The Magic of Arr-Kelaan
[Memorization|Moons|The Guild|Stone Circles|Ley Lines|Cantrips|New Spells]

The critical difference between this system and the standard AD&D 2^nd Edition magic system is that the number of spells a wizard can memorize is not the same as the number of spells which a wizard can cast in a day.

Wizards can still cast a number of spells in a day equal to that shown in the AD&D 2^nd Edition Player's Handbook. However, one benefit of Dynamic Memorization is that if the wizard wants to use more lower level spells, he or she may do so at the expense of higher level ones.

To do this, the wizard can 'convert' higher level spells to lower level ones at a cost of one for one. (e.g., a 5th level wizard could convert one 3rd level spell into one 2nd level spell OR one 1st level spell; NOT one 3rd level spell for three 1st level spells.) A spell can only be converted to ONE lower level spell -- excess spell levels are lost.

Wizards can (dynamically) memorize -- or, keep current in their minds -- as many spell levels as they have levels of experience. Thus, a 5th level wizard could memorize one 3rd and two 1st level spells (1x3 + 2x1 = 5), one 1st and two 2nd level spells (1 + 2x2 = 5), or even 5 1st level spells (5x1 = 5). This may, a first, seem quite a bit less than the standard rules allow, but it is made up for in the amount of time required to memorize spells.

A wizard only needs 1 round/spell level to memorize spells. Furthermore, as long as the caster hasn't cast all of his or her available spells for the day, they need not be rested. This means that spells can actually be memorized during combat. Being hit in a round will spoil that round of memorizing. When memorizing, a wizard can freely 'overwrite' any other spell they have committed to memory without releasing the 'magical energy' it would have cost to cast it. As in the standard AD&D 2^nd Edition rules, spells are erased from memory when cast.

Example of play:
    Delsenora, a 5th level wizard, is dungeon crawling with her trusty friends; Rath and Rupert. She hasn't cast any spells, yet, today. The spells she has currently memorized are lightning bolt (3rd level), feather fall (1st), and magic missile (1st); which represent one possible limit of her abilities to memorize.
    Suddenly, Rath falls down a pit. Reacting quickly, Delsenora casts feather fall, saving Rath. Delsenora now has only lightning bolt (3rd level) and magic missile (1st) memorized. The party waits a minute while Delsenora memorizes another feather fall from her spell book and then carefully sidesteps the pit.
    Shortly afterwards, they encounter a locked door. When Rupert cannot open the door, Delsenora hauls out her spell book, finds the right page, and spends 2 minutes memorizing knock (2nd level) at the expense of the previously memorized feather fall and magic missile. She casts the spell and opens the heavy door.
    Unfortunately, 10 blood-thirsty ogres rush forward from the room. As they close in, Delsenora casts her last memorized spell, lightning bolt, killing 5 of the ogres. She has now cast one 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd level spell, today; and she can only cast one 2nd level spell and two more 1st level spells before she needs to rest. Unfortunately, she has no more spells memorized. She frantically pages through her spell book, trying to memorize a web spell. Rath and Rupert struggle hold off the monsters for the two rounds she'll need. Managing to kill two, Rath and Rupert are successful, and the last three ogres are held in Delsenora's web to be shot to death with arrows.
    Since Rath and Rupert have been severely wounded by the ogres, the party decides to withdraw. Delsenora spends 5 minutes memorizing two magic missiles, a feather fall, and two light spells, although at most she will only be able to cast two of them.

Additional notes: Dynamic Memorization encourages the use of non-combat spells (such as mending, message, etc.) since wizards don't have to risk wasting a slot for the entire day. When a wizard needs a non-combat spell, they will usually have the time to memorize it. In combat, wizards typically cast their powerful offensive magic in the first few rounds and then run dry. This system forces them either to spend valuable combat rounds memorizing more spells, to be more tactical in their use of combat magic, or to plan assaults with more care. This makes the spell users more flexible yet possibly weaker in combat, which might be a good thing.

The moons affect wizards by their alignment. Lunarhynn, the Blue, guides and affects wizards of Good alignment. Zethrynn, the Red, affects wizards of Neutral alignment. And, Synestrynn, the Black, affects Evil-aligned wizards. As each moon waxes and wanes, the power of wizards rises and falls as well. Though all wizards will face the penalties of waning moons, only those with an intelligence of 15 or higher will gain the benefits from the waxing and full moon.

Additionally, because the Moons of Arr-Kelaan radiate magic upon the world they orbit, moon alignment (that is, two or more moons waxing full at the same time) also increases the power of all wizards irrespective of alignment. Moon alignment benefits are gained even by wizards with Intelligence scores less than 15.

Lunarhynn has a period of 30 days. Zethrynn has a period of 18 days. Synestrynn has a period of 24 days. An Arr-Kelaanian Calendar, with moon phases and important holidays, is available here.

 Moon Effects on Wizards:

Moon Phase Effects Moon Alignment Effects Phase Saving  Throw Additional Spells Effective  Level Alignment  Saving  Throw Additional  Spells Effective  Level +2 0 -1 Lunarhynn & Zethrynn +1 +1 +1 +1 0 Even Zethrynn & Synestrynn  +1 +1 +1 Normal 0 Even Lunarhynn & Synestrynn  +1 0 Normal -1 +1 Even All Three Moons  +2  +2  +1 -2 +2 +1 -2 +2 +1 -1 +1 Even Normal 0 Even +1 0 Even +2 0 -1

The Guild has different responsibilities in different lands. In some lands, the Wizards' Guild is set on an equal, or even greater, level as that of the local rulers or temples, in other lands the existence of the Guild is all that prevents the superstitious people from waging wholesale war against spell casters.  Many lands, especially those most ravaged by the First and Second wars of Magic, tend to look upon wizards with suspicion if not outright hatred.

Dues and Benefits: Guild Wizards must pay dues equal to 300gp/level/year, thus an 8th level wizard would need to pay 2400gp/year in dues. The Wizards' Guild, like the majority of Arr-Kelaan, measures the year from MidSummer to MidSummer. Dues are computed at the level of the wizard at the beginning of the year or (if they pay early) when they actually make the payment.  The payment of dues can spread out over the entire year, providing that the balance is cleared before the beginning of the next year, but single lump sum payments are much preferred. Payment of Guild dues are accepted up to two months earlier than MidSummer, but all such early payments must be made in full.

The registry of wizards and the status of their dues are maintained in magical tomes called the LinkBooks, or sometimes simply The Links. These magical books are heavily enchanted so that any writing made in any one of them is duplicated in all others. Thus, each individual Guildhall maintains the same records as every other Wizards' Guild location. In a similar manner, all of the Guild halls are linked by a communication system of magical crystals which allow wizards in any Guildhall to contact members in any other Guildhall. The wizards jealously guard this technology and the cost of employing it for non-Guild business is a hefty 500gp/round of communication.

Wizards are not required to join the Wizards' Guild.  But, non-Guild wizards suffer certain penalties.  The most serious penalty of being a non-Guild wizard is never learning the secrets of benefiting from the waxing of the moons; all wizards suffer the penalties of waning moons, but only Guild wizards with intelligence of 15 or greater can learn how to gain power from the waxing moons.  In addition, non-Guild wizards are 'cut off' from the rest of spellcasting society and must acquire their own spell components, research facilities, equipment, and training.  A non-Guild wizard is not permitted in a Guildhall under any circumstances except for the singular intention to join (and immediately pay dues).

The standard benefits of belonging to the Wizards' Guild (aside from the secret knowledge of the moons) are access to 'prepackaged' spell components, vast research libraries, private rooms or laboratories, rental or purchase of laboratory equipment.  Prepackaged spell components can be purchased for any standard spell and will include the right proportions of all materials needed.  The cost of spell components varies with materials but is always a better price than could be obtained by purchasing the raw materials.  Some extremely common spell component items (such as wools or other fibers, bat guano/sulphur mixtures, hair from normal animals, etc.) are available free of cost.

Rooms for rent in a Guildhall are on par with the finest hostels available.  Typical rooming fees, which generally include meals of good quality in the common dining areas, are on the order of 10sp/night.

Guild Ranking:  Rank within the Wizards Guild is denoted by Circle, ranging from First Circle to the Ninth Circle. Typically, a wizard will add their specialty and Circle rank to their magename as an honorific, as in Tarelimagus, Evoker of the Fourth Circle. Guild Rank has little to do with experience level, and it is not terribly uncommon to find high level wizards still ranked as First Circle.

To progress from one Circle to the next, it is necessary for the wizard to pass a Test, which includes a written examination and an 'adventuring' examination conducted in a pocket dimension created within a Guildhall using powerful magical items usable only by a wizard of 9th or higher level.  Typical Tests will involve several situations that MUST be solved by magic, at least one situation that is best solved by pure intellect, at least one situation that is best met in a physical manner, and one situation that requires the use of a common magic item (a wand, potion, or ring) given to the wizard at the beginning of the Test.  The wizard being tested will not know which situation calls for which action and will have to recognize the best solution.

Tests are tailored to the Circle applicant and geared towards their particular school if a specialist and towards their kit if they've chosen one. It is not permitted to apply for a Circle Test higher than the highest spell level the wizard is capable of casting, and a prudent wizard would wait until they could cast more than one second level spell before attempting to reach Second Circle.  It takes at least a month of preparation on the part of a Guildhall master to set up a proper Test.  The cost of the Test is 500gp for each each successive Circle Rank (500gp for Second, 1000gp for Third, etc.).

Failure of a Test can result in death or the loss of spell casting abilities, and the failure of the higher Circle Tests (6th and higher) is almost always the death of the wizard.

Guild Management: The ruling body of the Wizards' Guild is the Council of Nine; Nine wizards of the Ninth Circle, each one representing one of the major schools of magic (Abjuration, Alteration, Conjuration/Summoning, Enchantment/Charm, Greater Divination, Illusion, Invocation/Evocation, Necromancy) and one true Mage.

Each member of the Council of Nine is elected to their position for a term of four years.  Elections are held independently for each major school -- and, for the mage position as well -- with nominees being chosen by consensus of the current Ninth Circle members in each category and voting conducted among all Ranked members of the appropriate school.

The Council of Nine directs the workings of the Wizards' Guild from WizardSpires, a large city/complex of linked buildings, towers, and fortresses which surround the largest of all megalithic circles; which is at the center of Sorcerer's Isle in the middle of the Inland Sea to the south of the Bright Kingdom.

An individual Guildhall must be run by a wizard of at least 9th level and at least Second Circle.

Many suppositions exist.  Many circle researchers believe the circles formed a magical transportation or communications system, teleporting individuals from circle to circle. The existence of the 5th Level spell, Teleport to Circle lends this theory considerable weight.
(This spell operates as a Teleport without Error in respects of range, duration, casting time, but can only be cast from within one circle with only another circle as its destination. Like Teleport without Error, the wizard must first visualize the destination circle, and have visited it physically at least once. However, once the destination circle has been visualized subsequent teleports happen with little effort, no material components, and no danger to the caster.)

Other theories explain the circles, and their connecting ley lines, as part of a vast magical 'circulatory system' for the planet, relieving magical stresses placed on the world by spell casting and the magical/tidal forces of the three moons. Adherents to this philosophy regard the teleportation aspect of the circles as merely a side effect of the linked flow of magical energy. Some very strange phenomenon have been witnessed near and within the circles which makes this theory equally possible. Megalithic circles occasionally 'flare', and send scintillating beams of rainbow-hued light skywards.  No harm is done to be within a circle when it flares, and the experience is said to be thoroughly invigorating and as refreshing as a good night's sleep.

If viewed with a Detect Magic spell, the center of a megalithic circle appears as a brilliantly glowing, bluish, circular pool of quicksilver.

The power of magical spells is increased when performed within the demarcation of any megalithic circle. Within a circle, a wizard functions as if he were one level higher and spells cast are saved against with a -2 penalty. Ranges and durations of spells are increased by a factor of 25%. And, damage dealing spells do an additional point of damage per die.

Not surprisingly, many wizards' homes or towers are built near megalithic circles or over ley lines. The largest of all stone circles, the Great Circle of Sorcerer's Isle, is the central focus of magical energy and lies at the heart of WizardSpires, the central buildings of the Wizards' Guild.

By concentrating, a wizard can see the ley line as a slightly glowing, slowly pulsating ribbon of energy just beneath the surface of the ground.  If viewed with a Detect Magic spell, a ley line appears as a brilliantly glowing, bluish line of quicksilver.

In a manner similar to the circles, ley lines have the effect of increasing the power of spell casting. Standing within ten feet of a ley line will give a wizard's spells a 10% increase in range and duration. Additionally, saving throws made against the wizard's spells will be at a -1 penalty.

Every first level wizard can cast up to eight cantrips in a day, in addition to any first level spells they can cast. As the wizard gains levels, the ability to cast cantrips declines as the use of 'real' magic grows. A wizard loses the ability to cast cantrips at a rate of two per level until fourth level is reached. From fourth level on, the wizard retains the ability to cast two cantrips a day, in addition to any other magical spells. Wizards can continue to practice their cantrips and may choose to memorize four cantrips in the place of a first level spell.

Likewise, several of the priesthoods of the Traveler Gods also work to expand their power and the usefulness of their magic.
 

New Wizard Spells		New Priest Spells
Frisky Chest		Tentacled Ceiling
Possess Animal
Targeted Slow
Transfer Image
Wintyrr's Nullified Gravity