Magic

These rules will not explain all the details of magic on Hârn, but they should be complete if you also have access to Hârnworld, although Hârnmaster Magic will also be very useful.

Convocational Attunement and Ability

A character must attune to a convocation before she can cast spells of that convocation. This requires a filled Jorum of the appropriate convocation, and a period of study, based on Aura. The character must accumulate 100xp by study of some sort: texts and teachers can help, but it is not possible to attune by Work Experience.

Once a character has attuned to a Convocation, she gains an Ability in that Convocation. The first Convocation to which a character attunes is her Primary Convocation, and the Ability has an experience multiplier of 5. The two adjacent ones are Secondary, and have multipliers of 6 once they have been attuned. The next two are Tertiary, and have multipliers of 8, while the Diametric Convocation has a multiplier of 10.

Convocational Abilities can be improved like any other Abilities, and are all based on Aura.

Spells

Basics

All magic is done by casting spells. Hârnmaster Second Edition spells can be converted to DCS as follows:

Convocation, Name and Complexity Level remain the same.
Description should remain the same in intent, but any game mechanical effects will have to be converted to DCS, on a case by case basis.
Bonus Effects are gained when Convocational Ability reaches the specified (CML/10)+4.
Time: for those with a time depending on CSI, add 5 to the number from which CSI is subtracted, and substitute Convocational Ability for CSI.
Range: Substitute Convocational Ability for CSI, and Convocational Abilityx10 for CML.
Duration: Substitute Convocational Ability for CSI.

The Difficulty of a spell is equal to its Complexity Level plus eight, so that a spell with Complexity Level 3 has a Difficulty of 11.

Casting Spells

To cast a spell, the wizard must make a Threshold Roll based on the appropriate Convocational Ability against the Difficulty of the spell. Neutral Spells are cast with the mage's Primary Convocation.

If the total of the roll is more than twice the Difficulty of the spell, the wizard gains no Fatigue. If it is less, she gains fatigue. This fatigue is specifically magic fatigue, and the recovery ability is Resistance. The severity is 1 hour, the level is the Complexity Level of the spell, and the penalty is one.

If the mage casts another spell and incurs fatigue while still suffering fatigue from a previous spell, the penalty is increased by one, and the level increases to the Complexity Level of the new spell, or by one, whichever gives a higher result.

For example, Dyalne has a current magic fatigue penalty of three, with a level of seven. She casts a Complexity Level 6 spell, and takes fatigue. The penalty increases to four, and the level increases by 1, to eight. She then casts a Complexity Level 10 spell (wow...), and takes fatigue. Her penalty increases to five, and the level increases to 10, the Complexity Level of the spell she just cast.

Learning Spells

Spells are learned according to the normal rules for learning things. The improvement total is based on Convocational Ability, and the time period is (Complexity Level) days. The Difficulty is the Difficulty of the spell.

Inventing Spells

A wizard may only invent spells of his Primary Convocation. This proceeds according to the normal rules for crafting, with the crafting total based on Convocational Ability, and a time period of (Complexity Level)x2 days. The Difficulty is the Difficulty of the spell.

Transcribing Spells

A wizard may transcribe any spells that he knows so that they may be learned by others. This also proceeds according to the normal crafting rules, with the crafting total based on Writing, and a time period of (Complexity Level) hours. The Difficulty is the Difficulty of the spell. If the Difficulty is higher than the author's Writing ability, writing the spell takes a number of time periods equal to its Difficulty.

For example, Mirelael has a Writing score of 15, and knows a Complexity Level 3 spell. This has a Difficulty of 11, so it takes her three time periods, or nine hours, to write it up. She also knows a Complexity Level 8 spell. This has a Difficulty of 16, which is higher than her Writing score. She can still transcribe it, but it takes her 16 time periods of 8 hours each, or 128 hours.

If a spell is already transcribed, it may be copied according to the crafting rules. The time period is (Complexity Level) hours, and the difficulty is Complexity Level, while the crafting total is based on Scribe.

Gray Metamorphosis

To become a Gray Mage, a character must have a score of at least 12 in all six Convocational Abilities. The mage must then go through the Gray Metamorphosis ritual.

The character must accumulate 200xp, based on Aura, while assisted either by a Gray Mage, or by texts describing the process of becoming such a mage. It is impossible to proceed without one of these forms of assistance, so a character would probably need more than one book.

Once the ritual is completed, the character loses all previous Convocational Abilities, and gains a single, Neutral, Ability, with a level equal to the highest Convocational Ability possessed, and an experience multiplier of five. This Ability is used to learn, cast, and invent spells of any Convocation.

There is, presumably, some way to become a Gray Mage without assistance: there must have been a first one. It is not covered by these rules, however.

Chantries

The qualities listed for Chantries can be used to determine all aspects of the mages who live there: their Convocational Abilities, Teaching Abilities, number of spells learned, and so on. A typical mage at a Chantry will know six plus (3xstars) spells.

They can also be used as a guide to the quality of the Chantry libraries and other resources, at GM discretion.

Conversion

Convocational Abilities convert as any other abilities, and guidelines for converting spells are given above. To use the Enriched Magic rules from Hârnmaster Magic, divide all EML modifiers by ten, rounding up, and use as modifiers to DCS acting totals.