1. Wards are not stackable.
2. Shields can be stacked, as long as each one is different. i.e. You can have both a Physical Shield and a Poison Shield active, but not 2 Physical Shields.
3. Thrown Packets are always dodgeable.
4. Mana and Influence, while similar in use, are very different in definition and purpose.
5. Mana and Influence both reset at Sunset and Sunrise, but you can never have more than your maximum amount of mana or influence.
6. Verbals must be pronounced correctly, clearly, and loudly for the spell to count.
7. All forms of magical energy have a specified color that is unique to that type of energy.
8. The flash of light from casting a spell flashes from the caster's entire body, not just his hands. This flash cannot be hidden by thick clothes or other accoutrements. The only way to hide the flash is to not be seen.

All Alchemical magic is racially based. Only members of that race, or their crossbreeds (with permission of plot), can use that type of magic. Members of one race that use another race’s magic are looked on as outcasts and are often destroyed when this unnatural act is discovered. It is believed that cross-racial use will drive the users mad. The same rule applies to bonders.

All members of the race receive a single ability that is based on a spell available from their racial element. All Alchemical magic is based on the influence the race has with the elemental forces. Because of the nature of each race they may once a day use this influence to invoke their racial ability. All the individual must do is invoke the tag line. There is no cost for the racial ability, but consequently, no-one can have the racial ability available more than once in a Rise-Set period. All invocations create a flash of light as per the type of element i.e. red for fire, dark blue for water, etc. These racial abilities are refreshed at each sunset or sunrise. These racial abilites are considered Natural for all game mechanic purposes.

Alchemical Bonds give the individual a limited influence with the elemental forces, but more powerful than the base racial abilities. It costs 10 points at creation to have an Alchemical bond. Bonds can only be bought at creation. Greater tiers of mastery of these bonds are rumored to be available, but not at creation. Activation of bonds requires 1 minute of “mediation” followed by the proper invocation such as Stoneskin – bond. The tag for use as armor would only be Stoneskin or Skin. These bonds may be renewed at sunset or sunrise.

Alchemists: (CI)
The ability to be a full Alchemist caster may only be purchased at creation. A player may spend 10 CP to be a novice without influence or spells or spend 20 points and be an Initiate who starts with 5 points of influence and three spells. As an alchemist develops his skill with the elemental forces, he may buy more influence with experience and become more advanced in circle.
All alchemists must have a focus that was created at a lay point. A lay point is a concentrated point of elemental force and can only occur naturally. The focus is created by the casting of Create Focus, the first spell all Initiates learn to become an caster. This must be done at a lay point, thus empowering the focus as a minature lay point. The focus now contains a single point of influence and allows the elementalist to cast spells away from a lay point. This extra point can be spent when all other influence points have been spent either to help give that point to an upper tier spell or to power a first tier spell of its own. Once influence is spent, there can be no overspending. The alchemist is out of influence until the next sunset or sunrise.
Specific invocations are required to influence the elemental forces. If the invocations are changed or misspoken the player must call "Flub" and the spell is not cast, but the influence is wasted.

Alchemical Spell Lists

Necromancy - Any race can be a necromancer but not while possessing elemental bonds or spells (the racial abilities are an exception since they are ingrained). The power for necromancy comes from our personal life force. This life force is known as Mana. It may be used to heal or harm other individuals, but the Necromancer may suffer for misuse of their power. The individual may take a bond or be a true Necromancer.

Necromantic Bonders will spend 10 points at creation to have a necromantic bond. This bond may only be taken at creation. The Necromantic bonder suffers no ill effects when they use up their bonds, nor can they overcast as can a necromancer.
     Bonders must take a minute to “meditate” and then call their ability aloud. There are no verbals required to cast the necromantic bond. The verbal is strictly an out of game convention to help players understand what has happened. An example would be Accelerate healing – bond. The activation of a bond ability is accompanied by a flash of black light.
Bond abilities reset at sunrise and sundown.

Necromancers
The true Necromancer is willing to use his own life force to cast spells. He must spend 10 points to become a novice without any useable life force (mana) or spend 20 points to be an apprentice and have 5 points of mana and a small selection of spells. This point allotment to become a necromancer may only be done at creation. The necromancer is required to build up more mana to become higher tier.
     Spell use drains the user and when a character’s manna is completely spent he becomes tired. They may talk or walk but not engage in combat (other than defend) or any strenuous physical activity for 30 minutes. Eating will halve the wait (anything equivalent to a sandwich or an apple will halve the rest but eating more will not decrease the rest further) and Increased Stamina will reduce the rest period by 5 minutes per level, but there is always a minimum of 5 minutes of rest. If a player attempts to cast a spell without enough manna he will gain 1 point for the last of his life force and then die (as if by a Killing Blow). Since the power comes from within the necromancer, there is no need for a focus.
     Mana will only be restored at sunrise and sunset.

Necromancy Spell List

Empathy - Fairy magic has been around as long as any of the races can remember. It is wild and unpredictable and its chaos does not conform to the rules of the other magics. Its power stems from the will of one creature to control the world or people around it. Thus it has been come to be known as Empathy and empaths are feared and scorned by the major races. It may either effect the person casting or may take control of the will of another. It can also be used to foresee events before they happen and events long past. It also embodies the nature of all magic and offers protection from all magics. But the cost is great.
The chaotic nature of this magic has shown that it cannot be relied upon. Empathy has a tendency to fail when it is needed most and with no explanation. Sometimes the fairy magic will manifest itself very powerfully for a short time and then disappear or weaken leaving the empath with out any magic. Sometimes the fairy magic may disappear completely without warning. There are also rumors of empaths being driven completely insane by their abilities and attacking things that only they can perceive.
Those that manifest fairy magic are known to have fairy blood in them and will be often hunted or driven out by the major races if something unexlained or bizarre happens when a known Empath is in the area.
The Empathy skill can only be taken at creation and will cost 15 points. The empath will be automatically given the ability of foreboding. At this time he must choose one of the three pathways by taking the corresponding Sense ability (at no additional cost). A second pathway, may be availible for a character after the first event with the approval of plot and will cost 8 CP. The player may never have more than 2 paths. The pathways are Heart (Life Sense), Spirit (Magic Sense) and Mind (Sense Innate Ties). Once the pathway is opened, the player may begin to accumulate empathic abilities of that path.
The use of empathic abilities varies but there is no verbal or flash of light so tags are for out-of-game Identification purposes only. An example would be Decree – Flee – Empathy or Elemental Ward – Empathy. This is true except in battle after "blood has been spilled". At that point Empathic packets come into use and are visible during casting.
Empathy is skill based and most skills are purchased on a one use per skill bought basis. Exceptions are noted in the skill description. It is known that Fairies have exhibited powers beyond the mortal range but these are not listed as they have never manifested themselves in mortals.
Empathic casting times are listed as a minimum. Because of the chaotic nature of Empathy it may take longer (Plot will notify on such occasions.) or might not happen at all.

Empathy Warning:There are great frustrations with Fairy Magic. It only seems to work well all the time for those of pure Fairy blood and Plot will not allow PC full blood Fairies. No Fairies have ever hung around to see their children grow, although this does not necessarily mean they don't check on them from time to time. The price of Empathy often leads to death and/or madness.

Empathy Skill Descriptions

Miscellaneous Magic Skills and Information

Counter Magic (CI)
Counter Magic allows an Alchemist or a Necromancer to counter the effects of a spell as it is being cast.
Rules: Counter Magic can be used by an Alchemist or a Necromancer to counter a spell of any type as it is being cast at him. Counter Magic cannot remove the effects of a spell once it has taken effect. To be effective the player with this ability must loudly announce, "Counter Magic" followed by the name of the spell that was cast immediately (within two seconds) of the completion of the verbal of the spell being countered. The caster must be conscious to invoke Counter Magic, and only packet delivered or "point and click" spells can be countered. The cost for countering a spell that is about to affect yourself is 5 mana/influence.
A character with Counter Magic can also stop spells being cast at another character who is within five feet. The cost for blocking a spell about to affect another character is 10 mana/influence. Multipacket spells (Mass Entangle for instance) can be blocked by a Counterspell as well. If all of the packets for the spell are thrown at once, a single Counterspell will nullify it's effects for a single target. If both you and your friend are hit with 3 packets from the same Mass Entangle, a Counterspell will effect either you or him, not both. If the spell allows each packet to be thrown seperately (Hypnotic Flame), each packet must be Countered seperately. If a Necromancer should accidentally overspend manna when performing Counter Magic, he immediately dies (as if by a Killing Blow). Increased Stamina has no effect on this - the character is dead.
A character must be a Fourth Circle Elementalist or Fourth Tier Necromancer to learn this ability.
Counter Magic may not be used to counter Elemental or Natural attacks. It may only be used to counter spells. It may, however, counter spells of any school, even a school opposed to that of the counterer .

Create Solutions (CI)
This skill allows the character to create Alchemical solutions. Solutions allow an Alchemist to "store" a spell until it is needed at a later date. The Alchemist creates a magical formula that creates a stored version of the spell which can be released at a later time. The Alchemist must possess knowledge of the spell she wishes to store in this manner. Not all spells can be stored in Alchemical solutions. Complete details on creating solutions can be found on the Production page.

Identify Magic Item (CI)
Upon reaching Second Circle/Tier, a character can learn the ability to identify magic items. This can only be done in at Lay Point (for Alchemists) or a secluded, quiet spot (for Necromancers) and always requires the assistance of a Guide.
Rules: The alchemist must spend at least a full five (5) minutes examining the item in a lay point to identify its magical properties, while a necromancer requires twice the time. Items of either Alchemical or Necromatic nature can be identified by either an Alchemist or a Necromancer. In most cases the character identifying the object is able to determine the relevant magical quantities of the item. Some items may be magically obscured or have their properties hidden in some other fashion and may not be readily apparent to the identifier. In some of these cases it may be impossible for the identifier to determine the nature of the magic. Sometimes the character may have to perform special actions (for example: bargain with an elemental of the lay point, or meditate upon the item for an extended period of time).
This ability does not allow the character to learn any special information about a person. In fact this ability does not work on people at all - only items. Additionally, only the magical properties of an item can be learned… this ability cannot be used to learn an item's history or any other mundane information.
A character must be a Second Tier Alchemist or Necromancer to learn this ability.

Circle Advancement (Circling) - Alchemist (CI)
Circling is only possible at the lay points in which an elemental dwells. The process is never the same twice and different elementals may require different tasks of the alchemist seeking to learn. The Elemental may ask questions or require tasks and will usually want Essential Elements in exchange for their teaching. Another alchemist’s focus or other item may be bartered, but the choice is that of the elemental, not the alchemist. The spell verbal must be learned and uttered at the time of the learning. Improper verbals often anger the elemental, so be prepared. Once the spell is learned, it must be recorded upon the player’s character card. Elementals are usually available during a specific time at each event. That time is usually given at the beginning of the event.

Tier Advancement (Tiering) - Necromatic
A novice Necromancer knows no spells. An Initiate will know 2 of the non-forbidden spells of their choice and/or for an extra 5 character points may choose one (1) forbidden spell of their choice.
Other spells must be learned from Necromancers of higher Tier and must be done in secret or face the penalty of imprisonment or death. It is known that it is dangerous to advance beyond the first tier of Necromancy because all Necromancers become mad as they rise in tiers.
Normally, to become tiered, that is to raise from any level, including novice, to the next level requires a Necromancer of at least one level higher to join in a process that is called communing. That is a joining of the life forces of the two Necromancers’ to open the gateway to wherever the strength comes from. This leaves both Necromancers in a vulnerable trance like state and always results in a torso wound to the opener (the higher tiered one) when the process is done. This means the opener must completely trust the student because they will be vulnerable to them. There are many recorded instances of Necromancers spontaneously Tiering, however, so communing may not be necessary, but it is proven to be the most reliable method of advancement.
Each tier requires a specific number of mana to be in the possession of the character and a minimum of three (3) spells to be known, advancing to second tier is an exception in that the necromancer must know four (4) spells to go from first to second tier.. But this does not guarantee advancement. The process is one that seems to be as unsettling as it is mysterious and often pushes the Necromancer into insanity. This is another reason the art of Necromancy is forbidden.

Advancing from Novice to InitiateA character who begins as a Novice must discover that she has the ability to cast magic before she can become Initiated. This may be a Plot initiated event, already handled in the character's history, or may be discovered inplay when another character uses a spell such as Sense Necromatic Ties or Sense Innate Tiesupon you.