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NERO® Harmonics Play-test
What’s New?
General Rules Harmonic magic, practiced by Spellsingers, is a separate school of magic. Although Harmonics magic works very much like the other schools of magic, there are two primary differences. First, Harmonic magic is performed rather than simply incanted. This makes the casting time longer and removes the offensive ability of the magic. Second, Harmonic magic can be performed as Hearth magic which greatly increases its effectiveness by allowing the magic to work on multiple targets. To learn Harmonic magic, the Spellsinger learns Harmony. This prerequisite allows the Spellsinger to perform the basic abilities required to use Harmonic magic as detailed in the skill description below, and it allows the Spellsinger to build a pyramid of up to nine levels of spellsongs. This pyramid must be built in the same manner as other spell pyramids. Harmonic magic does not affect the status of primary and secondary schools of magic, and harmonic costs do not change if the spellsinger also has other types of magic. Rather than spell books, Spellsingers use tuners. In order to use any spellsong, the Spellsinger must use a Harmonic spell slot of the appropriate level and have that spellsong available in their tuner. Tuners are issued by logistics and are created in the same logistical manner as spell books. Costs are the same as a spell of the same level. It is assumed that the money is used to purchase resonant crystals which are used to re-attune the tuner. The physical representation of a tuner is a music-related object made from wood, metal, or crystal at least 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide. These do not need to be an instrument per-say, but they could be. In addition to the tuner, a Spellsinger must have all spellsongs written down. This written form of the songs is out of game unless the player designates it as in game. The Spellsinger’s performance must match a song from this written record, but small variances are allowed to enhance the performance. A Spellsinger may have more than one written song for a spellsong in their tuner. This is true even when using Crystals, so Spellsingers can create and record songs for spellsongs they have not yet obtained. Spellsingers must create an original song for each spellsong they wish to cast. A spellsong must have intelligible lyrics with at least four lines per level of the spellsong and the name of the spellsong incorporated into the song. The name must come after the required lyrics, but extra lyrics can be added to the end for artistic purposes. The song must take at least one second per line to perform. A song can be longer for artistic purposes. The song and lyrics must be in game, in period, and must relate to the magical effect. Tunes that carry cultural baggage, such as the William Tell Overture (the Lone Ranger) or Toccata & Fugue in Dm (the Phantom of the Opera) should be avoided. Some artistic modification of the spellsong name is allowed so long as the name is still clear. So, for example, "Flame Blade" may become "Blade of Flame" or "Purify Blood" may become "Blood be Purified." Harmonic casters can also use instruments to aid in there performance, however if using a wind, brass, or other instrument requiring the use of the mouth, the caster still needs to have words written for the songs, and singing is required in all cases. The entire performance of the spellsong should be reasonably musical, harmonious, and poetic. It should substantially match the song as written in the spellsinger’s out-of-game record. Some variation is allowed, as with any sort of performance, as long as the performance is reasonably smooth and appears correct. Speed singing, poor accompaniment, poor vocalization, or clearly fumbled words will invalidate the spell. If a spellsinger fails to comply with the spirit of the Harmonic rules by constantly using poor lyrics, anachronistic music, badly fumbled vocals, or out of tune spellsongs, then a complaint should be brought to the local rules committee. If a number of complaints are brought up against a particular spellsinger then the situation will be reviewed. If there is just cause as deemed by the local staff, the character could possibly lose the use of Harmonics. If this is the case, the character’s build will be freed for use to buy other skills. Traveling Magic This type of magic allows the Spellsinger to cast spellsongs anywhere. The spellsinger simply performs the spellsong and touches the recipient with a packet. This type of magic uses all the rules for touchcasting.
Hearth Magic This type of magic can only be used inside a room that has been paced and attuned to the Spellsinger or a room under the effect of the Improved Hearth spell. Some Hearth magic can also be used within a Circle of Harmony (see the spell description below). Because the spellsinger can control the Harmony of these areas, the magic is more effective. This allows many spellsongs to affect multiple targets with each casting when cast in this manner, while there are some songs that can only be cast as Hearth magic. Some spellsongs cannot be cast in this way, and therefore do not allow multiple targets to be affected.
Attuning a room for use in the performance of Hearth magic follows some rigid guidelines. The room must have a roof that would keep out rain, and must have well defined boundaries that are under that roof. Those boundaries need not be walls, but they do need to be immobile. The Hearth will not extend outside any doorway or passage that leads from the room. To attune a room the caster must pace the boundaries of the room staying within 10 feet of each wall. If the caster cannot do this due to some danger or obstruction then the room cannot be used for Hearth magic. Once a room is attuned this attunement lasts until the Spellsinger leaves its confines, dies, or is affected by a Dispel Magic. Some plot effects may extend the duration of an attunement. Multiple spellsingers can attune the same area, but each must do so in order for them to cast Hearth magic within its confines.
To perform a Hearth magic spellsong on multiple targets, the spellsinger must gather everyone to be affected around them. Each target must be fully within the attuned area and must be within easy reach of the caster. The caster casts the spellsong and touches each target with a spell packet. The number of targets that can be affected equals the number of Harmonic spell slots the caster has at that level, to a maximum of 6. If the Spellsinger uses a musical instrument to accompany the performance, one additional target may be added and the maximum is boosted to 7. If a target is not touched after the song, or the target does not remain within arm’s reach, that target is not affected. The caster is subject to spell disruption while casting the spellsong. If the caster uses an instrument, that playing is considered to be part of the casting and both hands can be used to play.
Harmonics Crystals Spellsingers can create and make use of Harmonic crystals. These crystals are the Harmonic version of scrolls. A Spellsinger can cast from them if they have the Harmony skill. Like scrolls, the Harmony skill allows the Spellsinger to use crystals up to 4th level. To this maximum level, the Spellsinger may add the level of their highest spellsong slot, just as celestial slots add to the spell level one may use with Read Magic skill. Crystals created from Hearth magic may contain spells with additional targets. To use a Harmonic crystal, the Spellsinger must have the crystal and must have an approved song to use with that crystal. The crystal is held in one hand while the spellsong is cast. This casting is subject to the limitations of the actual spell, so casting Hearth magic from a crystal can only be performed in an attuned room. If the crystal holds Hearth magic that allows additional targets, the Spellsinger must cast that spellsong using the procedure for Hearth spellsongs. The only exception is that crystals with multiple targets may be cast as traveling magic, but those extra castings are lost when it is used in this fashion. Crystals are created using the Attune Crystal skill. They are created like scrolls, and the costs are the same as scrolls of the same level. If a Spellsinger has access to Hearth magic, then he can use a crystal to cast this type of magic as per the standard rules of Hearth magic. The physical representation is a crystal like prop at least 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide. An actual song could be incorporated into the creation of a crystal and included with it at no additional cost to the creator. This song then must be used when the crystal is used. Crystal Forges exist which will allow spellsingers with Create Crystal to make more crystals. These forges have the same costs and the same benefits as the labs for Create Scroll or Create Potion except, of course, that their benefits apply to the Create Crystal skill. Skills Costs and Prerequisites
Skill Descriptions
Harmony This skill is the harmonic equivalent of Read Magic or Healing Arts and works the same way for harmonic magic as those skills do for their respective types of magic. This skill allows you to purchase harmonic spellsongs, create tuners, and use harmonic crystals up to 4th level, all as described above. In addition, you may diagnose conditions and effects as if you had the Healing Arts skill, although you cannot purchase Earth spells unless you have that skill. Like Healing Arts, You may take over and finish resurrections with this skill.
Attune Crystal This skill allows you to create harmonic crystals. Each level gives you 4 production points per day which are used in a manner similar to Create Scroll. Each crystal costs 4 production points times the spell level to create. The details of creating and using Harmonics Crystals are outlined above.
Harmonics Spellsong List * These spells may be cast as Hearth magic with multiple targets.
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