A word on Magic and its Mechanics.

Magic is different in the Unknown than in common Genesys settings. Five major things have changed: Two new rules, a new die added, an optional rule enforced, and one rule removed.

First, the first new custom rule: Ranks in the Magic Skill cap the difficulty of the spell you want to cast on a 1-for-1 basis. 1 rank in a skill means Easy d spells only, 2 means Average d d ...and so on. The reason for this is setting-based. In the Unknown, the use of magic (whether you succeed or fail) alters the ambient magical flow of the area your character is in and the areas around them. It can also alter the character if too much is built up resulting in a curse or effect that is usually double-edged. Capping what characters can do mitigates the backlash and the whining that comes from a player who accidentally turns his character into a fish-man while trying to reroute a river using water-magics. However, if players insist on pulling in too much a Story Point can be spent and the character can draw in more than they can control. Doing this results in a roll on the Magical Overload Table though.

Second, the optional rule: Every spell effect is broken down into an actual in-game spell that can be taught, bought, discovered, or recreated. Players learn new ones in-story with no mechanical cost beside what they bargain for it and can find them as loot during the story.

Third. The Removed Rule. This might be controversial, but a character in the unknown does not need to have the Magic skill as a class skill to learn magic. It is treated as just another out-of-career skill and is just fine to purchase. The reason for this is setting-based. In the Unknown, magic permeates the land and suffuses everything in trace amounts as a verifiable energy that operates according to its own rules. Anyone can learn to harness it the same as a shepherd learning the sword.

Fourth. The new die. I am introducing a new mechanic solely to the Unknown. The Magic Die is a simple D12 marked with two sets of colored dots. Yes I'm ripping off the Force Die from Star Wars. Sue me. Mages have two choices when casting a spell: Strain Cost or Roll the Magic Die. If they choose their life force, there are no mechanical changes to spellcasting. A spell costs 2 Strain to cast, save those that are Cantrips and cost 1 Strain, and the spell must thematically match an element (GM's call on that). Harnessing the Energy of the world is just as simple: the spell must thematically match an element (GM's call on that, too.) and the Mage rolls a Magic Die. The Die doesn't change the Element of a spell, it merely dictates whether the energy the Mage harnessed was Creative or Destructive. The Mage casting the Spell still chooses the Element they use, and by harnessing the energy of the Magic Die they can use it instead of their strain to cast spells. However, by choosing to roll the Magic Die they are taking the magic of the world into them, adding points to their Elemental Pool. Then, the spellslinger marks their character sheet with the amount of energy used on the appropriate element they cast the spell with. These points act as xp to be used to pay for Magical Talents.