IoK Mechanics – Access to Tap
When considering how much magic is available to a player,
the GM needs to determine the location of leylines, their distance from the relevant Divine Syphon, and the general ambient ‘tap’ available in their current
environment. Though the GM determines this before the local campaign, there should be some solid numbers that the players can rely on
when they plan their adventures.
It all starts with Knowledge Planes – Syphons. If the players do not have any points in
Knowledge Planes, they may still be able to identify the location of the great
Divine Syphons. These structures are
massive and typically serve as the center of great magical academies and
temples. The White Forge and the Great
Clockwork are a syphon of ‘Force’ magic.
The Academy in Sal is a syphon of ‘Shadow’ magic. The Cliffs of the Childe house a syphon of ‘Mind’
magic… and so on. A normal person may
know that a syphon is located in the heart of Forgen, but they may not know
that it is ‘Force’ magic. They also
would not know where the leylines have been channeled.
For those with Spellcraft, they may be
able to identify a leyline weaving through the air. They would understand how the elder mages of
the syphons created conduits that draw tap from ‘Planar Wells’ located
throughout the isles. The leylines
channel the raw energies of these planar wells back to the syphons, where it is
then stored and redistributed to those with the knowledge to shape it.
To shape ‘tap’, the player must be in possession of a
phylactery. This ornate device is able
to harness and hold tap for its wielder.
Some phylacteries are greater than others, but in the end they all serve
as the instrument through which a caster manifests power.
So… how much ‘tap’ is out there to be harnessed? If the player is within several miles of
their Divine Syphon, lots. As they get
further away, the GM must decide the maximum amount of tap which can be pulled
into a phylactery. This number, anywhere
from 0 to infinity, impacts how difficult the adventure could be for
casters.
For the current location of the IoK Saline campaign, there is little to no ambient 'Force' or 'Nature' leyline for the party to draw from. This is nearly untouched wilderness and far from the established Divine Syphons. Their NPC party does assist with this shortage. The architect aboard the ship has brought a 'Crystal Repeater', which is pulling 10 Force tap from The Great Clockwork and pumping it into the surrounding area. Also, a Srylian Priestess is performing daily rituals which disperse 5 Nature tap for the players to use.
If nobody harnesses this tap, it simply fades into the environment. In the short term, this is harmless. Overtime, the leakage will begin to impact the local flora and fauna... creating altered vegetation, aberations, magical creatures, and potentially breaching the planar boundaries. This can be very dangerous. Those familiar with Harlenton would have seen first hand what happens when a massive amount of tap builds up (see Harlenton in the IoK handbook)
Another point of note, these repeaters and rituals are being performed with the intention of aiding a small band of casters serving this mission. What would happen if multiple casters of the same type were in the area? They would need to share. If that sharing is not mutual, then it becomes a battle of Spellcraft as the mages fight over magical energies. The rolls are added together and then divided into each player's outcome. This creates a percentage which determines how many points each mage recovers.
Example: In the current environment, there are two 'Force' casters, both Rikian Keymeisters. At the moment, one of them is refraining from drawing ambient tap in order to afford the other full access. If this were not mutual, then the player would need to make a Spellcraft check each morning to gather tap. Let's say the player rolled a 17 Spellcraft while the other, more powerful caster, rolled a 22. This would allow the player to recover 4 of the available 10 while the other recovered 6.
If the repeaters were destroyed or the priestess 'incapacitated', the tap supply would dry up. There are other ways to generate tap in the world and it is dependent upon the type the caster needs. For an arcane 'Nature' caster, this would be a matter of collecting natural herbs and rare animal parts. Think homeopathic medicine. The caster would be dependent upon their Knowledge Nature and would need craft skills to generate raw magica (Survival or Alchemy). In the case of a divine 'Nature' caster, this would be a matter of rituals and prayers conducted by trained druids and priestesses. Their pleas to nature generating tap, as is currently the case.
For the 'Force' tap, the scenario becomes more esoteric. Force magic is a matter of geomancy and astrology. The magic of magical patterns and movements of the physical world. Knowledge Mathematics becomes the key to identifying sources of magica. Once the correct pattern and location is identified, then a limited amount of tap will be released. This is akin to solving mathematical formulae consisting of data derived from locations and time. Think chalkboards and extensive equations, patterns, and astral measurements.
It is important for the GM to use this as a story tool and a method of explaining why the world isn't dominated by magic. Most campaigns lose an element of tension and challenge once the players rely on magic for travel, food, health, and essentially every aspect of survival.
For the current location of the IoK Saline campaign, there is little to no ambient 'Force' or 'Nature' leyline for the party to draw from. This is nearly untouched wilderness and far from the established Divine Syphons. Their NPC party does assist with this shortage. The architect aboard the ship has brought a 'Crystal Repeater', which is pulling 10 Force tap from The Great Clockwork and pumping it into the surrounding area. Also, a Srylian Priestess is performing daily rituals which disperse 5 Nature tap for the players to use.
If nobody harnesses this tap, it simply fades into the environment. In the short term, this is harmless. Overtime, the leakage will begin to impact the local flora and fauna... creating altered vegetation, aberations, magical creatures, and potentially breaching the planar boundaries. This can be very dangerous. Those familiar with Harlenton would have seen first hand what happens when a massive amount of tap builds up (see Harlenton in the IoK handbook)
Another point of note, these repeaters and rituals are being performed with the intention of aiding a small band of casters serving this mission. What would happen if multiple casters of the same type were in the area? They would need to share. If that sharing is not mutual, then it becomes a battle of Spellcraft as the mages fight over magical energies. The rolls are added together and then divided into each player's outcome. This creates a percentage which determines how many points each mage recovers.
Example: In the current environment, there are two 'Force' casters, both Rikian Keymeisters. At the moment, one of them is refraining from drawing ambient tap in order to afford the other full access. If this were not mutual, then the player would need to make a Spellcraft check each morning to gather tap. Let's say the player rolled a 17 Spellcraft while the other, more powerful caster, rolled a 22. This would allow the player to recover 4 of the available 10 while the other recovered 6.
If the repeaters were destroyed or the priestess 'incapacitated', the tap supply would dry up. There are other ways to generate tap in the world and it is dependent upon the type the caster needs. For an arcane 'Nature' caster, this would be a matter of collecting natural herbs and rare animal parts. Think homeopathic medicine. The caster would be dependent upon their Knowledge Nature and would need craft skills to generate raw magica (Survival or Alchemy). In the case of a divine 'Nature' caster, this would be a matter of rituals and prayers conducted by trained druids and priestesses. Their pleas to nature generating tap, as is currently the case.
For the 'Force' tap, the scenario becomes more esoteric. Force magic is a matter of geomancy and astrology. The magic of magical patterns and movements of the physical world. Knowledge Mathematics becomes the key to identifying sources of magica. Once the correct pattern and location is identified, then a limited amount of tap will be released. This is akin to solving mathematical formulae consisting of data derived from locations and time. Think chalkboards and extensive equations, patterns, and astral measurements.
It is important for the GM to use this as a story tool and a method of explaining why the world isn't dominated by magic. Most campaigns lose an element of tension and challenge once the players rely on magic for travel, food, health, and essentially every aspect of survival.
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