Signs a person is mageborn typically begin in early childhood as random displays of wild magic, and spellcasting ability manifests fully during puberty. There are a several recorded cases where the trait did not develop until adulthood, but such individuals are rare curiosities indeed.
In the World of Drakkenheim, the primary difference between a sorcerer and a wizard comes from their education and training; the origin of their powers is the same. Mortals who lack the mageborn gene cannot become sorcerers or wizards under any circumstances.
Other Magic Users
Warlocks gain their magic from a pact with an otherworldly patron, but fickle fey, diabolical fiends, and tyrannical dragons do not dole out their power to just anyone. Nevertheless, this is one of the only ways a non-mageborn person can wield powerful arcane magic. Although warlocks are not necessarily mageborn themselves, a warlock will always sire mageborn children. Taking up an eldritch pact infuses their body with a subtle arcane taint which manifests in their descendants, occasionally resulting in children visibly marked by extraplanar influences, such as tieflings. On the other hand, sometimes sorcerers and wizards do not pass their magical gift to their own offspring. In such cases, their progeny may seek an eldritch pact to reclaim their magical birthright.
No one quite knows by what means bards work their musical magic. Amongst arcane spellcasters, their magic is the rarest and most mysterious.
There are many other magical techniques, some of which allow characters to cast a small smattering of cantrips and spells, represented by rangers, or subclasses and feats that grant spellcasting features. These characters are not usually mageborn, because their magic relies on using material components and know-how to activate latent magic already present in the environment around them, rather than drawing on a connection to extraplanar energy. Practitioners of such greater magic typically view them as dabblers.
Everyday people aren’t used to monsters, and they don’t understand magic. Monsters exist, but the common folk tremble at their sight. Planar cosmology is mysterious and unknowable, but sages have still developed many conflicting (and wildly incorrect) theories.
Mageborn
The arcane magic of sorcerers and wizards draws upon otherworldly planar energies. The ability to tap into these forces is reliant on a recessive genetic trait in mortals, these individuals are called mageborn. Mageborn parents often pass their magical gift on to their offspring, but not always. The genes can lie dormant for generations, or emerge unexpectedly in a family with no prior magical history. Signs a person is mageborn typically begin in early childhood as random displays of wild magic, and spellcasting ability manifests fully during puberty. There are a several recorded cases where the trait did not develop until adulthood, but such individuals are rare curiosities indeed.
In the World of Drakkenheim, the primary difference between a sorcerer and a wizard comes from their education and training; the origin of their powers is the same. Mortals who lack the mageborn gene cannot become sorcerers or wizards under any circumstances.
Other Magic Users
Warlocks gain their magic from a pact with an otherworldly patron, but fickle fey, diabolical fiends, and tyrannical dragons do not dole out their power to just anyone. Nevertheless, this is one of the only ways a non-mageborn person can wield powerful arcane magic. Although warlocks are not necessarily mageborn themselves, a warlock will always sire mageborn children. Taking up an eldritch pact infuses their body with a subtle arcane taint which manifests in their descendants, occasionally resulting in children visibly marked by extraplanar influences, such as tieflings. On the other hand, sometimes sorcerers and wizards do not pass their magical gift to their own offspring. In such cases, their progeny may seek an eldritch pact to reclaim their magical birthright.
No one quite knows by what means bards work their musical magic. Amongst arcane spellcasters, their magic is the rarest and most mysterious.
There are many other magical techniques, some of which allow characters to cast a small smattering of cantrips and spells, represented by rangers, or subclasses and feats that grant spellcasting features. These characters are not usually mageborn, because their magic relies on using material components and know-how to activate latent magic already present in the environment around them, rather than drawing on a connection to extraplanar energy. Practitioners of such greater magic typically view them as dabblers.
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